黑卡的诱惑

前天打开自家的邮箱，一个黑色的信封吸引了俺的眼球。哈，巴克利银行寄来的信用卡邀请--传说中的黑卡！

哈哈，这种级别的东西怎么会寄到我们这种典型的中产家庭呢？上网查了一下，就知道了这场几十年一遇的经济危机终于让这些大银行低下了头，把这种本来只给年消费能力25万以上的家庭的信用卡推广到中产阶级里的高收入家庭（俺连这个也不合格呢，大概俺信用记录不错，才进了巴克利的“黑名单”。巴克利是第一家把黑卡平民化的银行。）看下面的评论：

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，俺问太太有没有兴趣申请一张。太太问，年费是多少。俺告诉她，主卡的年费是495， 加一张副卡是另外加195。太太撇撇嘴--还不如拿这钱吃几顿实惠呢。

哈哈，要拿班长的黑卡，除了思维，还得有经济实力。

（12/3/2009）

所有跟帖： 

• 这下那个谁谁该明白了吧。 -A-Momy- ♀ (30 bytes) () 12/03/2009 postreply 08:23:19

• 最近忙“搬家”，不大写了。是看了下面的帖子写的。：）。 -农村出来的博士后- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/03/2009 postreply 08:27:55

• 买豪宅啦。。GX GX GX。。。 -A-Momy- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/03/2009 postreply 08:29:08

• ^!^. -农村出来的博士后- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/03/2009 postreply 08:32:25

• 恭喜升级！你也不跟俺们同一阶级了：） -毕小珠-- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/03/2009 postreply 08:25:21

• 这不是农民本色不变么--对黑卡只屑一顾。：）。 -农村出来的博士后- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/03/2009 postreply 08:29:38

• 连年费都减了，班长该找他们要求平等对待：） -毕小珠-- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/03/2009 postreply 08:34:15

• 俺也收到过，当时就扔了，年费太贵 ：-） -MiHuPig- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/03/2009 postreply 08:27:06

• 哈哈，银行也穷得找平民了。记得以前citi是百万开特殊账户，后来是50万，现在估计更少了。 -农村出来的博士后- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/03/2009 postreply 08:31:10

• 不过呢，俺扔的时候不知道黑卡是啥东东 -MiHuPig- ♀ (109 bytes) () 12/03/2009 postreply 08:34:22

• 听都没听说过这黑卡的，是什么阶级？ -酱紫- ♀ (42 bytes) () 12/03/2009 postreply 08:35:27

• 至少文学城的班长级。：）。 -农村出来的博士后- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/03/2009 postreply 08:44:56

• 你可真牛。俺光收到信说俺的卡给咔嚓了。要想留着不常用的卡还不容易呢 -gingertea- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/03/2009 postreply 08:49:47

• 我家才搞笑。 -empyrean8- ♀ (90 bytes) () 12/03/2009 postreply 10:49:28