Marriott Credit Card Offers You Should Know About
If Marriott has been on your radar at all — whether you love staying at their properties, want to earn points toward free nights, or you have been eyeing a specific hotel for a future trip — there are three American Express Marriott Bonvoy cards I think every points-curious family should know about. Each one comes with a welcome offer, real perks, and a different best-fit traveler. Below is a look at all three, plus what makes Marriott Bonvoy points so valuable in the first place.
The Cards and Their Current Offers
There are three Marriott Bonvoy American Express cards I recommend, depending on how often you stay at Marriott properties and whether you have a qualifying business. Here is a look at all three:
Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card
Annual fee: $250 — See rates and fees.Welcome offer
Earn 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 6 months and an extra 50,000 bonus points after you make an additional $2,000 in purchases within the first 6 months.
Key perks
- Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy® Gold Elite status
- Earn 1 Free Night Award after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year (redemption level at or under 50,000 points)
- 15 Elite Night Credits per calendar year toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy® Elite status
- 1,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points per paid eligible stay booked directly with Marriott. Terms apply. See www.marriott.com/loyalty/terms/default.mi for more information.
- Free in-room premium internet at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® | No foreign transaction fees
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
Annual fee: $650 — See rates and fees.Welcome offer
Earn 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months and an extra 50,000 bonus points after you make an additional $2,000 in purchases within the first 6 months.
Key perks
- Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy® Platinum Elite status
- Annual Free Night Award after card renewal (redemption level at or under 85,000 points — can add up to 25,000 points to reach properties up to 110,000 points per night)
- Up to $300 in annual dining statement credits ($25 per month) for eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide
- Priority Pass™ Select membership with unlimited visits to 1,200+ airport lounges in 130+ countries
- $85 statement credit for TSA PreCheck® or $120 for Global Entry every 4 years
- Up to $100 property credit for qualifying charges at The Ritz-Carlton® or St. Regis® properties
- 25 Elite Night Credits per calendar year toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy® Elite status
- Earned Choice Award after spending $60,000 in a calendar year
- No foreign transaction fees. See rates and fees.
And if you have a qualifying business — even a small side hustle counts — there is a third offer you need to know about:
Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card
Annual fee: $125 — See rates and fees.Welcome offer
Limited Time Offer: Earn 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points and a $125 statement credit after you use your new Card to make $8,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 7/15/26.
Key perks
- Annual 35,000-point free night certificate after card anniversary
- Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status
- 15 elite night credits per year
- 6x points at Marriott Bonvoy hotels
- 4x points at U.S. restaurants worldwide, U.S. gas stations, wireless phone services, and shipping purchases
- 2x points on all other eligible purchases
- 7% discount on eligible Marriott bookings using Amex Business Card Rate
- No foreign transaction fees. See rates and fees.
- Additional 35,000-point free night certificate after $60,000 spend in a calendar year
A welcome offer of free night certificates is one of my favorite ways to earn fast Marriott value. If you are strategic about which properties you use them at, free night awards can stretch into real hotel value — sometimes the equivalent of a thousand dollars or more in stays — depending on the welcome offer in place when you apply.
Why We Love Marriott Bonvoy Points
Marriott Bonvoy points can be redeemed at nearly 9,000 properties worldwide — everything from budget-friendly Courtyards to Ritz-Carltons and St. Regis properties. That range is a big deal for families because you can use points on everyday trips AND bucket list stays depending on what you are saving up for.
There are two strategies in particular that I think every Marriott points collector should know about:
The 5th Night Free — and Why It Matters
Here is one of my favorite things about booking Marriott award stays: when you book 5 or more consecutive nights using Marriott Bonvoy points, the 5th night is completely free. No code, no special rate — it just applies automatically at booking. On a 5-night stay that is essentially a 20% discount on your points cost. And it repeats — book 10 nights and nights 5 and 10 are both free. If you tend to take longer trips, this benefit alone is a reason to hoard Marriott points.
Getting the Most Out of Your Free Night Certificates
All of these cards come with annual Free Night Award certificates, and knowing how to use them strategically makes a huge difference in the value you get. I put together a post with some suggested properties that offer the best bang for your 35k and 50k certificates.
Which Card Is Right for You?
If you are newer to Marriott or not sure you will stay at their properties more than a handful of times a year, start with the Bevy. The $250 annual fee is much easier to justify, and you still get complimentary Gold Elite status, 15 elite night credits toward your next status tier, and a path to a free night certificate after enough annual spend. It is a great way to dip a toe in without overcommitting.
If you are a more frequent Marriott traveler — or you want automatic Platinum Elite status, unlimited Priority Pass lounge access, and a free night every year with no spending threshold attached — the Brilliant earns its $650 annual fee if you actually use the benefits. The $300 dining credit alone brings the effective cost down to $350 before you even count the free night certificate, the Global Entry / TSA PreCheck credit, or the property credits at Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis.
If you have a qualifying business and you have been holding off on personal cards because of Chase’s 5/24 rule, the Bonvoy Business card is a great option. Most American Express business cards do not report to your personal credit, so this one can help you keep earning Marriott points and free night certificates without adding to your personal card count.
Whichever direction you choose, the card blocks above will always show the current welcome offer and the perks that come with each card. If you have questions about which makes the most sense for your family, I would love to help — leave a comment below or send me a message.
More on our families free travels!
Family vacations were a near impossibility for us not that long ago. But about 5 years ago we discovered credit card points and miles and now traveling several times a year is the norm for us! If you want to learn more about how our family travels for next to nothing, I would love for you to check out my Quick Start Guide to Traveling with Points and Miles. It is a hobby that has forever changed our lives and given us the opportunity to see the world!
