Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express vs American Express® Gold Card

Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card is an excellent rewards card for travelers looking for free hotel stays or airfare. How does it compare to American Express Gold Card, an events charge card? Read our comparison chart below.

Keep in mind, the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card has a $65 annual fee, while the American Express Gold Card has a $125 annual fee. Both cards' annual fees are waived for the first year.

	Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express	American Express® Gold Card
	Personal Credit Card	Personal Charge Card
	Starpoints® BONUS: 10K with your first purchase and another 15K when you spend $5k within 6 months – enough for up to 6 free nights at a category 1 or 2 hotel. Free nights, free flights: Redeem Starpoints with over 350 airlines through SPG Flights and more than 1,000 hotels and resorts worldwide. No blackout dates 2011 SmarterTravel® Award for "Best Travel Rewards Card" $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $65	Exclusive access to Gold Card Events – select concerts, shows, major sporting events, and more. Purchase Protection* can protect eligible items for up to 90 days from the date of purchase if stolen or accidentally damaged. *Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company Redeem Membership Rewards® points for an exclusive array of travel, shopping, dining and entertainment rewards. Introductory annual fee of $0 for the first year, then $125. Get a decision in as little as 60 seconds.
	Card Interest Rates & Fees
Purchases APR	as low as 15.24% to 19.24% (Variable) based on your creditworthiness and other factors
Balance Transfers APR	as low as 15.24% to 19.24% (Variable) based on your creditworthiness and other factors
Annual Fee	$65 annual fee, annual fee waived for first year	$125 annual fee, annual fee waived for first year
	Card Rewards & Benefits
Introductory Bonus Hotel Rewards	Introductory Bonus Hotel Rewards: Starpoints® Bonus: 10K with your first purchase and another 15K when you spend $5K within 6 months - enough for up to 6 free nights at a Category 1 or 2 hotel
Airline Rewards	Airline Rewards: Redeem Starpoints for SPG Award flights on over 350 airlines -- all without blackout dates. Transfer Starpoints to more than 30 airline frequent flyer programs, mostly on a one-to-one basis.
Hotel Rewards	Hotel Rewards: Get 1 Starpoint for every eligible dollar spent. Receive up to 5 Starpoints for every eligible dollar spent at Starwood hotels and resorts.
Point Rewards		Point Rewards: Earn 1 point for virtually every dollar spent.
Travel Rewards		Travel Rewards: Pay with points for travel and fly anytime, anywhere -- there are no blackout dates or restrictions.
Bonus Airline Rewards	Bonus Airline Rewards: Receive a 5,000 Starpoint Bonus when you transfer 20,000 Starpoints to a frequent flyer program.
Hotel Status	Hotel Status: Earn SPG Gold Status by spending $30,000 or more on your Card in a calendar year. Receive credit for 5 nights toward SPG elite status each year. Enjoy your third night free at participating Sheraton hotels and resorts.	Hotel Status: Gold Card Hotel Program includes $75 dining credit with a stay of two nights or more at hundreds of Sheraton, Westin, W, and Le Meridien hotels and resorts when booking with goldcarddestinations.com
	Go to issuer's official application, terms, and details	Go to issuer's official application, terms, and details
	CreditDonkey® Card Reviews
Pros & Cons	Pros: Earn bonus points upon first purchase Flexible transfer to airlines miles Cons: $65 annual fee	Pros: Gold card events Great customer service Exclusive travel benefits Responsible charge card Cons: $125 annual fee
Bottom Line	Excellent rewards card for travelers looking for free hotel stays or airfare... Read full review	Excellent rewards card for cardholders who pay in full... Read full review
See issuer's website for details including terms and conditions. While reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate and updated information, the information shown on this site may vary, be out of date, or not applicable to you. All information is provided without warranty. When you click on the Apply Now button, you can review the terms and conditions on the issuer's website. Blank fields indicate either the information is not available, not applicable, or not known to CreditDonkey. Please visit the issuer's website for details. Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by American Express. Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of American Express, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by American Express. This site may be compensated through American Express Affiliate Program.

Articles on Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express

AMEX Starwood Review: Versatile Hotel and Airline Rewards
December 16, 2011 - By David R - Review for Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card
A CreditDonkey.com editors’ favorite, the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card offers exceptional travel rewards and top-notch American Express customer service for a reasonable annual fee. The generous sign-up bonuses and 1:1 point transfer to ...

Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by American Express. Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of American Express, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by American Express. This site may be compensated through American Express Affiliate Program.

Articles on American Express® Gold Card

American Express Gold Card Review: $125 Annual Fee vs Perks
July 30, 2011 - By Meghan Clark - Review for American Express Gold Card
American Express has long been known for its superior service and perks. But whether the annual fee is worth the investment for you ultimately depends on your spending habits and lifestyle. We've crunched the numbers below so you can see if the ...

Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by American Express. Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of American Express, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by American Express. This site may be compensated through American Express Affiliate Program.

Compare Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card to:

Marriott Rewards® Credit Card Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after your first use, redeemable for up to 4 free nights; plus receive 2 free night stay e-certificates upon account approval, that's enough for up to 6 free nights at a category 1 hotel No Annual fee for your first year that's a $45 value* Earn 3 points for every $1 spent at Marriott® locations Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on other purchases Cardmembers achieve Silver elite status with 10 nights credit toward Elite status Redeem Marriott Rewards® points at Marriott properties including Renaissance Hotels, Courtyard, Residence Inn, and Fairfield Inn & Suites Intro APR for Purchases Intro APR for Balance Transfer APR as low as Annual Fee - - 14.24% (Variable) $45

Citi® Hilton HHonors Visa Signature® Card Earn 40,000 Hilton HHonors Bonus Points after spending $1,000 within 4 months of account opening* Earn 6 HHonors Bonus Points for each $1 spent at a participating hotel within the Hilton Worldwide portfolio.* Earn 3 HHonors Bonus Points for each $1 spent on purchases at supermarkets, drugstores and gas stations.* Earn 2 HHonors Bonus Points for each $1 spent on all other purchases.* No annual fee.* Intro APR for Purchases Intro APR for Balance Transfer APR as low as Annual Fee - - 14.24% - 16.24% (Variable) $0

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Blue Cash Everyday℠ Card from American Express Intro APR (P) Intro APR (BT) APR as low as 0% for 12 months - 17.24% - 22.24% (Variable) Earn $100 cash back after spending $1,000 in eligible purchases in the first 3 months of Cardmembership 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months, flexibility to pay over time Get 3% cash back at supermarkets, 2% cash back at gas stations and department stores, and 1% cash back on all other purchases NO spend minimum, NO enrollment, and NO rotating rewards categories Get a $25 Referral Bonus for each friend or family member who is approved for the Card No annual fee, flexibility to pay over time

American Express® Premier Rewards Gold Card Intro APR (P) Intro APR (BT) APR as low as - - N/A Membership Rewards(R) bonus: 25K points, redeemable for select gift cards valued at $250, when you spend $2,000 in your first three months of card membership Membership Rewards(R) points multiply fast! Earn 3X points on airfare, 2X points on gas and groceries, 1X points on everything else Exclusive access to Gold Card Destinations and events – Enjoy special travel packages and amenities at hotels worldwide, as well as select concerts, shows, major sporting events, and more, nationwide. Introductory annual fee of $0 for the first year, then $175 Get approved in 60-seconds.

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