The SPG Amex gets more valuable – earn double points at Starwood AND Marriott
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The Starwood Preferred Guest American Express card has a new benefit – double points (2 per £1) on all stays at Starwood and Marriott properties.
One of the biggest complaints about the Starwood Amex in the past is that you didn’t get any sort of bonus for using the card to pay for a Starwood hotel. Most other hotel credit cards do this.
In one swoop, Starwood is not only fixing this anomaly but also giving you double points on your credit card spend when you stay at any of the 5,000+ Marriott-owned hotels globally.
This could be a valuable benefit. I tend to value a Starpoint at 1.5p. This value is now underpinned by the fact that you can transfer Starpoints to Marriott Rewards points at a 1:3 ratio, as I also value a Marriott point at 0.5p.
If you spend £500 at a Marriott or Starwood hotel on your Starwood Amex, you would earn an extra 500 SPG points which I would value at £7.50.
If you are a heavy user of Marriott hotels, you should take another look at the SPG American Express card. There is a £75 annual fee but you receive 10,000 SPG points for signing up. These would convert into 30,000 Marriott Rewards points.
My full review of the card is here. You can apply for the Starwood Amex here.
News for Marriott Rewards credit card holders
If you have the old Marriott Rewards credit card, there is also good news for you.
Going forward, you will now receive double Marriott Rewards points via your credit card (2 per £1) for spending at Starwood hotels. This offer already applied to Marriott hotels.
Unfortunately the Marriott Rewards card will not be re-opening to new applicants in the near future because Marriott cannot meet the FCA’s credit broking requirements.
But don’t forget ….
If you are spending your own money, don’t be taken in by double points. The 3% foreign exchange fee charged for overseas transactions on both of these cards means that it is still not a great deal. You are better off using a credit card with no FX fees such as the Lloyds Avios Rewards card, Post Office, Halifax Clarity etc.
Marriott Rewards credit card holders should download Supercard (see here) and link their Marriott card to it, which reduces the FX fee to 0% – although you won’t earn double points since the charge goes through as Supercard and not as a Marriott or Starwood hotel.
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Want to earn more points from credit cards? – April 2025 update
If you are looking to apply for a new credit card, here are our top recommendations based on the current sign-up bonuses.
In 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.
You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:
Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard
Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review
Barclaycard Avios Mastercard
Get 5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review
You can see our full directory of all UK cards which earn airline or hotel points here. Here are the best of the other deals currently available.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold
Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review
British Airways American Express Premium Plus
30,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review
The Platinum Card from American Express
80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review
Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard
18,000 bonus points and 1.5 points for every £1 you spend Read our full review
Earning miles and points from small business cards
If you are a sole trader or run a small company, you may also want to check out these offers:
American Express Business Platinum
50,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review
American Express Business Gold
20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review
Capital on Tap Pro Visa
10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review
Capital on Tap Visa
NO annual fee, NO FX fees and points worth 1 Avios per £1 Read our full review
British Airways American Express Accelerating Business
30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review
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