The Points Mom

It Was Good While It Lasted-Farewell To My Amex SPG Card

Having just received the bill for the $95 annual fee for my Amex SPG card, I knew I wasn’t going to pay this fee.  I called Amex to see if they would make me a retention offer like they did the last time I went to cancel my SPG card. They didn’t! I therefore opted to cancel the card.  I decided paying the $95 was not worth it to keep this card for the following reasons….

1.  I do not use this card enough to justify paying the $95 annual fee.

2.  A downgrade option (good alternative to canceling) to a no fee card is not available for this SPG card.

3.  I was able to move the credit line on this card to my American Express Blue Business card. Remember, DO NOT CANCEL A CARD WITHOUT TRYING TO MOVE YOUR CREDIT LINE TO ANOTHER CARD. Lower credit lines, negatively affect your utilization ratio which leads to a lower credit score.

4. Rob has one too (he just got the business version with a 35,000 point bonus) and it is so easy for us to transfer Starpoints between our two accounts, that it is unnecessary for both of us to have a Starwood card.  Remember, SPG has a very flexible transfer policy in that you can transfer Starpoints to any person that shares your home address for a minimum of 30 days prior to requesting the transfer. You can transfer any amount of points to that other person and there are no transfer fees.  I just took advantage of these generous transfer terms in booking our 2 rooms at the St. Regis in Aspen using SPG points.  Note-I would have never left us without at least one Starwood card (for now anyway).

5. The fate of THIS card is unknown anyway as more details and changes are revealed about the merger between Starwood and Marriott.

6.  My credit score will drop but only a little bit and it rebounds pretty quickly.

7. I get better Starwood elite status with my Amex Platinum card where I can enroll and receive Starwood Preferred Guest Gold Status.


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