American Express Starwood Credit Card

Best Features of the American Express Starwood Credit Card

• Earn Starpoints on all purchases
• New cardholders can get 10,000 bonus Starpoints
• Redeem Starpoints for accommodation & flights
• Read the terms and conditions

Our Review

Starwood is the luxury chain of hotels and resorts which also includes the St Regis, W, Sheraton, and Westin – to name but a few. As an American Express Starwood Preferred Guest credit cardholder, you will earn points towards free stays. Cardholders aren’t just limited to redeeming their points towards accommodation though. They can also enjoy free flights and high-end rewards. As you would expect from a rewards credit card, the purchase rate isn’t great, but AmEx does a good job of compensating for this with extensive benefits for their members.

Who it’s for

The American Express Starwood Preferred Guest credit card is ideal for jet-setters who love to travel in style and regularly stay at one of Starwood’s branded hotels. With over 1,000 hotels and resorts in more than 100 countries worldwide, the world is your oyster with this AmEx rewards credit card.

Eligibility

To be eligible you must be at least 18 years old with a UK bank or society building account and be a permanent UK resident. You’ll need to have a household income of at least £30,000. Applicants for any American Express card, including this one, generally need to have a good or excellent credit history.

Balance Transfers

There are no balance transfer offers available with the American Express Starwood rewards card, which is consistent with other AmEx cards.

Purchases

As expected with a rewards credit card, the purchase rate is higher than average at 19.9% p.a. When you factor in the £75 annual fee, the representative rate is 34.5% p.a. variable There are up to 56 interest-free days to help you avoid debt.

Keep in mind that many retailers have surcharges for using an AmEx card. This can really add up if you don’t keep track of which retailers have the extra charge.

Rewards

Even though this is the Starwood Preferred Guest card, the rewards program goes a lot further than just accommodation. Cardholders will earn 1 Starpoint for every £1 spent. These points can be redeemed at more than 1,000 hotels and resorts and there aren’t any blackout date restrictions. Starpoints can also be used with 350 top international airlines or you can transfer your points to one of 30 frequent flyer program. When you transfer 20,000 of your Starpoints over, you get an extra bonus of 5,000 points.

New cardholders will can get 20,000 bonus Starpoints easily just by spending £1,000 in the first 3 months of their membership. This is enough points for you to spend 3 nights in an eligible hotel for free.

If you are a big spender, then you will get upgraded to gold status. For spending at least £25,000 a year, you will get a complimentary weekend at just about any Starwood hotel or resort, anywhere in the world.

Another benefit of the AmEx Starwood Preferred Guest credit card is that you get purchase protection for 90 days on eligible items should they get stolen, lost or damaged. There is also refund protection for 90 days in case a retailer will not take back an item.

Cash Advances

Cash advances with this card are going to cost you at 27.9% p.a. plus a 3% fee (or £3, whichever is higher). While this is steep, it is on par with the industry standard for cash advances. Keep in mind that there are no interest-free days for cash advances.

Security & Fraud Protection

With an AmEx credit card, you can expect the best fraud protection and security. As a platinum level cardholder, you get active fraud monitoring in case there is any suspicious activity on your account. Cardholders are also covered by an online fraud guarantee, which means you won’t be held responsible should your card be misused online.

Conclusion

If you love to travel either for leisure or business, then the American Express Starwood Preferred Guest card has the rewards for you. While there are some downsides to this AmEx card, like retailer surcharges and a high purchase rate, the jet-setters of the world will be able to look past the downsides and reap the benefits.