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Credit Card Updates

After Marriott acquired SPG, it overhauled the entire loyalty program and renamed it Marriott Bonvoy. Today, the related changes to Marriott, SPG, and Ritz-Carlton credit cards were also announced. The biggest news is that the AMEX SPG card is about to be discontinued. Here’s a summary of all the updates:

AMEX SPG

  • Name change: The Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express will become the Marriott Bonvoy™ American Express® Card
  • Existing cardholder benefit: Cardholders who received the card before January 23 can earn extra points on spending through the end of 2019: starting February 24, for every $25,000 spent, you’ll earn an extra 25,000 points, up to a maximum of 100,000. Registration is required for this promotion, and the registration link has not been released yet.
  • Application change: Applications for this card will stop on February 12. In other words, whether the old version or the new version, it will no longer be available to apply for. Existing cardholders will continue to receive the updated benefits.
  • My recommendation: If you haven’t applied for this card yet, do it soon. After all, this is a chance to pick up another 75,000-point welcome bonus. Whether it’s worth keeping long term depends on how much you value the annual 1FN. A Marriott hotel night costing up to 35,000 points is definitely worth more than the $95 annual fee. If you also have a Chase Marriott card, it can be nice to combine several FNs for a longer stay. Also remember that Chase Marriott cards are subject to 5/24, and once this card is discontinued, you won’t be able to hold the mid-tier SPG card anymore.
  • AMEX SPG credit card review

AMEX SPG Luxury

  • Name change: The Starwood Preferred Guest® American Express Luxury will become the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card
  • Benefit added: Starting March 28, 2019, when staying at least 2 consecutive nights at The Ritz-Carlton® or St. Regis, you can receive a $100 property credit. You must book directly through the official website and select the $100 Property Credit, Luxury Credit Card Rate at the time of booking.
  • Welcome bonus change: From February 13, 2019 to April 24, 2019, the welcome bonus on this card will increase to 100,000 after spending $5,000 in 3 months.
  • My recommendation: If you haven’t applied for this card yet, it’s better to wait until February 13 for the higher bonus.
  • AMEX SPG Luxury credit card review

AMEX SPG Business

  • Name change: The Starwood Preferred Guest® Business from AMEX will become the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card
  • Annual fee increase: The annual fee will increase from $95 to $125. If you apply before March 28, the annual fee will be $95 and waived for the first year. If you apply after that, it will likely be $125 and the first year will no longer be waived.
  • Benefit added: Starting March 28, 2019, if annual spending on this card exceeds $60,000, you’ll receive 1 Free Night valid at hotels costing up to 35,000 points per night.
  • Welcome bonus change: From February 13, 2019 to April 24, 2019, the welcome bonus on this card will increase to 100,000 after spending $5,000 in 3 months.
  • My recommendation: If you haven’t applied for this card yet, the best window is between February 13 and March 27. You can get the lower annual fee and first-year annual fee waiver, and the updated benefits should be added automatically afterward. Then you can decide in the second year whether it’s worth keeping this card with a $125 annual fee.
  • AMEX SPG Business credit card review

Chase Marriott Premier Plus

  • Name change: Marriott Rewards Premier Plus will become Marriott Bonvoy Boundless
  • Welcome bonus change: Starting February 28, 2019, the welcome bonus will increase to 100,000 after spending $5,000 in 3 months.
  • Benefit added: Starting February 13, 2019, if annual spending on this card exceeds $60,000, you’ll receive 1 Free Night valid at hotels costing up to 35,000 points per night.
  • My recommendation: The current welcome bonus is 75,000, so wait until February 28 for the higher bonus before applying.
  • Chase Marriott Premier Plus credit card review

Chase Marriott Premier Plus

  • Name change: Marriott Rewards Premier Business will become Marriott Bonvoy Premier Plus Business
  • Benefit added: Starting February 13, 2019, if annual spending on this card exceeds $60,000, you’ll receive 1 Free Night valid at hotels costing up to 35,000 points per night.
  • Application change: Applications for this card will stop on February 12. In other words, whether the old version or the new version, it will no longer be available to apply for. Existing cardholders will continue to receive the updated benefits.
  • My recommendation: This is a discontinued card, so if you want to apply and get the 75,000-point bonus, do it soon. Be sure to check first whether you are subject to 5/24.

Chase Ritz-Carlton

  • Name change: The Ritz-Carlton Rewards will become The Ritz-Carlton Rewards from JPMorgan
  • Benefit added: Starting March 28, 2019, when staying at least 2 consecutive nights at The Ritz-Carlton® or St. Regis, you can receive a $100 property credit. You must book directly through the official website and select the $100 Property Credit, Luxury Credit Card Rate at the time of booking.

Other Chase Marriott Co-Branded Cards

  • Chase Marriott Premier (old version): Bonvoy will be added to the name; everything else stays the same.
  • Marriott Rewards® Signature Credit Card: Bonvoy will be added to the name; everything else stays the same.
  • Marriott Rewards® Business Credit Card: Bonvoy will be added to the name; everything else stays the same.

Summary

Overall, after these changes, AMEX and Chase co-branded cards at the same annual-fee tier will have largely similar benefits. AMEX will have exclusive rights to issue new premium co-branded cards and business credit cards, while Chase will handle the $95 mid-tier card and the no-annual-fee card. Personally, I think this arrangement is pretty reasonable. For applicants, the two discontinued cards to pay attention to are the AMEX SPG and Chase Marriott Business. If you want to apply before they disappear, do it sooner rather than later.