Quick Answer
What the Centurion Card costs in Germany
American Express Germany publishes the Centurion Card’s fees in a 56-page PDF fee and service schedule, membership and insurance terms (as of June 30, 2026). Some major comparison sites still say there’s no official figure. The document states:
| Item | Per the fee and service schedule |
|---|---|
| Primary card | €5,000 annually |
| Joining fee | €5,000, one-time |
| Centurion Plus Card | 1 card free (personal spend only) |
| Supplementary cards | 1 Centurion supplementary card plus up to 4 more (Platinum, Gold, American Express or Blue Card) included |
| Membership Rewards | Classic included, 1 point per euro |
| Foreign transaction fee | 2% |
| Card design change | €100 from the second design onward |
| Cash | €2,000 per 7 days in Germany, €7,650 per 30 days abroad |
Some sites still say the joining fee is €10,000. The official document states €5,000.
How to get a Centurion
Not by asking. American Express Germany’s FAQ says it plainly: “The Centurion Card cannot be applied for; it is only issued to members by invitation from American Express.” It’s available only to a small circle of members.
Amex doesn’t publish criteria. Travel blogs report that invitees usually already hold a Platinum Card and run very high spend through it, sometimes described as six-figure amounts. Amex confirms none of these thresholds, and we found no official evidence for them.
Centurion vs. Platinum: the official comparison
Amex never compares the two cards directly. We laid the two German fee and service schedules side by side:
| Platinum | Centurion | |
|---|---|---|
| Fee | €60 a month or €720 a year | €5,000 a year + €5,000 joining fee |
| Apply | yes | invitation only |
| Priority Pass | up to 50 visits per calendar year, including supplementary cards and guests | included, 2 free guests, no stated cap |
| Trip cancellation | €6,000 per person per trip | €15,000 per person per trip |
| SIXT ride credit | €200 (8 x €25) | €500 (20 x €25) |
| Airport parking | not included | €300 a year at 8 German airports |
| Airport VIP service | not included | at 7 major German airports |
| Supplementary cards | 1 Platinum plus up to 4 more | 1 Centurion plus Plus Card plus up to 4 more |
| Foreign transaction fee | 2% | 2% |
Per the fee schedule, the Centurion also includes access to Centurion Lounges and airline partner lounges, Fine Hotels + Resorts, an airline program and access to status programs with hotel, rental car and airline partners. American Express doesn’t publicly state exactly which hotel status Centurion members get. Travel medical insurance abroad is unlimited, for trips of up to 120 consecutive days.
Centurion Lounges: none in Germany, new in Amsterdam
None of the Centurion Lounge Network’s official locations is in Germany. The Amex lounge finder for Frankfurt shows 15 lounges, none of them from American Express.
Amsterdam is new: per American Express, the Centurion Lounge at Schiphol Airport opened on September 17, 2026, the first in continental Europe, open daily from 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. It sits between Piers E and F, an area Schiphol uses mainly for non-Schengen and intercontinental flights. Anyone flying from Amsterdam to Germany or another Schengen country typically can’t reach it. Other European locations in the network are London Heathrow and Stockholm Arlanda.
Access is open to Platinum and Centurion members. For the lounges in the US, London, Hong Kong and Tokyo, these guest rules apply:
- Platinum, issued outside the US (which includes Germany): one free guest per visit, who must be on the same flight. In London, each additional guest costs £35.
- Centurion: immediate family (partner and children under 18) or up to two guests free of charge.
As of September 24, 2026, Amex hadn’t published its own access rules for Amsterdam. Every other Platinum lounge, from Priority Pass to airline lounges, is covered in our Amex Platinum Lounges guide.
Who the Centurion makes sense for
Financially, only for people who fly several times a month, often bring guests into lounges, need to insure expensive trips and actually use the extras like parking and VIP service. Everyone else is better served by the Platinum Card, which you can actually apply for and which opens the same Centurion Lounges. What the Platinum costs net once you use its credits is covered on our Platinum credits page, and the overview of every Amex card is at best Amex card in Germany.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Amex Centurion Card cost in Germany?
Per American Express Germany’s fee and service schedule (as of June 30, 2026), the Centurion Card costs €5,000 a year. On top of that comes a one-time joining fee of €5,000. So you pay €10,000 in the first year, then €5,000 a year after that. A Centurion Plus Card, a Centurion supplementary card and up to four further supplementary cards are included.
Can you apply for the Amex Centurion Card?
No. American Express states plainly on its German FAQ page: the Centurion Card cannot be applied for and is issued by invitation only. Amex doesn’t name concrete requirements such as spend or income. The often-cited six-figure spending thresholds and Platinum ownership come from anecdotal reports, not from American Express.
What does the Centurion Card offer over the Platinum?
Per the two German fee and service schedules: Priority Pass with two free guests and no stated cap, instead of 50 visits a year; trip cancellation insurance up to €15,000 instead of €6,000 per person per trip; a €500 SIXT ride credit (20 x €25); a €300 parking credit at eight German airports; and an airport VIP service at seven German airports. The foreign transaction fee is the same at 2%.
Is there a Centurion Lounge in Germany?
No. None of the official Centurion Lounge Network locations is a German airport. The nearest one has been the Centurion Lounge at Amsterdam Schiphol since September 17, 2026, the first in continental Europe. It sits between Piers E and F, an area used mainly for non-Schengen departures, so flights to Germany typically can’t reach it.
Who is allowed into the Centurion Lounges?
Platinum Card and Centurion Card holders. For the lounges in the US, London, Hong Kong and Tokyo, this applies: Platinum cards issued outside the US may bring one free guest on the same flight. Centurion members may bring their immediate family or up to two guests free of charge. Amex hasn’t published its own rules for Amsterdam yet.