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Offers for the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card, Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy® Premier Plus Business Credit Card are not available through this site. Some offers may have expired. Please see our card marketplace for available offers
The Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card is a solid option for small business owners who are loyal to Marriott. With a manageable annual fee and perks that pair nicely with a Marriott personal card, it’s especially valuable for those looking to fast-track their way to higher elite status within the Bonvoy program.
In addition, the card also comes with other valuable perks, such as discounted room rates and an annual free night award. Here’s our in-depth look at the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card to help you decide if it’s the right fit for your business spending and travel goals.
- WELCOME OFFER: Earn 3 Free Night Awards after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Each Free Night Award has a redemption level up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points, for a total potential value of up to 150,000 points, at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees. Terms apply.
- Receive a 7% discount on eligible bookings as a benefit of being both a Marriott Bonvoy® member & a Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card Member when you book directly with Marriott through an eligible channel for a participating property under the Amex Business Card Rate.
- 6x Marriott Bonvoy points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
- 4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, 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. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Enjoy Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status with your Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card.
- Terms apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 6x Marriott Bonvoy points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
- 4x Marriott Bonvoy points on each dollar of eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping
- 2x Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card points per dollar on all other eligible purchases
Page Contents
- Marriott Bonvoy Business Card Pros
- Marriott Bonvoy Business Card Cons
- Marriott Bonvoy Business Card Welcome Offer
- Marriott Bonvoy Business Card Benefits
- Marriott Bonvoy Business Card Earning Rates
- Redeeming Points and Free Nights With the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card
- Application Restrictions and Strategy
- Cards That Compete With the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card
- Final Thoughts
Marriott Bonvoy Business Card Pros
- Reasonable annual fee of $125 (Rates & Fees).
- Earns 4X points on several categories, including purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, and more.
- Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status.
Marriott Bonvoy Business Card Cons
- The room rate discount often falls short of the advertised savings.
- You’ll need to spend quite a bit to earn a second Free Night Award.
- Marriott uses dynamic pricing, and points can be hard to redeem for outsized value.
Marriott Bonvoy Business Card Welcome Offer
The Marriott Bonvoy Business Card offers new applicants 3 Free Night Awards (worth up to 50,000 points each) after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
If you’re able to maximize the certificates, the 3 Free Night Awards (worth up to 50,000 points each) bonus can provide an excellent return on your spending. Based on recent redemptions by AwardWallet users, three nights at a 50K Marriott property can deliver around $1,400 in potential redemption value.
A word of caution, though, these certificates need to be used within a year of the issue date. So, be sure you can actually use the certificates before applying, or you could be wasting a valuable welcome offer.
Related: American Express Card Offer History: Best-Ever Offers and When You Should Apply
Marriott Bonvoy Business Card Benefits
The Marriott Bonvoy Business Card offers solid benefits tailored to business travelers. Complimentary elite status, discounts on cash rates, and several bonus categories are among the most valuable perks of holding this card, along with the opportunity to inch closer to a higher status tier.
Complimentary Marriott Gold Elite status
Marriott Bonvoy Business Card members receive complimentary Bonvoy Gold Elite status. You normally need to stay at least 25 nights at a participating hotel to qualify for this elite status tier, so this card provides a helpful shortcut if you're starting from scratch.
Bonvoy Gold Elite entitles members to a 25% point bonus on stays, 2 p.m. late checkout (when available), room upgrades based on availability, and more. These aren't the strongest hotel elite benefits out there, but they can easily elevate almost any stay.
15 elite night credits each year
In addition to complimentary Bonvoy Gold Elite Status, the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card also gives cardmembers 15 elite night credits towards status each year. It can be a meaningful boost towards higher tiers of Marriott elite status, such as Platinum Elite.
Better yet, when you also hold a personal Marriott Bonvoy credit card, you can combine the 15 elite night credits from this card with the 15 or 25 elite night credits from one personal credit card for a total of up to 40 elite night credits. You can't, however, combine the credits from two personal cards. That makes the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card a critical part in earning the maximum Elite Night Credit boost.
Related: How To Start the Year With up to 40 Marriott Elite Night Credits
Annual Free Night Award
Each year that you keep the card and pay the annual fee, you'll receive a free night award worth up to 35,000 points. This award can be redeemed at any Marriott Bonvoy-participating property costing 35,000 points or less.
If you're eyeing a property that costs more than 35,000 points per night, you're not out of luck. You can top off your Marriott Free Night Award with up to 15,000 additional Marriott points.
This benefit alone can justify the card's annual fee, as it's quite easy to redeem this free night award for more than $125 in value.
Related: How to Use Marriott 35,000-Point Free Night Awards
Spend towards a second free night award
Big spenders who put $60,000 or more in purchases on their card within a calendar year will earn another free night award. This Free Night Award is also worth up to 35,000 points and is valid for a year from the date of issue. However, with such a high threshold to earn this certificate, you'd likely be better off putting that spend on a card with higher earning potential.
Room rate discount
The Marriott Bonvoy Business Card offers cardholders a 7% room rate discount that can be applied at most properties. It will appear automatically when searching for rooms, though timeshare and residence properties are excluded.
The discount will show as a “Special Rate” on the results page, as the screenshot below shows. You can toggle between the Amex Business Card Rate, the standard rate, the prepay and save rate, or other deals and packages offered by that hotel.
However, it's worth pointing out that the 7% savings are applied to the standard flexible room rate, which is usually one of the more expensive options. Member rates or prepaid rates are usually cheaper than the flexible room rate. Thus, your actual savings may not be 7%. In the example above, the member rate is actually cheaper than the special business card rate, although the free cancellation may make paying more worth it.
Extended warranty and purchase protection
The Marriott Bonvoy Business Card comes with extended warranty and purchase protection.
Extended warranty offered by this credit card extends the manufacturer's warranty for up to one additional year on warranties of five years or less. Covered purchases include most items, even electronics.
Purchase protection protects covered purchases for up to 90 days after purchase for up to $1,000 per item. You can submit claims against this benefit for up to $50,000 per calendar year for each account.
Marriott Bonvoy Business Card Earning Rates
The Marriott Bonvoy Business Card earns at least 2x per dollar spent on the card, making it a worthy contender for an everyday card for Marriott loyalists. Additionally, cardholders can enjoy the following earning rates:
- 6x Marriott Bonvoy points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
- 4x Marriott Bonvoy points on each dollar of eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping
- 2x Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card points per dollar on all other eligible purchases
Related: 13 Ways To Earn Marriott Bonvoy Points Without Staying at a Hotel
Redeeming Points and Free Nights With the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card
Redeeming Bonvoy points earned with the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card is easy. All points earned from spending on the card will automatically be deposited into your Bonvoy account to redeem for hotel stays. Free night awards will show up in your account as well.
When booking Marriott hotel stays, ensure you check the box for “Use Points/Awards.”
At this point, your search results will show both cash and points pricing. Once you’ve selected a property, Marriott’s website will present various payment options — whether that’s using points, a combination of points and cash, or a Free night award, as long as you have one that applies to your booking.
Need some booking inspiration? Consult the following:
- The best Marriott Bonvoy hotels for budget redemptions
- The best Marriott Bonvoy hotels for luxury redemptions
- The best Marriott Bonvoy hotels for redeeming free night awards
Application Restrictions and Strategy
First things first, if you want to get the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card, you'll need to run a business. It surprises many people to learn what qualifies as a business when applying for a business card. If you sell items online, walk dogs, or have another form of side income outside your 9-to-5, that may count for the sake of getting this card.
But that's not all. You also have to abide by the American Express-specific rules around card applications. For instance, Amex welcome bonuses are generally something you can only earn once per lifetime. That's why you'll find this language on the card's application page, so be sure to read it carefully to ensure your eligibility:
“Welcome offer not available to applicants who (i) have or have had the Marriott Bonvoy® Premier Plus Business Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Business Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Business® Credit Card from Chase, or the Marriott Rewards® Business Credit Card from Chase in the last 30 days, (ii) have acquired the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card from Chase, in the last 90 days, or (iii) received a new Card Member bonus offer in the last 24 months on the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card from Chase, Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card from Chase, or the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card from Chase.”
You also need to remember that you can hold a maximum of five Amex credit cards at a time and that Amex typically doesn't approve the same person for more than two cards in a 90-day period.
Related: Decoding Marriott's Credit Card Rules: What You Need to Know Before Applying
Cards That Compete With the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card
Before settling on a card, whether it be the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card or something else, it's worth comparing additional options. Here are some of the card's closest competitors:
- If you want a hotel business credit card that offers better elite status perks, consider the The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card. You'll receive automatic Hilton Gold status, which tends to be a more rewarding mid-tier hotel status than Marriott Gold Elite status. You'll also enjoy 12x points on spending with Hilton Honors, the ability to spend your way to top-tier Diamond status, and up to $240 in Hilton spending credits annually ($60 per quarter). Our full Hilton Business Card review has more details.
- If you want a business card that earns more valuable hotel points, the World of Hyatt Business Credit Card (Rates & Fees) offers complimentary entry-level elite status and the ability to gift that status to up to five employees. Perks include access to business discounts, unlocking a points rebate through spending, and earning status-qualifying nights through spending on the card. Learn more in our Hyatt Business Card review.
- If you want a business card that earns flexible rewards points you can transfer to Marriott or other hotels and airlines, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (Rates & Fees) is worth a look. You won't get any hotel elite status with this card, but you'll earn 3x on up to $150,000 of annual spending across several bonus categories, including travel. You'll also enjoy top-notch insurance protections, and you can use the Chase Ultimate Rewards points from this card with 14 airline and hotel partners, including Marriott, United Airlines, World of Hyatt, and more. Further details are in our Ink Preferred review.
(Terms apply)
- 12X Hilton Honors points on purchases made directly with hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio
- 5X Hilton Honors points on the first $100,000 spent per calendar year on other eligible purchases; 3X thereafter
- Up to 9X total points per $1 spent at Hyatt – 4X points per $1 on qualifying purchases when you use your card at Hyatt hotels & 5X points per $1 you can earn as a World of Hyatt member
- 2X points per $1 spent on fitness club and gym memberships
- 1X point per $1 everywhere else
In addition, you'll earn 2X points per $1 spent in your top three spend categories each quarter. Eligible categories include:
- Dining
- Shipping
- Airline tickets when purchased directly with the airline
- Local transit & commuting
- Social media & search engine Advertising
- Car rental agencies
- Gas stations
- Internet, cable & phone services
- 3X points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year
- 1X point per $1 on all other purchases
Related: The Best Small Business Credit Card Offers Available This Month
Final Thoughts
The Marriott Bonvoy Business Card pairs perfectly with a personal Bonvoy card, making it a smart addition for loyal Marriott travelers. With perks like automatic Gold Elite status and an annual free night award, it’s easy to offset the annual fee and get long-term value.
The other benefits provide positive value through room rate discounts and elite night credits that help you work toward higher status tiers. If you reach those, the perks get even better on each stay.
- WELCOME OFFER: Earn 3 Free Night Awards after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Each Free Night Award has a redemption level up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points, for a total potential value of up to 150,000 points, at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees. Terms apply.
- Receive a 7% discount on eligible bookings as a benefit of being both a Marriott Bonvoy® member & a Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card Member when you book directly with Marriott through an eligible channel for a participating property under the Amex Business Card Rate.
- 6x Marriott Bonvoy points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
- 4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, 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. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Enjoy Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status with your Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card.
- Terms apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 6x Marriott Bonvoy points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
- 4x Marriott Bonvoy points on each dollar of eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping
- 2x Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card points per dollar on all other eligible purchases
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees), World of Hyatt Business Credit Card (Rates & Fees), Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (Rates & Fees), and The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card (Rates & Fees)
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