I just realized I have great rewards cards and one card with 0% on purchases for 12 months but non of my cards are below 12% go to. Is starwood amex apr negotiable, could I break off part of my new CL and get a regular optima platinum and get it below 12% just as a carrying balances card. Or do I use my MBNA frequently hope they increase they CL to 10,000 and then have them convert it to quantum. I will not be applying for this card right away but am just curious what my plan of attack for a card to carry balances on should be? Is chase good about lowering aprs and then staying there? Just looking for a good low rate card, rewards are a plus but lower rate is more important.
1. Starwood APR is not negotiable. 2. The lowest APR rewards card in existence is AmEx Blue at 7.99% with MR Options. 3. You can convert or allocate a card's credit limit to the regular Optima Platinum (no rewards), which can get you P + 3.9% from their "customer level repricing" department.
how long would it take them to reprice optima plat to prime +3.99(like would I have to have the card for x number of months)? Would i just apply for this card or would I call starwood CS and ask them to relocate my CL to another card and create the account? Would this be the best route to take or could I get lower on MBNA quatnum(after my MBNA plat plus is 10,000 and convert it to quantum) or chase plat? I also have another question, is there some downfall to starwood that I am not seeing, why doesn't everyone have one? It has BVG, they give you free 5,000 miles when you transfer 20,000 to an FF program, it has a lower annual fee than a charge card, you can stay at a starwood hotel for 2,800 pts for a class 1 or 2 and 5,000 for a class 3 or 4, I believe. It just seems like one of the best rewards cards out. Only downfall I can see is that people say they don't give bonus pts offers as much as green gold and platinum charge cards. Fill me in their is something I am missing I was looking at the gold preferred rewards card trying to see if the double pts that it offers and the transferring 1 to 1 in frequent flyer miles would be better even after the annual fee and I still think that the starwood card makes more sense. BUT like I said, if you see a benefit I am missing please fill me in because I am looking for the ABSOLUTE BEST rewards card I can get. Thanks again for all of your help MARCI!
Good question. I don't know. I can't understand the criteria the repricing dept. uses to make decisions on various accounts. All you can do is try, and report back to us what your experience was. You would need to have a formal application (i.e hard inquiry) submitted for the Optima Platinum in order for credit to be allocated to it from the Starwood. Starwood has been voted by many focus groups as the absolute best rewards card out there for a few years now. I tend to agree with them, though I hate paying $30 a year for it. The places that can better help you gauge what you want in a rewards card and how to maximize the benefits are: www.cardoffers.com www.flyertalk.com You're welcome.
$30 SECOND YEAR... There was a question here and on another site about having to "STAY" twice at their hotels in a year or LOSE THE POINTS... That was said to be WRONG... You can use the card to "KEEP" the membership...BUY STUFF ON IT... WHAT IS THAT AMOUNT PER YEAR??? $1,000??? $10,000??? Is there PROOF in the fine print any place on the TERMS AND CONDITIONS??? (AMEX) Or is it a "STARWOOD" PREFERRED GUEST TERMS AND CONDITIONS??? 20,000 POINTS + 5,000 FREE BONUS=1.25 MILES/$1.00
yup I was the one that did all of the reaserach on it and found out that if you use the card it keeps the account active since the points have to go somewhere(stated by STARWOODLURKER on flyertalk). I don't know if their is a specific amount per year you have to spend? And no I haven't found any proof, just going on what this gentleman told me. Maybe marci knows if you don't stay at a starwood 2 times in one year if your points are forfeited or not. I was told no by starwood lurker, but now GEORGE has me worried again. I would hate to rack up 20-30,000 pts only to find out I didn't stay at a starwood 2 times in one year and would have to forefit my points. Here is the email I got from starwoodlurker about the subject: Thanks for the email. As it stands now (which essentially means that itcould change down the road) using your Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Cardfrom American Express once a month - or even once in a rolling twelve-monthperiod - will work to keep your Starwood Preferred Guest account active. If your Starwood Preferred Guest account is kept ctive, your Starpoints willnever expire. Now, here is why I think that this will in fact always be so as long as thiscard is kept as our affinity card: the points you earn have to go somewhere and they can't go into an account that has expired. Of course, this does notmean that the marketing gurus won't wake up someday and fix the database where it no longer recognizes these transactions as "stay" transactions, butit seems very unlikely. If you want to be absolutely bullet-proof, go once a year to a StarwoodPreferred Guest participating property and have a meal that is $10 before taxes. Then fax the receipt in to Program Services at 512-836-4002 and askfor Starpoints for the meal. That is as much a "stay" transaction as paying to stay at one of our participating properties. I would say to ask forcredit at the hotel and fax the receipt later if it doesn't post to youraccount, but so many hotel restaurants are clueless as to how to get this done, that you might as well cut out the middleman. If I can be of any further assistance, please let me know. Sincerely, Customer Service Coordinator Starwood Preferred Services
I liked the idea of 1.25 miles/$1.00 BUT...I don't really need to stay in a HOTEL...I have a second house near LAX/ONT/SNA I stay for FREE!!! The small town I stay in near BGR has no STARWOOD properties...(that I know of)
That's good info, ero2. I have a Sheraton in my town, so I'll make sure to eat there and fax in the meal as a "stay". I am new to Starwood, so I appreciate the research you've posted here.
Just got off the phone with starwood, not amex but starwood preferred guest line (2 different reps) and was told that just using your amex starwood card is enough to keep your starwood preferred guest account active, just as starwoodlurker told me originally, so the food at the starwood property is not necessary, but feel free. No problem, glad I could help you for once marci!
