The 35K SPG Business AMEX bonus offer and 35% Off SPG Starpoints offers have returned, creating good opportunities for earning valuable SPG points. The normal signup bonus for the SPG Business AMEX is 25,000 Starpoints, so if you've been waiting to get the card with a higher bonus, now is the time.
Note that there is a significant $7000 spend requirement within the first 3 months to earn the full 35,000 bonus points. This is better than the $8000 minimum spend from last year's 35K SPG Biz AMEX offer, but more than the $3000 required to earn the 25K bonus on the personal SPG AMEX.
Wondering why anyone would care about such a relatively small bonus? Starpoints are the most valuable loyalty points, regularly valued anywhere from 2.3-3.5 cents per point, because they can transfer to many different airline frequent flyer programs, most of them 1:1. Additionally, there's an automatic 25% transfer bonus when transferring in increments of 20,000 points, so 20,000 Starpoints becomes 25,000 Lufthansa Miles & More miles, 25,000 Alaska miles, 25,000 JAL miles, etc. See SPG Airline Partners: Transfer Starwood Points to Miles.
Here are the offers:
35K SPG Business AMEX [Note: Link Has Been Removed as This Offer Has Expired]
- Earn 35,000 bonus Starpoints after making $7000 in purchases within the first 3 months of card membership
- Complimentary Sheraton Club Lounge access
- Earn 2 Starpoints per dollar on eligible purchases charged to your card at participating Starwood properties (in addition to bonus Starpoints earned with Starwood Preferred Guest Program; total of 4 Starpoints or 5 Starpoints per dollar if you have SPG elite status)
- SPG Elite stay credit: 2 stays and 5 nights
- Boingo AMEX Preferred Plan: complimentary access to Boingo land-based Wi-Fi (not in-flight WiFi)
- No foreign transaction fees
- Complimentary Premium Internet at Starwood hotels (which Gold and Platinum SPG elites also receive)
- No annual fee the first year; thereafter $95 per year
- Offer ends 3/28/18
Even if you're not eligible for the SPG Business AMEX offer above, due to currently having the card or previously having the card (see FAQ below) you can top up your SPG account by buying points at a discount. While the points with the discount are 2.275 cents per point, which sounds expensive, if you transfer Starpoints to frequent flyer miles in increments of 20,000 points, earning the 25% transfer bonus, that works out to 1.8 cents per frequent flyer mile, a better deal than you can buy miles at even with buy miles sales and bonus offers.
- Save 35% when buying 5000 or more Starpoints
- Offer expires March 16, 2018
- You can buy a maximum of 30,000 Starpoints per calendar year per SPG account
FAQ
May I Earn the Bonus Again If I Used to Have the Same SPG AMEX Card?
No, not per the AMEX terms: “Welcome bonus offer not available to applicants who have or have had this product.” Note that AMEX signup bonuses are once in a lifetime, including for business cards. Also see AMEX Business Card Signup Bonuses Once in a Lifetime
Which is the Best Credit Card to Use for Buying Starpoints?
Because points.com processes the Starpoints transaction, you won't earn a travel or hotel category bonus from a card such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve or Citi Prestige. But you will earn 2X per dollar with an SPG AMEX, per the terms:
“If you use your Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express (this includes your SPG Business AMEX) to purchase Starpoints, you will earn additional Starpoints for the dollars you charge on the card.”
If you don't have an SPG AMEX or SPG Business AMEX, I recommend using a card that you're working on minimum spend for, or, if you still have the 2X on all spend offer for the AMEX Blue Business Plus, that's another way to earn 2X, although in that case, Membership Rewards points.
Can I Transfer My Starpoints to My Spouse or Partner's Account?
Yes, you can transfer Starpoints to a household member (need not be related to you) as long as both of you have been at the same address at least 30 days. Also see How to Transfer Starwood Points Between Accounts.
What Are the Best Uses of SPG Starpoints?
You can get the most value from your Starpoints by transferring them to certain airline frequent flyer programs, but be careful–some frequent flyer programs have far more attractive award charts than others. And a number of frequent flyer programs provide enhanced award availability to their own program members, while releasing much less award space to alliance partners.
Personally, since I rarely stay at Starwood properties and don't earn many SPG Starpoints, I prefer to use them sparingly to top up frequent flyer programs that are hard to earn miles in, for example Lufthansa Miles & More. Lufthansa First Class one way between the U.S. and Europe is 85,000 Miles & More miles, so if I have 55,000 miles thanks to a signup bonus from the Lufthansa credit card, I just need to transfer in 25,000 Starpoints (earning a 5000 transfer bonus, for a total of 30,000 Lufthansa miles) to be able to book the award.
Award Booking clients who want to fly Emirates A380 First Class can transfer SPG Starpoints to JAL, which is typically less expensive, especially for round trip awards, than Alaska miles and Emirates Skywards.
How Long Do Starpoints Transfers to Airline Frequent Flyer Programs Take?
How Do I Transfer to Marriott Rewards, and What's the Conversion?
1000 Starpoints = 3000 Marriott Rewards points. See Link Your SPG and Marriott Accounts, How to Transfer Points and FAQ
Do you plan to apply for the 35K SPG Business AMEX or buy Starpoints?
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