Review of the

American Express Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card

We recommend the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express as the Best Overall Travel Rewards Card for those who would like to maximize the opportunity to earn and redeem frequent flyer miles and rewards points.

Four reasons to apply for the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card:

1. Generous Application Bonus: Complete the application and earn 10,000 Bonus Starpoints with your first purchase - enough for up to 3 free hotel nights, plus an additional 15,000 bonus points when you use the card for additional purchases.
2. Best Program for Airline Awards: Transfer Starpoints to the frequent flyer programs of over 30 major airlines, including Continental OnePass, Delta Skymiles, United Mileage Plus, American AAdvantage, US Air Dividend Miles, Northwest WorldPerks, and more. Plus earn an additional 5,000 point bonus when you transfer 20,000 points to the airline of your choice!
3. Best Program for Hotel Awards: Use Starpoints for free nights and upgrades at over 860 participating Starwood hotels and resorts in 95 countries, including St. Regis, Westin, Sheraton, "W" Hotels, Le Meridien, and many more luxurious choices.
4. Earn Additional Points: Earn one Starpoint for every dollar of eligible spending and double Starpoints at participating Starwood properties and retail outlets.

Using this card can be worth more than $976 per year! Point Accumulation and Reward values are based on normal redemption and spending patterns derived from award charts provided by the Starwood Preferred Guest Program.

	Click "Apply Here" To Apply for the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card

Fundamentals of the Card
Earn travel rewards faster than ever before and use them anyway you want. 
The Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card lets you earn free nights at over 825 participating hotels and resorts in 95 countries, including Four Points by Sheraton, Sheraton, W Hotels & Resorts, Le Meridien, The Luxury Collection, Westin and St. Regis. No blackout dates and free nights start as low as 2,000 Starpoints. Transfer Starpoints to over 30 major airlines, almost always on a 1:1 basis, and enjoy a 5,000 Starpoint bonus when you transfer 20,000 Starpoints to miles (enough to get you to the 25,000 miles you need for a free domestic ticket in most programs).

How to Earn Starpoints

• Earn 10,000 Starpoints with your first purchase - enough for up to three free nights at a Category 1 or 2 hotel.
• Earn one Starpoint for every dollar of eligible spending.
• Earn double Starpoints on stays and purchases made at select Starwood retail outlets - that's in addition to the Starpoints you earn as a Starwood Preferred Guest member.

Benefits of the Card
The first year of Cardmembership is fee free, with an annual fee of just $45 per year thereafter. There is a six-month 2.90% introductory APR on purchases, then Prime plus 9.99% and a grace period up to 20 days. Additional cards are fee-free, so you can share virtually all the benefits and services with family members and watch those Starpoints add up even faster!

Transfer Balances Fee-Free
Transfer balances from your higher-rate MasterCard, Discover, and Visa: cards to your American Express: Card account with no transaction fee! Then enjoy a low fixed rate of 2.9% for the first 6 months of Cardmembership on Balance Transfer requests submitted with this application.

Dedicated Customer Service
American Express is here to help you around the clock, with the kind of Customer Service that keeps Card members loyal for a lifetime. For immediate service, call the phone number on the back of your Card.

Your Year End Summary: Available Online
Your Online Year End Summary of Charges gives you access to important information 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Flexible features make organizing your expenses a snap - download the Summary and print it out; sort by date, merchant name, or charge amount; review charges made within a category, such as Travel and Restaurant. Your Year End Summary is an indispensable tool for preparing taxes and budgeting. You may also receive a paper Year End Summary in the mail by calling the number on the back of your Card. Charges processed and posted to your account after December 31, 2007 will appear on next year's summary.

Access Your Account Online
You can view up-to-date billing information online, including transactions, charges, and payments.

	Click "Apply Here" To Apply for the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card

Shopping with the Card
Buyer's Assurance Plan
With the Buyer's Assurance Plan, you can shop worry-free knowing that the terms of the original manufacturer's warranty will be matched up to one additional year, on warranties of five years or less that are eligible in the U.S.

Fraud Protection Guarantee
Use the American Express Card online or off, and you won't be held responsible for any unauthorized charges. Period. No fine print, no deductible-just pure protection, so you can shop with confidence.

Purchase Protection Plan
Shop with confidence and the Purchase Protection Plan, which protects eligible purchases made with the Card against accidental damage and theft for up to 90 days from the date of purchase.

Return Protection
If you try to return a designated item within 90 days from the date of purchase and the merchant won't take it back, American Express will refund the full purchase price, up to $300 per item, excluding shipping and handling and up to a maximum of $1,000 annually per Card Account

American Express Selects
Offers, savings, entertainment, and special events. American Express Selects puts together great brands, Online ExtrasSM, and much more - all in one great place.

Traveling with the Card
Emergency Card replacement
Enjoy the security and convenience of access to Emergency Card Replacement services by calling 1-800-964-8542.

Travel Accident Insurance
Travel Accident Insurance provides up to $100,000 in accidental death and dismemberment insurance while traveling on a Common Carrier Conveyance (plane, train, ship, helicopter, or bus) when the entire fare has been charged to the Card.

Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance
Relax and enjoy the ride when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for an auto rental! The Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance Plan provides coverage for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles. Simply decline the collision damage waiver (CDW) or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This coverage is excess to your other sources of insurance. Coverage applies for the first 30 days of an auto rental if rented from a Car Rental Company. Just call 1-800-338-1670 for more information and eligibility requirements.

Global Assist Hotline
Whenever you travel more than 100 miles from home, you have security and peace of mind 24/7 with medical, legal, financial or other emergency assistance, including medical and legal referrals, visa/passport help, cash access, lost luggage and more.

	Click "Apply Here" To Apply for the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card

The Starwood Preferred Guest Program
For eight consecutive years, since 1999, frequent travelers have recognized Starwood Preferred Guest for offering the industry’s best redemption program.  Small wonder: The Starwood Preferred guest Program offers remarkable access to an amazing hotel portfolio, faster points accumulation and zero blackouts on Free Night Awards. If there’s a standard room available on your chosen night, it’s yours.

Program Benefits
As part of the program program, you will have access to exclusive benefits and redemption opportunities that have earned Starwood dozens of accolades. Starwood Preferred Guest’s remarkably valuable currency, Starpoints, will give you free nights at some of the most enchanting hotels on earth to many other travel, merchandise and once-in-a-lifetime entertainment rewards.

• You will earn 2 Starpoints per every eligible dollar spent at over 860 of Starwood’s participating properties.
• Redeem Starpoints for a host of extraordinary rewards, including free nights. With our no blackouts policy, if there is a standard room available it’s yours with no extra point charges.
• Starpoints never expire as long as you have Starpoints activity at least once every 12 months.

Reward Opportunities

• Free Night Awards with No Blackouts. Notably the richest redemption opportunity offered, this benefit assures your ability to redeem Starpoints any time you want to go. If there is a standard room available, it’s yours. And you can achieve a free night with as few as 2,000 Starpoints for Category 1 properties.
• Award Flights. Transfer Starpoints to more than 30 major airlines, most on a 1:1 basis. Plus receive a 5,000 Starpoint bonus when you transfer 20,000 Starpoints to miles
• Cash & Points. Redeem Free Nights Awards using a combination of cash and Starpoints
• Redeem for Room and Suite Upgrades. At participating hotels, where available, upgrade to a Specialty Room for a few as 1,000 Starpoints or a Suite for as few as 3,000 Starpoints
• 5th Night Free. Redeem 4 nights at select properties and your 5th consecutive night is free
• 50% off Rack Rate. Redeem 1,000 Starpoints for a 50% off regular rack rates certificate6.
• Nights & Flights. Use Starpoints to pay for your airfare and hotel costs
• Instant AwardsSM Redeem from an array of in-hotel indulgences. Ask about it at the hotel.
• Partners. Redeem for products and services from our list of partners.
• MomentsSM Redeem for once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

Additional Benefits To Embrace

• Buy Starpoints to achieve free nights, free flights or room upgrades faster
• Enjoy an exclusive 35% discount at more than 125 participating destinations worldwide, including Hawaiian resorts and European cities8.
• Redeem Starpoints instantly online, over the phone or at the hotel.
• Transfer Starpoints between accounts with members of the same household.

	Click "Apply Here" To Apply for the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card

Earn Free Hotel Nights at some of the Best Hotels in the World

Nine Unique Brands, with More Than 860 Hotels and Resorts in 95 Countries.

Discover your niche among Starwood’s diverse collection of distinctive hotel brands listed below. It's an extraordinary array, covering more countries and including more resorts, golf courses and award-winning hotels and resorts than any other program. Starwood’s hotels frequently appear on the Conde Nast Traveler Gold List and Readers Choice List, plus Travel & Leisure’s World’s Best list.