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As reported by Doctor of Credit, the SPG Luxury Card is now available for applications. The good news is that the 3 day window of opportunity that I’ve mentioned previously is working. The bad news is that Amex is offering only a 100K welcome bonus. We were expecting 125K.
For full details about this card, including the signup bonus link, please visit our dedicated page:
Starwood Preferred Guest Luxury Card from American Express
About the 3 Day Window
The SPG Lux card application page shows the following restriction:
Effective 8/26, welcome offer not available to applicants who (i) have or have had The Ritz-Carlton Rewards® Credit Card from JP Morgan in the last 30 days, (ii) have acquired The Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Credit Card from Chase, The Marriott Rewards® Premier Credit Card from Chase, or The Marriott Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card from Chase in the last 90 days, or (iii) received a welcome or upgrade offer for The Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Credit Card from Chase, The Marriott Rewards® Premier Credit Card from Chase, or The Marriott Rewards® Premier Business Credit Card from Chase in the last 24 months.
In short, starting on 8/26, if you have received a welcome bonus or upgrade bonus on any Chase Marriott card in the past 24 months, or have acquired a Chase Marriott card in the past 90 days, you won’t be eligible for the SPG Lux welcome bonus. Same if you currently have the Ritz credit card or have cancelled it less than 30 days ago.
The 3 day window of opportunity begins right now: It is not yet the 26th, so it is possible to sign up for the Luxury card now to qualify for the welcome bonus even if you won’t be able to as of the 26th. Note that you do not have to be approved before the 26th, you just have to submit your application before then. Be careful not to submit an application late on the 25th, though, as those applications are sometimes recorded as having come in the next day.
Recommendation: If you won’t be limited by the new rules anyway, then there’s no reason to rush to get this card. Maybe we’ll see a better offer in November (this offer is good through the end of October).
Other Options
I’ll follow up this post shortly with more information, but it’s important to note that other SPG and Marriott cards will also fall under restrictions similar to the ones shown above as of 8/26. And, for many of us, there are other SPG and Marriott cards that offer better first year value. Most notable is the SPG Business Card with its 100K bonus and waived first year fee (click through to our dedicated SPG Business Card page for up to date welcome bonus details).
Please also see: Navigating Marriott’s Byzantine Credit Card Rules.
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Just offered 125k.
Greg, am I reading the terms wrong? The $300 statement credit comes after the one year anniversary, or do we get on immediately and then another at the one year anniversary ?
it’s pretty much $300 after you pay the annual fee. So first year and after your anniversary
You get the credit every year. The benefit terms are explicit: “Your first reward year begins on your account opening date.”
What a completely underwelming offer for a “premium card”. Makes me wonder if this is being used as some kind of tease by Amex to catch the churners who go after the points and then cancel the card, because really, why would one want to keep this card after getting the points posted– there’s no compelling value after you get your (Ridiculously low) 100k of smarriot points (300 forced spend at marriot still leaves 150 for a free night where other cards are $95 for the same) I may be missing something (and if I am, I am happy to be wrong about this), but this “offer” has a bad smell to it.
The Lux card has a free night in higher category hotels (50k max as opposed to say 35k max for standard SPG card). Also gold elite instead of silver elite for status. The Lux card also comes with some Global Entry/TSA credits, but that isn’t useful for everyone.
Thanks, I missed that first point. From my POV that brings this “premium card” up from awful to ignorable, but your response is helpful Curtis, thanks.
How can you tell which Chase Marriott card you have? Ours has been open for well over 5 years. Is this one that would prevent us from getting the SPG Lux Card once the window closes?
As long as you haven’t upgraded the card recently, you’ll be fine. The rules only affect those who received a Marriott card signup bonus or upgrade bonus within the past 24 months
Blah card with high annual fee not waived and low value bonus points. I’m eligble but will happily pass on this offer. I already moved my business over to other brands. If they offer much better bonuses or much smaller fees than maybe I’ll reconsider.
Greg can you please clarify—if you are disqualified on 8/26 (I recently opened Marriott cards) are you disqualified for 24 months or permanently? I’m disappointed with the welcome offer and would be willing to wait two years to see if a better offer comes around rather than adding to my 3/24. Thank you.
You will have to wait 24 months after you received bonuses on your Marriott cards and then you can sign up and get the bonus for the SPG Lux.
I just signed up for the Amex starwood business card through your link. According to the rep, I was told I would be eligible since I haven’t had a bonus in the last 12 months. I had the card previously but canceled approximately 2 years ago. I am hoping he knew what he was talking about.
Hmm. Thanks for using my link. I’m worried though that the rep gave you bad information. Amex has been enforcing the lifetime rule
I’m ineligible for all but the Lux but I’ll hold off for a better bonus. However, my wife can get the SPG Biz. Are the old Marriott transfer rules still in effect? i.e. 50k max per year, or unlimited if combined for a redemption.
I’m not sure. I’d check the Marriott Rewards T&C but we’ve been told that much of the document is being re-written.
Before you apply for the SPG Lux card, check your SPG amex Account for upgrade offer. I logged into my Amex account and saw the upgrade offer of 100k points/ $5k spend with an expiration of 10/31/18 to accept the upgrade offer. It said the credit card number will stay the same and the annual fee will be prorated. My regular spg annual fee usually posts in January, hopefully that means my 50k free night will post in the same month.
Lucky you! I logged into Amex and my upgrade offer is only 15,000 points for $1,000 spend in 3 months. Wonder if I don’t get the 100K offer because I spend too much or not enough?
I had the card for 1 year and 7 months. Charged less than $1k this year on it. My wife got the same offer as you and had the card for over 3 years but same spending. So no clue
Any idea if upgrading affects your 5/24 status? I have the same offer to upgrade from the standard SPG personal card. I haven’t gotten any Marriott cards/bonuses, so no rush to apply since the offer is good through 10/31. BUT, I also will drop below 5/24 near the end of this year and want to make sure this won’t ruin that. I’ve looked on a couple of sites, but haven’t found any definite answers yet.
I don’t have the need for two free nights (one at 35,000 point max, the other at 50,000), so upgrading probably makes sense for me if it does NOT affect the 5/24 status.
i don’t see how it would affect 5/24, it’s pretty much the same account. Same account number and login. They don’t pull credit for upgrade offers. You definitely should upgrade if your offer is 100k. Also with the upgrade you will get a discounted annual fee for the first year.
Thanks for the response. Where did you see that the account # stays the same? I read through the offer and terms (even did a word search) and didn’t see that.
when you go through with the upgrade it tells you the number stays the same. Also when i log into my amex the logo is updated to luxury but the account number is still the same.
Upgrades should retain your original card open date on your credit report, so it won’t affect 5/24
I applied and got the pop up saying I was ineligible for the signup bonus…..? How can that be possible…?
No idea. I’m not at all sure that the pop up is working correctly
Whoa! – Tricky limitation on Platinum Status!
Here is the term I found, “You cannot receive enrollment in Platinum Elite status through this reward program if you are already enrolled at Platinum Elite status or any higher status”.
With the 33% devaluation in my earning ability and the elimination of the 25 Stays qualification, I was planning on obtaining Platinum Elite Status every year by spending $75,000 with the AMEX SPG Luxury card. I have Platinum Elite Status now thru 2019 (earned on SPG Stays).
But according to this term, I cannot qualify for the $75,000 spend Platinum Elite Status until my current status expires in January/February 2020?? And to make matters worse, if I qualify for the $75,000 spend status in 2020, then I need to let it expire in January/February 2021 in order to earn it again? So there will always be a gap in my status, and I will need to spend $75,000 quickly starting every February in order to get Platinum Status back? Oh and worse again… the terms provide that the $75,000 Platinum Elite Status may take 3-4 months to activate after hitting the $75,000 spend mark! Surely this is a mistake?
I’m pretty sure that the terms just have really bad wording. My guess is that it simply means that if you already earned Platinum for next year, then spending $75K this year doesn’t do anything for you.
Hi Everyone,
So I received my Marriott bonus back in Oct. 2016, so by the “received a welcome bonus… in the past 24 months” terms, looks like I’d be good to receive this bonus in Nov., correct? If so, I’m thinking of bypassing the 3 day window and waiting to see if a larger bonus comes up in a few months.
Thanks, all!
That’s correct
Thanks, Greg!
I decided to apply and was approved. I already have the SPG Personal and SPG Business. Wife also applied, but got the message about not being eligible due for the welcome offer. Drats! Wish we had some data points about what it takes to get back in Amex’s good graces (i.e., how much spend on their cards), but I guess this new restriction is still too new.
Looked at the benefits of the new LUXE card and decided not worth the $150 as I have most of them covered by other Chase/Amex cards. I had been waiting for this one but decided to go for the SPG Amex Business instead. Instant approval so I am happy.
@Greg, this does look like a weak initial bonus offer. If I am purely out for airline miles, would you agree that the Chase Marriott Premier Business card at 75k pts with $3k spend and $99 annual fee is better than this one (already have/had the SPG personal & SPG bus.)? Thanks!
If you’re purely out for airline miles, then maybe look to other offers? 75K points will be worth only 30K miles. That said, they do support more airlines than any other transferable program.