Credit Cards Hotels

The Best SPG Card is Now The Marriott Premier Card [For the Sign-Up Bonus]

best SPG card
Written by Charlie

With the latest updates, the best SPG card is no longer the SPG card from Amex. The best SPG card for the bonus is now a Marriott card!

Yesterday, SPG and Amex came out with their worst offer ever on the great SPG card – 2 free nights at Category 1 -5 hotels. With that limited-time offer, the best SPG card for the sign-up bonus is now the Marriott Premier card, thanks to the new Marriott and SPG integration. Here is why that is.

The Best SPG Card is Now the Marriott Premier Card

In what I believe was a dumb move by American Express (though I am sure they had their reasons), they really killed the SPG sign-up bonus yesterday with the 2 free nights. If those 2 free nights were available at any SPG property, it would have been the best all-time offer on that card. But, the most value you can get is 32,000 points worth and that is if you use them at just a few of the overall SPG properties.

The Best SPG Card for the Sign-Up Bonus

best SPG card

So, if you want to get as many SPG points as possible, the best SPG card for a sign-up bonus is now the Marriott Premier card.

  • 80,000 Marriott Reward points after spending $3,000 in 3 months
  • Earn 7,500 additional points when you add an authorized user and they use the card in the first 3 months
  • Annual fee not waived – $89

This card offers 80,000 Marriott Reward points after spending $3,000 in 3 months. It also offers an authorized user bonus of 7,500 points. When you put the spending and the bonuses together, it equals a total of 90,500 points.

What? The Best SPG Card is a Marriott Card?

This is where it becomes the best SPG card. With the new Marriott and SPG integration, you can transfer Marriott Reward points to SPG at a rate of 3:1. That means those fresh 90,000 Marriott points just became 30,000 SPG points – or what the current bonus on the SPG card should be!

There are some things to consider:

  • The annual fee is not waive so you will pay $85 up front
  • The Marriott Premier card is included in the 5/24 rule (so if you have had 5 or more new accounts in the last 24 months, you cannot get this card)
  • The Marriott Premier card is not worth keeping after the first year if you only want SPG points (the earning is only 1 point per dollar which would translate to .3 points with SPG)

As long as you are ok with those points above, I would go ahead and get the Marriott Premier card. It is a great way to build up your SPG point balance which is great if you need to transfer points to a multitude of airlines or if you want to get in on the great SPG Moments packages.

Find out how to transfer your Marriott points to SPG instantly!
Click here to see additional reward credit cards

Some of the links on Running with Miles are affiliate links that pay a commission if a purchase is made. Running with Miles is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

About the author

Charlie

Charlie has been an avid traveler and runner for many years. He has run in marathons around the world for less than it would cost to travel to the next town - all as a result of collecting and using miles and points. Over the years, he has flown hundreds of thousands of miles and collected millions of miles and points.
Now he uses this experience and knowledge to help others through Running with Miles.

12 Comments

  • You can still get the 25k SPG bonus through affiliate links. I also disagree with the Marriott being the better card because earning rates are just as important to me as the sign-up bonus and unless Chase offers 3x base spend on the Marriott card, I’m not putting a penny on the card. SPG essentially earns 3x Marriott points.

    • Right on both. That is why I say for the sign up bonus. It is higher than even the 25k affiliate offer. For spending, I said I would not use it since your point is correct.

      • That’s what your article says, but not your title. Very misleading, in my opinion. Although it does not have the best sign up bonus, the Starwood Amex is still the best overall SPG card.

        • Sorry to disappoint. I always struggle with titles and try to be as factual as possible while also trying to break it down in the post rather than making the title too complicated. Sometimes I don’t do a good job with the title. Sorry this was one of those.

  • Never considered the bonus on the SPG card to be that great to begin with. It is the ongoing earning potential that made this card attractive and why so many have kept it in their pocket for years (though i’m not one of those).

  • Question: The additional 7,500 points earned when adding an authorized user are subject to the user using the card within the first 3 months of adding the user or the first 3 months of getting the card?

  • The title is misleading. This card may be best from a new sign-up bonus but not ongoing spend. I was intrigued until I read the article.

  • So, even if we are WAY over the 5/24 rule….we would likely be approved for the Marriott Business card? Not wanting to apply if it is going to be denied..thanks in advance!