Link: Apply now for the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card
While Marriott has an extensive co-brand credit card portfolio, the $125 annual fee (Rates & Fees) Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card (review) is the only small business card in the collection.
There’s huge value to having this card, especially if you’re going for elite status with Marriott Bonvoy. In this post I wanted to share seven reasons to consider picking up Marriott’s business credit card. In no particular order…
In this post:
Up to 125,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points
For applications through November 1, 2023, the Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex has a welcome offer of 125,000 Bonvoy points after spending $8,000 within the first six months. I value Marriott Bonvoy points at ~0.7 cents each, so to me that welcome bonus is worth $875, which is great.
Standard Amex application restrictions apply. On top of that, there are additional Marriott card eligibility requirements to be aware of.
Marriott Bonvoy anniversary free night award
The Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex offers a free night award every year on your account anniversary. This is valid for a one night stay at a property costing up to 35,000 points. You can even top off this award with up to 15,000 additional points, to be able to redeem at a more expensive property (so you could use it at a property costing up to 50,000 points).
If you ask me, this free night award in and of itself justifies the card’s annual fee, as I’ve consistently been able to use this at hotels costing $250+ per night. Hotel free night awards is one of the primary reasons that I find many hotel credit cards to be worth holding onto.
Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status
Another popular reason to have hotel credit cards is because they can help you earn elite status. Just for having the Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex, you receive Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status for as long as you have the card.
This isn’t the most useful elite tier in the world, but offers some potentially useful perks, like 25% bonus points, 2PM late check-out (subject to availability), enhanced Wi-Fi, a room upgrade subject to availability (to non-suites), and more.
15 Marriott Bonvoy elite nights toward status
The real value with Marriott Bonvoy elite status comes when you achieve Platinum Elite, Titanium Elite, or Ambassador Elite. Platinum Elite can be earned with 50 elite nights in a calendar year, and if you use credit cards strategically, that’s quite easy to achieve.
Just for having the Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex, you receive 15 elite nights toward status annually. You can earn elite nights from at most one personal card and one business card, so you could stack the 15 elite nights offered by this card with the 15-25 elite nights offered by another card. For example, if you have this card in conjunction with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (review), you’d get 40 elite nights annually.
Now, the Bonvoy Brilliant Card actually outright offers Platinum Elite for as long as you have the card, but that doesn’t get you any Choice Benefits, which you do get when passing 50 elite nights, even if they’re earned through credit cards.
6x Bonvoy points on Marriott spending
If you stay at Marriott properties with any frequency, the Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex offers 6x Bonvoy points per eligible dollar spent with Marriott. Your points can rack up quickly this way, and that makes this one of the best cards for Marriott spending.
As far as the card’s rewards structure otherwise goes, the card offers 4x points for purchases at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, with wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers, and on U.S. purchases for shipping. The card then offers 2x points on all other purchases.
Access to the Amex Offers program
One of the reasons to hold onto Amex cards long term is because of the amazing value of Amex Offers. With this program, you can receive statement credits or earn bonus points with all kinds of retailers.
The more Amex cards you have, the more offers you’ll potentially be eligible for. In many cases, Amex Offers alone more than justifies the annual fees on some of my cards. That’s another reason to consider picking up the Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex.
Anecdotally easy approval
Many people are understandably worried if they’ll get approved for a new card when they apply. For those with excellent credit, I find that Amex cards (including business cards) are among the easiest to be approved for, much more so than with Chase and Citi. Just keep in mind the card’s eligibility requirements.
Bottom line
The Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex is Marriott’s only business credit card in the United States. If you stay at Marriott properties with any frequency, then this card should be a no-brainer. The card has a generous welcome offer, and the annual fee is easy to justify based on the anniversary free night award plus the elite nights toward status.
If you don’t yet have the Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex and are eligible, I’d highly recommend applying.
The following links will direct you to the rates and fees for mentioned American Express Cards. These include: Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees).
anytime I have tried booking Marriott rooms with points, it seems cheaper to book with cash and then use rebate it with credit card at 1 cent a mile… is that just me or earning Marriott points with spend is not really economical?
That’s a good strategy at those
Marriott properties that are a poor points value.