Quick overview of the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card
Travel to new heights with the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card. Right off the bat, it’s important to note that this is a travel rewards card. Cardholders earn Marriott Bonvoy® points, which can be redeemed for free stays with no blackout dates at over 7,000+ of the world’s most desired hotels. You can also transfer points to frequent flyer miles with a wide selection of airlines, including Aeroplan. The potential for those who travel frequently is obvious. Plus, with a reasonable $120 annual fee, the bar isn’t too high for applicants with a good credit score.
Who's it for?
This card is perfect for travelers who frequently book stays within the Marriott Bonvoy® brand family and seek additional travel perks such as complimentary hotel upgrades, comprehensive travel insurance and more.
Pros and cons
Pros
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Annual free night award — Receive an Annual Free Night Award for up to 35,000 points†
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Earn points with every eligible card purchase
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Complimentary upgrade to Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status
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Flexibility to transfer to other frequent flyer programs
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Includes travel accident insurance†
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Generous welcome bonus
Cons
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Annual fee—$120
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Travel medical insurance not included
Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card welcome offer
The Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card comes with a super generous Welcome Bonus or 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points after you charge $1,500 in purchases to your Card in your first three months of Cardmembership. Subject to change at any time
How to earn points with the Marriott Bonvoy® Amex Card
The biggest selling feature of this credit card is the potential to earn points that can be used towards free nights at over 7,000+ of the world’s most desired hotels. Here’s the earning structure:
Earn five points for every dollar in eligible card purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® and two points for every $1 in all other card purchases. When you charge purchases to this card, your points can add up quickly—and exponentially when you use the card to purchase at Marriott Bonvoy®* properties.
How to redeem Marriott Bonvoy® Points
Unlike some rewards programs, there isn’t a straightforward points-to-dollars equation to share. This is because, although there are no blackout dates, there are differently rated properties (hotels on a scale of 1 to 8 categories), and standard, peak, and off-peak seasons. In other words, your points are going to go further at certain times of the year and spent on certain things at certain properties. That said, it doesn’t take a calculus degree to see that Marriott Bonvoy® points have a fair value.
However, a points program is only as good as its redemption process. After all, who cares how many points you accumulate if you can’t redeem them easily? Because these points are Marriott Bonvoy® branded, redemption is a breeze. Simply go to Marriot.com and use your points when you reserve (and don’t forget to earn 5 points on the dollar by putting that reservation on your card!). You can also use points to buy travel experiences, merchandise, gift cards, tickets to events and more. Or instantly redeem points for dining out, spa experiences, drinks, and more. It’s an incredibly flexible program, allowing you to put points towards almost whatever you want.
It is worth noting that the points are also transferable to more than 40 different airline partners, so if you want to offset a flight cost, you can do that too. The transfer ratio is 3:1 for Aeroplan but it will depend on the airline. As an incentive, you’ll get an additional 15,000 points per 60,000 points transferred.
Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card insurance coverage
- Travel accident insurance: You get up to $500,000 in Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage when you fully charge your plane, train, ship or bus tickets to your card.
- Car rental theft and damage: You are covered for theft, loss and damage of your rental car with an MSRP of up to $85,000 for rentals of 48 days or less.
- Flight delay: If your experience a flight delay or are denied boarding for 4 hours or more, you are eligible for up to $500 in coverage (combined maximum with Baggage Delay Insurance) for essential and reasonable accommodations.
- Baggage delay: If your checked-in baggage on your outbound trip is delayed for six or more hours, you can receive up to $500 in coverage.
- Lost or stolen baggage: If your checked-in or carry-on baggage gets lost or stolen, you are eligible for coverage of up to $500 per trip.
- Hotel/motel burglary insurance: If your hotel room is burglarized, you can receive coverage of up to $500 for the loss of your personal items (excluding cash).
- Buyer's Assurance and Purchase Protection: American Express Buyer’s Assurance Protection Plan doubles the manufacturer’s warranty up to a year on many purchases, while the Purchase Protection Plan gives up to 90 days of protection from damage or theft on many retail items.†
Note that travel emergency medical insurance is not included, so that will be an extra expense.†
Other perks of the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card
The Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card also carries other perks of value to the frequent traveller. As a cardholder, you receive:
- An Annual Free Night Award for up to 35,000 points at eligible hotels and resorts worldwide every year after your first anniversary.
- Receive 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card. These can be used towards attaining the next level of Elite status in the Marriott Bonvoy program.
- Complimentary upgrade to Marriott Bonvoy® Silver Elite status membership, which offers big benefits to cardholders.
- Automatic upgrades: Enjoy an automatic upgrade to Marriott Bonvoy® Gold Elite status when you reach $30,000 in purchases on the Card each year or when you combine 10 qualifying paid nights within one calendar year with the 15 Elite Night Credits from your card.
- Exclusive entertainment access: American Express Invites and Front of the Line benefits give cardholders exclusive access to pre-sales and special events.†
Marriott Bonvoy® Points hotel redemption rates (subject to change)
How the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card compares
Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card vs Scotiabank Gold American Express
If you're an avid traveller, you can also consider the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card. With this card, you earn 6x points on every $1 you spend at participating grocery stores (Sobeys, Safeway, FreshCo and Foodland), 5x on dining or ordering in via the popular apps and SCENE movie tickets. You earn 3x the points for every $1 spent on public transit, gas and rideshares and taxis. The 3x earn rate also extends to eligible streaming services. The Scotiabank Gold Amex also comes with $1 million of travel emergency coverage, which the Marriott Bonvoy Amex card lacks. You also enjoy a no foreign transaction fee and access to hotel and flight deals through the Scene Travel portal.
Conditions Apply. Visit here for the Scotiabank Gold American Express to learn more. *See Card Provider's website and Card Application for complete card details, terms and current offers. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accuracy of information.
Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card vs Amex Cobalt Card
The American Express Cobalt card is great for people looking to quickly rack up rewards points, without forfeiting comprehensive insurance coverage. With one of the highest earning rates available, the Amex Cobalt offers 5x the points on food and groceries, 3x the points on streaming subscriptions, 2x on transit and gas, and 1x points on all other purchases. Its annual fee of $155.88 is divided into manageable monthly payments, rendering it highly affordable.
Best of all, the card allows for a 1:1 points transfer rate with select hotels, airlines, and frequent flyer programs, presenting exceptional value. Its travel insurance coverage surpasses that of the Marriott Bonvoy Amex card.
Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card vs TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card
Card | Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card | TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card |
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Annual fee | $120 | $139 |
Benefits | 5x points for eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy, 2x points for all other purchases | 1.5x points for every dollar spent on eligible gas, grocery and direct through Air Canada purchases and 1x on everything else |
Insurance coverage | Travel accident, Car rental theft/damage, Flight delay, Baggage delay, Lost/stolen baggage, Hotel burglary, Buyer's assurance and Purchase protection | Travel medical emergency, travel accident, Trip interruption, Trip cancellation, Car rental theft/damage, Flight/trip delay, Delayed/lost baggage, Hotel burglary, |
Read review | You are reading it! | TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card review |
Apply now | Apply Now | Apply Now |
If you tend to fly with Air Canada often, the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite card is a great option as it has a generous welcome bonus, which means you can get free flights with your extra points. Plus, the card comes with more travel insurance perks than the Marriott Bonvoy Amex card. You also enjoy the perk of having your first checked bag free for up to 8 other travelers on the same reservation when your flight originates on an Air Canada flight. Plus, get a NEXUS application fee rebate every 48 months.
Is it worth it?
Frequent travellers—particularly those who already purchase in the Marriott Bonvoy® brand family—need this card. The sign-up bonus and benefits are outstanding and easy to redeem, and it’s clear that the more you use it, the better your travel will be. The free annual night reward sweetens the pot even for those without a packed travel roster, so at the very least, The Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card should be on the shortlist as one of the cards in your wallet.
The Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card FAQs
American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information, click the Apply Now link. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, (I/we) may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment.
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Sandra MacGregor has been writing about finance and travel for nearly a decade. Her work has appeared in a variety of publications like the New York Times, the UK Telegraph, the Washington Post, Forbes.com and the Toronto Star.
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