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Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card — Full Review [2022]

Name: Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card — Full Review [2022]
Item: Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card
Rating: 4.25
Author: Jarrod West

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"Great choice for Marriott Bonvoy loyalists!"

A great option for business owners who stay in Marriott hotels and want automatic elite status.

Learn More (at Amex's secure site)

Jarrod West

- UPDATED: June 19, 2022 |

Business travelers who opt for Marriott as their hotel chain of choice will definitely want to consider the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card. The card offers great benefits to cardholders like a complimentary hotel night once a year, automatic Silver Elite status (with a fast-track to Gold Elite status), and multiple point redemption options.

Pros

6x points per $1 spent at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program
4x points per $1 at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers, and on U.S. purchases for shipping
2x points per $1 on all other purchases
15 Elite Night Credits
1 Free Night Award each cardmember anniversary (up to 35,000 points)
Silver Elite status (Gold Elite status when you spend $35,000 on purchases each account year)
No foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees)

Cons

Moderate annual fee of $125 (see rates and fees)
No premium perks like airport lounge access
Marriott Silver Elite is the lowest status tier

Marriott Bonvoy Business Card — Snapshot

Welcome Bonus & Info (Partner Content)
- Welcome Offer: Earn 75,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points after you use your new Card to make $3,000 in eligible purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
- 6x points at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program.
- 4x points at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping. 2x points on all other eligible purchases.
- Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Plus, earn an additional Free Night Award after you spend $60K in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Awards can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at a participating hotel. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Enjoy complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status with your Card. Plus, earn Gold Elite status after making $35,000 in eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
- Terms apply.
Card Categories:
Rewards Center
Marriott Bonvoy
Customer Service Number
800-627-7468
Login Link
https://www.americanexpress.com
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Great Card If

You’re a business owner and Marriott loyalist
You want a fast track to Marriott elite status
You see value in the annual complimentary night certificate

Don't Get If

You’re not a business owner
You’re not a fan of Marriott-branded hotels, or don’t travel much
You prefer a card with more elite benefits like airport lounge access
You want a card with no annual fee

Marriott Bonvoy Business Card — Fees

Annual Fee
- $125
Foreign Transaction Fees
None
Interest Rates
- 17.24% - 26.24% Variable
Late fees
- Up to $39
- Penalty APR: 29.99% Variable
Cash Advance APR
- 26.74% Variable
- Fee: Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater.
Additional Info
Rates & Fees

Marriott Bonvoy Business Card - Is It Worth It?

Business Man Walking with Suitcase — When you’re always on the go, you need a card that helps you travel in style. Image Credit: Jacob Lund via Shutterstock

Business travelers are likely to be on the go quite often, and probably spend a lot of nights in hotels throughout the year.

If you find yourself staying at Marriott hotels the most often, then the Marriott Bonvoy Business card might be a must-have for you.

Not only will the card help you earn more points while staying at Marriott hotels, but its other bonus categories will help you keep earning points while you’re home as well.

Beyond that, with benefits like an annual free night certificate, automatic Silver status, and a headstart towards higher levels of elite status with 15 Elite Night Credits each year, the card will easily pay for itself for those who frequent Marriott hotels.

Marriott Bonvoy Business Card - Top Benefits

Anniversary Complimentary Night Certificate

The complimentary night certificate, given each year at your card renewal, is perhaps one of the best benefits this card has to offer and helps to make up for the card’s annual fee. This free night award is good for any Marriott hotel costing up to 35,000 points per night, meaning you could get a free night in a Category 5 property, assuming that it is not a peak night.

Category 5 Marriott properties can often be priced anywhere from $200 to $300 a night, so the annual fee in exchange for a free night in one of these hotels can make a lot of sense if you know you’ll be frequenting Marriott hotels anyway.

With Marriott Bonvoy’s move to dynamic award pricing in March 2022, you will also be able to add up to 15,000 Marriott Bonvoy points to top off the value of your certificate in order to redeem it at a more expensive property.

The free night certificate expires 12 months after it was issued, giving you plenty of time to find a good use for it.

Silver Elite Status

The card also grants you Silver Elite status in the Marriott Bonvoy program, and while this is the lowest status level in the Marriott Bonvoy program, it can still be valuable to those frequenting Marriott hotels that didn’t have status with the chain otherwise.

Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status offers:

Priority late checkout, based on availability
10% bonus on Marriott Bonvoy points
Access to exclusive phone lines for booking reservations
Compensation if Marriott Bonvoy can’t honor your reservation

The primary benefit is that you will earn an extra 10% point bonus on your Marriott stays, and it’s worth mentioning that this applies to points earned through the hotel, not through the credit card.

This bonus amounts to a total of 11 Marriott Bonvoy points per $1 on your Marriott stays, up 1 point from the base membership level.

If your business has a decent level of expenses each year then you’re in luck, as the Marriott Bonvoy Business card also offers a fast track to Gold Elite status after spending $35,000 or more on the card each calendar year. Marriott Gold Elite status offers increased perks like a 25% point bonus, 2 p.m. late checkout (based on availability), and enhanced room upgrades.

15 Elite Night Credits

In terms of working your way to the upper levels of Marriott Bonvoy elite status, the Marriott Bonvoy Business card gives cardholders a boost towards status with 15 nights of Elite Night Credits each year. Don’t confuse these with free night certificates, though, as you cannot redeem these credits for award nights — they only count towards your elite status requirements.

For example, Gold Elite status and Platinum Elite status require 25 nights and 50 nights a year, respectively. That means, with your automatic 15 Elite Night Credits, you will only actually need to stay 10 nights each year to earn Gold Elite status, and 35 nights each year to earn Platinum Elite status.

How To Earn and Redeem Marriott Bonvoy Points

Business Owner Thinking — Image Credit: Dragon Images via Shutterstock

Besides staying at a Marriott hotel and putting your purchases on your credit card, what other ways can you utilize to earn Marriott Bonvoy points? Fortunately, for points travelers, there are many great ways to rack up Marriott Bonvoy points.

Then comes the fun part — redeeming your points! Naturally, the most straightforward way to redeem your Marriott Bonvoy points is for Marriott hotel award stays, and you can get exceptional value this way.

However, it’s not your only option, as Marriott Bonvoy also offers over 40 airline transfer partners that allow you to redeem your points to get top-notch value on your flights — especially when redeeming for first or business class tickets!

Alternatives to the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card

The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

Rather have Hilton as your hotel chain of choice? The Hilton Business Amex card is a great option. With an annual fee of just $95 it offers 12x points per $1 on Hilton stays, 6x points per $1 with U.S. gas stations, wireless telephone services, U.S. purchases for shipping, U.S. restaurants, flights booked directly with airlines, and car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies, plus 3x points per $1 on everything else.

The card also offers Hilton Honors Gold status, a Weekend Night Reward when you spend $15,000 on your card in a calendar year, and 10 free Priority Pass visits.

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Not loyal to a specific hotel group or prefer a more well-rounded option? The Ink Business Preferred card could be a good fit.

While it doesn’t feature any of the luxury perks or elite status, it has a fantastic earning rate of 3x points per $1 on up to $150,000 in combined purchases on travel, shipping, ad purchases made with social media sites or search engines, internet, cable, and phones services.

Given the annual fee is just $95, it makes for a compelling option for those who just want a strong point-earning card without any extras.

For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card, click here.
For rates and fees of The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, click here.

Featured Image Credit: American Express

Frequently asked questions

Is the Marriott Bonvoy Business card worth it?

If you’re a business owner who frequents Marriott hotels enough to get value out of the elite status and annual free night, then the Marriott Bonvoy Business card might be a great option.

Which Marriott Bonvoy card is best?

Which card is best depends on which is the best fit for you and your needs. Be sure to compare and contrast the benefits of each card to determine which will be the most useful to you.

Can you transfer Marriott Bonvoy points?

Yes, Marriott Bonvoy has a variety of airline transfer partners that you can transfer your points to.

Am I eligible for a business credit card?

If you’re a business owner, even just as a sole-proprietor or freelancer, you’re eligible to apply for a business card. Whether or not you will be approved depends on your creditworthiness, which is determined by your credit score as well as other factors like your income.

Does the Marriott Bonvoy Business card charge foreign transaction fees?

The Marriott Bonvoy Business card does not charge foreign transaction fees.

Are employee cards free with the Marriott Bonvoy Business card?

Yes, adding employee credit cards are no cost for Marriott Bonvoy Business cardholders (see rates and fees).

Do Marriott Bonvoy points expire?

Your Marriott Bonvoy points will expire after 24 months of no account activity. To keep them alive, you just need to a qualifying activity, like earning or redeeming points.

About Jarrod West

Jarrod has been writing about credit cards and loyalty programs, along with various travel and finance topics, for over 5 years. As an expert in the field, he is regularly called upon to comment on the latest news in the space, and has been featured in publications like the New York Times, Matador Network, and Yahoo Finance. With a B.S. in Economics earned from Northern Kentucky University, Jarrod uses his experience to analyze the best credit cards and rewards programs for readers. He also regularly attends conferences to learn and share ideas with fellow travelers. So, if you see him at conferences like TravelCon, CardCon, or Frequent Traveler University, be sure to stop and say hello!

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2 comments

Chris October 10, 2021
I believe that I received an additional two award certificates upon renewal of the Bonvoy Business Amex this cycle. In total, three 35K certs showed up in my account over the course of a week. While I’m not complaining I would like to know if there’s official wording about renewals getting extra certs. Makes sense as a customer retention tool since new apps for the card get two certs (at a higher point value, no less) after minimum spend.
Any thoughts?
- Christine Krzyszton October 10, 2021
  Hi Chris. Not aware of any additional free night certs being offered to members as a renewal gesture. However, business cardholders who spend $60,000 in a year or personal cardholders who spend $25,000 in a year, each receive an extra certificate. The value of these certs is 35K and 20K respectively. I know when the expiration dates of existing certificates were extended, I thought I had received an extra cert too but in the end, I determined I did not. Hope you get to enjoy yours and thanks for sharing. Perhaps other readers experienced the same.

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