55,000 Bonvoy points 
$368 First-year value The Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card is the go-to credit card in Canada for those who stay at Marriott hotels.
This card consistently provides excellent value for its annual fee year after year in the form of a Free Night Award upon cardholder anniversary.
Bonuses & Fees
The Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card offers up to 55,000 Marriott Bonvoy points as welcome bonus, distributed as follows:
- Earn 55,000 Bonvoy points upon spending $3,000 in the first three months
The card has an annual fee of $120, which isn’t rebated as part of the current offer.
You can refer friends and family from the Marriott Bonvoy Card to the same card or the Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card, earning a referral bonus of 10,000 Marriott Bonvoy points each time, up to a maximum of 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy points in a calendar year.
Finally, supplementary cards are free; as with all American Express cards, you’re allowed up to nine supplementary cards per card account.
Earning Rewards
In terms of the return on everyday spending, you’ll earn 5 Bonvoy points per dollar spent at all Marriott hotels, including room charges, food and beverages, and incidentals. You’ll earn 2 Bonvoy points per dollar spent on all other purchases.
Earning 2 Marriott points on your purchases is fine if you’re primarily looking to use your Marriott points on hotel stays; however, if you’re interested in transferring to airlines like Aeroplan, then it’d be a better idea to put the charges on the American Express Platinum Card.
Redeeming Rewards
As one of the only major hotel brands to offer a co-branded credit card in Canada, the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card makes Marriott the preferred brand of choice for most Canadians when booking hotels around the world.
All Marriott hotels are priced dynamically, depending on the season, and even the day of the week. That being said, there are some general ranges you can expect hotels to price at:
- Low-end hotels: 5,000 points – 15,000 points per night
- Mid-tier hotels: 20,000 points – 80,000 points per night
- High-end hotels: 80,000+ points per night
Keep in mind that the “tier” the hotel falls into is also highly dependent on the market it’s in, so you can expect the Fairfield Inn and Suites near Disneyland, California to price at mid-tier levels even though it’s a limited service brand.
With the 55,000 points you earn as a sign-up bonus, you can stay for 5+ nights at low-end hotels, or a night or two at mid-tier hotels.
Marriott’s “Stay 5, Pay for 4” policy makes one of the nights free on redemption bookings, further sweetening the deal with booking hotels on points.
Perks & Benefits
The Marriott Bonvoy co-branded cards also offer unique benefits to make your stays at Marriott hotels more memorable.
Cardholders are rewarded with 15 elite qualifying nights within the program, which gives you instant Silver Elite status and can go a long way towards helping you qualify for higher status tiers. Note that the elite qualifying nights from the Business Bonvoy Card and the Personal Bonvoy Card don’t stack.
Moreover, cardholders can also enjoy an anniversary Free Night Award worth up to 35,000 points on every card anniversary date, which, if redeemed wisely, can easily outweigh the card’s $120 annual fee.
Insurance Coverage
The insurance provided by the Amex Bonvoy Card is decently far-reaching, and includes coverage such as:
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Travel accident insurance, up to $500,000, for you, your spouse, and any dependent children under 23
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Baggage delay insurance, up to $1,000 (aggregate total with Flight Delay insurance), for items purchased within four days when your baggage is delayed
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Car rental theft and damage insurance, which helps you save the daily insurance fee that most car rental companies charge for vehicles with an MSRP of up to $85,000
Additionally, the card also offers Purchase Security and Extended Warranty Protection, covering most eligible items you’ve purchased with your card should they be stolen or damaged within 90 days of purchase, as well as an extended one-year warranty period compared to the manufacturer’s warranty.
The chart does not seem to be updated and show a proper offer as of June 2024. FYI.
Hello,
Are the 15 elite qualifying nights added immediately after activation for the first time or only after 1 yr anniversary date
You should see it within 1-2 months, no need to wait for a year
Thanks Ricky. I am a new member here and I just applied for this card using your link and was also approved. Thanks again.
Is the below reference to six months an error? Should it be three months?
“5x points on eats and drinks for the first six months, up to 10,000 Bonvoy points”
Just used referral link and was approved!
Thanks for this. Love your content!
Ryan
I love the historical chart feature! Can you please update it, seems like the current spend is $3000 with 55,000 bonus points?
Done.
Hey Ricky, my husband currently has the Amex Business Platinum and it’s been almost 12 months so he’s received all his welcome MR points. Is he eligible to gain these Marriott Bonvoy welcome points or does he need to wait 6 months before applying?
He’s eligible now, one card doesn’t affect the other.
Thanks Ricky! I got the card myself and I’m about to refer him. What happens if I put my Marriott Bonvoy account number again for his application. I know there isn’t a “family sharing” option with Marriott Bonvoy, so I’m wondering if we’ll be flagged or denied the points if they see welcome points going twice to the same account.
Thanks for all the great info. I have Gold elite status currently. If I get this card would the 15 status points get added on for some higher benefit? Is this a lifetime status even if you cancel your credit card in the future?
Omg the american non-business version of the card is US$450!!! am i missing something?
There’s a US$300 Marriott credit that you can use at any Marriott hotel every year, so the effective annual fee is only US$150.
While I don’t mind using the referral link, I see it publicly now, even using Chrome and Ad-block. Just googled it and clicked on their “Ad”.
Yes, the public offers have now gone live. We’ve updated the article to reflect this.
Hi! I was wondering if you book through the Marriott Bonvoy app/Site, do you get 5 points per dollar spent on the card plus 10 points per 1 US dollar spent on the site itself? Cause if so, it’s a great deal!!
I have 2 certificated for the free night worth 35K each from 2019 & 2020 and when I contacted Marriott to convert them into points instead they said it wasn’t possible. Is this correct?
Can’t convert anniversay free nights into points. Have to use them on stays unfortunately.
Is the sign up bonus 60,000 or 65,000 Marriott Bonvoy points upon spending the $3,000?
65K bonus currently. 60K is just the ideal chunk if you’re transferring the points to airlines.
Do the annual 15 elite qualifying nights count towards the lifetime elite status?
Thanks!
Yes they do!
I last got the SPG Starwood card in Feb 2019 and did no get the points because I may have churned one too many. If I apply for the Bonvoy card now, would I get the Bonvoy points?
Ymmv, since you held the card in the past. The Bonvoy card is still considered the same as the former SPG card.
Hi i have American Express Marriott Bonvoy Card and i just got the Marriott Bonvoy points. Now after watching your youtube on the 5 best credit card for beginners. I am thinking to cancel this card and apply for American express gold reward card. My question is .. if I cancel this card, will i lose my Marriott Bonvoy points? Thank you!
Your Bonvoy points won’t expire unless your account has no activity for 2 years.
Instead of cancelling the card, consider keeping it for the annual free night certificate. If the hotel night would cost more than the $120 card annual fee, you’re coming out ahead. You don’t need to use the card for anything else, and you can put your spending on a different card if you prefer.
Do I click on the apply now under the picture of the card? I want you to get the referral points since you have been so helpful with all of the educational videos and articles. Also, is there any fee waiver or credit promotion?
That’s the link for 51,000 points upon $3,000 spend if you want to support us. However, right now there’s also a $100 cash back offer through Great Canadian Rebates; the bonus is only 50,000 points but the spend is lower at $1,500 in the first three months. It’s up to you which offer to go for!
I love watching your videos and reading your blogs! If I apply for the AMEX Business Platinum first, that will give me “Marriott Gold Status”. Can I then apply for the AMEX Marriott Bonvoy and use the 15 qualifying elite nights to get me closer to Platinum Status?
Nope, because the Gold status you get from the Platinum Card is merely a status bump and doesn’t actually earn you any elite qualifying nights.
You’ll want to consult this article for ways to fast-track your way to Platinum: https://wp.princeoftravel.com/blog/how-to-finesse-your-way-to-marriott-platinum-elite
Hi Ricky, first time poster but have learned a ton from both your blog and youtube videos. I have so may questions I want to throw at you, but to keep it simple, for the first post I want to verify that the public link listed above is your referral link so you get the referral bonus?Personally I can’t justify an additional $1500 spend for 1000 additional points. Especially since I won’t use this card for anything other than when I am staying at a Marriott hotel.