A few months ago I wrote about a few tricks to earn extra Marriott points and I wanted to do the same for SPG Starpoints while the program still exists. Several months ago, Marriott announced it would be acquiring Starwood Hotels, with the acquisition, most likely the two programs will merge and SPG Starpoints will most likely transfer to Marriott points at some time in the future. Until then, I will continue to earn as many Starpoints as possible. Besides earning points by staying at an SPG property, there are several ways to earn Starpoints through everyday spending.
- SPG American Express Credit Card: If you have not already earned the SPG Credit Card sign-up bonus it is worth looking into opening this credit card. The card is currently offering 25,000 Starpoints for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months after approval. A few months ago the sign up bonus was 30,000 points, but 25,000 is still a great offer. Most likely the card will not be along after the Marriott acquisition, so now is a great time to earn the sign-up bonus if you have not already earned the bonus in the past. You can also earn 1 Starpoint for each dollar spent on the card.
- Earn Starpoints with Uber: I wrote a post about earning Starpoints with Uber a few months ago, but it has proved to be an excellent way to earn extra Starpoints. It is also very easy to setup. Just the sign up and link accounts page to link your Uber and SPG accounts. After linking the accounts, you must complete one SPG stay in order to activate the promotion, but then each dollar you spend with Uber will gain you 1 Starpoint. Also, if you are the primary user who initiates a split with friends, you will earn the full amount of the ride, not just the split that you paid for. This is why I always insist on requesting the Uber when riding with friends. Also, if you use your SPG credit card to pay for the ride, you will end up earning 2x Starpoints per dollar spent with Uber!
- Earn Starpoints with Delta: I recently started flying with Delta Airlines and learned when you link your Delta and SPG accounts, you will earn 1 Starpoint for dollar spent on Delta Airlines Airfare. To signup, visit the Delta Crossover Rewards Page to link your accounts and begin earning Starpoints when flying with Delta. Starpoints are earned upon completion of your flight rather than at time of booking. Much like earning Starpoints with Uber, this is a great way to earn extra Starpoints for flights you were already going to take. Also, if you use your SPG credit card to pay for your flight, you will again earn 2x Starpoints when flying Delta Airlines.
- Make A Green Choice (MAGC): Many SPG properties offer a program called “Make A Green Choice.” It is very simple, hang the MAGC card on your door and the room will not be serviced the following day. By not accepting room service, SPG will give you 500 Starpoints per night, excluding the check-out date.
- SPG Seasonal Promotion: At various times throughout the year, SPG has bonus promotions that you must register for in order to earn the bonus Starpoints. The most recent promotion was the SPG Triple Up. SPG members who registered would earn 3x Starpoints at Sheraton Properties and 2x Starpoints at all other SPG properties, plus you could earn 1,000 bonus Starpoints for staying at an SPG property over a weekend stay. The Triple Up promotion just came to an end, but there should be another SPG promotion soon. It is important to accept promotional email from SPG or other loyalty programs so you do not miss out on these seasonal promotions.
- SPG Status: Each time I stay at an SPG property I earn a Gold Gift and a Gold Bonus for being an SPG Gold Member. I rarely stay at SPG properties, but earned Gold Status through my American Express Platinum Credit Card. If you have an American Express Platinum Card and have not called to apply for SPG Gold Status, make sure you do so before the benefit ends when Marriott acquires Starwood Hotels.
Of course there are many other ways to earn Starpoints, but these are the methods that I frequently use to earn Starpoints. I love when you are able to “double dip” loyalty programs and the Crossover Rewards with Delta and the program linking with Uber offer great ways of doing so. Personally, I pay for my Uber rides with my American Express Platinum Card which earns 2x Membership Rewards points per dollar spend with uber. I hope to earn as many Starpoints as possible until we know more about the upcoming Marriott acquisition with hopes to transfer Starpoints to one of SPGs amazing transfer partners.
