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The Starwood Preferred Guest Luxury Card, which will be the latest addition to the Marriott family credit card portfolio, is actually scheduled to launch August 23, 2018. We thought it would launch August 26, when all the new eligibility rules for sign up bonuses on Marriott family cards kick in, but it turns out there will be a span of three days in which one can apply before the new rules lock you out for up to two years.
What the SPG Luxury Card Benefits Package Will Look Like
While the rest of the benefits have been detailed by Amex, we don’t officially know what the bonus will be. The rumor is 125,000 points. You will be able to transfer these at the rate of 3 points to 1 airline mile of almost any type, or redeem them at SPG or Marriott properties starting at 7.5k points/night and maxing out at 60k points a night through 2018.
The annual fee will be $450. As you might expect, it will come with a serious host of benefits that, for Marriott patrons, will easily outweigh such a fee.
- $300 statement credit for purchases at Marriott & SPG hotels every year you hold the card (not calendar year)
- Category Bonuses:
- 6x at SPG & Marriott hotels
- 3x at U.S. restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines
- 2x for all other purchases
- Retention bonus: Free Night Award every year after your anniversary at hotels that cost 50k points or less
- Elite Status: Gold Elite, with a fast track to Platinum for spending $75k on the card in a calendar year, and as of 2019 you’ll get 15 nights that count towards elite status
- Lounge Access: Priority Pass Membership (access for you and two guests)
- Statement credit for Global Entry ($100) or TSA PreCheck ($85) every four years
- Unlimited Boingo Wi-Fi access
- No foreign transaction fees
Stipulations Effective August 26
These will be the new rules that determine who is eligible for the SPG Amex Luxury Card’s bonus:
If you have or have had a Ritz-Carlton Rewards Card in the last 30 days, you are not eligible for the SPG Luxury card bonus.
If you opened any of the following cards in the last 90 days, you are not eligible for the SPG Luxury Card’s bonus.
- Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Plus
- Chase Marriott Rewards Premier (the old $85/year version of the Premier Plus)
- Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Business
If you have gotten a welcome or upgrade offer on any of those cards listed above in the last 24 months, you are also not eligible for the SPG Luxury Card bonus.
If you any of the above applies to you, consider applying between August 23 and 25 to escape their jurisdiction August 26.
Old Sign Up Rules to Remember
The already existing rules that could have an impact on your eligibility for the SPG Luxury card are as follows:
- Don’t apply for more than 1 Amex in a five day period
- Don’t apply for more than 2 Amex cards in a 90 day period
- You are limited to holding four to five American Express credit cards. Both personal and business count toward this limit. (AMEX Everyday, Delta, and the SPG Luxury card are credit cards.)
- Separately, you are limited to holding four to five American Express charge cards. Both personal and business count toward this limit. (AMEX Platinum is a charge card.)
How Opening a Luxury Card will Affect Your Eligibility for Other Marriott Family Cards
If you open an Amex Luxury card, you will be locked out of the Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Plus and the Premier Plus Business bonus for 90 days. I don’t think that’s a big deal since the Luxury card’s bonus is rumored to be better than the Marriott cards’ bonuses (both of which are currently 75k points for spending $3,000 in three months).
Bottom Line
You will have three days, August 23, 24, and 25, to apply for the SPG Luxury Card and still be eligible for the bonus if you’ve earned a bonus on any Chase Marriott in the last two years or opened the Ritz-Carlton card in the last 30 days. While a short period of time, it’s much better than what we previously thought, which was that many would be locked out of the new Luxury card’s bonus for a long time.
Are you going to slip an SPG Luxury Card in before the new rules hit on August 26?
Just getting started in the world of points and miles? The Chase Sapphire Preferred is the best card for you to start with.
With a bonus of 60,000 points after $4,000 spend in the first 3 months, 5x points on travel booked through the Chase Travel℠ and 3x points on restaurants, streaming services, and online groceries (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs), this card truly cannot be beat for getting started!
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So, what’s the speculation on the sign up bonus? Do we think this will be the most points they ever offer?
Because of the once in a lifetime bonus deal I want to try to time my sign ups right. Amex Starwood business came out with 100k to start, but they boosted it to 125 for a brief time.
Yes, I know with all the rules after August 26 that may “trump” my question.
But, I’d be curious on any speculation for future sign up bonuses on this card.
The initial sign up bonus amount is still speculation, so no… haven’t heard any rumors about the bonus past what the initial amount will be.
I think I’ve used up all of my AMEX spots. I have the AMEX Plat, Everyday, Ascend (transition from Surpass), Aspire (just got a month ago), SPG Biz, SPG personal. I’m thinking ditch the ascend? What do you recommend? When I signed up for the Aspire I had to close my 2nd Ascend which was also a transition from the Citi Hilton card.
Side note: I already have the old Ritz & old Marriott visa.
Does elite status with Marriott/SPG or Hilton matter to you?
I did a challenge last year with Marriott which got be Plat and then it carried over to SPG and I have been using it as much as I can this year. Since I have the Hilton Aspire it comes with Diamond I would like to see how to keep elite status with Marriott.
Yea I’d probably ditch the Ascend.
2 points per dollar, 2 MARRIOT points, is really pretty bad. I can’t see using this card for anything beyond the signup bonus, which seems to be somewhere around $1100-1200 in value (minus $450 fee). I feel like I could do better.
Agreed that I would never put any everyday spend on the card. If you would definitely spend $300 on Marriott/SPG hotels anyway within a year of signing up for the card, however, then I think this card is totally worth it at least for a year as that brings the effective annual fee down to $150.
Can a business apply for this card? I don’t see the specific business card version being mentioned.
No, it’s a consumer card. There will not be a business version of the SPG Luxury Card. The Marriott-family business cards are/will be the Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Plus Business and the Starwood Preferred Guest Business Credit Card from American Express.
“Platinum for spending $75k on the card in a calendar year” so does this mean if I spent $75K by October, the platinum would only be good til the end of December 2018?
It would be good for all of 2019 as well. This is what the terms for the card says: “Your upgrade to Platinum Elite status is valid for the remainder of the calendar year in which it was earned and the subsequent calendar year. Your enrollment will expire after that subsequent calendar year unless your eligible purchases during the next calendar year again qualifies you for enrollment, or you qualify for Platinum Elite status under the loyalty program terms.”
I will probably cancel my Amex. Bus. Plat. and try for this one. I have the Blue Bus. Plus which costs nothing and gives more MR points. Will probably drop a couple more Amex cards and then get this Marriott card. Already lifetime plat. at Marriott, but the other benefits sort of duplicate the Amex. Bus. Plat.