Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express vs Miles by Discover® 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 Discover Miles, an airline credit card? Read our comparison chart below.

Keep in mind, the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card has a $65 annual fee (annual fee waived for first year), while the Discover Miles has a $0 annual fee.

	Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express	Miles by Discover® Card
	Credit Card Summary
	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	Earn 10,000 Bonus Miles with every $2,000 in purchases within the first 6 months – up to 20,000 Bonus Miles 1 Mile on every $1 you spend - Plus flexible redemption options like travel credits, merchandise, gift cards or cash 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 12 months, then the variable purchase APR of 10.99% - 15.99%* No restrictions on travel--fly on any airline, book any hotel or car, with no blackout dates Travel benefits include secondary collision damage insurance when you rent a car with your Miles by Discover card Discover is ranked #1 in customer loyalty--16 years in a row! (2012 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index report) Great rewards with no annual fee, no rewards redemption fee, and no additional card fee *Click apply to view rates, fees, rewards, limitations and other important information
	Credit Card Interest Rates & Fees
Introductory APR for Balance Transfers		0% introductory APR for 12 months
Purchases APR	as low as 15.24% to 19.24% (Variable) based on your creditworthiness and other factors	as low as 10.99% to 15.99% (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	as low as 10.99% to 15.99% (Variable) based on your creditworthiness and other factors
Annual Fee	$65 annual fee, annual fee waived for first year	$0 annual fee
	Credit Card Rewards & Benefits
Introductory Bonus Airline Rewards		Introductory Bonus Airline Rewards: Earn 10,000 Bonus Miles with every $2,000 in purchases within the first 6 months – up to 20,000 Bonus Miles
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.	Airline Rewards: Double Miles on your first $3,000 in travel and restaurant purchases each year, plus 1 Mile for Every $1 you spend on all other purchases.
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.	Hotel Rewards
Travel Rewards		Travel Rewards: Double Miles on your first $3,000 in travel and restaurant purchases each year. Unrestricted Travel booked through any airline, travel agent or online travel site.
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.
Dining Rewards		Dining Rewards: Earn double miles on up to $3,000 in travel and restaurant purchases.
	Go to issuer's official application, terms, and details	Go to issuer's official application, terms, and details
	CreditDonkey® Credit Card Reviews
Pros & Cons	Pros: Earn bonus points upon first purchase Flexible transfer to airlines miles Cons: $65 annual fee	Pros: Bonus miles promotion Double Miles on your first $3000 in travel and restaurant purchases each year No annual fee No travel restrictions Cons: No airline-specific loyalty status
Bottom Line	Excellent rewards card for travelers looking for free hotel stays or airfare... Read full review	Excellent travel card with no annual fee... 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. Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by Discover. Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of Discover, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by Discover. This site may be compensated through Discover 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 Miles by Discover® Card

Discover Miles Review
September 2, 2011 - By Meghan Clark - Review for Discover Miles
With a potential 20,000 bonus miles offer and no annual fee, the Discover Miles card offers great benefits to travelers. Redeeming miles also couldn't be easier: just make a travel purchase through any airline, travel agent or online travel site ...

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

Escape by Discover® Card Earn up to $250 in travel rewards - 1,000 Bonus miles every month you make a purchase for the first 25 months Double Miles on every $1 you spend 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 6 months, then the variable APR of 10.99% - 16.99%* No restrictions on travel - fly on any airline, book any hotel or car, with no blackout dates Flexible redemption options like travel credits, merchandise, gift cards or cash Travel Insurance benefits, including primary car rental, lost or damaged luggage, travel delay, and trip cancellation when you book with your Escape by Discover card Discover is ranked #1 in customer loyalty--16 years in a row! (2012 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index report) *Click apply to view rates, fees, rewards, limitations and other important information Intro APR for Purchases Intro APR for Balance Transfer APR as low as Annual Fee 0% for 6 months 0% for 6 months 10.99% - 16.99% (Variable) $60

Blue Sky from American Express® 7,500 bonus points when you spend $1,000 within 3 months – redeemable for a $100 statement credit. No annual fee Travel rewards with no blackout dates or travel restrictions. Redeem with any airline, any car rental, any hotel - anytime Pay your bill all at once, or over time. It's up to you. Blue Savings Program®: big deals on big brands, all the time Get a decision in as little as 60 seconds Intro APR for Purchases Intro APR for Balance Transfer APR as low as Annual Fee 0% for 12 months - 17.24% - 22.24% (Variable) $0

Related: Airline Rewards Credit Cards