What is concierge service?
Have you ever been to a nice hotel and noticed a person with a friendly smile tucked away behind a fancy desk off in the corner? Well, that’s the concierge. A concierge is a person with serious know-how about things like restaurants, attractions, and much more about the area where you’re staying. A credit card concierge service is very much the same deal.
You can call the concierge service, usually available 24/7, to connect you with a professional know-it-all who can help you with a wide array of requests. They can do simple things like arrange a rental car, make a dinner reservation, or secure theatre tickets. They can also perform more difficult tasks like order flowers to be delivered, direct you to the nearest English-speaking doctor in a foreign city, or even help you devise your entire vacation itinerary.
A concierge service can be a bit like having your very own personal assistant helping you out when you’re in a bind.
What can concierge service get you?
Each of Canada’s main credit card networks (Visa, MasterCard, and American Express) have cards that feature a concierge service. Here is what they offer:
Visa
If you’re a Visa Infinite* or Visa Infinite Privilege* cardholder, you’ll have access to the Visa Infinite Concierge. The service includes:
- Advice on the perfect travel itinerary
- Restaurant recommendations or where to find that perfect birthday gift.
- Hotel booking and attraction ticket reservation assistance
- Help to find the nearest 24-hour pharmacy, locate services (like a plumber or electrician) for your home, or get help with other everyday needs
The Visa concierge is now offering COVID-19 specific services, including:
- Assistance securing hard-to-find essentials or takeout options
- Help finding services from local businesses that offer delivery and curbside pickup
- Finding local restaurants that are open and in need of your support
- Recommending virtual activities, like virtual gallery and museum tours, zoo cams, streaming concerts, and online fitness classes
Mastercard
Mastercard does not offer many specifics about their concierge service because they say that the financial institution that issues the card selects and provides their specific benefits. They note, however, that some general services provided include:
- Planning a night out
- Making travel arrangements
- Ordering gifts
- Providing tourist information
American Express
The American Express concierge service can coordinate requests big and small for cardmembers, including:
- Restaurant suggestions
- Ideas for memorable nights out
- Recommendations for places to visit in a specific city when you’re travelling
- Arranging for the purchase and delivery of an item that you saw while traveling, but didn’t have time to buy
- Arranging for flowers or gifts to be sent to business clients in other countries
- Finding meeting rooms or service apartments to rent for business trips
- Helping to retrieve lost or forgotten items
An American Express representative told me that their concierge could even ship a wedding dress halfway across the world!
Is it free?
When concierge services are included with a credit card, they are free, meaning your annual fee covers it. It’s essential to note that while the service is free, any goods they purchase for you, like tickets or flowers, are at your own expense. You will have to pay for any physical goods you buy- make sure you specify your spending limits when you seek a concierge’s assistance.
Top credit cards for concierge service
Here's the table in HTML code:
| Card Name | Concierge Service | Welcome Bonus | Card Type | Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card | Comprehensive concierge services† help like securing hard-to-find items | Best Offer yet for the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card: Earn up to $1,600 in value† including up to 70,000 Aeroplan points†. Conditions Apply. Must apply by September 5, 2023. | Travel Rewards | $139 |
| BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege* Card | Visa Infinite Privilege Concierge, like “having a personal assistant on-call" | Up to 90,000 BMO Rewards bonus points* | Rewards | $499 |
| The Platinum Card® | Top tier concierge service, including arranging for bodyguards, translators, or meet and greet services at the airport | Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® points (conditions apply) | Rewards | $699 |
†Terms and conditions apply.
TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card
Apply for TD Aeroplan Infinite Visa card
Who’s Eligible?– Standard Purchase APR: 20.99%– Balance Transfer APR: 22.99%– Cash Advance APR: 22.99%– Recommended Credit Score: Good to Excellent**– Minimum Income:** $60,000 Personal, $100,000 Household**– Age: You must be the age of majority in your home province– Residency:** Canadian
This offer is not available for residents of Quebec. For Quebec residents, please click here.
The TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card has a notable welcome offer. Best Offer yet for the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Card:* Earn up to $1,600 in value† including up to 70,000 Aeroplan points†. Conditions Apply. Must apply by September 5, 2023.
This card’s top-class concierge service† includes help like finding local restaurants offering takeout, ordering flowers and cakes to celebrate your loved one’s special day, and even finding virtual activities to help pass the time.
Key Features:
-
Welcome Bonus: Best Offer yet for the TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Card:* Earn up to $1,600 in value including up to 70,000 Aeroplan points. Conditions Apply. Must apply by September 5, 2023.
-
Rewards Structure: 1.5 Aeroplan points per $1 spent on eligible grocery, gas, and direct through Air Canada purchases (including Air Canada Vacations) made with your card; 1 Aeroplan point per $1 spent on other purchases
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Additional Perks: Travel medical insurance, trip cancellation/delay insurance, baggage delay/loss insurance, rental car insurance, and more
-
Annual fee: $139
Click here to apply or learn more by reading our complete TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite* Card review.
†Terms and conditions apply.
BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege* card
Apply for BMO Eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege card
Who’s Eligible?– Recommended Credit Score: Excellent**– Minimum Income:** $150,000 Personal, $200,000 Household**– Age: You must be the age of majority in your home province– Residency:** Canadian
Currently, the card is offering up to 90,000 BMO Rewards bonus points*. You’ll get 50,000 BMO Rewards welcome bonus points after you spend a minimum of $6,000 within the first 3 months of opening the account. Receive an additional 40,000 BMO Rewards points after you spend a minimum of $100,000 within the first twelve months after account open date. You’ll also have easy access to a Visa Infinite Privilege Concierge (which is a step up from the regular Visa Infinite Concierge). Visa describes it as akin to “having a personal assistant on-call. You name it. They’ll make it happen!”
Key Features:
- Welcome Bonus: Up to 90,000 BMO Rewards bonus points*
- Rewards Structure: Earn 5X the points for every $1 spent on travel, dining, gas, groceries and drugstore purchases*
- Additional Perks: Comprehensive travel insurance*, unique dining and wine events*, Visa Airport Companion membership and 6 complimentary airport lounge visits per year – valued at more than $250 USD*
- Annual fee: $499
Click here to apply or learn more by reading our complete BMO eclipse Visa Infinite Privilege* Card review.
- Terms and conditions apply
American Express The Platinum Card®
Apply for American Express The Platinum Card
Who’s Eligible?– Recommended Credit Score: Good to Excellent**– Minimum Income:** N/A**– Age: You must be the age of majority in your home province– Residency:** Canadian
With a $699 annual fee, The Platinum Card® happens to be one of the most expensive charge cards in Canada. It offers lots of benefits like airport lounge access and a $200 CAD annual travel credit. The card includes over-the-top concierge services like assistance with hiring a bodyguard or a translator. You can use the concierge to book theater tickets and avoid fees, book tickets to sold out shows, get help planning an event, search for specialists like a contractor, a pet groomer, and even organic catering.
Those interested in lounge access can take full advantage of The American Express Global Lounge CollectionTM which unlocks access to over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide. This includes The Centurion® Lounge network, Plaza Premium Lounges, and hundreds of other domestic and international lounges designed to enhance your travel experience.
Key Features:
- Welcome Bonus: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® points – that’s $800 towards a weekend away. New Platinum® Cardmembers, earn 80,000 Welcome Bonus points after you charge $7,500 in net purchases to your Card in your first 3 months of Cardmembership. Conditions apply.
- Earn Rate: Earn 3 points for every $1 in Card purchases on eligible dining and food delivery in Canada, 2 points for every $1 in Card purchases on eligible travel, and 1 point for every $1 in all other Card purchases
- Additional Perks: $200 CAD annual credits, lots of extras like travel insurance and airport lounge access
- Annual fee: $699
Learn more by reading our complete The Platinum Card® review.
Summary
See what you’ve been missing? Concierge services are awesome. Give your concierge a call; they are there to help make your life a little easier. Remember, if you own a premium credit card, you are already paying for the service with your annual fee so be sure to take advantage of this under-appreciated benefit.
Recommended Read:
- Best travel credit cards in Canada
- Best credit cards in Canada
- Are premium credit cards worth the annual fees?
American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information click the Apply now link. Conditions apply.
BMO is not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click on the Apply now link for the most up to date information.
