Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express credit card review: Full details

Overview of the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card

I Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card offers moderate benefits, including automatic Gold Elite status, solid points at Marriott properties and special nightly credits. However, it doesn’t have a few perks you’d expect from a card with a $250 annual fee (see rates and feess). Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐

*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

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Marriott has six integrated cards available to new cardholders, with annual fees ranging from $0 to $650 per year. I Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card stays in the center, with an annual fee of $250 (see prices and feess).

The card lacks one feature we’ve come to expect from hotel credit cards: one free night each year on your account anniversary, which may leave you wondering if it offers enough ongoing benefits to make the annual fee worth paying each year.

It’s worth noting that the recommended credit score for this card is 670 or higher and it has some application restrictions like the rest of the Bonvoy program. But if you do qualify, let’s dive in to determine if the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card is worth a spot in your wallet.

Bonvoy Bevy Amex pros and cons

Bonvoy Bevy Amex welcome offer

I Bonvoy Bevy Amex currently offers 155,000 bonus points after you use your card to spend $5,000 on eligible purchases in the first six months of card membership. Offer ends October 2.

Based on TPG’s August 2024 rates for Marriott points at 0.85 cents each, 155,000 points cost $1,318. This is close to the best offer we’ve seen on the card and is worth considering if you’ve been eyeing it for a while.

Keep in mind that Amex has restrictions that limit your ability to collect the new member bonus if you’ve had similar Marriott products from Chase or previous Starwood Preferred Guest cards from American Express. Check the card offer’s details page to make sure you’re eligible.

Related: Best time to apply for these Amex cards based on offer history

Benefits of Bonvoy Bevy Amex

When i Bonvoy Bevy Amex what really stands out is in the things they offer:

• Marriott Gold Elite Status: Basic cardholders earn Marriott Gold status for as long as they hold the card. TPG values ​​Marriott’s gold status at $805 per year. At the mid-level Marriott Bonvoy, the most important benefits of Gold status are upgrades to upgraded rooms and a 25% bonus points on hotel spend (available at Qualifying Rates). In general, we’ve seen the ability to work your way up to higher tier rates with many hotel credit cards, but that’s notably absent from the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card. Pre-registration is required for this special status benefit.
• Annual free night award for spending: Cardholders who make at least $15,000 in eligible purchases during a calendar year can earn up to 50,000 free night award points at participating hotels (although some hotels have mandatory resort fees). That’s more valuable than the free night certificates that come with Marriott’s lowest-tier cards, which have 35,000 points. Some of the best uses of the free 50,000 points free gift certificate include luxury hotels such as The Ritz-Carlton, Macau and St. Regis Langkawi, where rooms are usually upwards of $500 per night – although Marriott’s variable rates can hamper the ability to book something. of these buildings during peak travel days. Some Bonvoy cards offer free night certificates without spending money, such as the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card.

*Eligibility level and benefits 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 level varies by card. Terms, conditions and restrictions apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
***Eligibility level and benefits vary by card. Not all vehicle types or rentals are included, and location restrictions apply. Terms, conditions and restrictions apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Coverage is provided through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

While these benefits offer some value, it’s disappointing not to see the free night award that’s automatically offered on the anniversary of the card account each year and other premium benefits such as refunds for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck applications.

Related: Is the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy worth the annual fee?

Earn points from Bonvoy Bevy Amex

I Bonvoy Bevy Amex’Lead levels feel normal. However, they are slightly different from those other Marriott credit cards, such as Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex and the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card.

Cardholders will 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 annually in combined purchases at restaurants worldwide and major US stores (then points 2 per dollar after reaching this limit. ) and 2 points per dollar on other qualifying purchases.

TPG Marriott Bonvoy rates pegs at 0.85 cents each. This means your average return on spending will be 5.1% (purchases earn 6 points per dollar), 3.4% (purchases earn 4 points per dollar) or 1.7% (other purchases earn 2 points per dollar each).

Related: 17 ways to earn more Marriott Bonvoy points

Redeem points at Bonvoy Bevy Amex

There are many great ways to redeem your Marriott Bonvoy points. The most obvious and valuable redemption is free living. With the ability to book over 8,000 properties across 30 brands in nearly 140 countries, you have plenty to choose from.

Beyond 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 yield less than TPG’s August 2024 average Marriott points rate of 0.85 cents per point, so we recommend using your points for Bonvoy stays whenever possible.

Top TPG points and miles writer Katie Genter gets the most value from her Marriott points by redeeming them for five-night increments to extend her Marriott stay for five years, paying for four offers. Sometimes he will consider transferring points to one of our Marriott flight partners but usually he prefers to save his points to stay.

Related: Maximizing redemptions with the Marriott Bonvoy program

Transfer points to Bonvoy Bevy Amex

You can also transfer your Bonvoy points to more than 35 airline partners, but this rarely offers good value unless you need to top up an account balance to redeem for a flight.

You may also consider this option if you want access to frequent flier points or airline miles that are not partnered with any of the major US credit card issuers.

Related: When does it make sense to transfer Marriott points to airlines?

What cards compete with the Bonvoy Bevy Amex?

If you’re looking for additional or unique 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 is independently collected by The Points Guy. The card information on this page has not been updated or provided by the card issuer.

Bottom line

It’s easy to see how card members can get value from Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Amex in the first year, because of its valuable welcome gift. But given the salary structure and benefits available to card members, it may be hard to justify keeping this card in your wallet for a second year (and beyond) — especially when other Marriott cards offer similar benefits with lower annual fees.

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Apply here: Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card

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Related: How to choose a hotel credit card

For Amex Marriott Bonvoy Bevy rates and fees, click here.
For Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex rates and fees, click here.
For Hilton Aspire Card rates and fees, click here.