Introducing the Canadian SPG American Express Card
 

It's finally announced, and it's an AMEX!
Seems to closely resemble the US SPG Amex in the benefits described thus far. It's a good day to be a Canadian.

The Starwood Preferred Guest® (SPG®) programme is pleased to announce the new Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express.

The Card will continue to provide you with the valuable benefits you've come to enjoy, along with great new benefits. It's still too early to share all the details, but here are a few of the great benefits we can't wait to tell you:
Earn 1 Starpoint for every CDN$1 in purchases charged to the Card1
Earn 10,000 bonus Starpoints® — enough for up to three free nights2
If you're a current MBNA Cardmember, please see the Frequently Asked Questions below regarding the transition period.

When will you launch the new Credit Card with American Express? What benefits will be offered?
We expect to launch the new Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express within the first few months of 2010.3 Please check back here or visit SPG.com for more details, or enter your email address to be among the first to receive details.

I’m an existing Cardmember. What does this mean for me? Will my existing Starwood Preferred Guest® MasterCard® from MBNA be cancelled?
You will continue to earn Starpoints on the Starwood Preferred Guest® MasterCard from MBNA until February 28, 2010. After February 28, 2010, MBNA will send you a new MBNA credit card. You will not earn Starpoints with this card. If you want to continue to earn Starpoints, you will need to apply for the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express. Applications for the new card will begin to be accepted in early 2010.

Will anything happen to my Starpoints or existing SPG account?
Nothing will happen to your SPG account. All the Starpoints you have earned using your Starwood Preferred Guest® MasterCard from MBNA will remain in your current SPG account. Your SPG account will continue to earn Starpoints for qualifying stays at all SPG participating hotels. Starting in early 2010 you will also be able to earn Starpoints with the new Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express.

MBNA sent me a new credit card that is not SPG. Do I need to accept it?
Accepting the new MBNA credit card is up to you, but it will not earn Starpoints. To continue earning Starpoints, you'll want to apply for the new Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express.

When the new SPG credit card is released in Canada, will I automatically receive it?
No, to receive the new Card and continue to earn Starpoints, you will need to apply for the new Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express. It's a simple process and an important step to ensure the security of your personal credit. Enter your email address to be certain you are among the first to hear about all the exciting new details.

If you are an existing Cardmember with questions related to your Starwood Preferred Guest® MasterCard from MBNA account, please contact MBNA Customer Service at 888-877-6262. For any other questions, please contact SPG Customer Support.

http://www.spgpromos.com/canada_cred...MOTION_RES0310

Annual Fee??

Seems :td: to me so far. AMEX is not as widely accepted at MC or VISA...

However1 point per $ is nice...

Well, better than the MBNA card!

No limit on points, easier to maximize the points.

I don't usually shop at places that don't take AX, so not a problem for me.

If it also gives you the bonus of Gold status when you hit $30K a year, that will be good.

Having said that, what does Gold status get you? Additional points when you stay at an SPG property? Some chance at free upgrades?

Not much! Just what you said...

Golds are a dime a dozen because SPG hands them out like candies. Platinum would be different.

late checkout (4pm), triple points on stays. I have always been given a better room (better view, corner, sometimes suites) with my Gold Status.

I have a US SPG AMex and I think the fee is $40.

I would be willing to bet the annual fee here will be $100+. Us Canadians tend to get ripped off.

Ssshh. Don't give them any ideas ;)

I've already cancelled my MBNA and look foward to trying this one out.

I find the AMEX affiliation with Aeroplan to be quite good.

Cheers,

How about transfer bonuses - can you transfer 20k points for 25k miles?

:(

My mbna SPG has a low interest rate . . . something tells me that this one is going to be high interest AND have a crappy annual fee.

I certainly will not be changing. I travel a lot and often I see Americans travelling with AMEX and being rejected... it's just not accepted worldwide. Maybe in the US it is common to use AMEX but definitely not around the world. And I often go to places here in Canada who don't even accept AMEX.

I like Starwood but I really dislike AMEX - so looks like I won't be converting.

Good timing. Makes my move to RBC Avion VISA an easy choice. Amex is just not accepted very much in Canada. I'd use it at Costco and that's about it. If they waive the fee for the first year (assuming it has a fee) then I might switch my current Amex to this one but I don't think I'll be paying 2 fees.

Announcement from Amex
 

There will actually be two new cards, a personal card and a business card. According to Amex, they will be released in the first quarter of 2010:

http://micro.newswire.ca/release.cgi...&Start=0&htm=0

Excellent news! I'm very pleased so far...

Yes. That's a feature of the SPG program and not related to any credit card. The credit card just earns you SPG points.