New American Express Credit Card Offers

American Express seems to be on a roll the past few days with new credit card promotions. First off we have the Business Gold Rewards Card, which is offering 75,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $10,000 within the first 4 months. The spend requirement is quite high, so make sure you can actually complete it before applying. Here are the relevant details:

• This offer is only good through August 9, 2012
• Earn 3 points per dollar spent on airfare; 2 points per dollar spent on advertising, gas, and shipping; 1 point per dollar everywhere else
• Annual fee of $175 is waived for the first year
• Per the terms and conditions, the welcome bonus offer is not available to applicants who have had this product or any Business Gold, Green, or Platinum Card account within the last 12 months
• Membership Rewards points will post to your account 6-8 weeks after meeting the spend requirement

In addition, keep in mind that this is a charge card, and all statements must be paid off in full each month. The Membership Rewards program has lost a bit of its luster this past year, as I've written in this post. However, they still maintain some decent airline and hotel transfer partners, and they consistently run transfer bonus promotions throughout the year. 75,000 Membership Rewards points can be valued at more than $1,000 if used wisely, so this is a very good deal you should seriously consider if you can meet the high spend threshold.

If the $10,000 spend is too high, you can also consider the American Express Starwood Preferred Guest Card, which is currently running their annual summer promotion. The typical sign-up offer for this card offers a maximum of 25,000 SPG points after meeting the spend requirement. However, from now through September 4, 2012, you can earn 10,000 SPG points after your first purchase, and an additional 20,000 SPG points after spending $5,000 within the first 6 months - for a total of 30,000 SPG points. Here are the relevant details:

• This offer is only good through September 4, 2012
• Earn 2 SPG points per dollar spent at SPG Hotels and Resorts; 1 SPG point everywhere else
• Annual fee of $65 is waived for the first year
• Receive credit for 5 nights and 2 stays towards SPG elite status each calendar year
• Per the terms and conditions, the welcome bonus offer is not available to applicants who have had this product within the last 12 months
• SPG points will post to your account 6-8 weeks after meeting the spend requirement

I've written extensively about the American Express Starwood Preferred Guest Card in the past (see here, here, and here). It is simply one of the best rewards cards out there, and I have not hesitated to pay the $65 annual fee for the past 2 years just to keep it in my wallet.

There is also a business version of this card, which is also offering 30,000 SPG points. However, I have not found a public link for that yet. If you are interested in applying for the business card, I would recommend heading over to Boarding Area and you will find many bloggers there with affiliate links. May I recommend View From The Wing and Rapid Travel Chai's links, as I really enjoy both their blogs and think they are incredibly cool people.

Finally, as you all know, I don't post any affiliate links on my blog, nor do I make any money off of advertising. However, once in a while, there is the chance for me to earn some extra miles and points by referring friends and family to certain credit card offers. Right now, the American Express Starwood Preferred Guest Card is allowing anyone to refer people to the card, and earn 5,000 SPG points in the process (if their application is approved). If you enjoy this blog and would like to do something extra nice, just send me your name and email address at milesglu@gmail.com, and I will fill out the referral right away (personal card only). You'll receive the same great offer I listed above, and I'll earn an extra 5,000 SPG points. Thanks as always!