If you’re looking to overcompensate with your (fake) credit card, then this might be the best money you’ll ever spend…
Steel Skins creates “replica” prestigious cards
In the battle for wallet share, credit card issuers have put a lot of effort into card aesthetics over the years, from using metal for the card material, to having limited edition designs.
While there are quite a few premium credit cards nowadays, there’s a tier above those cards, which are typically invitation only. Easily the most famous is the Amex Centurion Card, often referred to as the Amex Black Card. There are endless social references to it, and it’s very much a larger-than-life product.
Well, if you’ve ever wanted an Amex Black Card without getting an invitation or spending the money, here’s your opportunity… sort of. There’s a company named Steel Skins, which creates “replicas” of prestigious cards.
Essentially, any existing debit or credit card can be redesigned to look like one of several premium credit cards.
Pricing ranges from $209.99 to $429.99, depending on the card you want, with options including the Amex Centurion Card, the JP Morgan Reserve Card, and the Dubai First Royale Card.
The way this works, you mail them the card that you want to be converted into one of these premium cards. Once the company receives the card, they’ll transplant the EMV chip and transfer the magnetic stripe information onto the replica card, with your details engraved.
The card is then supposed to work like any other card, except it won’t have a contactless payment option. Still, it should work for all point of sale machines, as well as ATM machines.
Let me be entirely clear here — I’m writing about this because I find it equal parts amusing and pathetic, and not because I think anyone should spend their money on this. For that matter, I can’t imagine this company will be around very long, as this clearly violates the copyright policies of banks.
I don’t understand credit card “flexing”
Look, I absolutely love credit cards. But the reason I love them is because of the great rewards that they offer, and not because of any ability to “flex” based on the type of card, or the design. I’m not here to judge those who get invitation only credit cards, because in some cases the cards offer decent perks, which may justify the annual fee to some.
However, there’s also no denying that a lot of people get these kinds of cards because they want to flex when they make purchases… and that’s something I’ll never be able to make sense of.
Look, I’m an introvert, and in many ways, I’m not cut out for society. I don’t particularly enjoy small talk with strangers, and I certainly don’t want to impress them.
I don’t understand the psychology of going somewhere and wanting to convince people that one is loaded. I feel guilty enough going to the grocery store and spending X amount on food, and thinking how long the check-out clerk has to work to be able to afford to feed their family. I certainly wouldn’t walk out feeling any better if I thought “gosh, I hope that clerk realized how loaded I must be to be paying a $10K annual fee on a card.”
And that’s also what makes this concept even sadder. It’s for people who think “maybe I should spent $259.99 so that I can convince strangers that I spend $10,000 per year on a credit card.” On second thought, that basically describes Miami society in a nutshell.
So this is probably all a “me issue.” I mean, we live in a world that idolizes people like Kim Kardashian (or at least did — it seems her stock might be down a bit?). This TrustPilot review of Steel Skins is probably more in line with how many others feel:
Never expected a simple card have such an effect on people, waitresses and workers change their attitude once I pull out the card lmao.
Bottom line
There’s a company that essentially converts any debit or credit card into an invitation only credit card, by transplanting the EMV chip and transferring the magnetic stripe to your choice of special cards. I can’t imagine this company won’t face some lawsuits soon over this, but in the meantime, goodness, I feel like this might just be a new low with flexing…
What do you make of this “replica” card concept?
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