Checking-In to the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card
The Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card is a co-branded business hotel credit card from American Express. The card offers impressive rewards-earning potential and is the business-oriented flagship of the Bonvoy cards collection. New accounts receive 75,000 bonus Bonvoy points when cardholders make just $3,000 in purchases within the first three months. The card also entitles cardholders to Bonvoy Silver Elite status for their first year of membership and up to 6 points for every dollar spent with Marriott – all for a very reasonable $125 annual fee.
How it Works
Earning Points:
- Earn Points with Marriott Stays: Bonvoy program members earn six points for every dollar they spend with participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels via their Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card. With the addition of employee cards, six points per dollar spent can add up very quickly.
- Earn 4x Points: Cardmembers also earn four points per every eligible dollar spent using their card at U.S restaurants and gas stations, with U.S.-based wireless service providers, when paying for shipping on U.S. purchases, or when booking flights directly with airlines.
- Earn with Everything Else: Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Cardholders also earn two points for all other purchases made with their card.
Redeeming Points:
- Hotel Stays: The easiest way for companies to redeem Marriott Bonvoy membership points is through stays with Marriott Bonvoy properties worldwide. Marriott divides its properties into eight categories for rewards, with a typical hotel placed in Category 1, while ultra-high-end resorts and luxurious boutiques go all the way up to Category 8. For a Category 1 property, a standard room per night will cost 5,000 points for off-peak stays. The higher up the scale you go, the more points you can expect to spend. One night at a Category 8 property, for instance, can cost anywhere from 70,000 points for an off-peak stay up to 100,000 for peak season stays. The value of Bonvoy points differs depending upon the Category of property. Using a detailed metric based on the number of points need to pay for rooms in the various categories, Bonvoy pints have a value of between $.003 to $.004 per point.
- Cash & Points Bookings: Bonvoy points are also applicable towards part of an eligible hotel stay. The Bonvoy Cash & Points option allows Bonvoy members to use a combination of cash and points to pay for their stay – with as few as 3,500 points and $55 needed to book a stay.
- Transfer Points to Airline Rewards Programs: Bonvoy members may also transfer points to frequent flyer programs with most carriers. Bonvoy points transfer at a rate of 3:1, though there are some notable exceptions. Air New Zealand, for instance, transfer at a rate of 200 Bonvoy points to 1 Airpoint™. Transferring points to frequent flyer programs are never the best use of points given the redemption values, but they are a great option if you need a few extra miles to help get you to your next business destination or conference.
Today’s Bonus Offer
New business accounts earn 75,000 bonus Bonvoy points when authorized users use their Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card to make just $3,000 in purchases within the first three months of account opening. 75,000 points are good for up to ten standard rate nights at Category 1 Bonvoy hotels – a pretty hefty reward for companies with employees who often travel for work.
Getting Under the Sheets with the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card
- Annual Fee: The Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® features an annual fee of $125. When you consider the theoretical value of Bonvoy rewards points, as well as the possibility of issuing up to 99 additional employee cards, the earning potential with the Business Bonvoy card is staggering – more than compensating for the annual fee.
Hotel Perks:
- Automatic Silver Elite Status: Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Cardholders receive complimentary Bonvoy Silver Elite status for their first year of membership. Silver Elite status entitles members to 25% bonus points on all Bonvoy stays, enhanced room upgrades, and exclusive 2 p.m. checkout. Cardholders must make $75,000 in eligible purchases within the calendar year to qualify for Platinum Elite Status after the first year.
- Free Night Award Every Anniversary: Cardholders receive a complimentary free night on each anniversary year of membership. Redemption level for the free night award must be at or under 50,000 points.
- Statement Credit: Cardholders receive a $300 statement credit each year of membership, which is applicable for eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy properties.
Cardholder Protections:
- Fraud Protection: Cardholders have complete protection from any fraudulent or unauthorized purchases made on their account.
- Baggage Insurance: Cardholders can rest assured that if they are separated from their luggage, American Express is on hand to help with comprehensive protection for lost or delayed baggage.
- Travel Accident Insurance: Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Cardholders receive insurance should they be injured or killed while traveling.
- Global Assistance: 24/7 access to American Express’ Global Assist hotline, which provides travel assistance and coordination for any issues that may arise during travel.
- Purchase Protection: American Express offers a suite of purchase protections, including extended warranty protection, purchase protection, and return protections.
“Suite” Perks That Make the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card Worthwhile:
- Initial Bonus Offer: The initial bonus offer provides exceptional value for companies who plan to use their card regularly and issue additional employee cards. 75,000 bonus points are good for up to 10 nights at Category 1 properties – all for an easily achievable minimum spend of $3,000 in the first three months. For companies that have employees on the road often, this is a great introductory perk.
- Silver Elite Member Status: The perk of automatic Silver Elite status is another decent feature of the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card. Silver Elite status entitles cardholders to 20% more points for eligible stays at Bonvoy properties.
- One Free Night Every Year: Cardholders receive one complimentary night at Marriott Bonvoy properties on every cardmember anniversary.
“Reservations” About the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card:
- Global Acceptance of American Express: American Express credit cards tend to offer some of the most lucrative benefits and perks for account holders. Unfortunately, however, the global acceptance of American Express cards is much smaller than that of both Visa and Mastercard. While AMEX boasts that over 1.6 million new businesses in the United States have begun accepting their cards in the past year, globally the number still isn’t where it needs to be to become a reliable international travel tool.
Time to Check-Out
The Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card is a very good business hotel card that provides exceptional earning potential to U.S. companies. Authorized cardholders earn 6x points when they use their card to book stays at Marriott Bonvoy Hotels, 4x points with purchases at U.S. restaurants, gas stations, wireless providers, and shipping, and 2x points for all other purchases.
The points earning potential is furthered by the introductory 75,000 bonus points with just $3,000 in purchases with the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card in the first three months. For businesses that provide employee cards, this is a very achievable goal. 75,000 points are equivalent to roughly 10 off-peak nights at Category 1 Bonvoy properties, making the Business Bonvoy a potent travel tool, indeed.
While the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® suffers from AMEX’s reduced global acceptance compared to Visa or Mastercard, the acceptance of American Expres in North America is very good. While the card might not be the best option for companies whose business travel takes them across the oceans, for those who conduct their business stateside it is an excellent option and one that pays for itself almost instantly.
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