SPG Dropping Earning Rates for Uber Rides
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
One of the best promos out there for Starwood loyalists is with Uber. With the Uber-Starwood Preferred Guest partnership, SPG members can earn bonus Starpoints for every Uber ride. Unfortunately, as of February 1, the number of Starpoints you'll earn will change — you won't get as many points as with the previous earning structure.
As of the start of next month, here's how the Starpoint earning structure will work when you take an Uber ride:
| During SPG Stay | Every Day | |
|---|---|---|
| Preferred | 2 Starpoints per dollar | 1 Starpoint per $2 |
| Gold/Platinum | 2 Starpoints per dollar | 1 Starpoint per $2 |
| Platinum With 75 Nights | 2 Starpoints per dollar | 1 Starpoint per $2 |
For a point of comparison, here's how the earning structure currently looks, which will be ending on January 31:
| During SPG Stay | Every Day | |
|---|---|---|
| Preferred | 2 Starpoints per dollar | 1 Starpoint per dollar |
| Gold/Platinum | 3 Starpoints per dollar | 1 Starpoint per dollar |
| Platinum With 75 Nights | 4 Starpoints per dollar | 1 Starpoint per dollar |
As you can see, there are some changes on both the everyday and during-stay rates — while the rate will be dropping, if you take an Uber ride, you'll still earn Starpoints. The most significant drop is for Platinum 75+ members, who drop from earning 4 Starpoints per dollar during a stay to earning 2 Starpoints per dollar. In addition, Gold and Platinum members went from earning 3 Starpoints per dollar during a stay to 2 Starpoints per dollar.
Along with the reduced earning rates for Uber rides during a stay, SPG members will now earn fewer Starpoints on everyday rides. Previously, all members (regardless of status) earned 1 Starpoint per dollar, however as of February 1, all members will earn 1 Starpoint for every $2 spent with Uber.
Obviously, these aren't welcome changes for SPG members. That being said, there is still plenty of opportunity to earn valuable Starpoints. Take, for example, a $50 Uber ride (when you're not staying at an SPG property). In the past, you'd earn 50 Starpoints — worth $1.40 based on TPG's most recent valuations — but with the new earning structure, you'd earn 25 Starpoints — worth $0.68. While that isn't the greatest return, keep in mind that you'll still earn points for credit card spend, and Uber counts as travel with cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
Regardless, keep in mind that in order to take advantage, you must visit the SPG site and link your accounts. Once you've completed one qualifying SPG stay this calendar year, you can start earning Starpoints for each of your Uber rides. If you don't yet have an Uber account, you can sign up here to get your first ride for free (up to $20) from TPG.
