Should You Get The SPG/Marriott Cards Today?
Everyone is trying to navigate the SPG/Marriott merger, especially when it comes to credit cards. There is a rumor going around that has been reported by Doctor of Credit that the SPG Personal card bonus will be replaced with a $200 sign up bonus starting tomorrow. Does that mean you should sign up today? What about the rest of the cards that are going away?
RELATED: Refreshed Amex SPG Cards Coming in August
Details on Each Card
SPG Personal Card –
This card currently has a sign up bonus of:
- 25,000 SPG points (75,000 Marriott Points or 30,000 Airline Miles)
- After $3,000 in spend within the first 3 months
The rumor, according to Doctor of Credit, is that this bonus changes to $200 after $1,000 in spend tomorrow. The current 25K offer is worth around $500 so that is a big change in value (60% drop). Doctor of Credit usually has pretty good sources so I think this has a good chance of happening.
If you have had this card before then this doesn’t concern you since you can’t receive the bonus again. But if you haven’t had the card then you have a decision to make. Should you take the gamble that the offer will change? Could it go up instead?
If you are over Chase’s 5/24 rule and have never had this card then I think it is a good option and worthy of grabbing tonight. I think the potential of change to the sign up bonus is high based on the info being reported by other blogs.
If you are 4/24 and were eyeing another Chase card then I think you should stay away. If you are 3/24 or under and you have a use for Marriott points or the airline transfers then I think you should consider getting it.
CLICK HERE to compare this and other hotel credit cards
SPG Business Card –
There have been no rumors for this card as of yet. The current sign up bonus is:
- 25,000 SPG points (75,000 Marriott Points or 30,000 Airline Miles)
- After completing 5,000 worth of spend within the first 3 months
The rumors are probably swirling around the personal card since American Express will still be issuing the business card. Many think it will be this same card. Because of that I think sitting on the sideline for this one may be a good play. American Express could increase the offer in the coming weeks or it could drop to $200 like the personal version is being reported. It is hard to say.
If you have had this card before then you are also ineligible and you have nothing to worry about. Since it is a business card it does not count towards 5/24. Because of that it is a card that everyone who has not had it should seriously consider getting before it goes away. If you have a use for Marriott points or one of SPG’s airline partners then take a good look at this one.
You can see our review of the card HERE.
CLICK HERE to compare this and other business cards
Marriott Personal Card –
Frequent Milier is reporting that this card will no longer be available on May 3rd. It currently has a sign up bonus of:
- 75,000 Marriott points
- After spending $3,000 within the first 3 months
- Chase usually offers an extra 5,000 points for adding and authorized user to their cards. It may be worth calling after your application to see if that is available for this card.
This card falls under Chase’s 5/24 rule so if you are over that you can not get the card. If you are under 5/24 should you consider the card? Maybe.
The new Marriott Premier Plus card will come with a sign up bonus of 100,000 points, 25,000 more points than the current card. The annual fee is waived for the current version and may not be for the new version.
I value 25,000 Marriott points at around $135 which is more than the $95 annual fee that could be billed on the new card. So I would suggest waiting on this one but if you want to save on the cash then this may be the way to go. There is also a possibility of a product change offer to the new card if you get the old card now…something to consider.
CLICK HERE to compare this and other hotel credit cards
Marriott Business Card –
This card will be discontinued since American Express will be the one offering the business card. It currently has a sign up bonus of:
- 75,000 Marriott points
- After spending $3,000 within the first 3 months
- Chase usually offers an extra 5,000 points for adding and authorized user to their cards. It may be worth calling after your application to see if that is available for this card.
This card is not a part of 5/24 so heavy hitters can get it. It was the only card I was able to get during my bloodbath app-o-rama. Since it is going away it is something worth strong consideration.
But, Chase has been cracking down on people with a lot of recent applications and shutting down all accounts after a recent new card application. Even cards that have been open for years get the ax. So if you have been doing a lot of applications then you should avoid this one. The offer isn’t worth the risk.
If you have been taking it easy than this is a good option. And it shouldn’t count towards 5/24 since it is a business card.
Application Link
Spending on the SPG Cards
If you do get one or both of the SPG cards, or if you already have them, I would suggest focusing your spend on them if you want to rack up Marriott points. They currently earn 3 points per dollar but that will be dropping to 2 points per dollar in August…that is a loss of 33% in value.
Get it while the getting is good!
Conclusion
There are some opportunities going away but the question is always, should we grab them while we can?
The personal SPG card is one that needs a decision made immediately with the rumors being reported. With the bonus potentially losing 60% of it’s value it is probably worth getting if you meet the parameters laid out above.
If you have never had the SPG business version then you for sure should get this card (if you have a use for the points). But the question remains if you should get it now or wait it out and see if anything changes. I don’t have enough info on this one to give a solid recommendation on it.
For the Marriott Personal card it is probably best to wait for the new card since I think they will have a Sapphire or Southwest type family exclusion. And the new card’s offer is slightly better.
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[…] news about SPG removing the 25,000-35,000 sign up point bonus structure for personal cards and replacing […]
There is a signup bonus of 30k as well for the SPG amex personal. I just saw it in incognito. Be greedy!
There is a signup bonus of 30k bonus as well for the SPG amex personal. I just saw it in incognito. Be greedy!
Excellent!
It happened yesterday in Canada. No more sign-up bonus with SPG cards
Thanks for the info! Sucks that Canada residents didn’t get much of a heads up.
Hi Mark: Good analysis. How come no mention of the Marriott Business Card?
Oversight on my part – I’ll add it in now 🙂 thanks!
But what if the Marriott personal card gives you 15 nights fowards status this year that stacks with the 10 nights from spg personal spg business and the 15 nights from Marriott Business? Getting 40 nights towards the new program (admittedly only this year) is complelling. I doubt the new Marriott card offers the 15 nights
Good point – I think the status will only stack for the remainder of this year. It would depend on how much you value the status though…and you have to pay attention to the changes because a lot of people are going to be left with status that isn’t worth much in the new program.
I am having a lighter hotel year but value status a lot, I am doing the quad stack for 40 nights plus with the card spend of 3k per one night on the Chase cards I need very little combined Marriott/SPG to get Platinum this year. It’s a nice little setup for the year that works well with my situation. I also have 300K SPG so want to use them for upgrade hotel stays over time so keep platinum and making progress towards lifetime is all good.
I also do not mind having the four cards all produce a night stay for under $100 each, at that price and with a family eating and lounging free it’s a wash.
Sounds like a good plan Doug!