American Express Membership Rewards - Moving from MR to Starwood Amex?

I've had a Membership Rewards Amex for just over a year. I was reviewing my statements and noticed a $110 charge for "annual membership fee." Holy &$*#! Is that what Amex now charges for the lowest of the low cards? This is the basic MR card, the one that has horrible redemption rates for points.

My plan is to move to SPG, which people seem to really like. Any ideas about how to "make the move"? Who should I call? Do I need to redeem my MR points before I convert? Do I have to close one account and open another or does the account somehow roll-over? Any chance they will refund this ridiculous fee? Any SPG signup promos that you know of?

Thoughts, advice, comments appreciated.

You have to just apply for a new card. The SPG is a credit card while the Green (I'm guessing you've got the green rewards card?) Amex is a charge card. You can upgrade/downgrade if you stay within the charge cards but you'll need to apply for the SPG card separately. You'll just have two accounts with Amex.

As for your MR points, you should use them up and close the account so you can avoid that annual fee. Once you close the card though, you'll lose the points (unless there's a grace period which I forget if there is). I would avoid transferring those points to the Starwood program though, the redemption rate is pretty lousy.

Also, are you looking to use the SPG card for frequent flier miles? That (and SPG points obviously) are the only things the SPG card is good for. The SPG card is attractive for frequent flyer miles because Starwood gives a 5k mile bonus when you transfer 20k StarPoints to an airline program.

SPG has a 4k bonus for signing up with the card right now and then 1k bonus the first time you stay at a Starwood hotel, then 500 for each subsequent stay in the first year, up to a total of 10k bonus in your first year. I'm not sure of any other direct mail promos that may be going on.

Thank you cmoney. The card is "American Express Rewards" (at least that's what it says on the front of the card. It's sort of a weird emerald green (not the typical Amex pepperminty green). I plan to use it mostly for hotel stuff (we've been pretty happy with SPG) and maybe to top off some airlines miles as we need to. But I don't plan to use it for merchandise or anything like that.

I recently converted from a MR Gold Amex to SPG. There is some grace period (maybe a month) to move the points, but the reps did not volunteer that fact; I had to ask. However, after my MR Amex was closed, they converted my MR to MR options (generally converts to airline miles at a 2:1 ratio). I was waiting for an airline account to link before moving my points. After some discussion with a few CS reps, they did move my points to miles at the MR ratio (1:1), including a few pending points from current charges.

(When I first noticed a change was when I was looking at redemption rates rates. One day it was 1000 points=1000 miles; the next day it was 2000 points= 1000 miles. My first thought was that they had "Amtrak'd" us and made a significant program change without prior notice. My blood pressure went up several points until I figured out that they had converted me to MR options, which still wasn't a good result, but at least I guessed that the change was fixable.)

Occasionally there are MR -> SPG promotions at a 2:1 rate instead of the usual 3:1 rate. I waited for one of these, converted my remaining points to SPG, and cancelled the card.

Occasionally there are MR -> SPG promotions at a 2:1 rate instead of the usual 3:1 rate. I waited for one of these, converted my remaining points to SPG, and cancelled the card.


In fact, until March 31, 2005, you can transfer membership rewards points to Starwood points at the rate of 2:1 versus the customary 3:1 as long as you don't own one of the options cards like the basic green, Amex charge card, which would have a 4:1 conversion rate until March 31. These higher conversion rate promos occur a couple times a year for varying lengths of time. Last week, I took advantage of the promo by transferring 40,000 membership rewards points into 20,000 Starwood points.

The AmEx charge cards have their own advantages, but if air miles or Starpoints are what you are after, there is no better way (that I know of) to earn frequent traveler rewards than by using the AmEx Starwood card. Benefits are minimal compared to the AmEx Gold and Platinum cards, but if points are what you are after (and no fee), go for it.

Couldn't agree more with the prior poster. However, if you are looking to save on gasoline, then, the optimal rewards card is the "Perfect Card" from Chase with its generous universal gasoline purchase rebates.

My husband and I use our Gold Amex to pay for just about everything. Our only goals for our Membership Rewards points are for travel: we usually convert MR points to One Pass Miles, and have also redeemed MR points for car rental certificates.

It seems like for our purposes the*wood Amex card is a good choice. In the fine print it seems like the features are comparable: purchase protection, car rental insurance, etc. We pay our balance in full each month so we're not concerned about the interest rates.

It seems like a great way to earn extra Starwood points... and we'd want to make the switch during this 10,000 bonus starpoints promotion... One concern though, the promotion states:
"*Offer valid for first-time Cardmembers only"

Does anyone know if they mean if you've held ANY Amex card or simply if someone has already applied and received a Starwood Amex?

The offer will apply to you as long as you did not have the Starwood card before you apply for the Starwood card. I had an Amex green charge card when I applied for Starwood a few years ago, and I got all of the free point incentives. You will not be disappointed with the card, and I even consider the approx. $30 annual fee (waived first year) a bargain. Good luck with your "Wood" card.

If you apply for the starwood card and get the first year fee-free, do you get the 50% off a hotel stay certificate?

Thanks,

If you apply for the starwood card and get the first year fee-free, do you get the 50% off a hotel stay certificate?

Thanks,


Yep, you will get the certificate but "caveat emptor (buyer beware)." The 50% stay certificate is not what you necessarily expect since I have found it to be 50% off the rack rate, not 50% off the best rate that you can obtain at the SPG website. I never used the certificate because I found that for the properties where I stayed that I could obtain a better price by booking the stay via the SPG website, especially if booking only a one or two day stay which is my norm for business travel.
You have to call SPG customer service to use the certificate, and I found that I was always able to get a better rate booking direct via the Internet with AAA discount or some Internet "special rate" than the rate offered with the certificate. I would suggest that you compare Internet rates and the rate offered with a certificate, and take the best rate for your stay.

is the 10000 spg points promo over?
when i go to the spg site popups still say you can earn 10k but the amex site says 6000 now

I got 6K for signing up a few weeks back, and then get 500 for each stay at an SPG property up to 12K. and then the points for spending of course.

is the 10000 spg points promo over?
when i go to the spg site popups still say you can earn 10k but the amex site says 6000 now

Current offer is 6,000 starpoints upon approval, then up to 6,000 pts in the first year (1000 for 1st stay, 500 for each additional). Application Link (https://www66.americanexpress.com/cards/Applyfservlet?csi=6/12911/b/57/0119275049/01111363266/0/n&PID=1&EAID=Es5Ekr9eEBk-H68%2AePrrZPHJcdFF5HuGag&CRTV=CCGSPG00001499&PSKU=SPG&afflSID=Es5Ekr9eEBk). I don't know of any promos currently offering anything better than this.

I don't see a current promo linked from spg.com - just the regular application without any Starpoints for signing up. If anyone knows of a link that offers more than 6,000 points upon application post here or in the SPG AMEX forum.

i have both cards.

it may be too late for the op, but i wouldn't transfer amex miles to starwood (because of the loss of value) unless i were sure i would never redeem at any of the airlines participating in mr. for those airlines, you get fewer miles going from amex to starwood to the airline than if you go from amex to the airline.

if you have a lot of amex miles the loss of value could be larger than the annual fee.

btw, for certain categories of stores amex offers bonus miles which makes it better (imho) than starwood for those stores.

https://www66.americanexpress.com/cards/Applyfservlet?csi=6/14478/b/57/1988371737/19815102364/0/n

Wow, thats the best deal I have found so far