Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card overview
The Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card is a solid small-business card for Marriott Bonvoy fans. It comes with useful perks such as an annual free night at hotels (up to 35,000 points) and the ability to boost your Marriott elite status by offering 15 elite night credits every year. Card Rating*: ⭐⭐⭐½
*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG's editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
This Marriott Bonvoy Business Card comes with most of the same features and benefits as the Marriott Bonvoy consumer cards, but it happens to include generous bonus reward categories that are well suited to small-business owners.
With a reasonable annual fee of $125 (see rates and fees) and a recommended credit score of at least 670, this card also comes with plenty of extra benefits that make this a solid hotel business card option.
Here's everything you need to know about the only Marriott business credit card still open to new applicants.
Bonvoy Business Amex pros and cons
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Bonvoy Business Amex welcome offer
Right now, with the Bonvoy Business Amex, you can earn five free night awards after you use your new card to make $8,000 in eligible purchases within the first six months of card membership. Offer ends March 20.
The redemption level is up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for each bonus free night award at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy. Certain hotels have resort fees.
TPG values Marriott points at 0.84 cents apiece, making the five free night rewards (50,000 for each night) worth up to $2,100. This is the best-ever offer we have seen from this card. Now is a great time to apply for this card, but one downside with the current offer is the higher spending requirement, up $2,000 from the usual $6,000 minimum spending requirement.
Bonvoy Business Amex benefits
One of the primary reasons to consider this card is for all the extra perks.
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First, it offers automatic Marriott Gold Elite status, which includes 25% bonus points on paid stays, late checkout, premium internet, a welcome gift of points on each stay and room upgrades (based on availability at check-in).
You also receive 15 nights credits toward the next level of elite status (which can be stacked with a Marriott Bonvoy consumer card) and a free night award each card anniversary year.
The free night can be spent at properties at or under 35,000 points per night. You can top off your 35,000-point certificates with up to 15,000 points from your Bonvoy account. You can also earn a second free night award (up to 35,000 points per night) after you spend $60,000 in a calendar year.
Other benefits include access to Amex Offers and no foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees).
Plus, you can enjoy an automatic discount of 7% on standard room rates when you reference the "Amex Biz Card Member Rate" and book an eligible room directly through Marriott at participating properties using your card. However, the 7% discount may appear to be more rewarding on the surface than in reality.
Earning points on the Bonvoy Business Amex
This card offers 6 points per dollar on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program. You also receive 4 points per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide and U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on purchases made from merchants in the U.S. for shipping. You earn 2 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
Gold members will also earn a total of 18.5 points per dollar spent with Marriott, and if you qualify for Platinum status, you will earn 21 points. Finally, top-tier Titanium and Ambassador elite members will earn a total of 23.5 points per dollar spent, equating to a phenomenal 18.8% return.
Redeeming points on the Bonvoy Business Amex
Of course, the most obvious way to redeem Marriott Bonvoy points is for hotel stays. Bonvoy uses dynamic pricing, meaning the required points for a stay are lower outside peak travel periods.
Take advantage of the fifth night free on award stays whenever possible. The fifth-night benefit is an easy way to get up to a 20% discount on your redemption and stretch your points further.
TPG credit cards writer Chris Nelson's sweet spot for redeeming free night certificates is at luxury properties in Eastern Europe, such as The Ritz-Carlton Budapest and The Ritz-Carlton Vienna, as these properties can routinely be redeemed for 45,000 points a night.
Transferring points on the Bonvoy Business Amex
You can convert your Marriott Bonvoy points into airline miles at a 3:1 ratio — plus a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 points you transfer. Bonvoy points can be especially useful for certain award flights because they transfer to airlines that don't partner with other transferable points programs, such as Alaska Airlines, Japan Airlines, Asiana and Korean Air. This opens up all sorts of options for booking sweet spots with difficult-to-earn miles.
Marriott also has some of the most liberal policies for points transfers between accounts while also being free and easy to do online.
Which cards compete with the Bonvoy Business Amex?
While this is Marriott's only small-business card available to new applicants, there are personal Marriott Bonvoy cards that offer similar (or better) perks.
- If you want automatic Platinum Elite status: The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card comes with it, plus an annual free night at Marriott hotels costing up to 85,000 points per night and up to $300 in statement credits every year when you use your card at eligible restaurants worldwide. These benefits can help offset the card's hefty $650 annual fee (see rates and fees). For more information, read our full review of the Bonvoy Brilliant.
- If you want a different hotel brand: The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card. This card offers Hilton Gold status and 12 points per dollar at eligible Hilton portfolio properties. For more information, read our full review of the Hilton Honors Amex Business.
- If you want more general rewards: Go for The Business Platinum Card® from American Express. It offers 5 bonus points per dollar on flights and prepaid hotels booked on Amex Travel. Among its numerous other benefits and fee credits, you also receive Gold status with both Marriott and Hilton (enrollment required). For more information, read our full review of the Amex Business Platinum.
For additional options, check out our full list of the best hotel cards.
Read more: Amex Business Platinum current offer
Is the Bonvoy business Amex worth It?
The Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex can be a nice addition to your wallet if you frequently stay at Marriott properties. The automatic Gold status alone can offset the annual fee (see rates and fees), based on our valuations. With a solid earnings rate and a free night award, this card is worth it for small businesses looking to add a hotel credit card to their wallet.
Bottom line
The Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex is a solid small-business card offering valuable benefits at more than 8,000 properties worldwide. With a free night award and decent earning categories and perks, it's one of the better hotel credit cards suited for small-business owners and could be well worth it, if that's you.
The card is also a great option for anyone interested in opening valuable Chase credit cards because, as an Amex business card, it won't add to your Chase 5/24 count.
Apply here: Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex, click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Business Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum Card, click here.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
