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When the Marriott-Starwood merger was finalized last year, integration of the two loyalty programs commenced almost immediately. And with that, SPG and Marriott announced that members of both programs would be able to match their status with the opposite chain. In case you haven’t yet linked your Marriott Rewards and SPG accounts, consider doing it now — it’s easy and doesn’t take long.
- SPG Platinum = Marriott Platinum
- SPG Gold = Marriott Gold
- SPG Preferred Plus = Marriott Silver
- SPG Preferred = Marriott Member
To link your accounts, go to the Marriott members website. Log in to one of your accounts (SPG, Marriott or Ritz-Carlton) and select the “Link” option. You should receive a confirmation that you’ve successfully linked accounts and that your status has been changed with the other chain(s).
Keep in mind that achieving status with both of the chains is now easier than ever. For example, with The Platinum Card from American Express, you get automatic SPG Gold status in addition to Hilton Gold status. After activating your SPG Gold status via Amex, you can then connect your accounts and you’ll have Marriott Gold status as well — status with three hotel chains from one credit card!
You can learn more by reading TPG Editor-in-Chief Zach Honig’s post on how to link your accounts and transfer points.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Even after the introduction of the Chase Sapphire Reserve, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is still a fantastic choice if you want to avoid the Reserve’s $450 annual fee, earn 2x on all travel & dining and earn a 50,000 point sign up bonus.
More Things to Know
- Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $625 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- Named Best Credit Card for Flexible Travel Redemption – Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, July 2016
- 2X points on travel and dining at restaurants worldwide & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
- Earn 5,000 bonus points after you add the first authorized user and make a purchase in the first 3 months from account opening
- No foreign transaction fees
- 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards. For example, 50,000 points are worth $625 toward travel
- No blackout dates or travel restrictions – as long as there’s a seat on the flight, you can book it through Chase Ultimate Rewards
Intro APR
N/A
Regular APR
16.24%-23.24% Variable
Annual Fee
Introductory Annual Fee of $0 the first year, then $95
Balance Transfer
5.00%
Recommended Credit
Excellent Credit
Source: thepointsguy.com