Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card Review

The Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card allows you to earn big rewards with Bonvoy points. These points can be spent on top redemption categories that cater to frequent travellers – especially those who like to stay at participating Marriott hotels.

To help you decide whether this card should be at the top of your list, we put together this helpful review.

How You Earn Rewards with the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card

Let’s start with the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card’s rewards program, which naturally allows cardholders to collect Bonvoy points.

Here are the point rates you can expect:

• 5 points per $1 spent on eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels
• 2 points per $1 spent on all other purchases (like dining, groceries, online shopping, etc.)

Clearly, those who insert, swipe, or tap their cards at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels take home the most points, creating a very competitive yet exclusive rewards program. 

Nevertheless, the base rate on all other purchases is above average, and helpful when applied to expensive categories like dining, or popular everyday expenses like groceries.

Redeeming your Rewards with the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card

Now that you’ve got a better idea of how you can accumulate points, here’s how you can redeem those points towards specific categories. 

Below, you'll find a list of all the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card’s redemption options, ranked from most valuable to least valuable:

• Transfers to Hotel Partners: unsurprisingly, you’ll get the most value out of redeeming your points toward partnered hotel bookings, specifically those under the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program.
• Transfers to Airline Partners: next up, you can transfer your points to partnered airlines to buy plane tickets.
• Gift Cards: not travel-oriented but still beneficial, use your points to purchase eligible gift cards.
• Merchandise: for when you use your points to buy eligible everyday items.

While it’s nice to have some basic redemption options through gift cards and merchandise, the best way for cardholders to spend their Bonvoy points is through travel, particularly when transferring to hotel and airline partners.

4 Benefits of the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card

To show you how this card might be worthwhile, we put together this list of notable benefits:

The Generous Welcome Bonus

If the leading Marriott Bonvoy hotels earn category wasn’t enough, this credit card also comes with a fantastic welcome bonus. This intro offer contributes to a very nice first year value.

A Competitive Points Program

As mentioned, the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card’s reward program is one of its best features, offering substantial points per dollar spent at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels. The competitive 2 points per dollar spent on all other purchases is also a plus, especially if you’re planning to take advantage of the top earning category for the most annual value overall.

The Status Lifts

As a cardmember, you’ll automatically receive Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite Status, which can be upgraded to Gold Elite status when you combine 10 qualifying paid nights within one calendar year with the 15 Elite Night Credits from your Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card.

The Silver Elite status includes extra points on eligible hotel purchases (such as overall room rates and service charges to the room), priority late checkout, and free Wi-Fi.

The Gold Elite status gives you even more points on eligible hotel purchases, checkouts as late as 2 p.m. (when available), and enhanced room upgrades upon arrival (subject to availability).

The Free Extra Nights at Hotels

After your card anniversary each year, you can also expect an annual Free Night Award, plus 15 Elite Night Credits every calendar year, applicable towards upgrading to the next level of Elite status (Silver to Gold, as mentioned above). Just make sure your card account is in good standing when the 15 Elite Night Credit deposit comes around, and that you have an active Marriott Bonvoy program account in your name that’s also linked to your card.

3 Downsides of the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card

There are also a few drawbacks to the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card that you may want to consider in order to make an educated decision on whether or not you should apply for this card.

Amex Acceptance

While the American Express network creates some great cards with tons of travel benefits, there are still some places where the card isn’t widely accepted, particularly in Europe. 

Limited Insurance

The Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card features some decent insurance coverage, especially in the travel accident category. However, while the categories may be comprehensive, the coverage list isn’t as extensive as competing premium credit cards.

Exclusive Points Program

If you’re someone who’s constantly booking a room at Marriott Bonvoy hotels, then the points program is top-tier. But, if you don’t expect to stay at one of these participating hotels every time you travel, then the points program won’t really be beneficial. Ultimately, you need to be loyal to one hotel loyalty program to optimize your points.

Comparison to Other Hotel-Friendly Points Credit Cards

It’s no secret that the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card is an extremely hotel-oriented credit card. That’s why we’re going to compare it to other premium credit cards that are travel compatible and hotel-friendly.

Take a look at this comparison table to see how the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card stacks up against its competitors:

American Express Cobalt Card

While it’s not necessarily considered a travel card, the American Express Cobalt Card still comes with some helpful travel perks, and it’s often referred to as the best credit cards in Canada. 

Both transfers to airline partners and transfers to hotel partners are in its top redemption categories – similar to the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card. However, transfers to airline partners are more valuable with the Cobalt card, and transfers to hotel partners are more valuable with the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card.

You earn points with the Cobalt Card primarily by purchasing eligible food and drinks in Canada, including groceries and food delivery. Other specialized earn categories include eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada, and eligible gas, transit, and ride share purchases in Canada. A full calculation of the Cobalt's value, based on your unique spending habits, can be made here.

The Cobalt Card Membership Reward points you earn can also be transferred to Marriott Bonvoy. This means that you can technically collect Marriott Bonvoy points on day-to-day purchases (not just hotel purchases) with your Cobalt Card, then transfer them to Marriott Bonvoy.

The Cobalt Card will also give you more flexibility when it comes to redemption options, which includes but is not limited to Marriott hotel transfers.

The coverage on the Cobalt Card surpasses that of the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card, it also adds mobile device insurance and emergency out of province medical coverage. Although, the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card has a higher value for travel accident insurance.

The Cobalt card only lists a travel credit as an extra benefit on top of the standard Amex Experiences, but the credit is earned by booking two or more consecutive nights at a participating property of The Hotel Collection.

Overall, the Cobalt Card costs more annually than the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card, but it offers more annual value.

So, if you plan on spending more money on food and streaming rather than only stays at Marriott Bonvoy hotels, plus you want additional coverage, higher redemption rates on airline partner transfers, and better yearly value, then the Cobalt Card could be a more balanced credit card for you, one that still gives you some hotel benefits (both with Marriott and elsewhere). Otherwise, you might be happy sticking with the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card.

Scotiabank Gold American Express Card

Also known as the best overall travel credit card in Canada, the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card offers comprehensive coverage on all travel insurance categories, and a rare no foreign transaction fees benefit.

To apply, you'll need to meet a minimum annual income (unlike the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card), but these requirements are minimal. It also has the same annual fee as the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card, but the charge is complete waived in the first year.

For rewards, you'll have more earning categories with the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card, including the highest points rate on every dollar spent at partnered grocers, followed by points per dollar spent on eligible dining, other grocery stores, and entertainment purchases. The remaining two categories give you points on transportation and eligible streaming services. So, if you want to earn more on your everyday purchases instead of hotel stays, you might opt for the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card over the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card.

You'll want to keep in mind, however, that the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card awards users Scene+ points instead of Marriott Bonvoy Reward points , and Scene+ points are slightly lower in value across most redemption options, but this still might be worth it if you redeeming points in redemption categories the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card doesn't support (like entertainment, groceries, and restaurants).

While the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card doesn't explicitly state a redemption category for hotels, it does have a travel redemption option, which can include hotel bookings.

The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card's insurance coverage is more extensive than the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card, with the addition of mobile device insurance, emergency medical over 65 insurance, emergency out of province medical, plus trip interruption and trip cancellation insurance.

While it has less benefits compared to the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card, as we mentioned, it's benefits list includes no foreign transaction fees, which is incredibly rare and valuable for international expenses.

Truthfully, you'll probably want the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card over the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card if you want the chance to earn more points on specialized everyday purchases, if you want more insurance, and if no foreign transaction fees sounds like a necessary perk. Otherwise, if you still want to optimize points specifically for Marriott Bonvoy stays, and want more hotel-oriented benefits, then you'll still want to hang onto the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card.

American Express Platinum Card 

If you can finance the annual fee, you can swap the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card for the American Express Platinum Card. You'll just want to make sure you make use of all the Platinum Card's perks to offset the yearly cost, and this card is known to have more perks than any other credit card in Canada, so there are a lot to optimize.

As it should be considering the fee, the Platinum Card's insurance coverage is more valuable and more extensive than the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card. It includes extra categories like emergency out of province medical, and trip interruption and trip cancellation insurance.

As noted, beyond Amex Experiences, the Platinum Card has more travel benefits for cardholders. Everything from a travel credit (which can be used toward hotel stays, car rentals, and flights) to American Express Global Lounge unlimited access, and complimentary hotel benefits. As for hotel upgrades, with the Platinum Card, you'll automatically be upgraded to Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status, which is a step up from the automatic Silver Elite status lift from the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card.

The Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card does offer better points on eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, only because the Platinum Card doesn't explicitly specialize in this category. However, the Platinum Card offers points per dollar spent on eligible travel purchases (including hotels), and specified points per dollar spent on eligible dining and food delivery services, but these rates are no more valuable than the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card's base rate on all other purchases. The Platinum Card's base rate is also ultimately less substantial.

Like with the Cobalt Card, it's important to note that the Platinum Card also allows you to transfer American Express Membership Reward points to Marriott Bonvoy. This way, you can send the points you've collected on travel, dining, and food deliveries through your Platinum Card to Marriott Bonvoy if you so choose, giving you more ways to earn with Marriott Bonvoy beyond hotel stays.

Similar to the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card, the Platinum Card's top redemption categories include transfers to airline partners and hotel partners, although these transfers are more valuable with the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card.

So, if your top card concerns are extensive coverage and benefits, and you can cover the large annual cost, then the Platinum Card is a great alternative to the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card. However, if you want better point rates (especially if you stay at Marriott Bonvoy hotels frequently) and more valuable redemption categories (geared towards hotel and airline partner transfers), then the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card is still your best option.

TD First Class Visa Infinite Card

If the American Express acceptance rate is something that bothers you, here's a non-Amex credit card to consider alongside the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card.

The TD First Class Visa Infinite Card has a slightly higher annual fee than the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card, but this fee is waived in the first year, while the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card's fee is not. The real application catch for the The TD First Class Visa Infinite Card though is the income requirements, which could be a bit high for some cardholders, especially those who are just starting out.

Looking at the rewards, you get significant points per dollar spent on travel booked online through Expedia for TD. There are also high point earnings on eligible grocery and restaurant purchases, followed by recurring bill payments. Like the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card, the base rate for all other purchases is higher than standard.

It's important to realize, however, that the TD First Class Visa Infinite Card's overall reward value is lower than the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card.

As for redemptions, the TD First Class Visa Infinite Card doesn't have a hotel-specific redemption category, but it does have its top two categories as travel from Expedia, and travel in general, both of which can include hotel bookings.

When comparing coverage, the TD First Class Visa Infinite Card has better value in many categories plus more categories overall, including mobile device insurance, emergency out of province medical, emergency medical over 65, and trip interruption and trip cancellation insurance.

For benefits, the TD First Class Visa Infinite Card comes with a car rental discount, a travel credit, and a rare annual birthday bonus that accumulates more points.

In conclusion, the TD First Class Visa Infinite Card is superior to the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card if you want to avoid American Express, receive more earn categories on travel booked online through Expedia for TD rather than Marriott Bonvoy-specific purchases, get more points on everyday purchases, and if you'd like better travel coverage.

How to apply for the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card

If you're still leaning towards the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card, here's a step-by-step guide on how to apply for this credit card:

1. Navigate to the official American Express Canadian website.
2. Once you're there, select "cards" from the drop-down menu on the main page. For the quickest path, click "travel cards" from the options that unfold.
3. On the following page, hit the travel filter again and scroll down until you find the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card. Click on the card and review its information.
4. Once you're satisfied with its offers, hit the blue "apply now" button.
5. First, you'll have to read over some product information, plus requirements and privacy polices. When you're done, select "agree & continue."
6. The next section will ask for personal information like your name, email, and birthdate.
7. After this, you'll need to fill in some financial details, including your annual income and employment information.
8. Once that's finished, you'll be asked to select a four-digit PIN.
9. Finally, make sure you review all your information before pressing submit.

To fast-track the path to your application, you can select the "apply now" button beneath the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card at the top of this page.

Final Verdict

If you’re a constant guest at Marriott Bonvoy hotels, and your looking to accumulate points towards other eligible hotel stays or airline partner flights, plus earn a couple of status lifts and free extra hotel nights, then the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card is a great option for you.

To obtain the card's full value, you'll simply want to plan to stay loyal to participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, otherwise, there are other travel-focused and hotel-friendly credit card options with more flexibility, coverage, earning categories, and perks.

Frequently Asked Questions 

Is the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card worth it?

If you plan on staying at a participating Marriott Bonvoy hotel every time you're out of town, want benefits to optimize your stay at Marriott Bonvoy hotels, and the opportunity to redeem high-value points for future stays, then the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card is the ideal credit card for you.

As with any card, you'll just want to make sure you're taking advantage of all the perks and earn categories to offset the cost of the annual fee.

Is the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card hard to get?

Without any annual income requirements, as long as you can pay the annual fee, and you're responsible with your credit, you'll have a good chance at applying for the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card.

Does the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card have foreign transaction fees?

Unfortunately, the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card does come with foreign transaction fees. If you're looking for an alternative with no foreign transaction fees, consider the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card that we touched upon in our comparison section.