Offer is expired
The American Express Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express is proposing a welcome offer of 75,000 bonus points after you use your new Card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. The SPG Business card benefits include no foreign transaction fees (see Rates & Fees), free in-room premium internet access, and unlimited Boingo Wi-Fi at more than 1,000,000 Boingo hotspots worldwide.
This is an ideal card for small business owners that do not revolve a balance and typically stay at Starwood Hotels. This credit card is designed to provide you resources to help you run your business to be successful. With this card you can accumulate your points to redeem for free hotel stays, free flights or even transfer to your airline frequent flyer program on a 1:1 basis. The annual fee (see Rates & Fees) is waived for the first year- a savings of $95!
Editor’s Note: If you have a side business such as selling on eBay, Craigslist, or do freelance work, then your business is called a sole proprietorship. Simply use your name as business ID and Social Security number as tax ID.
Amex Starwood Preferred Guest Credentials
- Small Businesses: If you own a small business and you have good to excellent credit, plus you plan on spending on advertising, airfare purchases, gas, shipping, computer hardware, software, and cloud computing services, you can benefit with the American Express Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card.
- Traveling Businesses: If you and/or your employees routinely travel to meet your business partners and do business around the world, airfare is one of the five spending categories you can choose from to earn 2 miles per $1, making it a poor choice to get benefited for your travel. There are better cards for traveling businesses such as Chase Ink Business PreferredSM Card.
Best Business Credit Cards for 2018
 The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card offers $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening. You'll earn: • 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year • 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year • 1% cash back on all other card purchases with no limit to the amount you can earn. This card comes with no annual fee. You'll be able to take advantage of employee cards at no additional cost. |
 The Business Platinum Card® from American Express has a welcome offer of 250,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. You'll earn: • 5X Membership Rewards Points on Flights, and Prepaid Hotels Booked through AmexTravel.com. • 1X points on other eligible purchases. • 1.5X points (that's an extra half point per dollar) on each eligible purchase at US construction material, hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers, and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more, on up to $2 million per Card Account per calendar year. Purchases eligible for multiple additional point bonuses will only receive the highest eligible bonus. • Unlock over $1,000 in statement credits on select purchases, including tech, recruiting and wireless in the first year of membership with the Business Platinum Card. Enrollment required. See how you can unlock over $1,000 annually in credits on select purchases with the Business Platinum Card • Fly like a pro with a $200 Airline Fee Credit. Select one qualifying airline to receive up to $200 back per year on baggage fees and other incidentals. • $199 CLEAR Plus Credit: Use your card and get up to $199 in statement credits per calendar year on your CLEAR Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use the Business Platinum Card. • NEW! Make the Business Platinum Card work even harder for you. Hilton For Business members get up to $200 back per calendar year when you make an eligible purchase at Hilton properties across the globe. Benefit enrollment required. This card does come with a $695 annual fee. (See Rates & Fees) Terms Apply. |
Amex Starwood Preferred Guest Pros & Cons
- 75,000 bonus points after you use your new Card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership
- Earn Free Stays: When you make a purchase with your Starwood Preferred Guest Business Card, you earn Starpoints. Use Starpoints toward free nights at over 1,300 hotels and resorts in over 100 countries with no blackout dates. Some hotels and resorts may have mandatory service charges. A night at a Category 1 Starwood hotel starts at 2,000 points. Higher category hotels are more expensive. For instance, a standard room in a mid-tier category 4 hotel costs 10,000 Starpoints per night.
- Starwood hotel brands include Sheraton, Westin, St Regis, Le Meridien, Four Points, Loft, Element, and W Hotels.
- Note: On August 1, 2018, SPG will convert every one Starpoint in a loyalty member account to three points. In general, corresponding redemption changes will occur. Visit members.marriott.com for details.
- From now through July 31, 2018: Earn 2 Starpoints® for every dollar of eligible purchases on the Card at participating SPG® and Marriott Rewards® hotels. Earn 1 Starpoint for all other eligible purchases.
- Effective August 1, 2018: Earn 6 points for every dollar of eligible purchases on the Card at participating SPG® and Marriott Rewards® hotels. Earn 4 points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations, wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers, and on U.S. purchases for shipping. Earn 2 points for all other eligible purchases.
- Convert Points into Miles: Starwood has several airline transfer partners including American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, British Airways, Air Canada, Aeromexico, Emirates, Virgin Atlantic, Qatar Airways, Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jet Airways, Air Chin, Air Berlin, Japan Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Thai Airways, China Southern Airlines, Korean Airlines, Miles and More, and All Nippon Airways.
- Boingo and In-room Internet: When you’re traveling for business, having access to a reliable Internet connection is a must. When you stay at a Starwood hotel with this card, you get free in-room, premium web access at participating Starwood hotels.
- Plus, international travelers might find this benefit handy: you get unlimited Boingo Wi-Fi at more than a million hotspots worldwide.
- Free Additional Users: You can add additional users to your account without paying an additional fee (see Rates & Fees), so you can give cards to your employees. You only need to pay the annual fee for primary card.
- Travel Benefits and Insurance: Get the comfort and peace of mind with travel benefits and travel insurance such as Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance, 24/7 Global Assist Hotline, Baggage Insurance Plan, and Travel accident insurance.
- Purchase Protection and Extended Warranty: In case of accidental damage or the theft of eligible purchases for up to 90 days from the date of purchase, American Express can refund you if the store would not. Amex will also extend the original U.S. warranty of items you purchase by up to one year.
- No Foreign Transaction Fee: American Express will not charge any foreign transaction fee on the purchases you make outside of the United States with your Card. (see Rates & Fees)
- Airline Perks: While you don’t fly often enough to get elite frequent flyer status with airlines, you still want the privilege of priority boarding and other airline-specific benefits. The SPG credit card does not offer any airline perks.
- If you fly Delta, consider the Gold Delta Business Credit Card from American Express, which offers Priority Boarding and the ability to check in your first bag free. The first checked bag benefit applies to up to 8 additional travelers on your Delta reservation so if you are traveling with a group of employees, this can be a helpful money saver. The checked bag waiver does not cover overweight or oversize fees. There is a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95.
- If you want premium travel benefits like Airport Lounge Access, consider the Business Platinum Card which offers access to over 1,000 airport lounges worldwide.
- Earn Cash Back: You are busy running your business and you want to save money. If you prefer the simplicity of earning cash back, compare business cash back credit cards instead.
- Annual fee: While the annual fee is waived for the first year, you’ll pay it every year thereafter. With some business credit cards offering no annual fees, you have the potential to save some cash with another card. On the flip side, the $195 dollar annual fee for the American Express Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card is lower than some other business cards, including Amex’s own Business Platinum Card.
- Better Rewards Programs Elsewhere: If you like the notion of cash back in addition to travel rewards that don’t limit you to one airline, another business credit card will probably serve you better in the long run.
- Not A Traveling Business: Plain and simple, if you’re not a small business owner who travels, there’s really no reason to get this card. Consider a cash back credit card instead.
Amex Starwood Preferred Quest Redeeming Starpoints
Free night redemption minimums start at 2,000 points for Category 1 hotels, which are budget-friendly and less luxurious, and rise to 35,000 points for super high-end Category 7 hotels. Note, however, that exact point requirements vary based on season and demand.
Room upgrade redemption minimums start at 1,000 points for Category 1 properties and rise to 2,750 points for Category 7, though the same variables apply.
If you don’t have enough points for a full night, you can use Starwood’s Cash & Points feature to combine cash and Starpoints and earn a free room. You need 1,500 points and $30 to earn a free Category 1 night, or up to 15,000 points and $275 for a free Category 7 night.
Starpoint redemption values can vary based on season, demand, and the cash price of the room or upgrade. However, they regularly range as high as $0.025, and may go even higher in some cases. Note that some SPG & Marriott hotels and resorts may have mandatory service charges.
Amex Starwood Preferred Quest Point Transfers
The Starwood Preferred Guest Business Credit Card allows you to transfer (or convert) your accumulated Starpoints to more than 30 airline frequent flyer programs, covering around 150 airlines – including Delta, American, and other popular U.S.-based airlines.
In most cases, 1 Starpoint equals 1 airline mile, though a handful of programs require 2 or more Starpoints for 1 mile. When you transfer at least 20,000 points to a participating frequent flyer program, you get a 25% bonus of 5,000 points.
Amex Starwood Preferred Guest Approval Odds
The American Express Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card is quite the high tier business card meaning you may need a really high credit score to obtain this card. If your credit score is above 650 and you’re otherwise maxed out in terms of the number of Amex credit cards you can get, this is a fantastic card to consider.
On top of that, for those with good and excellent credit, I find Amex business cards to be incredibly easy to be approved for. Anecdotally most people I’ve heard from have reported instant approvals on this card, so it really shouldn’t be very tough to be approved for, even if you haven’t gotten many business cards in the past.
If you would like to learn more and even check your credit score, refer to our post about Free Credit Score.
Amex Starwood Preferred Guest Business Resources
The American Express Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express not only earns you rewards but also includes exclusive American Express business backing benefits that makes it an important resource.
- OPEN Savings & OPEN Forum – Receive 5% discount with OPEN Savings with participating partners FedEx, Hertz, HP.com, 1800flowers.com, and BN.com(Barnes & Noble). OPEN Forum provides support, insight, advice, and the latest in business news and research. Business experts are within reach with topics that include staff management tips, business growth, and marketing to name a few.
- Add Employees – The Starwood Preferred Guest Business Card makes it easy to add employee cards with no annual fee and no extra costs. Employees will earn points at the same rate when they use their card. Get the ability to designate an employee to be an account manager to help with business finances and bookkeeping.
- Account Management Tools – There are applications and tools that will make managing your account effortless. The ReceiptMatch feature will organize your expenses by adding receipts, tags and notes to your transactions either from your desktop, phone, or tablet. Mobile apps can also be downloaded on your phone or tablet to make it convenient to check your balance, make payments, or even view your benefits at any moment. Receive automatic alerts to closely monitor your account to make payments on time, keep tabs on employee spending, and also be notified of suspicious activity.
Amex Starwood Preferred Guest Travel Benefits
The American Express Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card’s flight and travel benefits are one of the main reasons to become a member if you often fly Delta. Businesses can appreciate being able to spend more time on work instead of waiting in lines. It’s a time and money saver that makes the $195 annual fee well worth it.
- Shortcut to Elite Status – With the Starwood Preferred Guest Business card, receive short cuts to elite SPG® Gold and Platinum status and earn more rewards and gain more benefits. Attain Gold status by spending $30,000 or more on your card in a calendar year. It also comes with annual credits of 5 nights and 2 stays toward the next level of SPG Elite status, therefore, only 20 nights or 8 more stays is needed to reach Gold status and 45 nights or 23 more stays to reach Platinum status. Gold elite status will earn you 2 additional Starpoints for every $1 spent at Starwood hotels and resorts, room upgrade(if available), late check-out, complimentary bottled water, and more. Reach Platinum elite status to receive 3 additional Starpoints, the best room upgrade available, and more in addition to Gold status benefits.
- Sheraton Club Lounge – Card members and a guest will receive access to Sheraton Club Lounges with privileges that include complimentary breakfast, snacks, beverages, WiFi connection. It’s perfect for business with office amenities, comfortable work space, and spectacular views. Personalized service is also available to make your stay even more enjoyable.
- Unlimited Complimentary WiFi & Internet – With the Starwood Preferred Guest Business card, receive complimentary premium internet access while staying at Starwood hotels. Always stay connected at more than 1,000,000 hotspots worldwide with complimentary unlimited Boingo Wi-Fi on up to four devices. Boingo American Express Preferred Plan enrollment required and can add up to $400 in savings each year.
Use SkyMiles earned with American Express Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card for award flights and seat upgrades with Delta Airlines and other flexible flight redemption offers with Delta partners. It doesn’t stop at travel, miles can also be redeemed for merchandise, gift cards, and more.
- Redeem for Hotel Nights – Starpoints can be redeemed for award night stays with no blackout dates at over 1,300 hotels and resorts worldwide. Starwood properties range from category 1 requiring only 2,000 points to redeem for a free night up to category 7. Also receive bonus free nights and point discounts as you redeem for hotel nights.
- 5th Night Free – Get the 5th night free when you redeem points for 5 award nights stays at category 3 – 7 hotels.
- Up to 20,000 Starpoint Discounts – With SPG’s Nights & Flights, save as much as 20,000 Starpoints when you redeem 5 nights at category 3 or 4 hotels and transfer 50,000 points for miles with airline partners where the transfer ratio is 1 to 1.
- Room Upgrade – Starting at 1,000 Starpoints, upgrade to a suite or a larger room, or even a room with a view to make your stay even more memorable.
- Transfer for Airline Miles & 5 Bonus – Transfer Starpoints to more than 30 partner airline frequent flyer programs for miles at a 1 to 1 ratio with a few exceptions. Additionally, receive 5,000 bonus Starpoints when you transfer 20,000 points for miles (airline partners with 1 to 1 ratio) which increases the value of each point by 25%.
- Flights, Car Rental, & Rail – Starpoints can be redeemed for flights with over 150 different airlines through SPG Rewards Program and car rentals with Avis or Sixt. Another travel option is to transfer points for rail miles with Amtrak at a 1 to 1 ratio.
- More Options – There are several more options to redeem Starpoints including giftcards and tickets and VIP access to live music and performance, sporting events, and unique experiences through SPG Moments. Points can also be donated to Clean the World, American Red Cross, and Unicef charities or gifted to family or friends in the same household with an SPG account.
Our Thoughts
The American Express Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card is a very solid business travel rewards card. Its points offer high value at redemption, it offers a competitive welcome offer, and it matches up nicely with more than 100 frequent flyer programs.
However, it’s not for everyone – even those who travel often. If you don’t routinely visit vacation destinations or business hubs with SPG & Marriott Rewards hotels, you simply won’t rack up the points fast enough to make this card worth it. Before you apply for a hotel- or airline-specific travel rewards card of any sort, make sure you can get good use out of it without literally going out of your way.
Card Comparison
Here’s how the American Express Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card is closely there with the Chase Ink Business PreferredSM Card, a Chase credit card also aimed towards small business owners.
 The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers 90,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 cash back or $1,125 toward travel when redeemed through Chase TravelSM. You'll earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year; 1 point per $1 on all other purchases - with no limit to the amount you can earn. Furthermore, points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase TravelSM. This card does come with a $95 annual fee but does not have any foreign transaction fees. |
The Chase Ink Business PreferredSM Card is a great small business credit card, especially for companies that spend a lot on internet, cable, cellphone and landline services or office supply stores. In these categories, cardholders earn 5x points on the first $50,000 spent in combined purchases.
Bottom Line
The American Express Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card is excellent for small businesses and even self-employed individuals(use your name as business ID and Social Security number as tax ID) who stay at SPG hotels and would appreciate more travel, purchase, and business benefits.
The additional benefits such as free premium in-room Wi-Fi, access to Boingo Wi-Fi hotspots, no foreign transaction fees (see Rates & Fees), and free access to Sheraton Club lounges would make the SPG Business card an excellent choice for your business spending! For those who like staying at the Starwood chain of hotels and resorts, Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express is the business credit card to get especially with the chance to earn a fantastic welcome offer.
As long as you haven’t had the SPG business card in the past 12 months, then you qualify for the bonus promotion opportunity. If this card did not appeal to you, visit our complete credit card bonuses list for more offers! Review our complete list of Credit Card Bonus Promotions and remember, as with all cards, terms and limitations apply.
Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by the credit card issuer. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of the credit card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer. This site may be compensated through the credit card issuer Affiliate Program.
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