Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card Overview
The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card offers mid-range perks, including automatic Gold Elite status, solid points at Marriott hotels, and elite night credits, but it lacks some benefits you’d expect from a card with a $250 annual fee (see Rates & FeesS). Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐
*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
Marriott offers new cardholders six co-branded cards with annual fees ranging from $0 to $650 per year. Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card is in the middle, with an annual fee of $250 (see Prices and FeesS).
The card lacks a feature we’ve come to expect from hotel credit cards: a free night each year on your account anniversary. So you may be wondering if the card offers enough benefits to make the annual fee worth it year after year.
It’s worth noting that the recommended credit score for this card is 670 or higher, and that like the rest of the Bonvoy lineup, it has some application limitations. But if you’re eligible, let’s dig deeper to decide if the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card deserves a spot in your wallet.
Advantages and disadvantages of Bonvoy Bevy Amex
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Bonvoy Bevy Amex Welcome Offer
The Bonvoy Bevy Amex is currently offering 155,000 bonus points when you spend $5,000 on eligible purchases with your card during the first six months of card membership. Offer ends October 2.
Based on TPG’s valuation of Marriott points in August 2024 at 0.85 cents each, the 155,000 points are worth $1,318. This is nearly the best deal we’ve ever seen for the card, and it’s worth considering if you’ve had your eye on it for a while.
Keep in mind that Amex has restrictions that limit your ability to receive a new customer bonus if you have had similar Marriott products from Chase or previous Starwood Preferred Guest cards from American Express. Check the card’s offer details page to make sure you are eligible.
Related: The best time to apply for these Amex cards based on offer history
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Bonvoy Bevy Amex Benefits
Where the Bonvoy Bevy Amex stands out above all because of the discounts offered:
- Marriott Gold Elite Status: Primary cardholders receive free Marriott Gold status for as long as they have the card. TPG values Marriott’s Gold status at $805 per year. At Marriott Bonvoy’s mid-level, the most valuable Gold status benefits are upgrades to better rooms and a 25% points bonus on hotel spending (available on qualifying rates). Typically, we’ve seen the ability to buy your way up to higher elite status levels on many hotel credit cards, but that’s noticeably absent from the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card. This elite status benefit requires advance enrollment.
- Annual free nights when spending: Cardholders who make at least $15,000 in eligible purchases during the calendar year can earn a free night worth up to 50,000 points at participating hotels (though some hotels charge mandatory resort fees). That’s more valuable than the free night certificates that come with lower-end Marriott cards, which cap out at 35,000 points. Some of the best uses for the 50,000-point free night certificate include luxury hotels like the Ritz-Carlton, Macau and the St. Regis Langkawi, where room rates regularly top $500 per night—though Marriott’s dynamic pricing may affect the ability to book some of these hotels during peak travel periods. Some other Bonvoy cards offer free night certificates with no spend, like the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card.
*Eligibility and benefits vary by card. Terms, conditions, and restrictions apply. For more information, visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide. Policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG company.
**Eligibility and benefits vary by card. Terms, conditions, and restrictions apply. For more information, visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
***Eligibility and benefits vary by card. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered and geographic restrictions apply. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. For more information, visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Insurance coverage is offered by American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
While these perks have some value, it’s disappointing that there isn’t an automatic free night and other premium perks like Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee reimbursement every year on the anniversary of card account opening.
Related: Is the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy worth the annual fee?
Collect points at Bonvoy Bevy Amex
The Bonvoy Swarm Amex’s earning rates look familiar, but they differ slightly from other Marriott credit cards, such as the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex and Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card.
Cardholders earn 6 Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program, 4 points per dollar on the first $15,000 per year on total purchases at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (then 2 points per dollar after that limit is reached), and 2 points per dollar on other eligible purchases.
TPG’s valuations peg Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.85 cents each, meaning your return on your spending is 5.1% (purchases that earn 6 points per dollar), 3.4% (purchases that earn 4 points per dollar), or 1.7% (other purchases that earn 2 points per dollar).
Related: 17 Ways to Earn Lots of Marriott Bonvoy Points
Redeem points at Bonvoy Bevy Amex
There are many lucrative ways to redeem your Marriott Bonvoy points. The most obvious and valuable redemption is free stays. With the ability to book more than 8,000 properties from 30 brands in nearly 140 countries, you have plenty to choose from.
In addition to hotel stays, you can also transfer your Bonvoy points to partner airlines, use them for flights, rental cars and cruises, or redeem them for merchandise and gift cards. However, these options will likely be well below TPG’s valuation of Marriott points in August 2024, which is 0.85 cents per point, so we recommend using your points for Bonvoy stays whenever possible.
Katie Genter, a senior points and miles writer at TPG, makes the most of her Marriott points by redeeming them for stays in increments of five to take full advantage of Marriott’s “stay five, pay for four” offer. Occasionally, she considers transferring points to one of Marriott’s partner airlines, but she usually prefers to save her points for stays.
Related: Maximize redemptions with the Marriott Bonvoy program
Transferring Points to Bonvoy Bevy Amex
You can also transfer your Bonvoy points to more than 35 partner airlines, but this is rarely profitable unless you need to top up your account balance for flight redemptions.
You may also want to consider this option if you want access to frequent flyer points or miles from an airline that doesn’t work with any of the major U.S. credit card issuers.
Related: When does it make sense to transfer Marriott points to airlines?
Which cards compete with the Bonvoy Bevy Amex?
If you want more or different hotel benefits, one of these cards may be a better fit:
For more options, check out our full list of the best hotel cards.
Related: Which Marriott Bonvoy Credit Card is Right for You?
Hilton Aspire Card information was collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been verified or provided by the card issuer.
Conclusion
It is easy to see how cardholders benefit from the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Amex in the first year thanks to the valuable welcome offer. But given the earning structure and benefits available to cardholders, it may be hard to justify keeping this card in your wallet for the second year (and beyond) — especially when other Marriott cards offer similar benefits at lower annual fees.
Apply here: Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card
Related: How to choose a hotel credit card
Click here to view Amex Marriott Bonvoy Bevy rates and fees.
Click here to view Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex rates and fees.
Click here to view Hilton Aspire Card rates and fees.
