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One SPG Member Earned 30M Starpoints, and More Stats from 2015

Dec. 23, 2015
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3 min read
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One SPG Member Earned 30M Starpoints, and More Stats from 2015
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It's no secret that Starwood Preferred Guest is TPG's favorite loyalty program, due in no small part to the incredible value you can get from Starpoints. Of course there's speculation that SPG will become less rewarding following the merger with Marriott, despite assurances from Marriott's CEO. For now, though, Starpoints remain the most valuable loyalty currency, with redemptions ranging from five-star resorts in Hawaii to luxury suite tickets to Knicks games in New York.

Each year, Starwood releases annual earning and redemption stats, sharing the year's record breakers with its members. Every time you complete a transaction on your SPG account, Starwood can track it in a database, giving the chain lots of very interesting stats when it comes to member habits. Partnerships, such as Delta Crossover Rewards and SPG's new pairing with Uber provide even more data, making 2015's year in review the most interesting yet.

So, let's dig into 2015's data (current as of early December):

Perhaps most interesting of all is the total number of Starpoints earned by a single member in 2015: 30,328,030. Yes, that's THIRTY MILLION Starpoints, which is a tremendous number. It's unclear how that breaks down, but I'm willing to bet many of those weren't earned from hotel stays. SPG also shared that a single member stayed in Starwood hotels in 24 countries, while another (or maybe the same?) visited 73 different properties in 2015.

As I mentioned, Starwood joined forces with Uber in 2015 — from when that program launched in February through early December, one SPG member rode in 1,127 Ubers. Assuming they had 10 months to do that, that's nearly four Uber rides per day! Starwood caps Uber earnings after the first $10,000 spent in a calendar year, so chances are that member didn't earn points for every ride.

Additionally, one member earned 247,560 by flying with Delta, while another redeemed a whopping 677,000 Starpoints for access to the Floyd Mayweather/Manny Pacquiao fight in Vegas back in May.

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And then on to the less exciting stats... In 2015, one member earned 835,136 Starpoints by booking meetings and events for their employer, which may seem like a high number until you realize that companies sometimes spend hundreds of thousands of dollars (or more) on a single hotel meeting or event.

Next up is SPG Keyless — in 2015, members opened 66,746 hotel rooms using their smartphones or watches. Finally, SPG revealed that more Starpoints were redeemed at The Westin in Maui, which isn't a tremendous surprise given how popular Hawaii is, and the fact that each night requires at least 12,000 Starpoints at that Category 5 hotel.

How many Starpoints did you earn in 2015?

[card card-name='Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express' card-id='22034416' type='javascript' bullet-id='1']

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  • Annual Fee is $325.
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Apply for American Express® Gold Card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
Best for dining at restaurants

American Express® Gold Card

TPG Editor‘s Rating
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Rewards Rate

4XEarn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
4XEarn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
3XEarn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
2XEarn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
1XEarn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.

  • Intro Offer

    As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

  • Annual Fee

    $325

  • Recommended Credit

    Excellent to Good

Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

Pros

  • 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.