Marriott Bonvoy American Express Cards: Earn up to 80,000 Points with the Welcome Offer
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Marriott Bonvoy Cards – Canada’s Best Credit Cards for Travellers
Marriott Bonvoy credit cards are the best credit cards in Canada for travelers.
With these cards, you earn Marriott Bonvoy points and advantages for your stays at the group’s 8,000+ hotels worldwide (and over 250 in Canada).
With these welcome offers, you could earn up to 70,000 bonus points with the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card and up to 80,000 points with the Marriott Bonvoy® Business American Express®* Card.
| Credit card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $120 | |||
| $150 |
And if you’re wondering: yes, you can take out both credit cards and get both welcome bonuses (provided you meet the required conditions).
To learn how to apply for an American Express business credit card, check out this article.
Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card
The Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card is the best credit card for free hotel nights.
With this welcome offer, you can earn up to 70,000 Marriott Bonvoy points:
- Earn up to 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 on your Card in your first 3 months of Cardmembership.
- Plus, earn 10,000 points after you spend $500 on your Card in your 13th month of Cardmembership.
This is a card we recommend keeping, because every year on renewal you get an Annual Free Night Award worth 35,000 points, plus 15 Elite Night Credits per year that count toward your Marriott Bonvoy status.
With this Card, you earn 5 points per dollar on all your spending at Marriott Bonvoy properties and 2 points per dollar on all your purchases.
Finally, this Card comes with extensive insurance coverage: baggage delay, lost or stolen baggage, $500,000 travel accident, flight delay, hotel/motel burglary, car rental theft and damage, Buyer’s Assurance Protection Plan and Purchase Protection Plan.
Like all American Express Canada Cards, no minimum income is required.
- Annual fee
- $120
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$600Total$600Plus $100 of bonus paid after the first year, 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
Apply Now
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”).
For personal purchases, you can also compare this card with Hilton’s option. Our Marriott Bonvoy versus Hilton Honors American Express comparison explains both Canadian cards’ welcome offers, fees, and annual benefits.
Marriott Bonvoy® Business American Express®* Card
The Marriott Bonvoy® Business American Express®* Card is the best credit card for self-employed workers, professionals and small business owners who travel.
With this welcome offer, you can earn up to 80,000 Marriott Bonvoy points:
- Earn 70,000 points after you spend $5,000 on your Card in your first 3 months of Cardmembership.
- Plus, earn 10,000 points when you spend $1,000 on your Card in your 13th month of Cardmembership.
This is a card we recommend keeping, because every year on renewal you get an Annual Free Night Award worth 35,000 points, plus 15 Elite Night Credits per year that count toward your Marriott Bonvoy status.
With this Card, you earn 5 points per dollar on all your spending at Marriott Bonvoy properties, and you can earn 3 points per dollar on:
- Gas
- Dining
- Travel
And 2 points per dollar on all other purchases.
Like all American Express Canada Cards, no minimum income is required.
- Annual fee
- $150
- Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$700Total$700Plus $100 of bonus paid after the first year, 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.
- $700
- Welcome offerAfter $5,000 in 3 months
- Up to 80,000 points
Apply Now
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”).
Benefits of Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards
Both Marriott Bonvoy credit cards share common benefits:
- 2 points per dollar on all your purchases
- 5 points per dollar on purchases made at Marriott Bonvoy properties
- 15 Elite nights per year, counting towards your Marriott Bonvoy Elite status
- 1 annual one-night free certificate worth 35,000 points (upon renewal of cardmembership)
- Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status
- Insurance for travel and your purchases
The version for self-employed workers, professionals or small business owners, the Marriott Bonvoy® Business American Express®* Card stands out by allowing you to earn 3 points per dollar:
- Gas
- Dining
- Travel
I hold both of these credit cards myself and keep them year after year so that I can benefit from the Annual Free Night Award which easily offsets the cost of the annual fee.
How to Use Marriott Bonvoy points
Free Hotel Nights
Marriott Bonvoy points allow you to stay in one of the group’s 8,000 hotels in over 130 countries! And there are options for all budgets!
Browse our ultimate guide to the program and our map of Marriott Bonvoy hotels worldwide.
Aeroplan points or Flying Blue Miles
If you don’t want to use your Marriott Bonvoy points for free hotel nights, you can transfer them to one of the many airline partner programs.
For example, 120,000 Marriott Bonvoy points can be transferred to 50,000 Aeroplan points or 50,000 Flying Blue Miles! Enough to get you a round-trip flight to certain destinations in Europe.
Expiration of points
Marriott Bonvoy points do not expire as long as you maintain activity in the Marriott Bonvoy account within 24 months. An activity can be:
- Purchases with Marriott Bonvoy credit cards
- Transfer points from one account to another
- Redeeming points for a free hotel night
- Earning points with a stay
- etc.
Get this offer as a couple or with a friend
You can transfer up to 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy points free of charge from one account to another each year. If you are a couple or travelling with a buddy, it is very worthwhile for each of you to apply for these Marriott Bonvoy credit cards.
You can then transfer your points to the account of the member who will make the reservation for free hotel nights. Why is this relevant? For several reasons:
- Top up a points balance already available on one of the Marriott Bonvoy accounts
- Get the benefit of the 5th night free for 4 nights booked with points
- Enjoy the perks of the highest Elite status on the other Marriott Bonvoy account
- Gift points to a Marriott Bonvoy member if you are not part of the trip (useful for parents / children / students)
For example, two partners or friends could earn up to 300,000 points by each signing up for two Marriott Bonvoy credit cards and meeting the conditions for full welcome bonuses! You can get many free hotel nights and lighten your travel budget!
Conclusion
These two credit cards are perfect if you want to earn Marriott Bonvoy points for free hotel nights. By combining both welcome bonuses, you can earn up to 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, enough to cover several nights at the group’s hotels.
| Credit card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $120 | |||
| $150 |
Frequently Asked Questions about Marriott Bonvoy welcome offers
Here are frequently asked questions in the milesopedia community about this card.
What is the welcome bonus for the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express® Card?
The current offer comes in two tiers:
- 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points after spending $3,000 in your first 3 months
- 10,000 points after spending $500 in your 13th month
Total: 70,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. At a valuation of 0.9 cents per point, the welcome bonus is worth about $630 in hotel nights.
How does the Business version of the Marriott Bonvoy card work?
The Marriott Bonvoy® Business American Express®* Card offers a higher welcome bonus, with a higher spending requirement:
- 70,000 points after spending $5,000 in your first 3 months
- 10,000 points after spending $1,000 in your 13th month
Total: 80,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. The earn rate is also higher: 5 points/$ at Marriott, 3 points/$ on gas, restaurants, and travel, 2 points/$ elsewhere. For a self-employed worker or an SME that travels 5+ times a year, it’s clearly more profitable than the personal version.
What are the ongoing benefits of this card beyond the bonus?
The ongoing benefits that remain valid after the bonus:
- Free night certificate each year upon renewal (35,000 points = $200+)
- 15 Elite nights credited automatically, granting Silver Elite status
- 5th night free on award bookings of 4 nights with points
- Multiple travel and purchase insurance coverages included
The free night certificate is usually enough to offset the $120 annual fee, especially if you redeem it at a Category 6 or 7 hotel.
Should you combine the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express® with a Membership Rewards card?
Yes, and it’s even the recommended strategy. Membership Rewards points (earned on the Cobalt® or the American Express Gold) transfer to Marriott Bonvoy at a 1:1.2 ratio. Combined with 5x at Marriott and 5x on groceries/restaurants via the Cobalt®, you’ll earn faster than through any direct path. That’s how many milesopedia members rack up 200,000 to 300,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per year without ever paying for points even once.