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Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card Canada Review 2024

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The Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card is one of the best credit cards for travellers in Canada. With it, you can quickly earn and redeem points for the Marriott Bonvoy rewards program. This gives you free hotel stays, flights, car rental bookings, and travel upgrades.

This credit card is easily one of the best travel credit cards in Canada, and it is also great for its sign-up bonuses.

This Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card Review covers the benefits, how to apply, how you can redeem points, and the alternatives to this card.

Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card – At a Glance

  • $120 annual fee
  • 20.99% interest rate on purchases
  • 21.99% on funds advances
  • Earn 5x points on eligible purchases at hotels with Marriott Bonvoy
  • Earn 2x the points on everything else
  • Get one free night each year at a hotel participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program
  • At participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, earn 5 points for every $1 spent plus Marriott Bonvoy points
  • Free Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status
  • Upgrade to Gold Elite status after you charge $30,000 to the card or stay 10 nights at a Marriott Bonvoy hotel during a year
  • Get 15 Elite Night credits each year

Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card

Rewards: Earn 5x the points on purchases at Marriott Bonvoy; 2x points everywhere else; 1 free night each year; Elite Night credits.

Welcome offer: NA

Interest rates: 20.99% on purchases and 21.99% on cash advances.

Annual fee: $120

Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card Benefits

The Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card Canada offers a welcome bonus to new cardholders.

A few other Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card benefits include the following.

Earn Points With Your Card

With this card, you’ll:

  • Earn 5 points for every $1 spent at participating hotels plus the points you earn from being a Marriott Bonvoy Member
  • Earn 2 points for every $1 spent on everything else
  • Automatically get free Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status. You’ll be upgraded to Gold Elite status after you charge $30,000 to the card or stay 10 nights at a Marriott Bonvoy hotel during a year

Perks of Being a Marriott Bonvoy Member

As a Marriott Bonvoy member, you can redeem points for free hotel stays with no date restrictions at over 30 hotel brands and 7,000 popular hotels.

You can also transfer your points to frequent flyer miles at various airlines.

Travel Insurance

Flight delay insurance – if delayed or denied boarding for 4 hours or more, you can receive up to $500 in coverage for all expenses related to accommodation, dining, and sundry items purchased within 48 hours.

Baggage delay insurance â€“ if your outbound trip or checked-in baggage is delayed for 6 hours or more, you can get up to $500 in coverage for all emergency purchases for essential items within four days of arrival at your destination.

Hotel burglary insurance â€“ if your accommodation is burglarized, you can get up to $500 in coverage against the loss of most personal items.

Stolen or lost baggage insurance â€“ for checked-in or carry-on baggage and personal items, you will be covered for up to $500 for loss or damage.

Travel accident insurance â€“ get up to $500,000 of Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance when you fully charge your tickets to your Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card.

Car rental theft and damage insurance â€“ for car rentals of 48 days or less, you can be covered for up to $85,000 for theft, loss, and damage of the rental car.

Emergency assistance â€“ eligible cardholders get access to worldwide emergency medical assistance services and legal referrals.

American Express Experiences and Events

With American Express, you get access to Front Of The Line Presale tickets and Reserved tickets to concerts, theatre productions, restaurants, and special events.

Get various special events and offers, such as advance movie screenings and theatre packages, as well as special access to food festivals, curated events, private shopping experiences, and exclusive online offers.

Shopping Coverage

Buyer’s Assurance Protection Plan â€“ When charging eligible items to your Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card, your coverage can automatically extend the manufacturer’s original warranty up to one year.

Purchase Protection Plan â€“ You will be insured for eligible items for 90 days from the date of the purchase if accidental damage or theft occurs (up to $1000).

Downsides of the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card

The Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card has a high missed payment interest rate. If you miss any payments, your purchase interest rate will increase from 20.99% to 24.99%, and funds advances will increase from 21.99% to 26.99%.

Also, the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card only allows you to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and use them at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program.

If you do not stay at these hotels or travel frequently, this card may not be for you.

How To Apply for the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card Canad

To apply for this card, you must:

  • Be the age of majority in your province or territory
  • Be a Canadian resident
  • Have a Canadian credit file

The credit score requirement is 660+, which means you should have good standing credit for approval.

Marriott Bonvoy Rewards Program and How To Redeem Points

You can easily redeem your Marriott Bonvoy points online.

With the Marriott Bonvoy Rewards Program, you can redeem points on free hotel nights, flights, car rentals, and travel upgrades.

You also have the option to share your points with other members, donate them, or redeem them for gift cards.

Alternatives to the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card

A few alternatives to the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Credit Card include the following.

Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card vs Scotiabank Gold American Express Card

The Scotiabank Gold American Express Card has an annual fee of $120, with each supplementary card costing $29.

The interest rate is 19.99% on purchases and 22.99% on cash advances, with a minimum credit limit of $5,000.

You earn:

  • 5x Scene+ points for every $1 spent on eligible food and drinks, restaurants, grocery store, and entertainment purchases.
  • 3x Scene+ points for every $1 spent on eligible daily transit, gas, and streaming subscription services.
  • 1x Scene+ point on everything else.

You also save 2.5% on all foreign transaction fees.

You can view a full review for the Scotiabank Gold American Express Card here.

Scotiabank Gold American Express

Rewards: Earn 5x Scene+ points/$1 on restaurants, food delivery, and grocery (up to 6x at some stores); 3x points/$1 in gas & travel; 1x points/$1 everything else.

Welcome offer: Get up to 40,000 points ($400 value).

Interest rates: 20.99% on purchases; 22.99% on cash advances.

Annual fee: $120

Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card vs The American Express Platinum Card

The American Express Platinum Card is a credit card with no pre-set spending limit. It has a $799 annual fee, with a $250 annual fee for additional Platinum cards and a $0 to $50 annual fee for additional Gold cards.

You earn 2 points for every $1 spent on eligible dining and food delivery in Canada, 2 points per $1 spent on travel, and 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.

You get 1 additional Membership Rewards point for every $1 spent on hotel or car rental bookings with American Express Travel.

Learn more about its comprehensive travel insurance benefits and perks in this detailed review.

Mariott Bonvoy Amex

Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card vs American Express Cobalt Card

The AMEX Cobalt Card has a monthly fee of $12.99 with no cost for additional cards.

The interest rate is 20.99% on purchases and 21.99% on funds advances.

You earn:

  • 5 points for every $1 spent at eligible restaurants, cafes, bars, and food delivery in Canada
  • 3 points for every $1 spent on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada
  • 2 points for every $1 spent on eligible travel, transit, and gas purchases in Canada
  • 1 point for every $1 spent on everything else

You can redeem your points towards any card purchases, flights through the Fixed Points Travel Program, Amazon.ca purchases, and gift cards and merchandise on membershiprewards.ca.

American Express Cobalt Card

Rewards: Earn 5x pts per $1 spent on food & drinks; 3x pts on streaming subscriptions; 2x pts on travel; 1x pts everywhere else.

Welcome offer: Get up to 15,000 bonus points in the first year.

Interest rates: 20.99% on purchases and 21.99% on cash advances.

Annual fee: $155.88

Is the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card For You?

If you travel frequently and stay at Marriott Bonvoy hotels, this card may be for you. Since it is an official Marriott co-branded credit card, this is the fastest way to earn Marriott Bonvoy points.

You’ll be earning 5 points for every $1 spent with the card, which is quite high compared to other credit cards.

You are also quickly upgraded to Gold Elite status, allowing you to get free hotel nights.  

The low annual fee for this Marriott credit card is worth it if you are a frequent traveller and loyal Marriott Bonvoy customer. It is one of the best credit cards for travel.

Related:

Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card review
Overall
4.3

Summary

The Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card is one of the best travel credit cards in Canada. This Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card review covers how it works, pros, cons, and alternatives.

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Author

Gravatar for Enoch Omololu, MSc (Econ)
Enoch Omololu, MSc (Econ)

Enoch Omololu, personal finance expert, author, and founder of Savvy New Canadians, has written about money matters for over 10 years. Enoch has an MSc (Econ) degree in Finance and Investment Management from the University of Aberdeen Business School and has completed the Canadian Securities Course. His expertise has been highlighted in major publications like Forbes, Globe and Mail, Business Insider, CBC News, Toronto Star, Financial Post, CTV News, TD Direct Investing, Canadian Securities Exchange, and many others. Enoch is passionate about helping others win with their finances and recently created a practical investing course for beginners. You can read his full author bio.

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