The SPG credit card is one of the best hotel-branded credit cards on the market. It's an American Express card, so you get to use the benefits that American Express offers to all its cardholders. If you are loyal to Starwood and Marriott Hotels, you'll earn additional points, travel rewards, and elite status within the hotel brand. It's easy to use, the design is flawless, and the annual fee is on par with other cards with similar features.
The Marriott hotel brand recently purchased the Starwood hotel brand. Starwood is widely known across the world as a luxury brand hotel, and now it's part of the Marriott family. Marriot is in the process of revamping their credit cards, reward program, and loyalty programs. This means cardholders and loyal members of each hotel rewards group are being offered additional awards and perks for their brand loyalty to either brand. The company is also introducing a luxury hotel card in the coming weeks, which means you have more to choose from to reward yourself for your loyalty to both the Starwood and Marriott hotel brands. It's a new era for both, and you are the winner in this merger.
What Is The Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card From Amex?
The SPG credit card from American Express is a hotel credit card you can use anywhere in the world that accepts Amex cards. You can use it to pay for your everyday purchases to earn more points on a regular basis. You can earn bonus points, free nights, and upgrades within the Starwood and Marriott family, and you are given access to a low APR. Some hotel credit cards offer an APR as high as 24 percent, but the highest rate you'll get with this card is 20.99 percent.
Pricing
The SPG credit card is one of the more affordable cards on the market for hotel perks. It does come with an annual fee of $95, but the fee is waived for one year. By using your card to make your everyday purchases, you can offset the cost of your annual fee in only a few months with the rewards points you ear. You can also offset the first few years of annual fees if you make $1,000 in purchases in three months and any purchase at a Starwood or Marriott Hotel within six months of becoming a cardholder. Each one earns you $100 in statement credits.
You never pay a foreign transaction fee when you travel out of the country. You always earn additional points for your purchases at any hotel from the brand, and you also get a few additional upgrades when you become a cardholder. You are given free internet access in all your hotel rooms as a member, and you earn free nights every year. Your points earning rate is six points for every dollar you spend at a Marriott or Starwood hotel and two points for every dollar you spend elsewhere. This is a new point system for the SPG credit card effective August 1, 2018. Prior to this date, earnings were far less. It's part of the new program being offered now that Marriott has acquired all Starwood hotels.
How it Compares
We picked a couple of similar products available on the market to see how they compare.
- Starwood Preferred Guest® American Express Luxury Card
- Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card
- The Wyndham Rewards® Visa Signature®
The Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card From American Express
If you are a brand-loyal traveler, this SPG credit card is the one you're looking for. SPG properties include some of the most upscale and high-end resorts in the world as well as the opportunity to earn free nights and upgrades being a cardholder. The benefits include paying no annual fee for one year, earning statement credits as much as $200, and earning additional star points for all stays in any SPG branded hotel. Furthermore, you are eligible to have free internet access in every SPG room you book.
Price $$
This is a card that costs nothing to have the first year, but the annual fee is $95 after your one-year anniversary with the company.
Ease of Use 4-Stars
This card misses the 5-star mark only because American Express cards are not as widely accepted as Visa or Mastercard branded credit cards.
Design Quality 5-Stars
A simple design makes this card seem more upscale and efficient. It's a chip card featuring the SPG logo and a simple silver AMEX logo.
Warranty
There is not a warranty associated with this card, but you are protected by the fraud protection coverage. As long as you call the company to report your card as lost or stolen, your account is immediately frozen and your card is rendered unusable. They issue you a new card, and any fraudulent purchases no longer affect you in any way.Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
Starwood Preferred Guest American Express Luxury Card
The Starwood Preferred Guest American Express Luxury Card is not available to consumers until August 1, 2018. The card will then be released to the public for those with exceptional credit. Unlike the traditional SPG credit card, this card has a hefty annual fee of $450. This card also features additional perks, bonuses, and upgrades that make it a more worthwhile card to carry if you can justify enough spending to make up for the expensive annual fee. Cardholders automatically receive a $300 statement credit on the anniversary of your card membership to pay for purchases you make at Starwood or Marriott Hotels throughout the year. This is to help offset the cost of the annual fee.
Price $$$
The phrase luxury is not used lightly here. This card is expensive with its $450 annual fee. The fee is not waived for the first year, which is a feature many card companies offer cardholders.
Ease of Use 4-Stars
While there is nothing specifically difficult about using this card, American Express simply is not accepted as widely as Mastercard and Visa-branded cards.
Design Quality 3-Stars
The SPG Luxury card does not advertise its luxury feature. The card will not be available to the public until August 1, 2018. Spec designs show it looks just like the traditional SPG credit card. Many consumers might prefer to show off their card is a luxury card after paying the hefty fee to carry it each year.
Warranty
The SPG credit card offers all cardholders a zero fraud liability protection program. As long as you report your card lost or stolen, you are not held accountable for any purchases made on the account. You get travel protection, insurance, and warranties on many purchases you make, too.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One differs from the SPG credit card in that it's not a hotel-branded credit card. You don't earn loyalty points by using this card, but the perks are worthwhile if you want to carry it in your wallet. You're given the chance to earn bonus miles you can redeem for travel purchases or cash, and you can use your miles with any airline or hotel. Your miles do not expire, and this card is not equipped with an expensive annual fee.
Price $$
Like the SPG credit card, the Capital One Venture Rewards credit card charges you $95 per year to carry. The fee is waived for the first year of membership.
Ease of Use 5-Stars
The Capital One Venture Rewards card is a Visa Signature card, which means it's widely accepted across the world.
Design Quality 5-Stars
It's simple and sleek, and it doesn't feature anything other than your name and the type of card.
Warranty 5-Stars
Visa Signature offers complete protection against any fraudulent purchases. The company also offers product warranties, travel protection, and more.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
The Wyndham Rewards Visa Signature
The Wyndham Rewards Visa Signature card offers all the benefits of any Visa Signature card, but it's not the best hotel credit card on the market. The SPG credit card far outweighs this card in terms of points, earnings, and bonuses. The bonus point offer is only good for one free night, and Wyndham hotels are not available in as many locations as Starwood and Marriott hotels. Points are only available in certain locations, and you cannot earn additional points when you shop at retailers such as Target and Walmart, which makes this card difficult to use for many consumers.
Price $
The Wyndham Rewards Visa Signature card is the most affordable of the cards compared with no annual fee. You get to carry this card free of charge every year, not just for one year.
Ease of Use 5-Stars
Visa is widely accepted across the world at most retailers and other locations.
Design Quality 5-Stars
While it's not as sleek as other cards, it's not one you'll miss in your wallet with its bright blue color and bold log.
Warranty 5-Stars
Visa Signature offers fraud protection, travel protection, and more.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Cons
Why You Need The SPG Credit Card
The SPG credit card is a 5 Star credit card. The biggest downfall is the annual fee, but it's waived for one year and costs far less than the upgraded luxury version of the SPG card. It beats other cards because it's a hotel branded card that allows you to earn points and free nights at a wide variety of hotels across the world. From standard hotel rooms fit for a quick night before an early morning flight to upscale luxury resorts across the world, it's a card you can use at more hotels than almost any other card.
Earning points is easy, and this card is accepted in most locations across the world. It offers more rewards, points, and benefits than other hotel credit cards, but it also provides you with the ability to use it anywhere you go. The American Express label protects you from fraud, and this card is one of the best if you prefer to remain loyal to a specific hotel company.
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