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Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card

• Earn 10,000 Starpoints® with your first purchase — enough for up to 3 free nights
• Use Starpoints for free nights and upgrades at over 825 participating Starwood hotels and resorts in 95 countries
• Transfer Starpoints — almost always on a 1:1 basis — to the frequent flyer programs of over 30 major airlines
• Earn one Starpoint for every dollar of eligible spending and double Starpoints at participating Starwood properties and retail outlets
• First year fee-free and only $30 thereafter

Just The Facts –

Issuer :  American Express

Introductory APR :  2.90%

Introductory Period : 6 months

APR After Introductory Period :  18.24%

Cash Advance APR :  23.24%

Annual Fee : First year free and then $30 afterwards.

Credit Line Possible : $100,000

Insurance included :  Auto rental insurance, a purchase protection plan, extended warranty, return protection, identity theft protection and up to $100,000 in travel accident insurance is part of your Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card agreement.

Financing Configuration – Interest is calculated on your average daily balance (including purchases made on that day).

Grace Period – You have twenty days after making a purchase during which you do not have to pay interest.

The Best Thing About It — Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card has a versatile and abundant rewards program that has points that can be used at over thirty airlines.

The Worst Thing About It – This card has an extremely high regular APR that makes it very impractical for carrying a balance. Taking out cash advances is prohibitively expensive.

Credit Rating Needed For Acceptance :  Excellent Credit only.

Who Is It For?

The Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express® is designed for those with good credit who frequently stay at Starwood hotels and resorts and plan to take advantage of the various benefits and services that are provided.

The card is not available to residents of Puerto Rico.

 

The Benefits

 

The rewards program is generous! Points can be redeemed for various travel services, such as free hotel stays and airline travel.

You get free points after your first purchase. Cardholders also earn 10,000 bonus points after their first purchase, which is enough for up to three free nights at a Starwood outlet. Points do not expire as long as the account is active within a one-year period.

You can transfer your Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card points to many different frequent flier programs. Transfer points into 11 frequent flyer programs. The match is 1 point for 1 airline mile with most programs.

There are no black out dates for points.  Starpoints can be transferred to over 30 major airlines. There are no blackout dates and free nights start as low as 2,000 points.

Track all of your expenses on one statement.  Online access to this statement to your account is also provided so you can stay on budget. This also provides the convenience of paying your credit card bill online.

You can print out a Year End Summary.  One perk is the online Year End Summary of Charges gives you access to important information 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Flexible features make organizing your expenses very expedient. You simply download the summary and print out different versions of it by category.  You can also receive a paper Year End Summary in the mail by calling the number on the back of your Card.

You have a Return Protection Plan. If you try to return a designated item within 90 days from the date of purchase and the merchant won’t refund you, American Express will refund the full purchase price, up to $300 per item.

You have extra protection from theft or loss of your card while traveling.  American Express provides quick emergency cash and emergency card replacement should your Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card ever be stolen or lost.

The card comes with an enormous amount of travel insurance. This card offers $100,000 in travel insurance.

Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card comes with a Global Assist Hotline. Whenever you travel more than 100 miles from home, you have security and peace of mind 24/7 with medical, legal, financial or other emergency assistance, including medical and legal referrals, visa/passport help, cash access, lost luggage and more.

The card offers a Baggage Assurance Plan. This plan covers up to up to $1,250 for carry-on baggage and $500 for checked baggage in the event it is lost or stolen.

There is no liability for unauthorized Internet transactions.  You will not be charged for fraudulent use of your credit card online. Most cards charge $50 for this.

 

The Drawbacks

 

The APR is high. The standard APR for purchases is above average for an airline reward card and not ideal for those who plan to carry a revolving balance.

The grace period is short. You only have twenty days to pay without interest.

Monthly payments are applied to purchases first.  The amounts that you pay monthly are not applied to the highest interest transactions such as taking out a cash advance. This can get expensive.

The Return Coverage on your Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card is limited. Coverage is limited to $300 per item, excluding shipping and handling, and up to a maximum of $1,000 annually per Card Account and is subject to additional Terms, Conditions and Exclusions.

 

Fees To Watch Out For

 

Late payment fee :  $15 on balances up to $100; $29 on balances of $100 through $1,000; $35 on balances over $1,000

Over the Limit Fee : $30

Duplicate card fee :  $35

Cash Advance Fee : 3%, $5 minimum for Express Cash transactions

To Summarize –

Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card is an ideal card for those who can afford to pay in full each month to avoid accumulating credit card debt, as often can be the case with revolving balances and high interest rates. It is not a good card for carrying a balance or taking out cash advances.

Intro APR	Intro APR Period	Regular APR	Annual Fee	Balance Transfers	Credit Needed
2.90%	6 Months	18.24%	1st year free, then $30	Yes	Excellent Credit