Marriott Signs New Agreements With Chase and Amex; to Offer New Co-Branded Cards in 2018

Since the Starwood and Marriott merger was finalized, one of the ongoing questions has been how the co-branded credit cards for both Starwood Preferred Guest and Marriott Rewards would work out. Marriott has long had an established relationship with JPMorgan Chase, and SPG has long had a co-branding relationship with American Express. On Tuesday, Marriott announced that it has signed new co-branding agreements with both Chase and American Express.

Tuesday's announcement of new agreements with both Chase and Amex means that Marriott will offer co-branded cards with all loyalty programs: Marriott Rewards, Ritz-Carlton Rewards and SPG. This is good news for consumers, as there shouldn't be many changes to the current product offerings. Current SPG Amex cardholders will continue to be able to use their cards as usual.

As part of this announcement, Marriott said that it plans to introduce new co-brand products in 2018 with "enhanced member benefits." More specifically, Marriott will offer a super-premium consumer and small business products with Amex, as well as premium consumer co-branded products from Chase. At this point, those are the only details available. More specific details on each of the new card offerings will be available in 2018. In the interim, both companies will retain their existing portfolio of accounts and continue to offer their current products.

This is huge news for both SPG and Marriott Rewards members, as we can expect to see more options from both Chase and Amex going forward. Earlier on Tuesday, TPG just awarded the Starwood Preferred Guest program as the best hotel loyalty program. The new co-brand credit card agreement is a developing story. Stay tuned for more analysis.