Jun 12, 2014, 11:11 am

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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:

Personal [Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card]: https://www.americanexpress.com/us/credit-cards/card/marriott-bonvoy-brilliant

- Earn 100,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. Offer ends 04/24/2019.

- 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/

- Earn 100,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. Offer ends 04/24/2019.

- $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:

SPG American Express [Master Thread]

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Jun 13, 2018, 12:02 pm

#3421

FrugalShopper

Join Date: May 2015

Location: LAX

Programs: AA, AS, UA, WN, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Platinum

Posts: 88

Cut off date for Deval

Does anyone know what will happen to spend placed on the card after the July statement cuts but before August 1? Since Starpoints will not exist when the August statement cuts, I can imagine different scenarios. One would be that transactions before August 1 will receive 3 points per dollar. Another would be that they would only receive 2 points per dollar. My plan is to immediately stop spending on the card when the deval hits. Hence, we need to plan accordingly. Also, would the points be based on transaction date or post date?
Thanks!

Jun 13, 2018, 12:23 pm

#3422

rrgg

Join Date: Dec 2004

Posts: 7,903

I think Amex or Starwood Lurker already said you'll get 3x on July purchases even if the statement prints later.

Zacnlinc and FrugalShopper like this.

Jun 13, 2018, 1:53 pm

#3423

Cledaybuck

Join Date: Jun 2015

Location: DAY

Programs: Rapid Rewards, Skymiles, Hilton HHonors, SPG/Marriott Rewards

Posts: 4,944

Quote:

Originally Posted by dgordon

You could open a free Hilton Amex (probably some bonus out there) and transfer your available credit over (except for $500) and then you don't lose your available credit.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cledaybuck

Current bonus on the free card is 50,000 points, although I am pretty sure I saw 60,000 somewhere recently.

Current bonus is now 75k (until 6/27) which is pretty incredible for a no AF card.

Jun 20, 2018, 5:34 pm

#3424

Zacnlinc

Join Date: Aug 2008

Location: San Francisco

Programs: AA EXP; Marriott BonVoy Titanium Elite, Marriott LT Plat.

Posts: 1,717

Why is that SPG hotel's authorizations on AMEX do not show up as pending expenses?
I'm currently traveling around in Korea and China and have noticed that my stays at SPG hotels tend not to show up as pending. But the authorizations do go through. I've called AMEX and they've confirmed "all is good" for my upcoming stays. Just curious if it's a hotel issue or just AMEX not posting online pending stays lately as I have not seen any while I've been traveling around. Only the final change posts a few days later.

Jun 20, 2018, 6:17 pm

#3425

HGHUA

Join Date: Mar 2007

Location: EWR-SEA-IAD

Programs: UA 1P MM, AS MVP G*, SPG Gold, Hyatt Plat, IHG Plat, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold

Posts: 977

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zacnlinc

Amex does this for all foriegn purchases, The Auth comes thru and if you set up an acct alert you'll get a text or email with a expected amount. About 4 days later it posts with a final amount. They don't show as pending but the available credit decreases.

Zacnlinc likes this.

Jun 28, 2018, 1:41 am

#3426

Zacnlinc

Join Date: Aug 2008

Location: San Francisco

Programs: AA EXP; Marriott BonVoy Titanium Elite, Marriott LT Plat.

Posts: 1,717

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrugalShopper

Does anyone know what will happen to spend placed on the card after the July statement cuts but before August 1? Since Starpoints will not exist when the August statement cuts, I can imagine different scenarios. One would be that transactions before August 1 will receive 3 points per dollar. Another would be that they would only receive 2 points per dollar. My plan is to immediately stop spending on the card when the deval hits. Hence, we need to plan accordingly. Also, would the points be based on transaction date or post date?
Thanks!

Ok.. I thought the changes coming for the SPG AMEX were a good thing to some degree. But I'm confused why it's being said that Starpoints will not exist...

According to AMEX: (https://www.americanexpress.com/us/c...eferred-guest/)

before August 1: 2 Starpoints will be given for SPG stays, 1 point for all other eligible purchases
August 1: 6 "points" are earned for SPG stays; 2 points for all other eligible purchases

My strategy lately is to earn as many points now as all points will be 3x on August 1. What's not to like about that? Am I missing something?

Jun 28, 2018, 4:30 am

#3427

fredc84

Join Date: Feb 2016

Location: New York

Programs: Navy A-4 Skyhawk, B727 FE/FO, S80 FO, B757/767 FO, B737 CA

Posts: 1,342

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zacnlinc

before August 1: 2 Starpoints will be given for SPG stays, 1 point for all other eligible purchases
August 1: 6 "points" are earned for SPG stays; 2 points for all other eligible purchases

My strategy lately is to earn as many points now as all points will be 3x on August 1. What's not to like about that? Am I missing something?

You're right, before Aug it's fine. The issue is that after August, the earn rate you quoted "2 pts for all other purchases." means .66 current SPG point or .66 airline mile on transfers (I think it's .82 mile if get the transfer bonus, so still below 1). So, it's the non-bonused spend to airline transfers that's the issue. I cancelled my card last week.

edit: just a note here, I am not looking at the free room each year, etc. I was just commenting above about the earn rate for this card.
edit 2: what you are doing currently as far as getting as many SPG points prior to August is a good idea. I would do that, but have too much spend on other cards and I'm at 200 starpoints currently, so I can't manage it.

Zacnlinc likes this.

Last edited by fredc84; Jun 28, 2018 at 3:20 pm

Jun 28, 2018, 10:37 am

#3428

petroxa

Join Date: Nov 2014

Programs: Flying Blue

Posts: 11

points.com purchase

Does anyone know if buying points on points.com would count towards minimum spend for the new card? Say not only starpoints but any kind of point?

Jun 28, 2018, 9:12 pm

#3429

rove312

Join Date: Jul 2001

Posts: 3,975

If the terms of the bonus say any kind of spend, I don't see why not. I don't see that as something like a cash advance, which would be excluded.

Jul 6, 2018, 9:28 am

#3430

BuBu4

Join Date: Sep 2015

Posts: 576

Does anyone know how the credit cards transition to the new points?
Like it is all purchases prior to Aug 1st still count as 3x despite my statement end date is post Aug 1st? or will it earn 2x.

I cant seem to get a straight answer on this. TPG is saying it earns 2x. some ppl say it earns 3x.

Jul 6, 2018, 6:53 pm

#3431

sdflyer04

Join Date: Mar 2004

Posts: 470

Does the new SPG (Marriott) AMEX come with any up front points? If not, it won't be very competitive with virtually every other travel card. However, I haven't seen any bonus mentioned anywhere.

Jul 7, 2018, 11:52 pm

#3432

tripmaster

Join Date: Jan 2003

Location: Seattle, WA

Programs: Alaska, Bonvoy, Hyatt

Posts: 601

I assume there's no good reason to keep an old SPG Amex card, if I have a new SPG Amex biz card and want to apply for the new SPG Luxury card, since it's a free night for essentially $150 -- I'll def burn the $300 credit at SPG hotels. Should I try and do this before Aug1?

Jul 8, 2018, 7:13 am

#3433

SharonLPK

Join Date: Jun 2001

Location: cleveland, oh, usa

Programs: HHonors Gold, Priority Club Plat, AAdvantage, Delta Skymiles, others including Amtrak Guest Rewards

Posts: 786

Hello! I am actually now an Infrequent Flyer due to life circumstances, it happens... I received the announcement of the SPG program changes, just now have time to take a deeper look. I have 48,500 SPG points from AMEX card, always kept them for potential airline transfer needs. Due to limited traveling currently, seems it is perhaps time to let go of the points before end of July. Before I do that (likely Amazon gift cards), was wondering if anyone knew of gift card redemption changes effective 8/1... Thank you very much, in advance! p.s. other suggestions welcome

Jul 8, 2018, 8:25 am

#3434

MaineFlyer16

Join Date: Aug 2002

Location: New Hampshire

Programs: AA Platinum, Marriott Gold, Everything else: Dirt

Posts: 802

Has anyone gotten the 30% rebate yet on purchases at SPG/Marriott properties using the SPG Business card? Stayed in earlier June and still no credit for me. Usually AMEX statement credits are very quick.

tripmaster likes this.

Jul 8, 2018, 9:03 am

#3435

fredc84

Join Date: Feb 2016

Location: New York

Programs: Navy A-4 Skyhawk, B727 FE/FO, S80 FO, B757/767 FO, B737 CA

Posts: 1,342

Quote:

Originally Posted by SharonLPK

Actually, I don't think you'd lose anything by holding on to them. You'll end up with 145.5 K Marriott points after the conversion in Aug and you can still transfer them to airlines (actually more airlines than currently) with the 25% transfer bonus opportunity still intact. I don't know anything about gift cards (is it a 1 cent per point value?), but if that is the rate you can do better. I would only go the gift card route if you know you definitely won't use them on flights or hotels.

SanDiego1K, SharonLPK and kennycrudup like this.

Last edited by fredc84; Jul 9, 2018 at 8:28 am