The Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card From American Express 75,000 Bonus Points

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Contents

1 The 75,000 Bonus Points Offer ($750 Value)
2 Pros And Cons Of The Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card
3 Bottom Line

The information related to the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express has been collected by MoneysMyLife and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication.

This offer is no longer available.

The Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express is regarded as one of the top hotel rewards cards available. As of this update, there’s an offer for 75,000 bonus points, which we value at $750 when you redeem towards eligible hotel stays.

Aside from the superb bonus offer, the card actually provides benefits worth the $95 annual fee (waived the first year) for those who stay at participating SPG and Marriott Rewards hotels. You’ll have over 6,500 participating SPG and Marriott Rewards hotels across 29 brands to take advantage of this card with.

The 75,000 Bonus Points Offer ($750 Value)

Spend $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening to earn the 75,000 bonus points. Redeem towards eligible hotel stays and those points are worth $750.

If you have any concerns about meeting that spending requirement during the first 3 months, here are some ideas to help:

MEETING CREDIT CARD BONUS SPENDING REQUIREMENTS

Fund Checking accounts with your card. Many banks will allow you to fund the opening deposit with a credit card. To make the most out of this opportunity, you should consider opening Checking accounts that also offer a sign-up bonus. That way, you’re working your way towards bonuses from two different sources. Big banks like Chase, TD Bank and Wells Fargo have great offers and allow credit card funding. You can often fund anywhere from $50 to $1,000 towards the opening deposit with a credit card, depending on the bank.
Buy gift cards with your credit card. Consider buying gift cards that you can then spend later at your leisure. Individual merchant cards (e.g. restaurant, gas station, supermarket) typically don’t have purchase fees so this route won’t cost you. On the other hand, American Express and Visa gift cards will incur purchase fees. Amazon gift cards are also wonderful if you shop there often (no purchase fees either). Get some gift card ideas here. *Be careful with Citi credit cards, as they tend to code gift card purchases as Cash Advances and you’ll incur the fee. Call in to customer service and lower your Cash Advance limit to $0 before purchasing gift cards (it’s a good idea to do this with any card in general). There are also options to buy discounted gift cards as well:
- Raise
- Gift Cards On eBay (auctions can save you even more with patience)
Other ideas. Be sure to always using your credit card for everyday spending, such as for dining, gas, groceries, etc. You can also use your credit card to pay for things like insurance bills, property taxes and income taxes, but you’ll have to consider the convenience fees.

*More ways to meet the spending requirement

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Pros And Cons Of The Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card

PROS	Top sign-up bonus Great rewards rate Flexible redemption options for a hotel rewards card No foreign transaction fee Free Night Award every year
CONS	Requires good/excellent credit Has an annual fee (waived 1st year)
ANNUAL FEE	$95, waived the 1st year
BONUS OFFER	Earn 75,000 Bonus Points after you use your new Card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. Terms Apply.
REWARDS RATE	We value each point at 1 cent apiece; 10,000 points is worth $100 in hotel redemption.

PROSCONS

Annual Fee. The $95 annual fee is waived for the first year, giving you enough time to evaluate if the card will fit your needs.
Rewards. If you use your card for eligible purchases at participating SPG and Marriott Rewards hotels, you’ll earn 6 points per dollar. All other purchases will earn 2 points per dollar. Starwood Preferred Guest combined with Marriott Rewards in August of 2018, and now over 6,500 participating SPG and Marriott Rewards hotels across 29 brands are available for points redemptions. Redemption can now start as low as 6,000 points a night.
Points Transfer. Besides being able to redeem points for flights and car rentals, you’ll also have the option of transferring your points for travel program rewards with major airline partners.
No Foreign Transaction Fees. There are no fees if you use your card for international purchases.
Free Night Award. You’ll receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card account anniversary. This award can be used for 1 night at a participating hotel at a max redemption level of 35,000 points.
Silver Elite Status. You’ll have complimentary Silver Elite status with this card. High spenders can earn Gold Elite status after spending $30,000 or more in eligible purchases in a calendar year (this threshold will increase to $35,000 on January 1, 2019). Silver Elite Status benefits include:
- 10% bonus on Marriott Rewards points
- Priority late checkout
- Free Wi-Fi
- Compensation for a hotel stay if Marriott can’t honor your reservation
- Dedicated phone lines for reservations
Premium Internet – Free. Premium internet access at participating SPG and Marriott Rewards hotels will be free.
Car Rental Coverage for Damage and Loss. If you pay for your car rental using your Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card, do not take out the additional collision waiver protection. If the car is subsequently damaged or stolen, you will get a level of coverage that can cover you in the event of such an occurrence. This will not apply for car rentals in New Zealand, Australia, or Italy.
Shopping and Entertainment. An extended warranty option is available when your Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card is used to pay for a purchase. In cases where the manufacturer’s warranty is five years or less, your warranty will be extended for up to 2 years as long as there is a valid US warranty in place. The coverage is limited to the amount charged on the card.

Hotel Branded Card. The primary function of this card is to benefit those who travel frequently, and more specifically those who stay at participating SPG and Marriott Rewards hotels.
Annual Spend. After the initial year of holding the card, where the annual fee is waived, in order to make the card pay for itself, you will need to hit certain spending levels.
AmEx Acceptance. There’s no getting around the fact that Visa and Mastercard is more broadly accepted than American Express. The Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card definitely shouldn’t be the only rewards card in your wallet.

Bottom Line

Now that SPG and Marriott Rewards have combined, the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express enjoys broader capabilities.

If you use a personal card for your business expenditure, this is an ideal card to earn rewards back on money that your company will later reimburse you for. If you love loyalty programs, especially with airlines, having the ability to transfer your points to most major airlines gives this card additional flexibility.

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