Card guide · Marriott Bonvoy points
Amex Marriott Bonvoy Bevy
Card guide overview
A mid-tier Marriott card with a spend-gated free night award—often the better $250 pick than Bountiful, but still squeezed by the $95 and premium Marriott cards.
Key card attributes
| Issuing bank | Reward currency | Currency type | Network | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Express | Marriott Bonvoy points | Hotel loyalty points | American Express | $250 |
Closest alternatives
- Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless
- Amex Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant
- Amex Hilton Honors Surpass
- Chase IHG Premier
- Chase World of Hyatt
At a glance
The card in three decisions.
The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy and Chase Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful are nearly identical—same $250 fee, same 6X/4X/2X earning structure, same 50K Free Night Award after $15K spend, same Gold status and same 15 elite night credits. The Bevy often has the better acquisition case because elevated welcome offers appear more often and Chase 5/24 does not apply. The Bountiful counters with broader Visa acceptance and a product-change path to the Chase Ritz-Carlton card after one year.
The $15,000 annual spend requirement for the free night is the catch. Like the Bountiful, this card sits in an awkward middle tier. The $95 Boundless offers nearly the same earning with a free night at a much lower fee, and the premium Brilliant delivers substantially more. No statement credits at all—0/5 coupon book, 1/5 keeper.
Best fit
Regular Marriott guests who want to stack elite nights toward Platinum
The 15 elite night credits and spend-gated free night can matter if Marriott stays already form a large part of your travel.
Current timing
Up to 135K is a split offer—reasonable if you can hit both spend tiers
$5K for 85K points, then another $2K for 50K more. The full $7K spend earns the advertised maximum.
Main watchout
$250 fee with zero credits and a weak keeper case
The 50K free night requires $15K in annual spend. Without that certificate, the $95 Boundless is the stronger value entry point.
Current & historical offer
Up to 135K is elevated, but 155K has been the tracked maximum.
We compare public points offers with public points offers. Referral, branch and targeted offers are outside this ladder. The Bevy typically uses a tiered spend structure rather than a single bonus amount.
Timing assessment
135K is elevated but 20K below the 155K tracked maximum.
The current split offer is strong—$7K total spend for up to 135K points is competitive. But if you can wait and history repeats, 155K has appeared before (July 2025) and could return during a future elevated window.
Why someone may still wait
Not every applicant needs a Marriott card at this fee level.
If you primarily want Marriott points and elite credits, make sure the $250 fee and the card’s thin benefit package make sense before chasing the bonus. The Boundless at $95 with a free night award is a lower-stakes entry point.
Card benefits
The free night award is the centerpiece; everything else is support.
The tiers are a Points Brief editorial assessment of decision importance and rarity among comparable mid-tier hotel cards—not labels supplied by American Express or Marriott.
Tier 1 · Rare differentiators
Benefits uncommon enough among hotel co-branded cards to influence the card decision.
Free Night Award after $15,000 annual spend
Every calendar year after spending $15,000 on the card, receive a Free Night Award valid for one night at a property with a redemption level up to 50,000 points. This is the benefit that makes the card worth considering.
- Award posts after reaching the $15,000 annual spend threshold.
- Valid at properties with redemption up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night.
- Certain hotels have resort fees. Award expires after one year.
Know the limits: $15,000/year is $1,250/month. You need to make this your primary card to unlock the free night. At 2X on non-bonus spend, you are earning only ~$210–$240 in Marriott points on that $15K—the free night is what makes it worthwhile.
Elite night credits toward status
Each calendar year, receive 15 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy Elite status. This stacks with nights earned from stays and other Marriott cards.
- Credits post each calendar year you hold the card. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy member account.
- Can be combined with a Marriott business card for up to 30 elite night credits from cards alone.
- Platinum status requires 50 nights—this card covers nearly a third of that.
Know the limits: This benefit is not exclusive to Amex cards. The Chase Marriott Boundless also offers 15 elite nights at a lower $95 annual fee. If you hold multiple Marriott cards, elite night credits from personal cards do not stack; only the higher amount applies.
Tier 2 · Strong, but available on some peers
Meaningful value with visible restrictions.
Gold Complimentary Gold Elite status
Automatic Marriott Gold Elite status with a 25% points bonus on stays, enhanced in-room internet and 2 p.m. late checkout when available.
Gold is entry-level elite. It does not include free breakfast or lounge access—those require Platinum. The Amex Platinum card also grants Gold status, making this redundant for Platinum cardholders.
1K Bonus points per paid stay
Earn 1,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points per eligible paid stay booked directly with Marriott at participating properties.
Must book directly—third-party bookings do not qualify. At ~0.7–0.8 cents per Marriott point, this is roughly $7–$8 per stay in incremental value. Terms apply.
Tier 3 · Expected card basics
Standard Amex protections and services.
No foreign transaction fees Travel baseline
No issuer foreign-transaction fee on purchases made abroad. Standard among travel and hotel cards at this level.
Purchase protection Amex standard
Eligible purchases covered for damage or theft within 90 days; up to $1,000 per occurrence / $50,000 per calendar year. Terms apply.
Extended warranty Amex standard
Extends eligible manufacturer warranties of 5 years or fewer by up to one additional year. Terms and exclusions apply.
Baggage insurance plan Amex standard
Coverage for eligible lost, damaged or stolen baggage on covered trips purchased with the card. Terms apply.
Global Assist Hotline Referral service
24/7 access to medical, legal, financial and travel emergency assistance coordination. Card members are responsible for third-party service costs.
Amex Offers Targeted
Card members can add targeted offers from select brands to earn extra rewards or statement credits. Enrollment required.
Comparison method: Mid-tier hotel co-branded cards including Chase Marriott Boundless ($95), Amex Hilton Surpass ($150), Chase IHG Premier ($99) and Chase World of Hyatt ($95); official public pages reviewed in July 2026. A public page’s silence is not proof that a competing benefit does not exist.
Earning rates
4X on dining and groceries is the highlight; 6X at Marriott is table stakes.
Rates shown are total Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar on eligible purchases. Merchant coding and Amex’s current terms control. Points earned from Marriott loyalty status stack on top of card earning for hotel stays.
Marriott Bonvoy hotels
At participating Marriott properties when booked directly. Stacks with up to 10X base Bonvoy points and a 2.5X Gold Elite bonus for up to 18.5X total. Third-party bookings do not qualify.
Restaurants worldwide
Includes takeout and delivery in the U.S. Counts toward the $15K combined restaurant + supermarket cap.
U.S. supermarkets
Counts toward the $15K combined cap with restaurants. Above the cap, both categories drop to 2X.
All other eligible purchases
Two points per dollar on purchases not eligible for a higher rate. Also applies to restaurant and supermarket spend above the $15K cap.
Value context: Marriott Bonvoy points are estimated at ~0.7–0.8 cents each toward hotel stays, though premium redemptions can exceed 1.0 cpp. At 4X on dining, that is roughly a 2.8–3.2% effective return—competitive with cash-back cards but locked to Marriott. Marriott points can transfer to airline partners, but generally at weak ratios.
Marriott Bonvoy program
The broadest global footprint among major hotel chains.
Marriott Bonvoy points are hotel-loyalty points rather than flexible bank points. They can be redeemed for free nights at 30+ brands across 8,500+ properties worldwide. Airline transfers are possible, but often at weaker value. Redemption value varies by property, date and room type under Marriott’s dynamic pricing.
Key benefit
5thnight free on award stays
Book four consecutive award nights and the fifth night is free.
This is a Marriott Bonvoy program benefit available when you redeem points for standard awards—including cardholders. It effectively boosts your points by 20% on longer stays. Elite Night Credits from this card stack with nights earned from stays toward Platinum status at 50 nights, which unlocks free breakfast, lounge access and 4 p.m. late checkout.
Gold Elite status perks
What complimentary Gold status gets you with this card.
- 25% points bonus on stays
- Enhanced in-room internet
- 2 p.m. late checkout (when available)
- Welcome gift of points
Popular Marriott brands
Properties where your points and elite status apply.
- The Ritz-Carlton
- St. Regis
- JW Marriott
- W Hotels
- Westin
- Sheraton
- Marriott
- Courtyard
- Fairfield Inn
Amex MR transfer option
Marriott is an Amex Membership Rewards transfer partner at 1:1.
- Transfer Amex MR → Marriott 1:1
- Useful for topping up for a specific award
- MR points are usually more valuable with airline partners
Where Marriott points work well
Redemption sweet spots to know about.
- Off-peak award dates
- 5th night free on award stays
- Cash + Points bookings
- Stay for 5, pay for 4
Sources and methodology
Sources for this page
- Last checked: July 20, 2026
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