黑卡的誘惑

前天打開自家的郵箱，一個黑色的信封吸引了俺的眼球。哈，巴克利銀行寄來的信用卡邀請--傳說中的黑卡！

哈哈，這種級別的東西怎麽會寄到我們這種典型的中產家庭呢？上網查了一下，就知道了這場幾十年一遇的經濟危機終於讓這些大銀行低下了高貴頭，把這種本來隻給年消費能力25萬以上的家庭的信用卡推廣到中產階級裏的高收入家庭（俺連這個也不合格呢，大概俺信用記錄不錯，才進了巴克利的“黑名單”。巴克利是第一家把黑卡平民化的銀行。）看下麵的評論：

First it（black Visa card) was American Express’ Centurion, a rare and mysterious card that the super-wealthy considered to be the ultimate status symbol. Its ridiculous perks—a credit limit high enough to buy a small island, and a reputation strong enough to get holders into the most elite of establishments–are outweighed by equally ridiculous requirements, namely, invite-only applications to people who spend more than $250,000 annually on their other American Express cards, and an annual fee of $2,500.

Now Barclays Bank has caught on. The VISA Black card, a carbon graphite edifice of spending power, was recently released to butt gold-plated heads with the Centurion. The annual fee is a piddling $495, meaning that the card may attract more lowbrow aspects of the 1% of the US population that is its market.

Barclays is moving away from the water-from-turnips paradigm that other issuers have been using to stay afloat during the crunch. As in, give average Joes, with average credit limits, a lower limit in order to lessen risk. Raise late fees and rates. Hope that this combination of factors lessens risk and increases profit
potential.

Targeting the uber-rich, as Barclays is doing, is a much smarter move. These lucky few hold as much money as millions of average Joes. They value status and ease over fees. By issuing a card that makes the very wealthy feel secure and elite enough to use on a regular basis, Barclays exposes itself to big profits from higher merchant
fees as a percentage of purchase. That sure beats reducing risk and crossing your fingers—the average Joe strategy.

Good move, Barclays. More banks should be thinking like you.

太太下班了，俺問太太有沒有興趣申請一張。太太問，年費是多少。俺告訴她，主卡的年費是495， 加一張副卡是另外加195。太太撇撇嘴--還不如拿這錢吃幾頓實惠呢。

哈哈，要拿班長的黑卡，除了思維，還得有經濟實力。

（12/3/2009）