Starwood Credit Card 30,000 Point Offer – Must be APPROVED by June 30

UPDATE: This offer has expired.

Almost a month ago, Starwood announced a limited time bonus offer for their American Express credit card where instead of earning 25,000 points after meeting the minimum spend requirements, you’d earn 30,000 points with the same spend required. This is a 5,000 point increase that I value at a conservative $100 when used for Starwood hotels (although some will get more or less value).

This is an offer that is advertised typically once or twice a year and is the best you’ll get. While a 30,000 point offer might seem low compared to some other points and miles credit card offers out there, Starwood points can go quite far.

I wanted to point out though, that the offer states that you must be APPROVED BY JUNE 30, 2014 to receive the full amount of points. The terms state:

“If your application is not approved by 6/30/14 because it is incomplete or in pending status, you may not receive the 10,000 bonus Starpoints even if your application is subsequently approved.”

Initially when the increased offer was announced, advertisements stated “approve by June 30, 2014”, but they no longer state that, and instead says “Offer expires June 30, 2014.” Typically in the past with the Starwood credit card you just had to apply by the expiration date, not be approved by that date.

So while my gut thought is that even if you are approved post June 30, 2014 (assuming you applied by this date), you most likely will still get the full bonus points. But, the terms are conflicting and I suggest applying with enough time to ensure you are approved by June 30, 2014.

How instantly are you approved for credit cards? For personal cards, most applicants are approved that day. As long as you have good credit and not too many credit card inquiries you should have no problem. But, if you’ve used up your line of credit by having a slew of other Amex cards, it might just take a call to American Express to have them move some lines of credit around and you should be good to go. Business credit cards, on the other hand, might require a call to the reconsideration line. So if you do not get approved immediately, just call Amex and ask if they can approve you over the phone. They might ask you some questions about your business.

Offer includes:

• 10,000 SPG points after your first purchase using the card
• 20,000 SPG points after you spend $4,500 in the first 3 months on the card
• No annual fee for the first year – $65/year every year after

Starwood Credit Card Benefits:

• One (1) SPG points for every $1 spent on every day purchases and one (1) additional SPG points for every $1 spent at participating Starwood properties (for a total of four (4) points)
• Receive 5 nights and 2 stay credits toward SPG elite status each year (if you have both the business and personal card that will equal 10 nights and 4 stays towards status yearly)
• Gold status if you spend at least $30,000 per year on your card

For those interested in the current limited time Starwood American Express offer that was just announced, here are some ways to apply:

• Referral: If you know someone with the credit card, ask them to refer you. They will receive 5,000 bonus points. I’d appreciate the opportunity to refer anyone for the personal version of the card (you can email me at dealswelike@gmail.com), or you can ask a friend/family member to refer you using these links: Starwood American Express Personal referral link; Starwood American Express Business referral link
• Direct link: There are now direct links to apply for the card, but you might as well ask someone to refer you as there is no reason to leave the 5,000 referral bonus points on the table! Starwood American Express Personal direct link; Starwood American Express Business direct link (these are NOT affiliate links)

Starwood Preferred Guest Blog Series

• Perks of the Starwood Preferred Guest credit card
• Understanding Starwoods Cash & Points Redemption
• Getting your 5th Night Free with Starwood Points
• Redeeming your Points for Hotels & Flights
• Redeeming your Points for Upgraded Rooms and Suites
• Transferring your SPG Points to Airline Miles
• Transferring SPG Points Between Accounts
• Getting Starwood Status and the Perks

Additional Relevant Posts on the Starwood American Express:

• Are Authorized Users Eligible for the Starwood American Express 30,000 Point Offer?
• Using Starwood American Express Card to Earn Free Flights
• How the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card Annual Fee Pays for Itself