Joe McConnell
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 earned at Marriott properties, and elite night credits. However, it lacks several perks you might expect from a card with a $250 annual fee (see rates and feesS). Card Rating*: ⭐⭐⭐
*Card ratings are based on the opinion of TPG editors and are not influenced by the card issuer.
Marriott has six co-branded cards available to new cardholders, with annual fees ranging from $0 to $650 per year. Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card It sits in the middle, with an annual fee of $250 (see rates and feesS).
The card lacks one feature we’ve come to expect from hotel credit cards—a free night each year on the anniversary of account opening—which may raise questions about whether it offers enough ongoing benefits to justify paying the annual fee year after year.
It’s worth noting that the recommended credit score for this card is 670 or higher, and that it has some application restrictions like the rest of the Bonvoy lineup. But if you qualify, let’s dig deeper to decide whether the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card deserves a spot in your wallet.
Pros and Cons of Bonvoy Bevy Amex
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Bonvoy Bevy Amex Welcome Offer
THE Amex Gift Card currently offers 155,000 bonus points after using your card to spend $5,000 in eligible purchases in the first six months of card membership. Offer ends October 2.
Based on TPG’s August 2024 valuation of Marriott points at 0.85 cents each, the 155,000 points are worth $1,318. That’s close to 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.
Please note that Amex has restrictions that limit your ability to claim a new member bonus if you have held similar Marriott products from Chase or previous Starwood Preferred Guest cards from American Express. Check the card offer details page to ensure you are eligible.
Related: The Best Time to Claim These Amex Cards Based on Offer History
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Benefits Bonvoy Bevy Amex
Where the Amex Gift Card What stands out most is the advantages it offers:
- Marriott Gold Elite Status: Primary cardholders receive complimentary Marriott Gold status for as long as they own the card. TPG values Marriott Gold status at $805 per year. At the mid-tier of Marriott Bonvoy, the most valuable benefits of Gold status are upgrades to enhanced rooms and a 25% points bonus on hotel spend (available on qualifying rates). We’ve typically seen the ability to spend toward higher levels of elite status with many hotel credit cards, but it’s notably absent on the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card. Early enrollment is required for this elite status benefit.
- Annual Free Night Award through spending: Cardholders who make $15,000 or more in eligible purchases during the calendar year can earn a free night award worth up to 50,000 points at participating hotels (though some hotels have mandatory resort fees). This is more valuable than the free night certificates that come with lower-tier Marriott cards, which are capped 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 rooms regularly top $500 per night, though Marriott’s dynamic pricing may impact your ability to book some of these properties during peak travel dates. Some other Bonvoy cards offer free night certificates with no fees, such as the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card.
*Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and restrictions apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG company.
**Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and restrictions apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
***Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered and geographic restrictions apply. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
While these benefits offer some value, it’s disappointing not to see a free night award automatically given each year on the card account anniversary and other premium benefits like Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee reimbursement.
Related: Is the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Worth the Annual Fee?
Earn points on Bonvoy Bevy Amex
THE Happy Thanksgiving American ExpressThe earning rates look familiar. However, they differ slightly from other Marriott credit cards, such as the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex and Marriott Bonvoy Boundless credit card.
Cardmembers will earn 6 Marriott Bonvoy points for every dollar spent on eligible purchases at Marriott Bonvoy participating hotels, 4 points for every dollar spent on the first $15,000 per year in combined purchases at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (then 2 points for every dollar spent after that), and 2 points for every dollar spent on other eligible purchases.
TPG’s valuations peg Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.85 cents each. That means your return on spend will be 5.1% (purchases earning 6 points per dollar), 3.4% (purchases earning 4 points per dollar), or 1.7% (other purchases earning 2 points per dollar).
Related: 17 Ways to Earn Bigger Marriott Bonvoy Points
Redeem points on Bonvoy Bevy Amex
There are many lucrative ways to redeem your Marriott Bonvoy points. The most obvious and valuable redemption is for free stays. With the ability to book more than 8,000 properties across 30 brands in nearly 140 countries, you have plenty of choices.
In addition to hotel stays, you can transfer your Bonvoy points to airline partners, use them to cover flights, car rentals and cruises, or redeem them for merchandise and gift cards. However, these options will likely perform well below TPG’s August 2024 Marriott points valuation of 0.85 cents per point, so we recommend using your points for Bonvoy stays whenever possible.
Katie Genter, TPG senior points and miles writer, gets the most value from her Marriott points by redeeming them for stays in five-night increments to maximize Marriott’s “stay for five, pay for four” offer. Occasionally she’ll consider transferring points to one of Marriott’s partner airlines, but usually prefers to save her points for stays.
Related: Maximize Redemptions with Marriott Bonvoy Program
Transfer points to Bonvoy Bevy Amex
You can also transfer your Bonvoy points to more than 35 partner airlines, but this rarely offers good value unless you need to top up an account balance to redeem flights.
This option may also be worth considering if you want to access frequent flyer points or miles from an airline that does not partner 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 Bonvoy Bevy Amex?
If you want more or fewer hotel perks, one of these cards might be a better fit:
For more options, check out our full list of top hotel cards.
Related: Which Marriott Bonvoy Credit Card Is Right for You?
Hilton Aspire Card information has been independently collected by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
In conclusion
It’s easy to see how cardholders can get value from the Marriott Bonvoy Amex Gift Card during the first year, thanks to its valuable welcome offer. But given the earnings structure and perks available to cardholders, it may be difficult to justify keeping this card in your wallet in the second year (and beyond), especially when other Marriott cards offer similar perks for lower annual fees.
Apply here: Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card
Related: How to Choose a Hotel Credit Card
To learn about Amex Marriott Bonvoy Bevy rates and fees, click here.
To learn about Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex card rates and fees, click here.
For rates and fees for the Hilton Aspire Card, click here.
