Jun 12, 2014, 11:11 am
Last edit by: CodeAdam10
For discussion of the now expired offer for a 35K signup bonus, see Amex SPG 35,000 business and personal cards-2016 [No referral offers in this thread.]
USA-issued card benefits changed on August 11, 2015. (Announcement & extended discussion at American Express and Starwood enhance cobrand credit card benefits.) The benefits are slightly different for personal and business cards:
Public Links:
- The Annual Fee is $450.
- Earn 6x at Marriott properties; 3x on restaurants and airfare; 2x on all other purchases.
- Enjoy up to $300 in statement credits each year of Card Membership for eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels
- FREE NIGHT AWARD: Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card account anniversary. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at a participating hotel.
- COMPLIMENTARY GOLD ELITE STATUS: Enjoy complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status with your Card. Earn Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status after making $75,000 in eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
- Other Highlighted Benefits: Priority Pass Select Membership, Global Entry credit, No Foreign Transaction fees.
- $125 Annual Fee (If application received before 03/28/19, $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95)
- Earn 6x at Marriott properties; 4x at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services & on U.S. purchases for shipping; 2x on all other purchases.
- Free Night Award: 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 Marriott Bonvoy points) at a participating hotel.
- Complimentary Silver Elite Status
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
Other related discussion:
USA-issued card benefits changed on August 11, 2015. (Announcement & extended discussion at American Express and Starwood enhance cobrand credit card benefits.) The benefits are slightly different for personal and business cards:
Public Links:
- Personal [Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card]: https://www.americanexpress.com/us/credit-cards/card/marriott-bonvoy-brilliant
- The Annual Fee is $450.
- Earn 6x at Marriott properties; 3x on restaurants and airfare; 2x on all other purchases.
- Enjoy up to $300 in statement credits each year of Card Membership for eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels
- FREE NIGHT AWARD: Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card account anniversary. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at a participating hotel.
- COMPLIMENTARY GOLD ELITE STATUS: Enjoy complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status with your Card. Earn Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status after making $75,000 in eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
- Other Highlighted Benefits: Priority Pass Select Membership, Global Entry credit, No Foreign Transaction fees.
- Business [Marriott Bonvoy Business Card]: https://www.americanexpress.com/us/c...s-credit-card/
- $125 Annual Fee (If application received before 03/28/19, $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95)
- Earn 6x at Marriott properties; 4x at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services & on U.S. purchases for shipping; 2x on all other purchases.
- Free Night Award: 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 Marriott Bonvoy points) at a participating hotel.
- Complimentary Silver Elite Status
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- Discussion of Amex "one bonus per lifetime" policy (personal & business cards)
- Annual fee retention bonus for Starwood Amex Card
- American Express and Starwood enhance cobrand credit card benefits
- How to keep SPG points from expiring after 12 months of account inactivity
- New Card Art for the US Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express
SPG American Express [Master Thread]
Aug 17, 2011, 5:20 pm
#1366
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: L.A.
Programs: WN A-list & CP, Delta GM
Posts: 448
Unfortunately you will not get 2x points.
Would anyone know if buying points from SPG.COM with the spg amex would give you double points as it should? I just bought a large amount of points and it comes up on the card as "starwood by points point.com
so it doesnt look like its going through a Starwoods merchant, I believe I can wait till the statement closes, but am just curious.
so it doesnt look like its going through a Starwoods merchant, I believe I can wait till the statement closes, but am just curious.
Aug 18, 2011, 3:21 pm
#1368
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 8,135
I'm pretty sure it works the same way for US. (In fact, there has been some very recent discussion of this apropos of the Barclays card 2x bonus for US purchases.)
Aug 21, 2011, 2:36 am
#1370
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,171
spg normally expire in 12 months, but if you have some sort of activity, does it extend it out for another 12 months? Activity includes redemption, use of amex card etc?
Aug 21, 2011, 6:56 am
#1371
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: TUL
Programs: AA EXP 2MM; Marriott Titanium; Hilton Diamond; Hyatt Explorist; Vistana 5* Elite; Nat'l Exec Elite
Posts: 6,177
3.2. You will be considered an "Active Member" so long as (a) your Membership has not been cancelled (by you or us), and (b) you have had an Eligible Stay at a Participating Property within the previous 12 months, or (c) you have earned Starpoints by using a Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card during the previous 12 months. Starpoints resulting from transfers or earnings from Program affiliates do not count toward active status. Owners are not subject to the Eligible Stay requirement and will continue to be considered an Active Member as long as they own their Vacation Ownership interest and maintain their Starwood Vacation Ownership account in good standing.
Aug 21, 2011, 8:22 pm
#1372
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Intermountain West
Programs: Too many to list
Posts: 12,068
Your question is not specific to the SPG Amex and the answer can easily be found through a search of this forum. Also, you can find the answer in the T&C of the SPG program:
3.2. You will be considered an "Active Member" so long as (a) your Membership has not been cancelled (by you or us), and (b) you have had an Eligible Stay at a Participating Property within the previous 12 months, or (c) you have earned Starpoints by using a Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card during the previous 12 months. Starpoints resulting from transfers or earnings from Program affiliates do not count toward active status. Owners are not subject to the Eligible Stay requirement and will continue to be considered an Active Member as long as they own their Vacation Ownership interest and maintain their Starwood Vacation Ownership account in good standing.
3.2. You will be considered an "Active Member" so long as (a) your Membership has not been cancelled (by you or us), and (b) you have had an Eligible Stay at a Participating Property within the previous 12 months, or (c) you have earned Starpoints by using a Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card during the previous 12 months. Starpoints resulting from transfers or earnings from Program affiliates do not count toward active status. Owners are not subject to the Eligible Stay requirement and will continue to be considered an Active Member as long as they own their Vacation Ownership interest and maintain their Starwood Vacation Ownership account in good standing.
Aug 22, 2011, 6:03 pm
#1373
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: JZRO
Posts: 9,169
So I just got the SPG AMEX last week and AMEX was way cool getting it to me next-day and all. So, kudos AMEX. I'm not such a big fan of SPG anymore, which is a shame, but it's their fault. Despite that falling out, I'm sure I'll be able to put the 30,000 bonus points to good use. ^ Speaking of which, I have to spend $4500 in three months to get 20,000 of that bonus. I thought $4500 wouldn't be a big deal because I routinely put $5000/month on my Chase Continental Presidential Plus card. I'll simply divert most of that Chase spending to AMEX for a month or so and...voilŕ!
But nooo! So many merchants don't accept AMEX, I've been vexed at nearly every turn. I managed to spend $700 on jewelry for TSMRSRNE at Jared, and about that much with both Google and Net Sol, but that totaled like $1600 and it'll be September before I spend that much again. So despite an expected total spend of $15,000+ for August-October, I'll barely make my $4500 AMEX-spend goal within the 3-month time limit.
How do you SPG AMEX aficionados maximize use of that card?
But nooo! So many merchants don't accept AMEX, I've been vexed at nearly every turn. I managed to spend $700 on jewelry for TSMRSRNE at Jared, and about that much with both Google and Net Sol, but that totaled like $1600 and it'll be September before I spend that much again. So despite an expected total spend of $15,000+ for August-October, I'll barely make my $4500 AMEX-spend goal within the 3-month time limit.
How do you SPG AMEX aficionados maximize use of that card?
Aug 22, 2011, 6:40 pm
#1374
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: South Florida
Programs: AA LTG (EXP), Hilton Silver (Dia), Marriott LTP (PP), SPG LTG (P) > MPG LTPP
Posts: 11,329
Gasoline, food, two cell bills, AA travel, SPG stays... All adds up pretty quick. No longer have to carry as much cash and pay off the bill every month. Took awhile to get use to using CC at fast food, but I did it!
Aug 22, 2011, 7:06 pm
#1375
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 8,135
Autopay whatever you can (gas, electric, cell, Internet, EZ-Pass). See if you can pay big recurring charges (car insurance) via CC.
There's an entire thread in MilesBuzz about how to generate CC spend in the post-Mint era.
There's an entire thread in MilesBuzz about how to generate CC spend in the post-Mint era.
Aug 22, 2011, 7:32 pm
#1376
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: UA Plat MM, AA Gold, Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Gold, IHG Plat, Marriott Titanium Elite
Posts: 5,015
Just where do you shop where you can't use Amex? Can you name any major retailer that won't take Amex?
Aug 22, 2011, 7:55 pm
#1377
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: GVA (Greater Vancouver Area)
Programs: DREAD Gold; UA 1.035MM; Bonvoy Au-197; PCC Elite+; CCC Elite+; MSC C-12; CWC Au-197; WoH Dis
Posts: 52,120
I use Amex whenever I can just look at my MasterCard bill to see who doesn't accept it. This month, I see AAA, parking vendors, trash collector, and about 25% the restaurants I frequent. Pacific Gas & Electric used to accept Visa/MC, but not Amex (now they don't accept cards at all). In addition, I also avoid Amex for all foreign purchases because of the 2.7% rip-off fee.
Aug 22, 2011, 8:33 pm
#1378
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Laguna Beach, CA
Programs: SPG Gold, HHonors Gold, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 363
Not everyone restricts their shopping to major retailers.
I use Amex whenever I can just look at my MasterCard bill to see who doesn't accept it. This month, I see AAA, parking vendors, trash collector, and about 25% the restaurants I frequent. Pacific Gas & Electric used to accept Visa/MC, but not Amex (now they don't accept cards at all). In addition, I also avoid Amex for all foreign purchases because of the 2.7% rip-off fee.
I use Amex whenever I can just look at my MasterCard bill to see who doesn't accept it. This month, I see AAA, parking vendors, trash collector, and about 25% the restaurants I frequent. Pacific Gas & Electric used to accept Visa/MC, but not Amex (now they don't accept cards at all). In addition, I also avoid Amex for all foreign purchases because of the 2.7% rip-off fee.
However, if it is truly going to be an issue for getting the points on the Amex card, I say go ahead an do things that might not be optimal. Paying the 2.7% on a $500 purchase which would prevent the bonus from expiring is well worth it in my opinion. You can also try to get gift cards or something which again isn't optimal but well worth it to get 30k.
That said, it's somewhat unusual for only $4500/$15000 spend to be at places that take Amex. I'm not doubting it but I think your spend habits are atypical.
Aug 23, 2011, 3:53 am
#1379
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: JZRO
Posts: 9,169
Aug 31, 2011, 9:17 am
#1380
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,404
My renewal comes up next month and I don't charge enough to the card to justify the $65 fee (I tend to chase sign-up bonuses, so I'm usually pulling out "random" cards to meet the minimum spends). Like most flyertalkers, I feel that I should be paid to use a credit card, not pay the credit card company to use it. 
I called AMEX and the best retention bonus they offered me was a $10 statement credit or 1000 SPG points. I would think I could do better than that, no? I'd like to keep the card (in a world without sign-up bonuses, SPG would be my preferred credit card), but this bonus isn't enough for me to pay the $65.
BTW, a couple years ago, I faced the same problem and simply cancelled the card. A couple months later, I signed up for a new first-year-fee-waived card and got a hefty sign-up bonus (idiotic, of course, on AMEX's part). Would this strategy still work?
Thanks for the help.
I called AMEX and the best retention bonus they offered me was a $10 statement credit or 1000 SPG points. I would think I could do better than that, no? I'd like to keep the card (in a world without sign-up bonuses, SPG would be my preferred credit card), but this bonus isn't enough for me to pay the $65.
BTW, a couple years ago, I faced the same problem and simply cancelled the card. A couple months later, I signed up for a new first-year-fee-waived card and got a hefty sign-up bonus (idiotic, of course, on AMEX's part). Would this strategy still work?
Thanks for the help.
