Marriott Bonvoy is the new name for the combined Marriott Rewards/Starwood Preferred Guest loyalty program. In case you haven’t been following the news, Marriott merged the loyalty programs after they acquired Starwood Hotels and Resorts. This name change represents the final update to the united loyalty program so now members can enjoy everything Marriott Bonvoy has to offer.
For a business card, the Marriott Bonvoy™ Business American Express® Card offers incredible benefits since the points you earn can be used at 6,500+ properties in more than 120 countries. Marriott Bonvoy has no blackout dates which means you can really take advantage of your points when you’re not working.
Despite the fact that this card earns you points for hotel stays, you can actually use them for flights too. Marriott Bonvoy has more than 40 airline transfer partners. For most of these airlines, you can transfer 3 Marriott Bonvoy points for 1 airline mile. However, when you transfer 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points in a single transaction, you get a bonus of 5,000 airline miles and 15,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.
Right now, the Marriott Bonvoy™ Business American Express® Card offers has a huge sign up bonus of 50,000 points when you charge $1,500 to your card in the first three months of card membership. With those points you can claim 5 free nights during standard pricing at a category 2 hotel or a category 3 hotel during off-peak times. This is possible since Marriott gives you the 5th night free when you book 4 nights on points.
The earnings rate is incredible since you’ll earn 5 points for every $1 in card purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy™ properties. Eligible gas, dining and travel purchases earn you 3 points for every $1 spent while all other purchases get you 2 points for every dollar you spend.
Since this card is aimed at people who are loyal to Marriott, you get additional benefits which are meant to help enhance your experience when staying at Marriott properties. You’ll get instant Silver Elite status which gives you 10% more points on stays as well as priority late checkout. Gold status is awarded if you spend $30,000 to your card in a calendar year and you also get 15 Elite Night credits every year to help you earn higher status quicker. Cardholders also get in-room internet at no extra charge.
The travel insurance package is good, but it lacks travel medical insurance which is important to many people. What you do get is travel accident, car rental theft and damage, flight delay, baggage delay, lost or stolen baggage, and hotel/motel burglary insurance.
Since this is a business card, you also get access to business features such as expense management tools and resources, a disability plan, and employee card misuse protection.
Other benefits include buyer’s assurance, purchase protection, and access to American Express invites.
As you can see, this card comes packed with benefits and the annual fee is just $150. Some people don’t like paying a yearly fee for their credit cards, but the Marriott Bonvoy™ Business American Express® Card gives you a free annual night award which can be redeemed for a room with a value up to 35,000 points. This free night could be worth more than the $150 fee you’re paying so there’s a lot of value here.
If you enjoy staying at Marriott properties or you’re looking for a way to earn hotel points, then this card is a winner. The earn rate is incredible for hotel stays and pretty good for your day-to-day spending. Sign up for the card and you’ll be living in luxury soon enough.
Earning Potential: 170,455 Marriott Bonvoy™ Points
So, how does this card stack up to other rewards options? We crunched the numbers using our Best of Finance methodology to see how much you could earn over a 24-month period.
Assuming $1,600 is spent on the card monthly, at eligible retailers in the following categories*:
| Pharmacy | Food | Gas |
|---|---|---|
| $55.33 | $ 710.58 | $134.31** |
| Travel | Other | Monthly Total |
| $151.21 | $548.57 | $1,600 |
Rewards earned over a 24-month period: 170,455 Marriott Bonvoy™ Points
Monetary worth of points: $1,534.10
Total value of points (subtracting annual fee): $1,234.10
*Source: Statistics Canada – amount spent by average Canadian each month
**Based on $1.00/litre gas prices
*** Includes 50,000 bonus points
With so many different multipliers for different categories, figuring out your earning potential over a 24-month period can be a bit tricky. The 3 points per dollar spent on dining only applies to restaurants so grocery stores don’t count. We assumed that 25% of your food budget is for restaurants so we calculated your earning potential accordingly. We also had to assume that 50% of your other spend would be at Marriott properties where you would get the higher earn rate.
Pros
- Get 50,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points as a welcome bonus when you spend $1,500 in the first three months of card membership
- Earn five points for every $1 you spend at participating Marriott properties
- Earn three points for every $1 you spend on eligible gas, dining and travel purchases
- Earn 2 points for every $1 in purchases charged to the card everywhere else
- No fee for supplementary cards
- Get an annual night with a maximum redemption value of 35,000 points
- Your points can be earned and used at more than 6,500 participating properties in 120+ countries.
- Claim a free night for as low as 5,000 points
- Use your points for Marriott Moments
- Silver Elite status given immediately for cardholders
- Gold Elite status is earned when you charge $30,000 to your card each year
- 15 Elite Night credits given every year which will help you earn higher status
- 40+ airline loyalty program transfer partners
- Some travel insurance included
Cons
- Peak pricing to be introduced in 2019 which will require more points for free nights
- Travel insurance does not include travel medical
- Can’t use your points to book flights directly
- Poor redemption value when using your points for anything besides hotel stays
- Your points will expire after two years of inactivity
