Update: Bonus is now only $200 in statement credits.
Update: Frequent Miler has been told the current deal will end tonight. That also lines up with when the Canadian bonus will change so I’d recommend getting the personal bonus today if you haven’t gotten it before. Make sure to use incognito mode to try and get the 30,000 point offer (and keep trying if it doesn’t show).
Marriott just announced details regarding the merger with SPG. We’ve already shared details regarding the new Chase & American Express cards. Earlier today we also shared rumored details of what will happen to the current SPG credit cards American Express offer. Those rumored details have been mostly confirmed here.
One of the biggest differences is the sign up bonus, currently you can get 25,000 SPG points after $3,000 in spend within the first three months (you can also get 30,000 SPG points after $3,000 via incognito mode on the personal card). The rumor stated that the sign up would be changed to a $200 in statement credits. My source has stated that the sign up bonus will change within two weeks, but possibly even by tonight. This is an extremely reliable source, so I doubt this information is incorrect.
It’s possible this will only be a temporary change, we’ve seen different American Express SPG bonuses over time. Personally if I was eligible for the American Express SPG bonuses I’d definitely be signing up for the 30,000 personal offer if I could get it to trigger. The 25,000 point offers are a more difficult choice, but I’d still prefer 25,000 SPG points over $200 in statement credits. Obviously there is some risk involved as we have seen these offers as high as 35,000 points, but hopefully most readers jumped on those opportunities as they became available.
Small update: It’s also worth remembering that the person version of these cards will not be accepting applications in the future as Chase secured the rights to issue these ‘basic’ cards. Existing cardholders will keep their cards though, so it’s possible American Express will launch a big bonus to try and lock cardholders in. Personally I don’t see that happening as I believe they will want to push people towards their new premium card but something to keep in mind. I assume the SPG business card American Express issues will be the same card they currently issue, in that case I’d wait for a 35,000 bonus on that card.
Another update: The $200 statement credit offer is coming to both the personal & business version.
