Marriott Bonvoy Bright American Express Card: No Annual Fee Starting February 2027
The Marriott Bonvoy Bright American Express Card arrives on February 9, 2027, with no annual fee. On the same day, the personal card goes from $120 to $150, and both existing Marriott Amex cards come with Gold Elite status.
American Express Canada and Marriott Bonvoy will launch the Marriott Bonvoy Bright American Express Card on February 9, 2027, a no-annual-fee card with Silver Elite status. At the same time, the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card goes from $120 to $150 a year. Both existing Marriott cards also move up to Gold Elite status.
American Express and Marriott Bonvoy announced these changes on November 10, 2026 in an official press release. Here is what the new card offers, what changes on the other two American Express cards in Canada, and how to choose.
If you are looking for a card right now, see the welcome offers on Marriott Bonvoy American Express cards or our ranking of the best Marriott Bonvoy credit cards.
What changes on February 9, 2027
Starting February 9, 2027, you will have three Marriott Bonvoy American Express cards to choose from instead of two:
| Card | Annual fee | Elite status | Elite Night Credits | Annual Free Night Award |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marriott Bonvoy Bright (new) | $0 | Silver | 5 a year | None |
| Marriott Bonvoy personal card | $150 (instead of $120) | Gold (instead of Silver) | 15 a year | Up to 35,000 points, after $3,000 in purchases |
| Marriott Bonvoy Business card | $150 (unchanged) | Gold (instead of Silver) | 15 a year | Up to 35,000 points, after $3,000 in purchases |
The two existing cards will be refreshed on February 9, 2027, the day the Bright launches. American Express will then publish full details for all three cards, including the Bright's welcome offer, eligibility and terms. Until then, the personal card still comes with Silver Elite status.
The Marriott Bonvoy Bright card at a glance
The Bright gives you Marriott Bonvoy points and Elite status with no annual fee at all. Here is what American Express announced:
- Annual fee: $0
- Participating hotels in the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio: 3X points on eligible purchases
- Dining: 2X points on eligible purchases
- All other eligible purchases: 1.25X points
- Status: complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status
- Elite Night Credits: 5 a year
- Launch: February 9, 2027
The Bright's welcome offer has not been announced yet. The American Express announcement also does not include an Annual Free Night Award for this card.
What changes on the personal card
The Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card moves up to Gold status, but it costs more and tightens access to its free night:
- Gold Elite status included: it replaces Silver Elite status.
- Points: still 5X on eligible purchases at participating hotels and 2X on all other eligible purchases.
- Annual Free Night Award: still valid for up to 35,000 points, but only after $3,000 in total purchases.
- Elite Night Credits: still 15 a year.
- Annual fee: $150 instead of $120.
The new $3,000 condition for the free night
This is the least visible change in the announcement. Today, you receive the Annual Free Night Award on each card anniversary with no spending requirement. Once the cards are refreshed on February 9, 2027, you will get it after your anniversary only if you have charged $3,000 in total purchases to the card. American Express will publish the full terms, including how the $3,000 is calculated, at launch.
For most cardholders who use the card day to day, $3,000 a year works out to about $250 a month. However, if you mainly keep the card for the award without using it, you will need to rethink your strategy.
What changes on the Business card
The Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card keeps its $150 fee and moves up to Gold status. Here is what the announcement says:
- Gold Elite status included: it replaces Silver Elite status.
- Points: still 5X at participating hotels, 3X on eligible gas, dining and travel, and 2X on all other eligible purchases.
- Annual Free Night Award: up to 35,000 points, now after $3,000 in total purchases.
- Elite Night Credits: still 15 a year.
- Annual fee: unchanged at $150.
For a business, the $3,000 condition will rarely be an obstacle. That makes it the card that comes out of this announcement as the clearest winner.
Bright or the $150 card: the math
The Bright saves you $150 a year. The Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card pays that amount back if you use its Annual Free Night Award. Here are the two cards side by side, starting February 9, 2027:
| Feature | Bright (no fee) | Personal card ($150) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $0 | $150 |
| Participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels | 3 points per dollar | 5 points per dollar |
| Dining | 2 points per dollar | 2 points per dollar |
| Other purchases | 1.25 points per dollar | 2 points per dollar |
| Elite status | Silver | Gold |
| Elite Night Credits | 5 a year | 15 a year |
| Annual Free Night Award | None | Up to 35,000 points, after $3,000 in purchases |
We value the Marriott Bonvoy point at about 1¢. Here is what the annual award leaves you, used at its 35,000-point cap:
- Award value: about $350
- After a $150 annual fee: about $200 a year
- After the current $120 fee: about $230 a year
The award now requires $3,000 in purchases. So take a cardholder who charges $2,000 in Marriott stays and $3,000 in other purchases to the card in one year:
- Personal card: 10,000 points on stays, plus 6,000 points on other purchases, for 16,000 points
- Bright: 6,000 points on stays, plus 3,750 points on other purchases, for 9,750 points
- Difference in points: 6,250 points, or about $62
- Personal card's Annual Free Night Award: worth up to about $350, unlocked by those $3,000 in purchases
In this scenario, the personal card gives you about $410 in value for a $150 fee, plus Gold status. The Bright is still the better choice if you do not spend $3,000 a year on the card, or if you never use your award.
Gold Elite status, included automatically
Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status will be included with the personal card and with the Business card. According to the American Express announcement, it gives you:
- Bonus points: 25% more points on eligible stays
- Late checkout: up to 2 p.m., based on availability
- Room upgrades: Enhanced Room Upgrades, based on availability
Today, you get this status with the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card only if you meet one of these two conditions:
- charge $30,000 in purchases to the card in a year;
- combine 10 qualifying paid nights in one calendar year with the card's 15 Elite Night Credits.
If you do not reach these thresholds today, you will get a status that is currently out of reach, for $30 more a year. If you already earn Gold status through your stays, however, this change gives you nothing new.
The $150 fee: when it applies
You still pay $120 as long as your annual fee is billed before February 9, 2027. According to the American Express notice, the $150 fee applies if it is charged to your account on or after February 9, 2027:
- Fee billed before February 9, 2027: $120 for the year that begins
- Fee billed on or after February 9, 2027: $150
What counts is the date your fee is billed, not the date you apply. For the Marriott Bonvoy® Business American Express®* Card, the fee does not change: it stays at $150.
If you want a Marriott Bonvoy American Express card right now, here are the current welcome offers:
- Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card: up to 70,000 points. That is up to 60,000 points after $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months, then 10,000 points after $500 in purchases in month 13
- Marriott Bonvoy® Business American Express®* Card: up to 80,000 points. That is 70,000 points after $5,000 in purchases in the first 3 months, then 10,000 points after $1,000 in purchases in month 13
At 1¢ per point, including the 10,000 points in month 13, that is worth about $700 with the personal card and about $800 with the Business card.
You will find the details of the Business offer in our article on the Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card offer.
Our take
For us, the main gain in this announcement is automatic Gold Elite status. The $30 increase is modest next to an award worth about $350 when you use it well.
We hold both the personal and the Business card ourselves. We explain why we are keeping them despite these changes in our analysis of the Marriott Bonvoy American Express card changes.
We recommend keeping the fee card if you use your free night every year. The Bright will suit you better if you stay with Marriott a few nights a year and do not want to pay any fee. You still keep Silver Elite status and earn points on your stays. For the no-annual-fee Marriott Bonvoy card, wait for the welcome offer before you decide.
- Annual fee
- $120
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$600Total$600$100 deferred bonus, excluded from the first-year estimate and not counted in this total.Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
- $600
- Welcome offerAfter $3,000 in 3 months
- Up to 70,000 points
on American Express's website
Apply 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”).
To learn more, we suggest these articles:
- Best Marriott Bonvoy credit cards
- All American Express credit cards in Canada
- Marriott Bonvoy program: point value and status tiers
- Complete Marriott Bonvoy program guide
- Hilton Honors vs. Marriott Bonvoy American Express card comparison
To find out at launch which welcome offer will come with the Bright, sign up for our newsletter or create your free member account.