The Offer
Direct link to offer (scroll to bottom for business card).
- Receive a sign up bonus of 30,000 SPG points after $3,000 in spending on the Personal ($5,000 spending requirement for Business) version of the American Express Starwoods Preferred Guest credit cards. Annual fee of $95 is waived the first year
Card Benefits
August 11th new benefits were added to both the personal & business cards and the annual fee was increased to $95 on both cards. Below is a list of all the benefits each card currently offers.
Personal
- No foreign transaction fee
- Boingo internet access for up to four devices
- Premium in room internet at all SPG hotels
- Earn 2x points on all SPG purchases
- Earn 1x points on all other purchases
Business
Same benefits listed as the personal card above, but also comes with free Sheraton club access .
Our Verdict
I find SPG points to be quite valuable, this 30,000 point sign up bonus comes around only once a year usually so if you’re interested in picking up some SPG points then now is the time to do so. I think the best use of points is for SPG stays, but you can also transfer to airline partners. If you transfer 20,000 points you receive a transfer bonus of 5,000 additional miles. American Airlines is also currently offering an additional 5,000 mile bonus (20,000 SPG points = 30,000 AA).
I find airline miles too easy to earn and SPG points more difficult, so I’d recommend keeping the SPG points but this will depend on your personal preference. Keep in mind you can only get the sign up bonus on American Express personal cards once and on the business card you can’t have or had the product in the past twelve months.
It’s interesting that the Business card now has a minimum spending requirement of $5,000 and the personal card has a spending requirement of only $3,000. This makes sense as the Business card now has additional benefits and the reason given was that Business cardholders spend more on their card on average compared to Personal cardholders.
This deal is supposed to run until September 14th, 2015.
Hat tip to reddit.com/r/churning user thepointschaser
Thanks. Can someone answer the other remaining ?’s please…Mr Williams and Co?
1) Do Starwood Points ever expire, if not used?
2) Can i apply for both Personal and Business cards on same day? Best way to minimize credit inquiry and be approved for both cards? APPLY ON SAME DAY OR If wait, HOW LONG to wait B4 applying for 2nd card?
3) Also can i apply for Delta AMEX card on same day for the 50k promo? Or apply on a 3rd seperate day after above 2 SPG are done?
4) Once i apply, how can i get referral link to refer my other friends/family members, and get 5000k referral bonus?
1) Do Starwood Points ever expire, if not used?
2) Can i apply for both Personal and Business cards on same day? Best way to minimize credit inquiry and be approved for both cards?
3) Also can i apply for Delta AMEX card on same day for the 50k promo?
4) Once i apply, how can i get referral link to refer my other friends/family members, and get 5000k referral bonus?
Please reply ASAP. Thank You.
2) Inquiries should be combined.
Has anyone applied for both personal and business cards for this current bonus and be approved? if yes, when should i apply? same day? or apply for one and another one next day, or wait 1 week etc etc?
I applied for essentially 4 cards in the same day, 1 personal and 3 business. Though 2 of the cards were created in error, all were approved. See my above comment.
New to Starwood here. If I use my Mom’s info to apply for the card, can I later use those points (which I assume also under my Mom’s Starwood account) to book Starwood hotels for me to check in (she’s NOT traveling with me)? Thanks!
I have referrals for both the products SPG Business and Personal, if you interested in using my referral email me at: [email protected] Put SPG Referral in Subject line
I can assist you with an award booking or general travel related questions, if your willing to help me out with a referral.
Closed my Starwood Business in October 2014. Not eligible for this I assume?
Correct, October comes after August (sorry for lame joke).
FYI, there are multiple reports of AMEX “matching” recent SPG apps to the new 30K offer. I use “” because AMEX doesn’t call it a match, they just call it a courtesy 5K SPG points. I called in last night for my business SPG application 2 weeks ago, and they gave me the 5K. I then had my wife call in; she applied for personal SPG in late April/early May, and they gave her 5K as well. I think AMEX must have changed their policy. I got the personal SPG in 2012, about 2 weeks before the 30K offer, and they wouldn’t do anything about it.
Thanks, David! Incoming post.
i have this card the business card applied with sole proprietorship
now have EIN number is it working with social or with the company ??
can i get the points again
i had the consumer card back in 2008/2009. Is the once-in-a-lifetime restriction on the bonus really enforced?
It seems so from what I’ve read. You could try your luck, but chances are stacked against you.
Very tempting… Might apply for this.
Probably the best time to apply, as the sign up bonus is higher. The extra bonus is worth an extra free night at category 1/2 hotels, or 5K airline miles if you transfer it to an airline program.