During the screening interview, I got the impression that my credit card may also have been checked. Do they ever make judgments based on the type of card?
If having a black card helps with the club’s screening process, I’m thinking of keeping it for the sake of rejoining in the future or applying to another club.
I was considering canceling it because I’d been using the black card as a trial and found that it was hardly any different from a regular card. However, if it carries any weight when applying to clubs such as Universe, I’m thinking I might keep it in preparation for rejoining in the future or becoming interested in another club.
I also recently learned that the concierge service can make restaurant reservations, which has made me feel a little more inclined to keep it.
I can’t use the card when I’m with a woman, and I only stay overnight or travel with my family. I can’t use airport lounges either because my children get noisy, so I can’t think of any particularly special ways to use it.
To everyone at the club: if you’ve found any useful ways to use a black card or any benefits from having one, please let me know.
I’d also love to hear from anyone who canceled theirs because they didn’t find any benefits.
Has anyone ever been invited to get a black card again after canceling one?
To the women here: have you ever experienced any benefits from a man having a black card?
I’m Paper Airplane, a male member.
Thank you all for your replies m(._.)m
It’s reassuring to know that everyone felt the same way.
Also, regarding what Maezawa said:
> However, with SALON, showing the designated black card
> is a requirement for membership (official documentation proving
> an annual income of at least ¥40 million is also accepted).
This helped me understand why they check your credit card during the interview.
I hadn’t explained anything in detail about my income or occupation, and I hadn’t shown them my business card either. At the time, I thought they were simply checking my name, but I suppose that was the only tangible proof they had.
Lately, when I go to restaurants in my usual area, I can’t remember at all which girl I went with. So I have to cautiously test the waters before I can even say something like, “I came here recently,” which makes things awkward.
With the concierge service, though, they can quickly find a restaurant that suits my needs at any time of day, without making me wait.
Since I’ll obviously remember who I went with the first time I visit a restaurant, I’m starting to think it might actually be surprisingly convenient…
Still, the staffing costs for having someone available 24/7 to respond immediately and look things up must be enormous. And on top of that, you can only pay in cash when you’re on a date… The level of wastefulness is unbelievable.
(3 replies left)
(3 replies left)
💡 This question has no password registered, so the reply feature is unavailable.
If you access from the device/browser used to post the question, you may be able to set a password later.
Maezawa from the Corporate Planning Office here as well.
> Don’t you think the staff at Univa would be happier if someone brought them a thousand-yen box of sweets as a gift rather than showing them a black card? I know I would be.
I’d feel the same way.
That said, at SALON, showing the designated black card—or official documentation proving an annual income of at least ¥40 million—is part of the membership requirements. So for people who find it a hassle to bring the paperwork, there may be situations where the card comes in handy.
At Univa, having a black card doesn’t mean anything special in itself. Even so, people make this strange mental leap: “He showed me a black card from ○○, so he must be an impressive person.”
In reality, having a black card doesn’t necessarily mean someone is a good person. But stingy people may avoid one to save on the annual fee, and they might also be stingy with women.
I find myself thinking that if someone isn’t like that, then at least he’s probably not the kind of person women would give negative feedback about. But there are plenty of exceptions, so I sometimes wonder whether I’m being far too biased.
(3 replies left)
(3 replies left)
💡 This question has no password registered, so the reply feature is unavailable.
If you access from the device/browser used to post the question, you may be able to set a password later.
This is Saito, the column writer ♪
A proper black card is actually the least effective.
For hotel upgrades, registering as an individual VIP directly with the hotel gets you upgraded several times more often.
Outside of proprietary cards, I think the SPG Amex is a good option, but the sales reps for the Diners ANA Premium card are always pushing me to refer people.
I haven’t really gotten much benefit from titanium or 18-karat gold cards either.
(I’m tired of using them that way.)
The reason people approve individuals based on their status cards is simply that:
“Since the card company considers them high-status, they probably have a decent income, plenty of disposable money, and aren’t strange people.”
That’s about it.
So these days, that practice is gradually disappearing.
I do remember salons still having something like that, though.
(3 replies left)
(3 replies left)
💡 This question has no password registered, so the reply feature is unavailable.
If you access from the device/browser used to post the question, you may be able to set a password later.
This is Joe.
I was talked into getting one. If there’s any benefit, it’s that hotel rooms get upgraded fairly often—not just overseas, but in Japan as well.
As everyone says, though, I don’t think it’s really all that useful.
P.S. Mac,
Mine is HSBC Malaysia. Here, you can’t sign—you have to enter a six-digit PIN.
(3 replies left)
(3 replies left)
💡 This question has no password registered, so the reply feature is unavailable.
If you access from the device/browser used to post the question, you may be able to set a password later.
I’m in my 60s and still trying to find my way.
That’s great to hear! I’ve already been to pretty much everywhere overseas I wanted to visit, so these days I’m focusing on traveling around Japan.
I used to wonder how anyone could keep doing something with such poor value for money… but it looks like everyone feels the same way!
(3 replies left)
(3 replies left)
💡 This question has no password registered, so the reply feature is unavailable.
If you access from the device/browser used to post the question, you may be able to set a password later.
I’m female member Rin.
Honestly, among the people around me who have one and actually show it off in public, most seem to be the kind of young entrepreneurs these days who are trying a little too hard to look successful.
Considering the annual fee, I feel that Platinum or Gold is more than enough.
As for my husband, he says that whenever he travels overseas for work, the people who take care of everything for him usually accompany him, so he has no need to pay for things himself.
I suppose it would be a quick and easy way to prove your status when identification is required, though.
An acquaintance who owns branch offices, factories, and the like in several countries around the world and in multiple locations across Japan says he only shows his Black card overseas and never uses it domestically.
He says it’s poor value for money.
Personally, I only have a family Gold card with the annual fee covered by the company, and I have no inconvenience at all. I have no intention of getting any more cards.
Years ago, when I was working part-time while raising my children, I brought the full cash payment for a car in a backpack. The branch manager was absolutely delighted.
That was when I first learned who pays the credit card processing fee.
Mr. Mac!
Oh, no! Good grief! I had no idea!
And I carried it all the way there on my back like some country bumpkin!!
(3 replies left)
(3 replies left)
💡 This question has no password registered, so the reply feature is unavailable.
If you access from the device/browser used to post the question, you may be able to set a password later.
I’m Basil, a male member.
Back when I traveled abroad frequently, having a premium credit card made sense. But since I only travel domestically now, the annual fee wasn’t worth the limited benefits, so I canceled it.
(3 replies left)
(3 replies left)
💡 This question has no password registered, so the reply feature is unavailable.
If you access from the device/browser used to post the question, you may be able to set a password later.
I’m a male member in Seattle.
I tried having one for a year, but canceled it because it was pointless. Unless you travel abroad frequently and need the travel insurance, I don’t think it’s necessary.
I don’t remember showing any cards at my Universe interview. People who make a point of flaunting their cards come across as more obnoxious anyway.
(3 replies left)
(3 replies left)
💡 This question has no password registered, so the reply feature is unavailable.
If you access from the device/browser used to post the question, you may be able to set a password later.
I’m Marika, a female member.
If even I’m getting invitations for a black card, doesn’t that make them kind of meaningless?
I suppose they might be worth having if you actually make good use of the perks, but I barely use the benefits that come with a regular card.
I think black cards are mainly something people who don’t mind the high annual fee get for their own satisfaction.
I’d also love to hear from anyone who can explain how they use one in a way that’s actually useful. Sorry this doesn’t really answer your question.
(3 replies left)
(3 replies left)
💡 This question has no password registered, so the reply feature is unavailable.
If you access from the device/browser used to post the question, you may be able to set a password later.
