American Express Marriott Bonvoy Business Credit Card Review 2024

If you’re looking for a credit card to boost your Marriott travel experience, you should consider the Marriott Bonvoy Business Credit Card. While some travelers spend thousands of dollars each year to earn hotel elite status, this card grants automatic Gold Elite status. You can easily make up for the card’s $125 annual fee by using the Free Award Night that you’ll receive each year after your card renewal month (valid for hotel stays up to 35,000 points a night; certain hotels have resort fees).

Frequent Marriott travelers seeking further elite status with the brand also have a good reason to get both a personal and a business Marriott credit card. Marriott Bonvoy members can combine Elite Night credits from both an eligible personal and a business credit card, for a total of up to 40 Elite Nights each year.

It’s worth noting that the card has an advertised 7% room rate discount feature when paying with the card directly with Marriott through eligible channels (terms apply). Although any discounts off a room rate are a welcome addition to any cobranded hotel card, when compared against the price of the flexible member rate, it may not always work out to be a full 7% cheaper. And those who have an AAA membership may find their rates are even less than the discount advertised to cardholders.

• Earn three Free Night Awards after spending $6,000 in purchases within the first six months of account opening.
• Earn 6 points per dollar on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program, 4 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping and 2 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
• Receive a 7% Marriott Bonvoy® Room Rate Discount when you book direct and pay with your card (terms apply).
• Get a Marriott Free Night Award each year after your card renewal month; valued at up to 35,000 points.
• Earn another Free Night Award by making $60,000 in eligible purchases in a calendar year.
• Complimentary Marriott Gold Elite status
• 15 Elite Night credits to jumpstart your path toward higher elite status levels
• $125 annual fee

This card offers a generous welcome bonus: three Free Night Awards after spending $6,000 in purchases within the first six months of account opening.

Plus, you’ll earn rewards on everyday spending: Earn 6 points per dollar on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program, 4 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping and 2 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases.

In addition to the Free Night Award that comes with the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card each year, you can earn an additional Free Night Award after you spend $60,000 in purchases on your card in a calendar year. Both of these Free Night Awards can be redeemed for a hotel night costing 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points or less⁠.

The card comes with Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status just for being a cardmember. However, you have to reach Platinum Elite status with Marriott Bonvoy for sizable benefits such as suite upgrade possibilities and free breakfast or lounge access.

Redeeming Rewards

Marriott no longer publishes an award chart. Instead, hotel rewards are priced dynamically. Just like cash rates, reward prices fluctuate based on the dates of your stay and how far in advance you book. Typically, you should expect hotels with high cash rates to also require a large sum of points. On the other hand, lower-priced hotels and off-season dates can help you find low-priced awards.

When searching on the Marriott website, prices are clearly displayed. Being flexible on the exact property you stay at within a city and being flexible on dates are two great ways to help find the best redemption options within your budget.

Bonvoy members get a free night on award bookings of at least five consecutive nights, helping you stretch your points even further. Members also have the option of booking nights with a combination of cash and points or using points to upgrade a paid or award reservation to an upgraded room or suite.

Marriott points can also be transferred to dozens of airlines. The transfer ratio for most airlines is 3 Marriott points to 1 airline mile. This transfer option makes Marriott points great for topping off airline mileage accounts when you just need a few more miles for an award. It’s also the only way to transfer points into some valuable programs, such as JAL Mileage Bank and Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan.

Most redemption options are going to get you at least 0.5 cents of value per Marriott Bonvoy point. But, you also have the option of getting around 0.4 cents per point through Instant Redemption and Marriott’s Cruise With Points programs. Use these redemptions sparingly. Forbes Advisor values Bonvoy points at 0.7 cents each, making these poor options.

Rewards Potential

The Marriott Bonvoy Business Card earns 6 points per dollar on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program, 4 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping and 2 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases. So, the number of points your small business will earn is directly tied to your spending in these categories.

For consumer credit cards, Forbes Advisor uses data from various government agencies to determine baseline income and spending averages across various categories. The 70th percentile of wage-earning households brings in $116,000 annually and has $36,177 in annual expenses that can reasonably be charged to credit cards. An average household spends $2,015 on hotels, $3,856 at restaurants, $2,479 on gas and $1,583 on cellphone services.

Let’s assume that a small business would have a similar spending pattern. However, we will add $50 per month in shipping services and a total of $1,000 in additional spending per month for an additional $18,000 per year. That’s a total of $27,93 in annual spending.

Assuming all hotel spending was spent at a Marriott property, you’d earn 12,090 Marriott points. You’d earn another 34,072 points if the combined $8,518 in restaurant, gas, cellphone services and shipping spending were made at eligible merchants. That leaves $8,244 in non-bonus spending⁠—which would earn 16,488 points for a combined total of 62,650 points.

• Free night awards: Get a free night at a Marriott property costing 35,000 points or less every year after your card renewal month. This can be topped off with up to 15,000 additional Marriott points. Plus, earn another Free Night Award after you spend $60,000 in a calendar year.
• Room discounts: Cardholders can receive a 7% discount on standard rooms when booking in advance and paying with your qualifying Marriott credit card. Rates will appear automatically when you are logged into your Marriott Bonvoy account during the booking process.
• Complimentary Marriott Gold Elite status: Get 25% bonus points and late checkout subject to availability on Marriott stays through the complimentary elite status that comes with this card.
• Elite Night credits: Cardholders get 15 Elite Night credits to help you toward higher elite status levels.
• Car rental loss and damage insurance: When you pay with your card, you’ll get secondary damage insurance on rental cars in eligible countries.¹
• Baggage insurance plan: Covers lost, damaged or stolen baggage, up to $1,250 for carry-on and up to $500 on eligible checked bags.²
• Extended warranty: Manufacturer’s warranties of five years or less will be extended up to one additional year on eligible purchases.³
• Purchase protection: Amex’s purchase protection covers eligible new purchases made with your card from damage, loss or theft for up to 90 days for up to $1,000 per item and $50,000 per year.⁴
• Amex Offers: Earn cash back on purchases after enrolling in targeted offers.
• No foreign transaction fees

Interest Rates

• Regular APR: 20.99% - 29.99% Variable
• Purchase intro APR: N/A
• Balance transfer intro APR: N/A

Fees

• Annual fee: $125
• Balance transfer fee: N/A
• Foreign purchase transaction fee: None

Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card vs. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Small businesses that are looking for a general travel rewards credit card should consider the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card. What this card lacks in Marriott-specific benefits, it makes up for in earning power.

This card is currently offering a welcome bonus: Earn 100,000 points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Then, you’ll earn 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.

Chase Ultimate Rewards® points transfer to multiple airlines and hotels—including Marriott. You can also redeem points for paid airfare, hotels or other travel through the Chase Travel Portal at a rate of 1.25 cents per point. That gives Ink Business Preferred cardholders a wide variety of redemption options.

Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card vs. The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

Small businesses looking for a hotel card that don’t have a preference for Marriott, should also consider The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card. This card offers a slightly higher $195 annual fee (Terms apply. See rates & fees) than the Marriott Bonvoy Business.

With the Hilton card, you’ll earn 12 Hilton Honors Bonus Points per dollar on eligible purchases at participating hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio and 5 Hilton Honors Bonus Points per dollar spent on the first $100,000 in purchases each calendar year, 3 points thereafter.

The Hilton Honors Business comes with mid-tier Hilton Gold status—which grants 80% bonus points on stays, room upgrades, and a daily food and beverage credit at participating hotels. The Marriott Gold Elite status that comes with the Marriott Bonvoy Business is weaker, only granting 25% bonus points and late checkout subject to availability.

Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card vs. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card*

It’s worth comparing the Marriott Bonvoy Business with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card* — a consumer credit card issued by Chase. Like the Bonvoy Business, the Boundless offers a welcome bonus, a Free Night Award, and 15 Elite Night credits, though you get Silver rather than Gold Elite status. However, you’ll only pay $95 each year for the Boundless vs. $125 for the Bonvoy Business. It earns 6 points per dollar at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, 3 points per dollar spent each year (up to $6,000) on combined grocery stores, gas stations and dining purchases and 2 points per dollar on all other purchases

While the two cards have a lot of similar benefits, there’s an argument for Marriott loyalists to get both cards. That’s because Marriott recently changed its terms to allow for combined Elite Night credits from both a personal card and a business card. That means by having both the Bonvoy Business and the Bonvoy Boundless cards, you’ll start each year with 30 Elite Night credits. You’d get complimentary Gold status from the Bonvoy Business and be just 20 elite nights from the very-rewarding Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status.

Between an annual Free Night Award, complimentary elite status, a boost toward higher elite status and a solid welcome offer, the Marriott Bonvoy Business makes sense for small business owners that can stay loyal to Marriott.

If you aren’t willing to be Marriott exclusive, it’s worth comparing the Marriott Bonvoy Business card’s benefits with cards like the Ink Business Preferred or the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card.

Forbes Advisor considers a variety of criteria when assigning credit cards a rating. Cards are graded based on numerous factors including:

• Annual fees
• Welcome bonus offers
• Ongoing earning rates
• Value of individual points or miles
• Included travel or merchant credits
• Additional cardholder benefits

Card features we expect cardholders to use the most often are weighted more heavily in our ratings. Altogether, the factors came together to provide a star rating for each individual card.

Read more: How Forbes Advisor Rates Credit Cards

To view rates and fees of Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, please visit this page.
To view rates and fees of The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, please visit this page.
¹Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
²Baggage Insurance Plan coverage can be in effect for Eligible Persons for eligible lost, damaged, or stolen Baggage during their travel on a Common Carrier (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus) when the entire fare for a Common Carrier Vehicle ticket for the trip (one-way or round-trip) is charged to an eligible Account. Coverage can be provided for up to $1,250 for carry-on Baggage and up to $500 for checked Baggage, in excess of coverage provided by the Common Carrier (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus). For New York State residents, there is a $10,000 aggregate maximum limit for all Covered Persons per Covered Trip. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
³When an American Express® Card Member charges a Covered Purchase to an Eligible Card, Extended Warranty§ can provide up to one extra year added to the Original Manufacturer’s Warranty. Applies to warranties of five (5) years or less. Coverage is up to the actual amount charged to your Card for the item up to a maximum of $10,000; not to exceed $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
⁴When an American Express® Card Member charges a Covered Purchase with their Eligible Card, Purchase Protection can help protect their Covered Purchases for up to 90 days from the Covered Purchase date if it is stolen or accidentally damaged. The coverage is limited up to $1,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.