Review: Marriott Fisherman’s Wharf – San Francisco | Marriott Bonvoy

The American Express Cobalt^® Card is the best credit card from American Express, whether you want points for travel or cash back.

American Express Cobalt^® Card welcome offer

The welcome bonus is paid out monthly over your first 12 months. You earn 1,250 Membership Rewards points for each monthly billing period in which you charge $750 in net purchases to your card, in any category (1X, 2X, 3X or 5X). That adds up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points over the year, a welcome offer we value at $255.

Earning the full bonus means $9,000 in net purchases spread across 12 monthly billing periods. This offer rewards steady monthly spending rather than one large purchase.

You can use these points as statement credits on everyday or travel purchases, at the same rate either way: 1,000 points = $10.

You can also transfer them to Aeroplan, Avios (British Airways and Qatar Airways), Flying Blue, Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors. With the full welcome bonus, that is a choice between:

• 15,000 Aeroplan points
• 15,000 Avios points
• 15,000 Flying Blue Miles
• 18,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

If hotel points are what you are after, our ultimate guide to Marriott Bonvoy and our complete map of Marriott Bonvoy hotels by category show what those points can actually buy.

American Express Cobalt^® Card benefits

Here is what the card gives you, starting with the benefits cardholders use most.

• 5X points on eligible eats and drinks in Canada: groceries, restaurants and bars, home food delivery and convenience stores. A spend cap applies.
• 3X points on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada.
• 2X points on eligible gas, public transit and ride sharing purchases in Canada.
• 1 additional point on eligible hotel and car rental bookings made through American Express Travel Online.
• 1X point per dollar on everything else, with no category restrictions.
• Points that hold the same value either way: 1,000 points = $10 as a statement credit, or a 1:1 transfer to several airline and hotel loyalty programs.
• No minimum income requirement, as with every American Express Canada card.
• Additional cards at no extra cost: the first and every other supplementary card is $0.
• The Hotel Collection: a room upgrade when available, 12pm check-in and late check-out when available, and up to $100 USD in hotel credit on amenities charged to the room for a stay of two or more consecutive nights, booked through American Express Travel.
• Front Of The Line^® presale and reserved tickets for concerts and theatre performances, plus offers and events curated for cardmembers through Amex Experiences.
• A soft credit check before you apply: you can see whether you will be approved with no impact to your credit score. This applies to American Express personal card applications.

To see how it compares with the rest of the line-up, read our round-up of the best credit cards from American Express in Canada.

The 5X categories and where they apply

The 5X rate is the reason most people carry this card. In Canada it covers four kinds of merchants:

• Groceries: Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, Safeway, Whole Foods.
• Restaurants and bars: sit-down meals, takeout and drinks.
• Home food delivery.
• Convenience stores: Couche-Tard, 7-Eleven.

The 2X rate covers gas stations such as Esso, Shell and Petro-Canada, along with public transit and ride sharing.

With the American Express Cobalt^® Card, you earn between 1 and 5 points per dollar:

That works out to a 1 to 5% return on those purchases. For example, if you spend $1,000 per month across groceries, restaurants and food delivery, you earn $50 back per month, or $600 per year from that category alone. Transfer the points to a program such as Aeroplan instead and the return can be higher.

You can also stack these categories with the hundreds of stores that offer 5x points.

American Express Cobalt^® Card insurance coverage

The card comes with a broad insurance package. The amounts below are the coverage limits; conditions, age limits and exclusions are set out in the certificate of insurance linked in the Insurance section above.

Travel insurance

• Emergency medical: up to $5,000,000 for the first 15 days of a trip.
• Travel accident: accidental death and dismemberment of up to $250,000 for you, your spouse and dependent children under age 23 when travelling on a common carrier (plane, train, bus or ship) and the tickets are charged to your card. Supplementary cardholders and their families are covered too.
• Flight delay: up to $500 for necessary hotel, meal and sundry expenses bought within 48 hours when you are delayed or denied boarding for four hours or more and no other transportation is available. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and delayed baggage coverage.
• Delayed baggage: up to $500 for essential clothing and sundries bought within four days when your outbound luggage is delayed six hours or more. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and flight delay coverage.
• Lost or stolen baggage: up to $500 per occurrence for all insured persons combined, for checked or carry-on baggage and personal effects in transit, when the airline tickets are charged to your card. Within that limit, jewellery is capped at $300 per occurrence and golf clubs, including golf bags, at $250 per occurrence.
• Hotel and motel burglary: up to $500 against the loss of most personal items if your hotel or motel is burglarized, when the stay is charged to your card.

Rental car insurance

Theft and damage coverage is included for a rental car with an MSRP, for its model year, of up to $85,000 excluding all taxes, for rentals of up to 48 days. To use it, decline the Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) or any similar option from the rental company and charge the full rental to your card. There is no cost for this coverage, and it replaces the daily insurance the rental company charges, usually $16 to $23 per day.

Mobile device insurance

Your device is covered for up to $1,000 per occurrence when it is charged to the card, for up to two years from the date of purchase. The payout is based on the depreciated value of the device, which falls by 2% of the purchase price for every completed month, less a 10% deductible. Theft and accidental damage coverage starts on the 91st day after purchase, because the first 90 days are covered by purchase protection.

Purchase protection and extended warranty

Eligible items charged to your card are insured against accidental physical damage or theft for 90 days from the purchase date, up to $1,000 per occurrence for all items combined. The card also extends the original manufacturer’s warranty by up to one additional year on eligible items, with indemnification limited to $10,000 per insured item and $25,000 per Cardmember per policy year for all items combined.

American Express Cobalt^® Card fees

• Card fee: $15.99 per month, which equals $191.88 per year, for residents outside Quebec. Quebec residents are billed $191.88 per year.
• Additional cards: $0.
• Purchase interest rate: 21.99%.
• Cash advance interest rate: 21.99%.
• Foreign transaction fee: 2.5%.
• Minimum income required: none.

Because the fee is billed monthly rather than in one annual charge, you can stop and restart the cost in step with how much you are actually using the card.

Earn a welcome bonus of up to 70,000 Membership Rewards^® points with the American Express^® Business Gold Rewards Card^®

• 50,000 Membership Rewards^® points after spending $7,500 in purchases within the first three months of Cardmembership.
• 20,000 additional points after spending $30,000 on your Card in your first 12 months of Cardmembership.

Plus, earn 10,000 bonus points in each calendar quarter when you spend $20,000 or more.

With this Card, you earn 1 Membership Rewards point per dollar on your purchases.

You can then use your points in many ways:

• Statement credit for travel purchases
• Statement credit for all purchases
• Transfer to partner programs (Aeroplan, British Airways Executive Club, Delta Skymiles, Flying Blue, Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, etc.).
• Book your flight with American Express Travel at a special rate

For example, with this welcome offer, if you decide to transfer your Membership Rewards points to a partner loyalty program, you would have the choice of earning up to:

• 70,000 points Aeroplan
• 70,000 Avios
• 70,000 Flying Blue Miles
• 84,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

Alternatively, 70,000 Membership Rewards points can also represent a value of $700 for travel or for any purchase charged to the Card.

Also, as a cardmember, you get many advantages such as up to 55 interest-free days to maximize your cash flow.

Finally, you are covered with reliable insurance for your travels and purchases.

Like all American Express Canada Cards, there is no minimum income requirement.

Earn up to 120,000 points with this welcome offer for the American Express Business Platinum Card:

• 80,000 Membership Rewards points for $15,000 net purchases within the first 3 months of membership
• 40,000 additional points if you make a purchase between the 15th and 17th month after enrollment

You can use your Membership Rewards points in many ways:

• Transfer your points to airline partners: Aeroplan Avios (British Airways, Qatar Airways, Finnair, Iberia), Flying Blue, Delta Skymiles, etc.
• Transfer your points to hotel programs (Hilton Honors, Marriott Bonvoy)
• Redeem your points for statement credits to offset any eligible purchase charged to your Card (1,000 points = $10)
• And more!

120,000 points have a minimum value of $1,200 for a Statement credit, and much more if you transfer your points to a partner.

For example, with this welcome offer, if you decide to transfer your Membership Rewards points to a partner loyalty program, you would have the choice of earning up to :

• 120,000 Aeroplan points
• 120,000 Avios
• 120,000 Flying Blue Miles
• 144,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

With this Card, you earn 1.25 Membership Rewards points per dollar on all purchases. What’s more, you’ll enjoy a host of travel and business benefits:

• Complimentary access for you and one additional guest to over 1,400 airport lounges in over 130 countries
• $200 Annual travel credit
• $100 Card Statement Credit for Nexus
• Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status
• Hilton Honors Gold Elite status
• Access to the Fine Hotels and Resorts program
• Up to $120 in eligible Wireless Credits each year

With this Card you can maximize your cash flow with up to 55 interest free days. It is a card that is particularly appreciated by contractors when making large purchases in home improvement stores, for example.

Last but not least, Business Platinum Card^® from American Express offers a wide range of insurance coverage: rental car theft and damage, $500,000 travel accident, emergency medical expenses (out-of-province or out-of-country), lost or stolen baggage, flight delays and misdirected baggage, hotel or motel burglary, Purchase Protection, Purchase Security.

Like all American Express Canada Cards, there is no minimum income requirement.