Germany: Participate in the Berlin Marathon using points

Major sporting events like the Berlin Marathon draw crowds: nearly 45,000 runners from 120 countries around the world have gathered in 2022, and that’s not counting all the supporters, families, friends, volunteers, organizers and brand representatives who gather there. Needless to say, all this fills up a city pretty quickly!

For this kind of experience, the more prepared you are, the more you can enjoy it. Here are some valuable tips based on my experience in 2022 on cheering duties, and the advice of my runner friends.

Before the race

Registration

As seasoned marathoners know, it’s not always easy to get a spot in top marathons. When we talk about top marathons, we are talking about the World Marathon Majors, where the best runners in the world collect their points to qualify for the World Track and Field Championships and the Olympic Games.

Here are the six cities where these races take place each year:

Germany: Participate in the Berlin Marathon using points - Marathon de Berlin-6

Note: Registration for the Berlin Marathon 2023 lottery is closed; it ran from September 29 to November 17, 2022.

In Berlin, you can participate in the lottery as an individual or as a trio. In Berlin, your previous performance is not a factor for admission; my friend completed her very first marathon there!

From the experience of runners in my community, it seems that you have a much better chance of getting your coveted spot in the marathon if you register as a trio. It is therefore worthwhile to sign up with running friends to increase your chances of being chosen. The proof: several members of my YAMAJO running club signed up as trios and thus, about twenty runners of the club got to live this experience together!

Germany: Participate in the Berlin Marathon using points - Marathon de Berlin-8

Registration costs 163 euros and since payment is in foreign currency, it is advisable to use a card with no conversion fees such as the Scotiabank Passport^™ Visa Infinite +* Card to save 2.5%.

Our credit card selection
Credit card	Annual fee	Welcome offer
Scotiabank Passport^® Visa Infinite +* Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$150	Welcome offer Up to 35,000 pointsEnds Nov 1, 2026	Apply NowCompare

Flights

You have several options for flights: book with points, redeem your points for travel credit, or simply find cheap flights. I used the latter option to get to Berlin by traveling with a carry-on and opting for a slightly longer, but less expensive route.

So I went through Dublin, and several other runners took a flight to London, followed by a low-cost flight.

For example, with Aeroplan points, flights are around 35,000 points for a one-way trip in economy class, and 60,000 points in business class. So you could easily treat yourself to a flight with the welcome bonus of the TD^MD TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite Privilege* Credit Card Aéroplan^MD.

Germany: Participate in the Berlin Marathon using points - Aeroplan Berlin Septembre 2023

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TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa Infinite Privilege* Credit Card

TD Aeroplan

Annual fee: $599
Our valuation: $2,000Milesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$2,000Total$2,000Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.; Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$2,000Total$2,000Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer: Up to 100,000 points

Terms of the offer

Limited Time Offer! Apply by December 1, 2019 to earn up to 60,000 Aeroplan Miles (equivalent to 2 business class short-haul roundtrip flight rewards)¹ as follows:
- Welcome Bonus of 25,000 Aeroplan Miles when you make your first Purchase with your card¹.
- + Earn 2x miles on your purchases⁴,5 made using your Card for a total of up to 30,000 Aeroplan Miles, for first 3 months¹.
- + Earn 5,000 Aeroplan Miles when you add an Authorized User to your Account by December 1, 2019. Annual Fees for Authorized Users continue to apply¹.
Earn Aeroplan Miles with every purchase made on your Card and arrive at your dream destination sooner
Enjoy Air Canada^®³ and Visa Infinite Privilege benefits⁴
- Priority Check-in on Air Canada^®³ flights
- Priority Boarding on Air Canada^®³ flights
- First checked bag free on Air Canada^®³ flights
- Four annual One-Time Guest Passes to the Maple Leaf Lounge (when travelling on flight rewards)
- 50% discount on companion tickets for eligible Executive Class or Executive First fare (booking classes J & C) on tickets entirely operated by Air Canada^®³ & Air Canada Express
- Global Airport Lounge Access⁴
- Visa Infinite Privilege* Airport Benefits⁴ at Vancouver, Ottawa and Montreal-Trudeau International airports
An extensive suite of travel insurance
Earn 1.5 miles⁵ for every $1 spent on eligible grocery, gas, drugstore and Air Canada Purchases (excluding Air Canada Vacation packages) made with the Card (capped annually on the first $100,000 across these categories)
Earn 1.25 miles⁶ for every $1 spent on all other purchases made with the Card
Earn miles twice⁷ when you pay with your Card and present your Aeroplan Membership Number at participating partner brands and online retailers via the Aeroplan eStore
Your Aeroplan Miles don’t expire as long as you’re a TD Aeroplan Credit Cardholder

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Fees / Rates / Eligibility

Type	Details
Personal annual income	-
Household annual income	$200,000
Purchase APR	19.99%
Cash Advance APR	22.99%
Interest Grace Period	21 days on all new purchases
Balance Transfer Rate	22.99%
Foreign Transaction Rate
Annual Fee	$399
Authorized User Cards	$99
Balance Transfer Fee	Promotional Balance Transfer/ Cheque Fee: 3% of the amount of each Balance Transfer or TD Visa Cheque that we may offer to you at a promotional interest rate which is an interest rate that is lower than the regular annual interest rate that applies to Cash Advances on your Account. The Bank may waive or lower this 3% fee at the time the promotional interest rate offer is made to you. You will be advised of the exact fee that applies at the time the offer is made.
Cash Advance Fee	1% of the amount of the transaction (minimum fee of $3.50 up to a maximum fee of $10.00) (in Canada) or $5.00 (outside Canada), plus $3.00 at a PLUS* network ATM. (Fee does not apply to a Balance Transfer or TD Visa Cheque)
Foreign Currency Conversion Fee	2.50%
Over Credit Limit Fee	N/A

Disclaimer

Annual interest rates, fees and features are current as of June 19, 2017 unless otherwise indicated and subject to change. The Aeroplan Program is a coalition loyalty marketing program owned and operated by Aeroplan Inc. Visit aeroplan.com for complete terms and conditions of the Aeroplan Program. The Toronto-Dominion Bank and its affiliates are not responsible for the Aeroplan Program. 1 Must apply by December 1, 2019. Welcome Bonus of 25,000 Aeroplan Miles will be awarded to the Aeroplan Member account associated with the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege* Card Account (“Account”) only after the first Purchase is made on the Account. Welcome Earn Bonus of 2x in Aeroplan Miles ("Welcome Earn Bonus") applies to new Account in the first 3 months of Account opening ("First 3 Months") to a maximum total collective miles of 30,000 ("Welcome Earn Bonus Cap") on all purchases charged to your ("Account"). During the Welcome Earn Bonus promotional period, 3 Aeroplan Miles are earned for each $1.00 in Purchases of eligible gas, groceries, drugstore, and aircanada.com products and services (excluding Air Canada Vacations packages, car rentals, hotel bookings, and other third party partner products and services that can be purchased through aircanada.com) charged to your Account and 2.5 Aeroplan Miles are earned for each $1.00 for all other Purchases charged to your Account. Any returned items, refunds, rebates or other similar credits on any Purchases made during the First 3 Months will reduce or cancel the Aeroplan Miles earned at the Welcome Earn Bonus on the original Purchase, as applicable. Welcome Earn Bonus Cap: Once the Welcome Earn Bonus Cap is reached, any further Purchases made in the First 3 Months will earn Aeroplan Miles at the regular 1.5 Bonus Aeroplan Miles that applies to each $1.00 in Purchases of eligible gas, groceries, drugstore, and aircanada.com products and services (excluding Air Canada Vacations packages, car rentals, hotel bookings, and other third party partner products and services that can be purchased through aircanada.com) and 1.25 Aeroplan Mile to each $1.00 to all other eligible Purchases. To receive the additional 5,000 Aeroplan Miles for adding an Authorized User to your Account ("Authorized User Bonus"), you must: (a) apply for an Account and add an Authorized User between September 4, 2019, and December 1, 2019; and (b) Authorized User must call and activate their Card by January 31, 2020. You can have a maximum of three (3) Authorized Users on your Account but you will only receive 1 (one) 5,000 Authorized User Bonus Aeroplan Miles offer. Annual Fee for each Authorized User Card added to the Account will apply. The Primary Cardholder is responsible for all charges to the Account, including those made by any Authorized User. Other conditions apply. Offers may be changed, withdrawn or extended at any time and cannot be combined with any other offer unless otherwise specified. Welcome Bonus and 2x miles earned through Welcome Earn Bonus are not eligible for Aeroplan status. Your Account must be in good standing at the time bonus miles are awarded. Please allow 8 weeks after the conditions for each offer are fulfilled for the miles to be credited to your Aeroplan Member account. The number of Aeroplan Miles required for the destination is accurate as of September 4, 2019 and is subject to change at any time by Aeroplan Inc. According to Aeroplan's current reward chart, destinations reflect two short-haul Fixed Mileage Flight Reward^® in Business Class departing from within Canada or the continental US (plus applicable fees and taxes). Fixed Mileage Flight Reward availability is capacity controlled and is subject to availability at time of booking as well as seasonality of demand. Aeroplan Flight Rewards are subject to taxes, landing and departure fees, and other charges and surcharges may apply. Aeroplan Partners, rules and regulations are subject to change without notice. For full details on Aeroplan's current reward chart, please visit aeroplan.com. 2 Primary Cardholder remains liable for all charges to the Account, including those made by an Authorized User. 3 All Air Canada benefits are fulfilled in whole or in part by Air Canada or its designated affiliates or other third parties, and are subject to change at any time. The Toronto-Dominion Bank and its affiliates are not responsible for fulfilling these benefits. For more details about these benefits, please contact Air Canada directly. Air Canada Benefit Eligibility – Priority Travel Services : With the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card, Air Canada benefits (the complimentary first checked bag, priority check in and priority boarding) apply whenever the Primary Cardholder travels on a flight operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge or under the Air Canada Express banner. Flights operated by other airlines are not eligible. To access priority check-in and priority boarding, the Primary Cardholder must include their Aeroplan Number on their reservation at time of booking, or redeem their Aeroplan flight reward (defined as Fixed Mileage Flight Rewards^® or Market Fare Flight Rewards^®) using miles from their Aeroplan account. To access these benefits, the Primary Cardholder must also ensure that the name on the Air Canada flight booking is identical to the name on the Aeroplan account profile of the traveler. Where zonal boarding is available, the priority boarding status will be recognized by a Zone 2 descriptor for the Primary Cardholder and companions travelling on the same reservation checking-in at the same time, which will be displayed on the Air Canada issued boarding pass. Priority check-in may also be extended to companions travelling on the same reservation checking-in at the same time as the Primary Cardholder. To access priority check-in and priority boarding, the Primary Cardholder may be required to show their TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege* Card to the Air Canada agent. Please allow two (2) weeks from receiving your Card for these Air Canada benefits to be activated. The complimentary first checked bag , up to 23kg (50lb), applies whenever the Primary Cardholder travels on a flight operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge or under the Air Canada Express banner. Flights operated by other airlines are not eligible. To access this benefit, the Primary Cardholder must include their Aeroplan Number on their reservation at time of booking, or redeem their Aeroplan flight reward (defined as Fixed Mileage Flight Rewards or Market Fare Flight Rewards) using miles from their Aeroplan account. To access this benefit, the Primary Cardholder must also ensure that the name on the Air Canada flight booking is identical to the name on the Aeroplan account profile of the traveler. The complimentary first checked bag applies solely to the Primary Cardholder, and service charges for additional/oversized/overweight baggage may apply. Applicable on flights that do not already offer a complimentary first checked bag. To access this benefit, the Primary Cardholder may be required to show their TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege * Card to the Air Canada agent. Please allow two (2) weeks from receiving your Card for these Air Canada benefits to be activated. The complimentary first checked bag, up to 23kg (50lb), applies whenever the Primary Cardholder travels on a flight operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge or under the Air Canada Express banner. Flights operated by other airlines are not eligible. To access this benefit, the Primary Cardholder must include their Aeroplan Number on their reservation at time of booking, or redeem their Aeroplan flight reward (defined as Fixed Mileage Flight Rewards or Market Fare Flight Rewards) using miles from their Aeroplan account. To access this benefit, the Primary Cardholder must also ensure that the name on the Air Canada flight booking is identical to the name on the Aeroplan account profile of the traveler. The complimentary first checked bag applies solely to the Primary Cardholder, and service charges for additional/oversized/overweight baggage may apply. Applicable on flights that do not already offer a complimentary first checked bag. To access this benefit, the Primary Cardholder may be required to show their TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card to the Air Canada agent. Please allow two (2) weeks from receiving your Card for these Air Canada benefits to be activated. Air Canada Benefit Eligibility – Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge One-Time Guest Access Benefit : With the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card, the Primary Cardholder will receive four Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge^™ One-Time Guest Access Benefits once every calendar year (January 1 - December 31). The Primary Cardholder may access an Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge^™, where available, upon presentation of an active TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card with a valid, same-day boarding pass for travel using an Aeroplan Flight Reward, only, on flights operated by Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge or under the Air Canada Express banner. To access this benefit, the Primary Cardholder must redeem their Aeroplan Flight Reward (defined as Fixed Mileage Flight Rewards^® or Market Fare Flight Rewards^®) with miles from their Aeroplan account. Each Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge One-Time Guest Access Benefit applies for a single entry during the calendar year for which it was provided by the Primary Cardholder only and cannot be carried forward to the next calendar year. As of November 2, 2015, Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge One-Time Guest Access Benefits associated with the TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card may be used by a traveling companion, pending space availability, provided that the companion is booked on the same reservation as the eligible Primary Cardholder. Only applicable if the companion ticket is also redeemed using miles from the eligible Primary Cardholder’s Aeroplan account. Companion must be accompanied by the eligible Primary Cardholder who is using a One-Time Guest Access Benefit to access the same Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge. The One-Time Guest Access Benefit may be extended to more than one companion at any given time, pending space availability, provided that the conditions above are met and that this does not exceed the maximum annual allotment of One-Time Guest Access Benefits. Additional conditions may apply and are outlined on aircanada.com/tdbenefits. Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge access is subject to availability and all other terms and conditions located here that are subject to change at Air Canada’s sole discretion from time to time. Please allow two (2) weeks from receiving your Card for these Air Canada benefits to be in effect. Air Canada^® Benefit Eligibility – 50% Discount on Companion Ticket : Upon the purchase from Air Canada of two (2) eligible Business Class (Flexible) fares for the Primary Cardholder and a companion (booking classes J, C, and D only) on tickets entirely operated by Air Canada or under the Air Canada Express banner, the Primary Cardholder will be eligible for a 50% discount on the companion ticket. Flights operated by other airlines, including Air Canada-marketed codeshare flights are not eligible. The 50% discount only applies on the published fare, and will not apply to any additional taxes, fees, charges or surcharges. This offer is available once every calendar year (January 1 – December 31) to each Primary Cardholder. The Primary Cardholder can only access the 50% discount each year when booking online at aircanada.com using that year’s promotional code. All travel must be completed by December 31 of the following year. Offer also applies to select Premium rouge bookings, where booking classes J, C, or D are available, on flights operated by Air Canada rouge to select destinations in Canada, the United States, or the Caribbean. Should you require assistance completing your 50% discount during your online booking, please contact Air Canada at 1-888-247-2262. Offer is non-transferable, and the companion Business Class ticket must be booked on the same reservation as the eligible Business Class (Flexible) booking by the Primary Cardholder. Please note that promotional codes apply to undiscounted published fares. Some of our previously discounted fares, while not eligible for the promotion, may be lower than the final price of the undiscounted fare to which the promotion applies. 4 You must be an eligible Visa Infinite Privilege cardholder with a valid Visa Infinite Privilege Card to take advantage of the Visa Infinite Privilege benefits and services. Certain benefits and services require enrolment. Offers and benefits are non-transferable and discounts cannot be combined with any other offer or discount. Neither Visa nor the Issuer of the card is responsible for any claims or damages arising from use of any benefits or services provided by a third party. Visa reserves the right to modify or cancel offers or benefits at any time and without notice. All offers, benefits and services made available through Visa are subject to complete terms and conditions, including third party suppliers’ terms and conditions (available at www.visainfinite.ca/privilege/terms.jsp). The Visa Infinite Privilege privacy policy (available at www.visainfinite.ca/privilege/privacy.jsp) applies to all benefits and services that require enrolment through, or are otherwise provided by, the Visa Infinite Privilege Concierge or the Visa Infinite Privilege website. The collection, use and disclosure of cardholders’ personal information by third party suppliers of services and benefits to Visa Infinite Privilege cardholders are subject to such third parties’ own privacy policies. 5 1.5 Bonus Aeroplan Miles (“Bonus Rate”) are earned on each $1.00 in Purchases of gas, groceries or drugstore products/services charged to your TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Privilege Card Account (“Account”). This Bonus Rate is also earned on each $1.00 in Purchases from Air Canada charged to your Account for products and services completed online at aircanada.com, in-person at an Air Canada customer service counter at the airport or aboard an Air Canada flight. Excluded from the Bonus Rate are Air Canada Vacations packages, car rentals, hotel bookings, and other third party partner products and services that can be purchased through aircanada.com. Any returned items, refunds, rebates or other similar credits will reduce or cancel the Aeroplan Miles earned on the original Purchase. To earn this Bonus Rate, Purchases of gas, groceries, drugstore products/services and Air Canada Purchases must be made at merchants classified through the Visa* network with a Merchant Category Code (“MCC”) that identifies them in the “gas”, “grocery”, “drugstore” or “Air Canada” category. Some merchants may sell gas, groceries or drugstore products/services or Air Canada products/services, or have separate merchants located on their premises that also sell gas, groceries or drugstore products/services or Air Canada products/services, but may not be classified with a gas, grocery, drugstore or Air Canada MCC and such Purchases will not earn this Bonus Rate. If you have questions about the MCC that applies to a Purchase, contact TD at 1-800-983-8472. Bonus Rate is only available on the first $100,000 in net annual Purchases of gas, groceries, drugstore products/services and Air Canada Purchases made from January 1 to December 31 each year on your Account. Once the maximum net annual amount has been reached, Purchases of gas, groceries, drugstore products/services or Air Canada Purchases on the Account will not earn the Bonus Rate but will only earn Aeroplan Miles at the standard rate that applies to all other Purchases on the Account. This Bonus Rate offer is in place of, and not in addition to, the standard rate earned on all other Purchases made on your Account. Offer may be changed, withdrawn or extended at any time and cannot be combined with any other offer. 6 1.25 Aeroplan Miles are earned on each $1.00 in Purchases charged to your TD Aeroplan Credit Card Account (“Account”). Credit for returned items, refunds, rebates or other similar credits will reduce or cancel the Aeroplan Miles earned by the amount originally charged to your Account. Fees, Cash Advances (including Balance Transfers, Cash-Like Transactions and TD Visa Cheques), interest charges, optional services, refunds, rebates or other similar credits do not earn Aeroplan Miles. Please see the Aeroplan Terms for Your TD Credit Card section of the Cardholder Agreement for complete details on Aeroplan Miles earned on Purchases (a copy of your Cardholder Agreement is available at http://www.tdcanadatrust.com/tdvisa/agreements ). 7 The Toronto-Dominion Bank is not responsible for any Aeroplan Miles under this “earn miles twice” feature of the Aeroplan Program when the Aeroplan Membership Card is presented. See your Aeroplan Program for full details. Feature may be changed, withdrawn or extended at any time and cannot be combined with any other offer. For full details on hotel accommodation and car rental booked with Aeroplan Travel Services, please visit aeroplan.com. All trade-marks are the property of their respective owners. * Trademark of Visa Int., used under license. TM Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge is a trademark of Air Canada, used under license. ^® Air Canada, Air Canada Express, Air Canada Rouge and the Air Canada Maple Leaf logo are registered trademarks of Air Canada, used under license. ^® Air Canada is a registered trademark of Air Canada, used under license. ^® Fixed Mileage Flight Rewards and Market Fare Flight Rewards are registered trademarks of Aimia Canada Inc. Aeroplan^® and the Aeroplan logo are registered trademarks of Aeroplan Inc. The TD logo and other trade-marks are the property of The Toronto-Dominion Bank.

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^†Terms and conditions apply.

With the TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa* Infinite Privilege* Card, you can earn up to 100,000 Aeroplan points^† with a tiered welcome offer.

This card also offers premium travel benefits, including:

A partial rebate on NEXUS program application fees (up to $100 CAD per eligible cardholder) every 48 months^†
Unlimited access to Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounges^†, with complimentary access for one guest
6 complimentary visits per year to select international airport lounges through the Visa Airport Companion Program^† presented by DragonPass International Ltd.
First checked bag free for you and up to 8 travel companions on the same reservation when travel begins with an Air Canada flight^†

With the TD^® Aeroplan^® Visa* Infinite Privilege* Card, you earn:

Earn 2 points^† for every $1 spent on eligible purchases made direct through Air Canada^® purchases (including Air Canada Vacations^®)
1.5 points^† per dollar on eligible purchases of gas, electric vehicle charging, groceries, travel, public transit and dining
1.25 points^† per dollar on all other eligible purchases

Annual fee

Primary card$599

Additional card$199

Annual income required

Individual$150,000

Household$200,000

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

2xAir Canada flights
1.5xRestaurants
1.5xGroceries
1.5xTravel
1.5xTransit
1.5xGas & EV
1.25xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$2,334

2nd Year Value$461

Card benefits

Concierge service24/7

Airport lounge access$400

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $5,000,000 / 31 days

Travel medical (55-64)Up to $5,000,000 / 31 days

Travel medical (65+)Up to $5,000,000 / 4 days

Trip CancellationUp to $2,500

Trip InterruptionUp to $5,000

Delayed BaggageUp to $1,000

Lost BaggageUp to $2,500

Flight DelayUp to $1,000

Hotel BurglaryUp to $2,500

Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded

Extended Warranty+2 years

Mobile DeviceUp to $1,500 / 2 years

Auto Rental CollisionUp to $65,000 / 48 days

Accommodation

The cost of accommodation can be very expensive as most hotels in Berlin are fully booked during the week of the marathon. It is therefore important to book several months in advance if possible. With Marriott Bonvoy‘s Best Price Guarantee, you have nothing to lose.

The way to get the best value for your points is to book at least five nights, since the fifth night booked with points is free. For 2023, a five-night stay during the Berlin Marathon starts at 83,000 points :

Germany: Participate in the Berlin Marathon using points - Prix MB Berling septembre 2023

In 2022, I was able to book five nights for 79,500 points at the AC Hotel Berlin Humboldthain Park. The price per night during that period was 250 euros, so those five nights would have cost me 1,250 euros, or 1,800 CAD! So this is an excellent value per Marriott Bonvoy point according to our Milesopedia point rating.

You can even use your annual free night certificate and add a sixth night for a chance to see the city. Don’t forget to pay all your hotel expenses with your Marriott Bonvoy^MD American Express^MD* Card to earn 5 points per dollar spent.

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Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card

American Express Marriott Bonvoy

Annual fee: $120
Our valuation: $990Milesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$990Total$990Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.; Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$990Total$990Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer: Up to 110,000 points; Ends Sep 22, 2026

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on American Express's website

Apply with confidence — no impact on your credit scoreApply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).

The Marriott Bonvoy^® American Express^®* Card is the best credit card in Canada for free hotel nights.

New Cardmembers can earn up to 110,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® points with the current offer:

Earn 80,000 points after you spend $6,000 on your Card in your first 6 months of Cardmembership.
Plus, earn 30,000 points by making a purchase during your 15th month of Cardmembership.

This offer ends on September 22, 2026. The annual fee is $120, and there is no annual fee on Additional Cards, so you can add a partner or a family member at no extra cost.

Every year after your first Card anniversary, you receive an Annual Free Night Award good for a redemption of up to 35,000 points at eligible hotels and resorts worldwide. At a valuation of 0.9 cents per Marriott Bonvoy point, that certificate is worth roughly $315, which on its own more than covers the $120 annual fee. That is the main reason to keep this Card year after year instead of cancelling it.

To get the most out of the certificate, aim it at a night that would otherwise price close to the 35,000 point ceiling.

The Card also gives you 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year and automatic Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status. Those credits count toward the next Elite tier, so you begin every year 15 nights ahead of where you would otherwise start.

You move up to Gold Elite status automatically when you reach $30,000 in purchases on the Card in a year, or when you combine 10 qualifying paid nights within one calendar year with the 15 Elite Night Credits from your Card.

Marriott Bonvoy points are generally valued at 0.9 cents each. On that basis, the 110,000 point welcome offer is worth about $990, and an Annual Free Night Award used at its full 35,000 point ceiling is worth about $315.

Marriott Bonvoy points pull their weight on free nights rather than on gift cards or merchandise, which is why this Card should be judged on the hotel stays it produces.

You earn 5 points per dollar on eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels and 2 points per dollar on all other purchases. Points can be redeemed for free nights with no blackout dates at more than 7,000 hotels around the world.

The Card carries a solid package of coverages: $500,000 travel accident insurance, flight delay, baggage delay, lost or stolen baggage and hotel or motel burglary at $500 each, car rental theft and damage up to $85,000 for rentals of up to 48 days, Purchase Protection for 90 days and a one year Extended Warranty.

Two things to plan around: the 2.5% foreign transaction fee on purchases made in a foreign currency, and the 21.99% purchase interest rate, which makes this a Card to pay in full every month. Like all American Express Canada Cards, no minimum income is published for this Card, and you can see whether you would be approved before you apply, with no impact on your credit score.

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American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information, click the Apply Now link. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, we may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment.