Canadian SPG American Express

Old Jul 13, 2018, 11:24 am
  #2011  
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Originally Posted by Toronto1970
My SPG Business card is up for renewal July 19th. I assume I'm best off cancelling the card, and then reapplying in a few months (perhaps for the personal) - since otherwise I would have to wait until July 2019 for my free night certificate!
The Free Night Certificate is offered on the renewal date - so the first year doesn't count.

So I think they are trying to have incentives to reduce the chruning. So year 1 - welcome bonus. Year 2 and subsequent years - pay annual fee, get the free night. and no prorated fee refund upon getting the free night.
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Old Jul 13, 2018, 11:47 am
  #2012  
 
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I just noticed this statement when checking my SPG Amex online (the statement isn't new but the date is), so maybe they are implementing or announcing some changes on July 18th.

Youą could earn a referral bonus of a $25 Statement Credit for each approved referral˛ if your friend applies for the Card by July 17th, 2018.
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Old Jul 13, 2018, 7:27 pm
  #2013  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
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I am still trying to figure out whether I will receive one Starwood point equivalent for spend in the second half of july
thst is only on my 16 August statement as that will be the relevant statement date in my case .

(does everyone’s statement close on the 16th, or does it vary?)

for discussion sake, let’s assume the new program is introduced on August 4 and or the credit card change is effective August 4.

does anyone have an understanding of this?
(I pay plastiq fees of 2.5 percent plus some interest as I am paying a bill before it is due. At one spg point it is worth it to me, perhaps, still figuring that out. At .66 spg point also known as two new points it is not worth it to me at this time. I am talking about many tens of thousands of dollars I’d spend )

thank you
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Old Jul 13, 2018, 7:36 pm
  #2014  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
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Would you happen to have a copy of the footnotes

Originally Posted by yeunganson



really appreciate the posting Yeun.., I always find the footnotes the most interesting part.

i will be out of the country starting in ten days, have not yet received the letter, so hoping that you can

post them as well.



And for Amex bank president, you will probably find that some of your bigger spenders are interested primarily

in the exchange rate employed (compared to MasterCard and visa and banks), foreign exchange fee (pure profit to

you, but not if you lose the customer over it), and elite night credits.


People who don’t frequently stay in Starwood or other premium hotels may be impressed with silver or gold status,
but fact of the matter is that virtually any guest can get most or all of those benefits by politely requesting them on
check in. In fact , upgrades and late check outs are subject to the discretion of the hotel — whether they are guest friendlu or not, — for silver and gold members as well.
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Old Jul 14, 2018, 9:18 am
  #2015  
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Originally Posted by Flying for Fun
Not 1.35 + 0.025 = 1.3725 as one may expect.
I'm guessing you're right - one might expect that. The rest of us would know that's not how it works.
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Old Jul 14, 2018, 12:09 pm
  #2016  
 
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Originally Posted by mahasamatman
I'm guessing you're right - one might expect that. The rest of us would know that's not how it works.
lol, that is a good one! You got me there! I guess the banks are getting rich on whomever that one is! The reality is that the cost of money is expensive.

James
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Old Jul 15, 2018, 4:34 pm
  #2017  
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
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Originally Posted by yeunganson
We don't know what the new annual fees are going to be yet. Assuming it is the same, then the Personal card cost $120 and business card is at $150 - 30 difference.

There are some questions I have with AMEX remains unknown. Will AMEX Membership Rewards be able to transfer to the new Marriott/SPG program? What would the transfer ratio be? The AMEX MR to SPG ratio (2:1) we have now is better than the US version (3:1). But it is possible AMEX can cut off the transfer Aug 1 or significantly devalue the transfer ratio to the new program.

The SPG Business cost $30 more and cost $50 per additional card holder - whereas the personal card is free for additional card holder. The benefit is 1 extra point on gas and dining. Assuming a penny a point, you need to spend at least $3000 to break even. If you add mom/wife/kids as supplementary card holder, they will each cost $50 (so additional $5000/person spend on gas, dining, travel to make additional card holder to make back the annual fee compared to the personal SPG AMEX).

Finally, AMEX Plat has a very solid travel insurance and stuff when you buy tickets with the Plat card. Those loss/delays luggage insurance and flight delay I have used in the past and the Plat card covers amounts higher than the SPG AMEX. So naturally, you would want to book flights on the AMEX Plat than on the SPG AMEX.

All in all, the difference isn't significant enough for me to do the business SPG other than a potential welcome bonus....
Thanks yeunganson. That's a reasonable analysis - I wouldn't have thought of the additional annual fee for the break even point (or the cost to make it up). I think I will probably let this one go (SPG Business AMEX).
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Old Jul 16, 2018, 12:43 pm
  #2018  
 
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Expect a new card offer Wednesday

Youą could earn a referral bonus of a $25 Statement Credit for each approved referral˛ if your friend applies for the Card by July 17th, 2018.

- Based on this - Except a new offer come Wednesday.

Top offer in past was 25k spg - so 75 MR. Maybe we will get a boost since its a new card

I'll self refer to business if its something good....
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Old Jul 16, 2018, 6:26 pm
  #2019  
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Originally Posted by jchacko2
Youą could earn a referral bonus of a $25 Statement Credit for each approved referral˛ if your friend applies for the Card by July 17th, 2018.

- Based on this - Except a new offer come Wednesday.

Top offer in past was 25k spg - so 75 MR. Maybe we will get a boost since its a new card

I'll self refer to business if its something good....
It's totally possible that there would be no bonus or any promotion after July 17th...

The integration is totally not ready. We don't have a name of this new "merged" program yet - so AMEX still uses the Starwood Prefered Guest card (when it's not really Starwood). No one knows if points accumulation to our new "merged" account will go smoothly. The extra benefit of elite nights (or how many) won't be implemented until next year. The card probably need a redesign after knowing the new merged program's name. With all these potential pitfalls, it would be too risky to have a big splash promo on their new incomplete card. So won't it make more sense to do the marketing after the card is redesigned, all the benefits are known, and points posting system is confirmed stable?

This makes me think AMEX should allow the next 6 months to hammer out all the glitches (if any) on their system and then do the big launch of their new card in 2019 with new design, and enhanced benefits.
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Old Jul 17, 2018, 1:15 pm
  #2020  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
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Does everyone spg personal card billing cycle end on the 16th of the month?

i have in writing from contact us in my account that spend that is posted by the end of July, without any returns or adjustments etc will earn one starwood point aka three new points, despite the fact that the statement closes in August and points get credited then, when starwood points are no more.

while this is not difficult to do from a technological point of view, I am dubious. I am also skeptical about whether Amex will honor a written promise from one of their reps, based on previous experience.

i am not sure what I am asking here, but perhaps someone has some insight. I just spent close to ten thousand dollars in plastiq fees to generate spg points, wary to spend more.

also , hope someone has some insight about what elite night credits might be available on the Amex card. I think they may not tell us until December, that is kind of late .

thank you
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Old Jul 17, 2018, 1:52 pm
  #2021  
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Mine is the 24th of the month.
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Old Jul 17, 2018, 3:08 pm
  #2022  
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
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Originally Posted by Jared Ito
Does everyone spg personal card billing cycle end on the 16th of the month?

i have in writing from contact us in my account that spend that is posted by the end of July, without any returns or adjustments etc will earn one starwood point aka three new points, despite the fact that the statement closes in August and points get credited then, when starwood points are no more.

while this is not difficult to do from a technological point of view, I am dubious. I am also skeptical about whether Amex will honor a written promise from one of their reps, based on previous experience.

i am not sure what I am asking here, but perhaps someone has some insight. I just spent close to ten thousand dollars in plastiq fees to generate spg points, wary to spend more.

also , hope someone has some insight about what elite night credits might be available on the Amex card. I think they may not tell us until December, that is kind of late .

thank you
I read on the letters AMEX sent that ANY transactions POSTED by August 4, 2018 will still qualify for 1 SPG point per dollar spent.
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Old Jul 17, 2018, 4:54 pm
  #2023  
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
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Originally Posted by nli007
I read on the letters AMEX sent that ANY transactions POSTED by August 4, 2018 will still qualify for 1 SPG point per dollar spent.
Can someone confirm?
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Old Jul 17, 2018, 7:28 pm
  #2024  
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
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Originally Posted by theOtherHolmes
Can someone confirm?
Post 2004 has a picture of the document that states the information.
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Old Jul 17, 2018, 7:28 pm
  #2025  
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Originally Posted by theOtherHolmes


Can someone confirm?
See post # 2014.
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