Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express

Starpoints® Bonus: 10K with your first purchase and another 15K when you spend $5k within 6 months - enough for up to 6 free nights at a Category 1 or 2 hotel Free nights, free flights: Redeem Starpoints with over 350 airlines through SPG Flights and more than 1,000 hotels and resorts worldwide. No blackout dates 2011 SmarterTravel® Award for "Best Travel Rewards Card" $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $65 CLICK HERE TO APPLY ONLINE *See Terms & Conditions

Intro APR Intro Period Regular APR Annual Fee Balance Transfer Credit Needed N/A* N/A* 15.24%-19.24 Variable* $0 intro for first year; $65 after that* Yes* Excellent Credit*

Review: Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express

Type of credit needed: Excellent Credit

Type of card: Hotel, Air, & Travel Rewards

Issued by: American Express™

Overview: The Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express will primarily benefit those who regularly stay in Starwood hotels. The rewards program for this card allows cardholders to earn points on every purchase, and extra points are awarded for purchases made at Starwood hotels and stores. In addition, those enrolled in the Starwood Preferred Guest program can earn additional points. Bonus points are also awarded for the first card purchase and when certain spending levels are reached within a specific timeframe. A great thing about this rewards program is that points can be used for a variety of travel-related purchases, including airline tickets and hotel rooms. Points are also accepted by numerous frequent flyer programs. There is an annual fee for this card, although it is waived during the first year, and the APR is quite high after the introductory term expires.

Pro and cons of the card:

Pros:

• Earn points for every purchase
• Earn extra points for purchases made at Starwood hotels and stores
• Earn extra points for purchases made through the Starwood Preferred Guest program
• Bonus points for first purchase
• Bonus points for reaching certain spending levels
• Points can be used for various travel-related purchases
• Many airlines allow points to be redeemed for tickets
• No blackout dates for airline tickets
• Points do not expire if account is active
• No annual fee for the first year
• Low introductory APR
• High spending limits
• Standard benefits like online account access

Cons:

• High APR after introductory term expires
• Annual fee
• Points expire if the account is inactive for one year

*This content is not provided or commissioned by American Express. Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of American Express, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by American Express. This site may be compensated through American Express Affiliate Program.

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A credit score is a number generally between 300-850, based on a statistical analysis of a person's credit files. This score represents the credit worthiness of a person. A credit score is assigned to each individual, to rate how risky a borrower he or she is--the higher the score, the less risk the individual poses to creditors. In most cases, your credit score will determine whether you will be approved for a credit card.

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* See the online Americanexpress.com/starwood (www.americanexpress.com/starwood) credit card application for details about terms and conditions and offers.