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Last month, Starwood Preferred Guest co-branded Amex credit card holders were given the opportunity to purchase Starpoints at a 35% discount — less than 2.3 cents apiece. However, that was only valid for SPG members who were cardholders of either the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express or the business version. And now, it looks like all SPG members have access to a nearly as generous offer to purchase Starpoints for as little as 2.45 cents apiece — a 30% discount on purchased Starpoints through July 1, 2016.
Should You Do It?
Considering the pending Starwood-Marriott merger, which is expected to finalize later this year, buying Starpoints doesn’t necessarily make sense as a long-term investment. Although we don’t know exact details about the future of both the SPG and Marriott Rewards programs, there’s always a chance that Starpoints will be converted to Marriott Rewards points at an unfavorable rate. So this current offer could make more sense if you can use the points toward a redemption in the near future.
For example, the Royal Palm South Beach Miami, which is a Tribute Portfolio Resort, is an SPG Category 5 property, requiring 12,000-16,000 Starpoints for a free night. For a five-night stay over Christmas, you’d pay $437 per night, however, if you were to use Starpoints for a free night, you’d pay just 9,600 Starpoints per night, as you’ll get the fifth night for free. Purchased at 2.45 cents apiece, 10,000 Starpoints (because you have to buy in increments of 500 points) would cost you $245, as opposed to the regular $350. This would offer a great return on your purchase if you could take advantage.
If you have a specific redemption in mind that you’re planning on taking advantage of before the merger finalizes, it could make sense to take advantage of this promotion. You have some time to decide whether or not you want to take advantage (until July 1), so consider whether or not you’ll be getting the best value from your purchased Starpoints. You can also boost your balance by signing up for the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express and the Starwood Preferred Guest Business Credit Card from American Express. Both cards are currently offering a sign-up bonus of 25,000 Starpoints after spending $3,000 in the first three months for the personal card and $5,000 in the first three months on the business card.
Source: thepointsguy.com