Here’s a question I get asked a lot that I think deserves a post: Which credit card should you use to pay when staying at a Marriott hotel? Should you use a Marriott co-branded credit card, or is another credit card with reward points better for travel? Let’s take a closer look, because my answer goes against my usual evaluation of points.
Which credit card you can use for Marriott stays
I’ve written about the best credit cards for hotel stays in the past, but more specifically to Marriott, which credit card should you use to pay for all your Marriott expenses? Let’s take a look at the different approaches you can take.
First, let me acknowledge that we all value point currencies differently, so you should apply your own valuation to the math. My analysis below is based on my own valuation of various point currencies.
I also want to stress that the credit card you use does not affect your ability to earn elite qualifying nights, use elite perks, and earn the standard points you can earn with the Marriott Bonvoy program. The credit card rewards offered when paying for your Marriott hotel stay are incremental.
The added value of a co-branded credit card from Marriott
Marriott has co-branded credit cards in the U.S. issued by both American Express and Chase. All of these annual fee credit cards have the same rewards structure for Marriott spending, offering 6x Bonvoy points on all eligible Marriott spending.
These include cards like the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card (Review), Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card (Review), and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (Review), to name a few. Personally, I value Bonvoy points at 0.7 cents per point, so for me, these cards offer an additional 4.2% return on that spend.
I think it’s worth mentioning that with the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card, in addition to the rewards you normally receive, you’ll earn 1,000 Bonvoy bonus points per Marriott stay when you pay with the card.
Technically, this would be the best co-branded card for Marriott spending since you earn 6x points plus 1,000 bonus points per stay. That being said, I would otherwise consider this one of the less compelling Marriott cards in terms of overall value proposition.
The best non-Marriott credit card
I generally recommend doing most of your spending on cards that offer transferable points currencies, as these offer the most flexible rewards and also have excellent bonus categories.
Today, there are several cards that allow you to earn 3x transferable points on hotel spend, including products like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Review), Citi Strata Premier℠ Card (Review), etc. I personally value the points value of these cards at 1.7 cents each, so for me, these cards offer a 5.1% return on spending at Marriott hotels since you earn 3x points.
The card I use for spending at Marriott hotels
Here’s where it gets interesting. I have my opinion on various points currencies and own many of the cards listed above. Based on my opinion on these points currencies, you might think that I would be more likely to use a transferable points credit card than a Marriott credit card for my Marriott spending.
However, I generally don’t, despite the fact that I rate the return on a non-Marriott card higher than the return on a Marriott card. Instead, I typically use the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card for my Marriott spending.
Why do I choose to earn 6x Marriott Bonvoy points (which I value at a 4.2% return) rather than 3x Chase Ultimate Rewards points (which I value at a 5.1% return)? Well, that leads to a consideration that is difficult to factor into my evaluation of points. I’m talking about the ease with which one can earn points in different currencies.
I can earn transferable points in all sorts of ways, including with my everyday spending. However, there aren’t many ways to efficiently earn Marriott Bonvoy points aside from staying at Marriott properties. Even though I’m not a huge Marriott fan, I always get a lot back when redeeming Marriott Bonvoy points, especially at luxury properties.
As I often mention when sharing my points strategy, there are benefits to collecting points that are harder to earn, even if they aren’t necessarily the points currency that is worth the most to you. This is one of those cases, at least for me.
Conclusion
Everyone has their own credit card strategy and sometimes it can be difficult to decide which card is best for a particular spending category. In the case of Marriott, I think the decision of which credit card to use is particularly complex.
You can use a card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, which offers 3x Ultimate Rewards points, which I estimate to be a 5.1% return. Or you can use a card like the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, which offers 6x Bonvoy points, which I estimate to be a 4.2% return.
So, while I value the return on a non-Marriott card more, I still use a Marriott credit card for my spending at Marriott properties because it’s much harder to earn points. Others will no doubt feel differently, but hopefully this is a useful explanation for why I don’t necessarily objectively maximize the value of this spending category.
Which credit card do you use for spending at Marriott hotels?
