Is the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card worth it?
The Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card is a good option for small business owners, but only if you frequent Marriott properties.
This co-branded card comes with Marriott-related perks that more than make up for its $125 annual fee, including a generous welcome bonus, annual free night rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status. American Express isn't widely accepted outside the U.S., so you'll get the most value from this card if most of your travel is domestic.
Pros and Cons
Like any hotel credit card, the Marriott Bonvoy Business card has its pros and cons.
Learn more about the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card
Terms and conditions apply / Fees and charges
Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card Rewards
If Marriott is your preferred hotel brand, the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card offers an attractive rewards program: You earn Marriott Bonvoy points on eligible purchases that you can claim as business expenses and earn free nights.
Welcome Bonus
Earn 5 free nights after you spend $8,000 within 6 months from your account opening date. These nights can be used toward hotel stays worth up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. Resort fees apply at select hotels. Terms and conditions apply.
Earn rewards
The Marriott Bonvoy Business Card comes with great rewards potential, especially if you regularly stay at Marriott hotels for work. You earn points on every purchase and even more points when you stay at participating hotels.
Here's how much you can earn in each spending category:
Earn 6x points on bookings at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, 4x points on restaurants worldwide, U.S. gas stations, U.S. mobile phone services and U.S. store deliveries, and 2x points on other purchases of goods and services.
If you're a Marriott Bonvoy member, you can earn even more points. With your Marriott Bonvoy Business card, you can earn up to 10 Marriott Bonvoy points for every dollar you spend at participating properties. Because the card comes with complimentary Gold Elite status, you also earn a 25% bonus. This applies to the room rate and all charges charged to the room rate, including meals and spa treatments.
Use your benefits
There are a few ways to use your Marriott Bonvoy points.
The most popular option is booking hotel stays. Points can be used to pay for reservations at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program, which includes mid-range to luxury hotels such as Delta, Four Points by Sheraton, Aloft, St. Regis, and Le Meridien.
You can also transfer your points to over 40 airlines. When transferring, the transfer ratio is typically 3 Bonvoy points to 1 airline mile, although some airlines may offer different ratios.
Alternatively, Marriott's Air+Car Transfers program lets you use your points to book flights and car rentals with hundreds of providers, though it's important to note that many Marriott Bonvoy business reviews point out that this redemption option reduces the value of your points.
Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card Benefits
The Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex card offers a number of important benefits: If your business requires you to travel frequently, these perks can help you save money and enjoy more luxurious experiences.
Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status
If you get approved for the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Business card, you'll automatically receive Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status, which means in addition to points bonuses, you'll also get free late check-out until 2pm and room upgrades when available.
Free Night Awards
You can earn up to 35,000 points worth of free hotel nights each year you have your Marriott Bonvoy Business card, plus an additional free night after you spend $60,000 in a calendar year (an average of $5,000 per month).
Marriott Bonvoy® Room Rate Discounts
You can get a discounted rate when you book a stay at a Marriott Bonvoy participating property with your Amex credit card. Look for the “Amex Business Card Rate” and when combined with your standard Bonvoy membership discount, you can save up to 7% off the regular rate.
Elite Night Credit 15
In addition to your annual free night certificate, you'll earn 15 elite night credits for each year you hold your Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex Card. These credits will help you move up from your complimentary Gold Elite status to a more premium elite level. Each new level comes with additional perks. For example, Platinum Elite comes with a 50% points bonus, better upgrades, and welcome gifts.
Premium Internet Access
Amex cardmembers don't have to pay upgrade fees for internet access at Marriott Bonvoy hotels — just book a qualifying rate and get premium service for free.
Rental car insurance
Rental cars paid for with your Marriott Business Card include Amex loss and damage insurance, which covers you for up to $50,000 in damage or theft to your vehicle, even if you decline coverage through the rental car company.
Baggage Insurance
This insurance covers the replacement cost if your baggage is damaged or lost. This insurance applies only when traveling on a common carrier with a ticket paid for with your Amex card. Carry-on bags are covered up to $1,250 per person. Checked bags are covered up to $500.
Purchase Protection
Purchases made with your Marriott Bonvoy Business Card are covered for up to 90 days. If an eligible item is damaged due to accident or theft, you can receive up to $1,000 in compensation. This benefit is limited to a maximum of $50,000 per year per account.
extended warranty
If you purchase an eligible item with a warranty period of five years or less, American Express will extend the warranty period by up to one year.
amex offers
The Amex Offers program is another way to earn more points. When you sign up, you can choose from a variety of offers from different brands. If you take advantage of the offer, you can earn rewards within 5 to 90 days after the offer ends.
Global Assist Hotline
While traveling, you can call the hotline for help if needed. Operators can help you get cash in an emergency, refer you for passport issues, or coordinate legal or medical assistance. If you're traveling more than 100 miles from home, you're covered.
*Eligibility and rewards levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and restrictions apply. See americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
Fees, Rates and Restrictions
Whether you use your Marriott Bonvoy Business Card for general company expenses or for hotel stays, it's important to understand the fees and charges involved (see Fees and Charges).
Fee
The Marriott Bonvoy Business card has an annual fee of $125, and if you're a frequent Marriott flyer, the annual fee is worth it for the perks.
The annual free night is usually worth more than the annual fee, and when you add in the complimentary Gold Elite status and high Bonvoy points earning potential, it becomes even more valuable.
This card has no foreign transaction fees, which is handy if you travel internationally for work, but only if you make purchases where Amex is accepted. There are no balance transfer fees, but you are charged the standard interest rate. If you need to make a cash withdrawal, you pay $5 or 3% of the withdrawal amount, whichever is greater.
Interest level
Your Annual Percentage Rate (APR) will depend on an assessment of your creditworthiness by American Express. If approved, you'll pay a variable APR ranging from 20.99% to 29.99%.
The various variable APRs associated with this card are as follows:
Regular APR Purchase Introductory APR Balance Transfer Introductory APR Regular Balance Transfer APR 20.99% – 29.99% N/AN/A 20.99% – 29.99%
American Express also charges 29.99% as a variable penalty APR.
You can switch to this higher rate if:
You have two late payments in a 12-month period You haven't paid the minimum payment before the end of the billing period You have a refunded payment
The Penalty APR applies for at least 12 billing periods. If you have no late payments or refunds for at least 12 periods, the Penalty APR will be removed.
Credit limit
American Express sets your credit limit based on a variety of factors, which typically include your credit profile, existing debt, income and other financial factors.
Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card Comparison
Compared to other hotel-branded credit cards, the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card is a solid choice for small businesses and regular business travelers.
Though it has lower fees than traditional luxury travel cards, it still offers great value when you stay at hotels that participate in the Bonvoy program, and it includes Gold Elite status and bonus earning categories, so you can earn even more points on Marriott stays.
The main drawback of this card is the lack of flexibility in redemptions. You can use it for hotel, flight, and rental car reservations, but Marriott rewards redemptions offer the best value. If your hotel stays and general travel needs are more varied, a general travel credit card may be a better choice.
Comparing the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card and the Business Platinum Card® from American Express
While the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® card offers Marriott-specific perks and benefits, the Business Platinum Card® from American Express is a more versatile travel and business card: you earn American Express Membership Rewards® points instead of Marriott Bonvoy points, giving you a wider range of redemption options.
The Amex Business Platinum Card is the higher-end product. With an annual fee of $695 (see rates and fees), it offers benefits such as statement credits of up to $150 at Adobe Creative Solutions and up to $400 at Dell. It also offers complimentary access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection®, up to $200 in airline credits, and up to $189 in CLEAR Plus credits. Both cards come with Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status.
Read our full review of the Amex Business Platinum Card
Is the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card right for me?
The Marriott Bonvoy Business Card from American Express is a great choice for those who own or represent a small business, travel frequently, and prioritize staying at Marriott-affiliated hotels, as staying at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels maximizes rewards earning potential and redemption value.
A business card makes it easy to keep professional expenses separate while still earning rewards: The annual fee is reasonable, and the card's many perks make it easy to recoup the cost.
If you're looking for more flexible redemption options, these other Amex business cards might be a better choice:
How do I qualify for the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card?
Learn more about the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card and apply online.
If you own (or represent) a business and have a good credit score (usually a score of 700 or higher), you may be approved for a Marriott Business credit card. You also need to be a U.S. resident, over 18 years old, and have a Social Security number.
Keep in mind that American Express welcome offers have specific eligibility requirements.
You are not eligible if you have any of the following Marriott credit cards from Chase within 30 days prior to application:
Marriott Rewards® Business Credit Card Marriott Bonvoy Business® Credit Card Marriott Bonvoy® Premier Plus Business Credit Card Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Business Credit Card
The same is true if you opened one of these Chase cards within the last 90 days or received a bonus offer as a new cardmember within the last two years.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card
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