MBNA Starwood Preferred Guest MasterCard

This credit card is part of our Canadian credit card Hall Of Fame. This page contains historical information as it was when the credit card was either still available or when it was at its peak and is for reference purposes only. Please refer to The Best Credit Cards In Canada page for currently available Canadian credit cards.

The MBNA Starwood Preferred Guest MasterCard was the best travel rewards credit card in Canada for a very long time because it had no annual fee, offered conversions to airline miles in almost any airline rewards program, and had significant earning and transfer bonuses that made it even better than expensive annual fee cards like the CIBC Aerogold Infinite Visa. It was actually the card I personally recommended to friends and family until it was discontinued in 2009 and replaced by the Starwood Preferred Guest Amex.

There were also some drawbacks that came with the added flexibility that the card was known for. It could be quite difficult to figure out the bonuses, redemption options, and how to get the best value for your starpoints overall. Many people found the myriad of options quite confusing and avoided the card for that very reason, but even more people had it down to a science and would swear by this card over any other.I was one of those people and still wish I had it in my wallet because I would still be using it as my primary credit card today! That said, the Starwood Preferred Guest program is still an amazing hotel rewards program because of its flexibility and overall value. If you are interested in this card, then you should definitely consider applying for the Starwood Preferred Guest Amex, if for nothing else than to get the 10,000 starpoint sign up bonus with the annual fee waived for the first year!

Positives:

• 5,000 bonus starpoints on your first purchase.
• 5,000 bonus starpoints upon your first stay at a Starwood hotel, within the first year.
• Can earn a free flight anywhere in North America on almost any airline with only $20,000 in spending.
• For every $10,000 spent annually you receive 5,000 bonus starpoints, maximum 3 of these bonuses per year.
• Option to convert starpoints to almost any major airline reward miles program 1:1.
  • Receive an additional 5000 bonus miles when transferring 20,000 starpoints to airline miles all at once.
  • Effective transfer rate of 1.25 miles per starpoint when factoring in the bonus, which is equivalent to 1.25 miles per dollar spent.
• Redeeming for free nights at Starwood hotels or resorts can yield returns as high as 6%.
• Yearly transfer promotion with British Airlines Executive Club that gives a 30% bonus when converting Starpoints to Executive Club miles.
  • This is in addition to the standard 5,000 bonus miles mentioned above.
  • Both bonuses combined yield an effective earning rate of 1.625 miles per dollar spent.
• Incredible insurance package for a no annual fee card.
• Free supplementary cards.

Negatives:

• Complicated system for awarding points, converting points, and spending points.
• The annual 3 bonus maximum makes spending more than $30,000 annually on this card much less desirable.
• Keeping track of spending to make sure you maximize bonuses by spending in $10,000 increments.

Insurance Package:

• Extended Warranty - up to 1 year.
• Purchase Protection – 90 days.
• Travel Accident - $1,000,000.
• Trip Interruption - $2,000.
• Car Rental Theft & Damage (CDW & LDW).
• Car Rental Accident - $200,000.
• Car Rental Personal Effects - $1,000.

Minor Perks:

• Call centre assistance for almost any unexpected problem while traveling:
  • Emergency cash (costs paid by you, not them).
  • Lost document and ticket replacement (costs paid by you).
  • Lost baggage assistance (costs paid by you).
  • Pre-trip planning information (entry requirements, vaccinations, etc).
  • Find legal advisor or post bail (costs paid by you).

Apply For SPG Amex Instead