City National Crystal Card

The reason why I wanted this card is as simple as it is unusual.

I normally do not care one single bit about credit cards without a good sign up bonus.

I despise them! 90% of my junk mail is about those kinds of offers. They keep dulling the blades in my shredding machine.

This card, however,  is a bit different. It might be a money maker. Or not, but it has the word infinite in it, and for a geek like me that’s worth something.

Not everyone can get that card. They are only located in 6 states: NY, DE, GA, TN, NV & CA. Mostly in CA. It’s unclear to me whether or not you can get it by mailing or faxing all the required documents.

But first thing first.

1. The City National Crystal Card pays you $250 back a year for airline incidentals.

2. It appears that this card pays an authorized user $250 a year, too!

3. It also appears that up to two people per the account (an account owner and an authorized user) can have access to the Priority Club lounges with their guests! 

4. Chip and Pin.

5. The rest of the benefits are pretty standard, IMHO. Global Entree or TSA credit, travel insurance, roadside protection (not free), Luxury Hotel Collection, etc. They also offer a free CLEAR membership for as long as you have a card.

CRYSTAL VISA INFINITE CREDIT CARD

Citi National Crystal Visa Infinite Credit Card Guide to Benefits

DOC Write Up on the Subject Matter

But of course, there are plenty of “buts”! What’s their tolerance level for incidentals? Do they really allow every authorized user to receive credit for incidentals? Isn’t it true that when something looks too good to be true, it probably is?

Although something tells me that they might tolerate our erratic behavior for some time—due to their card’s low popularity and high entry barriers. And also because they don’t know our crowd just yet.

So here is how it went

I went to the City to meet a client on Madison Ave this morning. Then we had a coffee break, and then it kinda hit me.

Isn’t there a City National Branch somewhere around 6th Ave? I checked the map, and lo and behold, there is! 44th and 6th. Less than a 10-minute walk from where I was sitting.

After I was done, I went to the bank and spoke with a very nice lady who gave me the lay of the land.

They are a special bank. They’re into producers, writers, directors, and Silicon Valley kind of folk. I noted that they must be the bankers for the Rich, and she wholeheartedly agreed. She asked me what I do, and said she was surprised I wasn’t their client. I wanted to tell her I’m not that kind of writer, but didn’t. I felt ashamed of myself.

In any case, they need a W2 or 1099. And a bank statement for the last 3 months. She gently nudged me into opening a bank account with them. She asked me which bank I was doing business with, and so I only told her about the first three. She was well trained and smart enough not to push the matter of opening an account any further, but did mention that the underwriter might require the bank account as a precondition for opening the card.

A no-fee account is $3,500 daily balance minimum, otherwise it’s $19 a month. I didn’t pay attention to other options that included landing hundreds of thousands of dollars I don’t have on their doorsteps.

I asked her to clarify whether or not I would indeed be required to get an account in order to receive the card, and she promised to get back to me.

So here you get it. A little too many unknowns if you ask me. But if I feel like it, I might put an extra effort and make another trip to 6th Ave in order to satisfy their morbid curiosity in my financial affairs.  😛

NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTION

Want to know more about free travel hacks? Sign up for my weekly digest (top left) and don’t miss the good stuff.