Business and Personal Credit Cards: 6 Combinations, Priced Out
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If you run a business, keep 2 or 3 cards per person: a business card, a personal card and a card with no foreign transaction fees. The Marriott Bonvoy® Business American Express® Card anchors several of our combinations. For a couple, 5 well-assigned cards bring in $2,874 a year after annual fees, in the scenario detailed below.
Pairing a business and personal credit card starts with bookkeeping: company expenses stay on the company card. After that, each card adds its own perks, and that is where combinations start paying off. A second Marriott card gives you a second free night, and the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + Card saves you 2.5% on every purchase in a foreign currency.
We priced out 6 combinations, from 2 cards for a self-employed professional to 5 cards for a couple where one or both partners run a business. For each one, you get the annual fees, the points earned and the net gain over a full year.
What two Marriott cards give you
Two Marriott Bonvoy American Express cards give you two free nights a year, one per card. The personal card costs $120 a year and the Business card $150. After your anniversary date, each one gives you a night at a participating hotel worth up to 35,000 points.
For one person, the pair adds up like this:
- Annual fees for both cards: $270
- Free nights: 2 a year, worth up to 35,000 points each
- Break-even point: each night must be worth more than $135
- Elite Night Credits: 15 a year at most, even with two cards
Keep that last point in mind. American Express spells it out in the Marriott Bonvoy Business card terms: you get a maximum of 15 Elite Night Credits per calendar year. The rule applies even if you hold several Marriott Bonvoy cards, personal or small business. The second card therefore adds a night, not status.
On the other hand, the Business card gives you one extra perk: Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status once you charge $30,000 in purchases to the card in a year. It also earns 3 points per dollar on gas and dining in Canada and on travel, compared with 2 points on the personal Marriott Bonvoy® American Express® Card. Our Marriott Bonvoy program page details what those points are worth.
Where a couple's points come together
You can pool a couple's points for a single trip, but the pooling happens in the destination program, not at American Express. That rule shapes every combination that follows.
Here is what each program allows:
- American Express Membership Rewards: the program terms state that cards can no longer be linked. A transfer to a partner program must go to an account in your own name. You therefore transfer your points to your own account, at 1:1 to Aeroplan or 5:6 to Marriott Bonvoy.
- Marriott Bonvoy: transfers between members are free, up to 100,000 points sent per calendar year and 6 transactions at most. Elite Night Credits cannot be transferred.
- Aeroplan: Aeroplan Family Sharing brings 2 to 8 family members into one shared balance, with no fees, for personal use only.
- Scene+: according to Scotiabank, you can transfer points between the primary cardholder, a co-borrower and a supplementary cardholder. You just need to contact Scene+.
Our advice: choose the program where you want to pool your points first, then pick the cards. Our tutorial on how to transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to another member walks you through the online steps.
Our calculation assumptions
To compare the combinations on the same basis, we used a realistic annual spending profile for a small business and its household. You can swap in your own numbers: the logic stays the same.
- Business: $30,000 a year, including $6,000 on gas and dining in Canada and on travel
- Single-person household: $12,000 on groceries and dining, $2,400 on gas, $9,600 in other purchases and $4,000 in purchases abroad
- Couple's household: $15,000 on groceries and dining, $3,600 on gas, $14,400 in other purchases and $6,000 in purchases abroad
- Point values: 1¢ for Marriott Bonvoy and Scene+, 1.7¢ for Membership Rewards, 2¢ for Aeroplan
- Free night: $350, or 35,000 points at 1¢, if you use it on a night at that price
Our numbers cover a full year, without welcome bonuses. In the first year, those bonuses come on top of each combination's net gain.
Solo with a business: 2 or 3 cards
On your own, 2 cards already make your business spending pay, and a third card lifts the gain by almost 60%. In both cases, the business card is used for business expenses only.
The basic pair: $1,210 net
You pair the Marriott Bonvoy Business card with the Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite + Card, which charges no foreign transaction fees.
- Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card: 66,000 points, or $660, plus a $350 free night
- Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + Card, household spending: 40,000 Scene+ points, or $400
- Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + Card, foreign transaction fees avoided: $100 on $4,000 spent abroad
- Annual fees: $300
- Net gain: $1,210 a year
Scotiabank permanently waives the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + Card annual fee if you hold an Ultimate Package chequing account. In that case, the net gain rises to $1,360, but the package has its own monthly fee.
The trio: $1,923 net with the Cobalt
Add the American Express Cobalt® Card, and you give each card a single job. The Cobalt earns 5 points per dollar at restaurants, stand-alone grocery stores and food delivery services in Canada, up to $2,500 in purchases a month. It also takes gas at 2 points and the rest of the household spending.
- Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card: $1,010, as in the pair
- American Express Cobalt Card: 74,400 Membership Rewards points, or $1,265
- Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + Card, abroad only: $140, points and avoided fees included
- Annual fees: $491.88
- Net gain: $1,923 a year
Two benchmarks help you decide:
- What the American Express Cobalt Card adds: $713 more in net gain, for $191.88 in fees
- Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + Card break-even: on its own, it pays for itself above $4,286 in purchases abroad per year
Below that threshold, its 6 free airport lounge visits, or the fee waiver with the Ultimate Package, tip the balance.
As a couple: 4 combinations up to 5 cards
As a couple, you double the perks that are personal: the free night, the 15 Elite Night Credits and the welcome bonus. Each partner should therefore hold their cards as a primary cardholder. The Membership Rewards terms specify that a supplementary card earns points in the primary cardholder's account, not in the account of the person who uses it.
We kept two limits in every combination: 3 cards at most per person and 5 in total for the couple. In the examples, person A runs the business and person B is their partner.
Marriott hotels: $2,874 net
This is the most rewarding combination if you stay in hotels, because it gives you 3 free nights a year.
- Person A: Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card, Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card and Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + Card
- Person B: Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card and American Express Cobalt Card
- Annual fees: $731.88
B's Cobalt takes the household's groceries, dining and gas, and the two personal Marriott cards share the other purchases at 2 points per dollar.
- Marriott Bonvoy points: 94,800, or $948
- Three free nights: $1,050
- American Express Cobalt Card Membership Rewards points: 82,200, or $1,397
- Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + Card, purchases abroad: $210
- Net gain: $2,874 a year
For a longer stay, B can send their Marriott points to A, up to 100,000 points a year. B can also transfer their Membership Rewards points to their own Marriott Bonvoy account before sending them.
Aeroplan flights: $2,062 net
If you mostly fly Air Canada, you pool everything in Aeroplan with 4 cards.
- Person A: American Express® Business Gold Rewards Card® and Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + Card
- Person B: American Express Cobalt Card and TD® Aeroplan® Visa Infinite Card
- Annual fees: $679.88
Each person transfers their Membership Rewards points to their own Aeroplan account, then Family Sharing pools the balances.
- Membership Rewards points from both American Express cards: 112,200, transferred as Aeroplan points
- TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card, other household purchases: 14,400 Aeroplan points
- Total Aeroplan: 126,600 points, or $2,532
- Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + Card, purchases abroad: $210
- Net gain: $2,062 a year
The TD Aeroplan card also gives you a perk left out of our numbers: a free first checked bag. It covers the cardholder and up to 8 companions on the same booking, on flights operated by Air Canada.
As for the Business Gold Rewards Card, its quarterly bonus depends on your business volume:
- Bonus: 10,000 points for each quarter in which you charge $20,000 in purchases
- Our scenario: $30,000 a year, below that threshold
- At $20,000 every quarter, or $80,000 a year: 40,000 extra points
Without American Express: $791 net
This combination suits you if your suppliers don't take American Express or if you want a single bank. It takes 3 cards, all with no foreign transaction fees.
- Person A: Scotiabank Passport® Visa Infinite Business Card and Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + Card
- Person B: supplementary card on A's Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + Card, free for the first supplementary card
- Annual fees: $349
The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Business Card earns 1.5 Scene+ points per dollar on business purchases.
- Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Business Card: 45,000 Scene+ points
- Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + Card, household spending: 54,000 Scene+ points
- Point value and foreign transaction fees avoided: $1,140
- Net gain: $791 a year, plus 12 free airport lounge visits
Your household charges $39,000 to the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + Card here, very close to the threshold that triggers the annual bonus of 10,000 Scene+ points.
If your business prefers Mastercard, the BMO® Ascend World Elite® Business Mastercard® is an alternative at $175 a year.
Two business owners: $3,504 net
When you each run a business, each of you can hold your own Marriott Bonvoy Business card.
- Person A: Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card, Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card and Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + Card
- Person B: Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card and American Express Cobalt Card
- Annual fees: $761.88
Business spending doubles here, to $30,000 per person, which explains part of the gap.
- Marriott Bonvoy points: 160,800, or $1,608
- Three free nights: $1,050
- American Express Cobalt Card Membership Rewards points: 82,200, or $1,397
- Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + Card, purchases abroad: $210
- Net gain: $3,504 a year
We kept the Cobalt rather than a second personal Marriott card. On the household's $15,000 in groceries and dining, here is what each card brings you:
- American Express Cobalt Card: $1,275 in Membership Rewards points
- Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card: $300 in Marriott points
- Difference: $975, far more than the value of a free night
Summary of the 6 combinations
The table below lets you compare all 6 combinations at a glance, annual fees and net gain included.
| Combination | Cards | Annual fees | Estimated value | Net gain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solo, basic pair | 2 | $300.00 | $1,510 | $1,210 |
| Solo, trio with the Cobalt | 3 | $491.88 | $2,415 | $1,923 |
| Couple, Marriott hotels | 5 | $731.88 | $3,605 | $2,874 |
| Couple, Aeroplan flights | 4 | $679.88 | $2,742 | $2,062 |
| Couple, without American Express | 2 + 1 supplementary | $349.00 | $1,140 | $791 |
| Two business owners | 5 | $761.88 | $4,265 | $3,504 |
Four rules to keep your combination profitable
These four habits protect the net gain of every combination.
- One expense, one card: business purchases stay on the business card. Our tax guide to points for businesses explains why.
- Always carry a Visa or Mastercard: American Express isn't accepted everywhere, especially abroad. The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + Card covers that case.
- One application per partner: American Express excludes current and former holders of the same card from the welcome bonus. Each partner therefore earns their own bonus as a primary cardholder.
- Space out your applications: our article on points and credit cards for couples explains how to pace your applications as a team.
Our verdict by profile
The way you travel is enough to choose your combination.
- You often stay in hotels: the Marriott hotels combination, with its 3 free nights
- You mostly fly Air Canada: the Aeroplan flights combination, with a free checked bag for both of you
- You want simplicity: the combination without American Express, 3 cards and a single program
- You each run a business: one Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card per person
| Credit card | Annual fee | Welcome offer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| $150 | |||
| $191.88 | |||
| $150 | |||
| $0 |
To compare these cards with the whole market, see our ranking of the best credit cards and our comparison of American Express business cards.
To keep up with new business card offers, create your free member account: you get access to member-only offers and you choose your newsletters.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you hold the personal Marriott Bonvoy card and the Business card at the same time?
Yes. You then get two free nights a year, one per card, each worth up to 35,000 points. However, the 15 Elite Night Credits do not add up: American Express grants them at most once per calendar year, no matter how many Marriott Bonvoy cards you hold.
Can you combine Membership Rewards points from a business card and a personal card?
Not anymore. The Membership Rewards terms state that cards can no longer be linked. You can still transfer the points from each account to your own Aeroplan or Marriott Bonvoy account, where they end up together.
Can my partner send me their Marriott Bonvoy points?
Yes, for free. Marriott Bonvoy lets you send up to 100,000 points per calendar year to another member, in 6 transactions at most. Both accounts must have been open for at least 30 days with qualifying activity, or 90 days without activity.
How can a couple pool their Aeroplan points?
With Aeroplan Family Sharing. It brings up to 8 family members into one shared balance, with no transfer fees, and each person keeps their own account. Pooled points are for personal use, not for the company's business travel.
How many credit cards does a couple need when one partner runs a business?
In our calculations, 4 or 5 cards bring in the most: between $2,062 and $3,504 net a year. Beyond 3 cards per person, each extra card adds fees for categories already covered. Give each card one clear job.
Is a business card enough for travelling abroad?
It works abroad, but a Visa with no foreign transaction fees saves you 2.5% on every purchase in a foreign currency. Both Marriott Bonvoy American Express cards charge that 2.5%, and American Express isn't accepted everywhere. The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + Card therefore completes the combination.
Is the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite + Card worth its fee for one or two trips a year?
On its own, it pays for itself above about $4,286 in purchases abroad per year, counting the 2.5% you avoid and 1 Scene+ point per dollar. Below that threshold, its 6 free airport lounge visits make the difference. Scotiabank also waives its fee with the Ultimate Package.
Is a supplementary card enough for my partner?
It is enough if you only want to combine spending in one account. A supplementary card earns points in the primary cardholder's account, with no separate welcome bonus and no separate free night. To get those perks, each partner must be a primary cardholder.
