American Express Bank Among Defendants in Class Action Over ‘Starpoints’

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A proposed class action filed against American Express Bank, FSB, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, LLC and Preferred Guest, Inc. alleges the companies violated their contracts with proposed class members by failing to honor the promise of granting 35,000 hotel loyalty points—“SPG Starpoints”—in exchange for $5,000 in qualifying purchases spent on Starwood-branded AmEx cards within the first six months of issuance.

The case explains that Starwood Preferred Guest is the company’s incentive program through which members can earn points based on how much money they spend at Starwood-owned hotels and through participating in affiliated partners’ programs, such as the co-branded credit card offered by American Express. The suit explains that in 2016, American Express and Starwood began offering credit card applicants 25,000 SPG Starpoints if they made the required $3,000 in purchases within the first three months of being approved for the card. Participants could then get an additional 10,000 SPG Starpoints if they spent another $2,000 within the first six months, the case mentions, for a potential grand total of 35,000 Starpoints.

The plaintiff claims he met all the qualifying purchase criteria laid out by the defendants within the first month of being issued his SPG-branded American Express card, and still, more than five months later, has not been credited with the promised 35,000 Starpoints.