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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
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Pros And Cons Of The Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card
Card DetailsAdditional Information
| PROS |
|
| CONS |
|
| 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. |
- Earn 75,000 Bonus Points after you use your new Card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months.
- Earn 6 points for each dollar of eligible purchases at participating SPG® and Marriott Rewards® hotels and 2 points on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on International purchases.
- Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card account anniversary. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 points) at a participating hotel. Select hotels have resort fees.
- Enjoy complimentary, unlimited Boingo Wi-Fi on up to four devices at more than 1,000,000 Boingo hotspots worldwide. Enrollment required.
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95.
- Terms Apply.
PROS
- 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.
CONS
- 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.
What’s The Competition?
If you’re loyal to the SPG® and Marriott Rewards® brands, then this card is a sure winner because the rewards potential will beat any general rewards card.
However, if the above isn’t necessarily the case, you may benefit more with one of the many top travel rewards cards. All of these competitors have great sign-up bonuses as well.
Barclaycard Arrival® Plus World Elite Mastercard®
 The previously discontinued Barclaycard Arrival® Plus World Elite Mastercard® is now available again, and with a 60,000 bonus miles offer. If you're not a high spender or if you'd prefer a big initial sign-up bonus, this is a great alternative to the Barclays Arrival® Premier World Elite Mastercard®. The 60k bonus miles will be worth $600 when you redeem towards travel. If you take into account the 5% miles back every time you redeem perk, the 60k miles would then have a $630 value.This card also earns unlimited miles at the rate of 2 miles per $1 spent on all purchases regardless of category, and doesn't have foreign transaction fees on international purchases either. Full Review |
Chase Sapphire Preferred®
| The Chase Sapphire Preferred® credit card currently has an offer for 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Redeeming the 50,000 bonus points through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® program, which is praised by users, will get you $625 in value towards travel. The 50K bonus points are worth $625 because you get 25% more value whenever you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Ongoing rewards with this card include earning 2 points per $1 on Travel and Dining at restaurants. The annual fee is $95, but it is waived for the first year. Full Review |
Capital One® Venture®
| The Capital One Venture card currently earns a 50,000 miles bonus when you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months. These bonus miles are equal to $500 in travel and are easy to redeem as a statement credit towards the cost of your travel purchases. This card will earn an ongoing 2 miles for every dollar you spend on all purchases. 100 miles is equal to $1 in travel rewards. If you don't redeem towards travel purchases, your miles will have less value. The annual fee is $95, which is waived for the first year. Full Review |
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