SPG 35K
- Thread starter thedrills
- Start date
Rex Grossman
Level 2 Member
http://www.doctorofcredit.com/american-express-starwoods-preferred-guest-spg-35000-point-offer-personal-business-highest-ever/
This is a hot deal, but I have Platinum Honors with BoA Travel Rewards. Are the SPG points that much better than 2.625 points for every dollar spent?
This is a hot deal, but I have Platinum Honors with BoA Travel Rewards. Are the SPG points that much better than 2.625 points for every dollar spent?
I wouldn't consider SPG worth paying 2.625 for (you can buy on the gray market for cheaper). However, the bonus is something worth grabbing if you've never gotten it before. SPG's future is uncertain, with the Marriott merger being implemented.
Bury
Level 2 Member
I called AmEx customer service to have them match the 35k points offer. Didn't expect much since my app was back in December for 25k miles.
Surprisingly, they offered me 3k SPG point as a courtesy. I pushed back and asked for the 10k difference, they said no. I asked for 5k instead, and they said yes.
edit: I feel like I'm getting 2.6 cents per SPG point of value by booking stays for our honeymoon during peak season in Japan.
Surprisingly, they offered me 3k SPG point as a courtesy. I pushed back and asked for the 10k difference, they said no. I asked for 5k instead, and they said yes.
edit: I feel like I'm getting 2.6 cents per SPG point of value by booking stays for our honeymoon during peak season in Japan.
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We can all refer, please keep it in Conga.
Dwater
Level 2 Member
Ok, I have a question or two?
I have never had the SPG personal but currently have the SPG business.
I'm at my 4 card limit so I'm looking to cancel the SPG business to get the SPG personal.
I have never cancelled an Amex card before so how long does it take to get to the point my 4 card limt goes away?
The 35K offer runs out the end of the month, is that enough time?
I have never had the SPG personal but currently have the SPG business.
I'm at my 4 card limit so I'm looking to cancel the SPG business to get the SPG personal.
I have never cancelled an Amex card before so how long does it take to get to the point my 4 card limt goes away?
The 35K offer runs out the end of the month, is that enough time?
Waited 1 week last time between cancellation and sign up, but data points indicated 3-4 days would be just fine. You have plenty of time.
PillanSmye
Level 2 Member
If you don't have SPG Platinum status, the SPG Biz card is a great card to have if you're going to be staying at Starwood properties. It saved me hundreds of dollars before I reached Platinum status in free breakfasts/club access.
HUCA. During last years increase in points I had applied for the card several months prior and was still able to get 5k courtesy.Applied in February. Could not get any courtesy points
italdesign
Level 2 Member
FWIW I applied for Amex HH a few days before 70k offer came out. Called and CSR happily matched from 60k to 70k. Of course 10k Hilton isn't worth much so that probably helped.
SPG value took a hit with the brutal devaluation a few days ago. Luckily for me most of the properties that went up aren't of interest, but no doubt included some popular ones. Now many properties barely get 1.5 CPM. Still plenty of 3+ CPM'ers, just fewer.
SPG value took a hit with the brutal devaluation a few days ago. Luckily for me most of the properties that went up aren't of interest, but no doubt included some popular ones. Now many properties barely get 1.5 CPM. Still plenty of 3+ CPM'ers, just fewer.
Littleblackdress
Little family
Please view the conga(which I can't seem to find on this forum? but I am aware it exists). I wanted to make this post to show earning potential on this offer.
- “…in each case up to a maximum of 55,000 Starpoints per calendar year for each version of the Card”. “In each case” means that you can earn up to 55K points with the personal cardplus 55K points with the business card.
- “the referred individual(s) must apply to the specific offer online through the e-mailed link provided by American Express and be approved by 3/30/2016”. Sometimes friend referrals provide a way to extend the life of a short-term offer. Not in this case. Your friends must sign up and be approved by 3/30/16.
- “This offer is available online only to Basic Card Members”. Does this mean that there’s such a thing as Premium card members? No, I don’t think so. I believe that the intent with this term is to let you know that only the primary account holder is eligible. Those with only authorized user cards or employee cards cannot refer friends.
- “The individuals you refer may not receive the referral e-mail if they have previously ‘opted out’ of receiving e-mail marketing communications from American Express”. If people you refer do not get the offer via email, make sure they log into their Amex account and opt-in to email marketing.
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Dwater
Level 2 Member
Thank you, that's the news I was hoping to hear.
Dwater
Level 2 Member
Totally agree, that's the main reason I got the business over the personal.
Trouble is I cant dump my other 3 Amex cards so I only have one slot.
I don't think the SPG personal gets any better than this.
We moved it within Level 2 because every now and then a MS technique comes out that involves a referral fee and everyone's mind explodes when they KNOW they could get a $5 referral fee from a Conga signup, but they really don't want other people to know about the gig, and it all spirals downwards from there.
Littleblackdress
Little family
Thank you for putting it in the right spot : ) It isn't my intention to make more work for you...but it seems to be how it is turning out.
VRHunter
Level 2 Member
The 4 card limit is all *credit* cards across personal and business.
Charge cards (like the Premier Rewards Gold and Platinum cards, personal or business) aren't included in that count.
If you apply for a 5th credit card they'll auto deny it without a hard pull.
Nope, all good. Just wanted to clean it up since some people were also talking about it in perhaps not the right spot.
Called again today. No direct contact with manager (but was put on hold for 5 minutes) and got 10k courtesy points.
So, does that mean there's no harm trying a business card application? It may be futile, but if there is no hard pull, I can figure out how to lose an existing card afterwards.
Craig
Level 2 Member
Just received 10k courtesy points on my personal account opened in November.
Figured what the heck, call the business line for an account opened in July 2015. Received 7k points on that one. Had to HUCA once, though, after the initial rep reminded me that I called in August and was given 3k points after the 30,000 offer was released.
Figured what the heck, call the business line for an account opened in July 2015. Received 7k points on that one. Had to HUCA once, though, after the initial rep reminded me that I called in August and was given 3k points after the 30,000 offer was released
.
italdesign
Level 2 Member
Nice. That's like the entire bonus of a Hilton card.
Wonder if they'll match the card I got 3 years ago that I closed two years ago...
OK216
Int'l Disney Park Visitor & WrestleMania Traveler
There typically isn't any "grilling" with Amex like there is with Chase. They're more concerned about your ability to pay.
That's been my experience. And businesses are easy to start ... at least in your head. As it is, I have an old business that sputters to life every now and again. However, in this case my wife is starting a new business. It's something she's done in the past "on the side" but never thought of it as a business. But it was. So I'm having her think about doing it again
.But @MickiSue is right, it's best if there is a business that makes sense, even if just in your head. We've got that covered.
OK216
Int'l Disney Park Visitor & WrestleMania Traveler
Agreed. But man, if Chase would issue an Ink card for every business I've started in my head, I'd be swimming in UR!That's been my experience. And businesses are easy to start ... at least in your head. As it is, I have an old business that sputters to life every now and again. However, in this case my wife is starting a new business. It's something she's done in the past "on the side" but never thought of it as a business. But it was. So I'm having her think about doing it again
But @MickiSue is right, it's best if there is a business that makes sense, even if just in your head. We've got that covered.
My wife has 4 active AMEX credit cards. I toyed around with canceling her Hilton card and waiting, but I wasn't sure I wanted to do this without a little thinking. But she has no business cards, and we've been "thinking" she needs to hedge her full-time job with some side work.
So I applied for the biz card (using a link from the conga line).
Went to pending. Which is not what I expected ... I expected the instant non-pull rejection stated above, or an approval. But I've coached her in case a call is required. I was honest with the figures ... if she were to start this up, it will be low numbers in the beginning, if not always.
Will wait and see what happens. There was no mention of calling in ... just "needs further review".
VRHunter
Level 2 Member
Are you sure all of her cards are *credit* cards? No Premier Rewards Gold (a charge card) for example?
Semi-related, I found it useful to be an Authorized Account Manager on my wife's AmEx account.
With this, you don't have to get her permission to speak with AmEx each time you call.
Since I was authorized I was able to call up and check on the status of her SPG Biz app.
The mere act of calling to check the status over the phone resulted in an approval with no questions asked.
Being an Authorized Account Manager doesn't give you complete access to the account.
For example, you can't close accounts.
But in this case it was enough to trigger an approval.
I said to the agent "did you do that? because I just checked online and it was pending". She said "yes, I did".
Strange system, but that's how it went for me.
Semi-related, I found it useful to be an Authorized Account Manager on my wife's AmEx account.
With this, you don't have to get her permission to speak with AmEx each time you call.
Since I was authorized I was able to call up and check on the status of her SPG Biz app.
The mere act of calling to check the status over the phone resulted in an approval with no questions asked.
Being an Authorized Account Manager doesn't give you complete access to the account.
For example, you can't close accounts.
But in this case it was enough to trigger an approval.
I said to the agent "did you do that? because I just checked online and it was pending". She said "yes, I did".
Strange system, but that's how it went for me.
I checked the list a couple of times. It's somewhat confusing, because the list shows cards of mine where she's an AU all mixed in, but I counted 4: Everyday Preferred, Blue Cash Preferred, Hilton HHonors and SPG personal.
I'll see if I can't get her to call tomorrow. She has an easy story if asked at all.
Risk
Level 2 Member
I got an SPG card in January for 25k points and have been loading it with Serve until it was shut down on Friday. I am thinking of contacting SPG and asking them to match the 35k bonus.
Do you think my pattern of "spending," i.e., loading Serve, may affect SPG's decision to match the bonus? Should I put some normal spending on SPG before contacting them?