American ExpressStarwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express
The most beloved card in hobby history, gone with Starwood itself.
Welcome Bonus
None
Discontinued
Spend Requirement
None
Annual Fee
$95
No FTF
Credit Score
700+
(Good-Excellent)
Historical Offers Chart
Every public offer change we've tracked. Hover for details, timing your application is worth hundreds of dollars.
Last verified 2026-06-11 · spot an outdated offer? Tell us in the comments.
Earning Rates
- 2xStarwood hotels and resorts
- 1xEverything else
Credits
No statement credits, this card wins on earn rates, not coupons.
Benefits
- ✦Starpoints transferred to dozens of airlines at 1:1 with a 5,000 point bonus per 20,000 transferred
- ✦SPG Gold status with enough annual spend
- ✦Free in-room internet and no foreign transaction fees
Why it earns its spot
- +The single most valuable everyday-spend point in the hobby's history
- +Airline transfer flexibility no bank program matched until years later
Where it costs you
- −1x base earning looked thin if you ignored what a Starpoint was worth
- −Marriott's takeover converted Starpoints 1:3 into a weaker currency
The Compound Verdict
For most of the 2000s and 2010s the answer to almost any what-card question was the SPG Amex. One Starpoint per dollar transferred to more than 30 airlines with a 25 percent bonus, which made it the best everyday earner in existence. Marriott swallowed Starwood in 2016, points merged 1:3 in August 2018, and the card was rebranded Marriott Bonvoy in 2019. No discontinued card is mourned more.
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