Amex and Marriott recently upped the ante on the co-branded *bonvoy business* by introducing a new welcome offer that has the potential to be quite lucrative.
If you've got a small business – and trust us, you likely do – this offer is worth your attention … even if you're not a die-hard Marriott fan.
With the current offer, you'll earn three Free Night Awards (up to 50,000 points per night) after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first six months. This is up from the standard offer of 75,000 Bonvoy points and has the potential to be one of the most valuable offers we've ever seen on the card.
This card also includes additional perks like Marriott Gold elite status, an annual free night award, and bonus elite night credits which make it a keeper for the long term.
If you've had your eyes on this card, now's a good time to apply.
Just remember:Â Credit cards are serious business. You should never apply for a credit card if you're already in debt, and never charge more to a credit card than you can afford to pay off immediately. However many Marriott points you can earn, they're not worth it.
Read on to learn more about the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card and its current welcome offer.
Check out our full list of the best business credit card offers!Â
Marriott Bonvoy Business Card Overview
Full Benefits of the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card
- Welcome Offer: *bonvoy business bonus*
- Free Night Certificate:Â Get a free night certificate each year on your cardmember anniversary, eligible at properties that cost up to 35,000 points. This benefit starts in your second year of card membership.
- Earn 6x Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar spent at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy rewards program.
- Earn 4x Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on U.S. wireless telephone services, and on U.S. purchases for shipping.
- Earn 2x Marriott Bonvoy Points per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status.
- Earn 15 elite night credits each calendar year toward Marriott Bonvoy Elite status.
- Get a 7% discount on standard room rates at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy rewards program.
- $125 Annual Fee (see rates & fees).
Learn more about the *bonvoy business*.
Annual Free Night Certificate
After holding the Bonvoy Business Card for a year, and each year thereafter, you'll get an annual free night certificate that can be used at any Marriott Bonvoy property costing up to 35,000 points per night.
The value of this annual free night award really can't be overstated. Since Marriott made the move to fully dynamic award pricing last year, there's no telling exactly what an award night will cost at a given property. But even so, having a free night award good for properties costing up to 35,000 points per night means that many Marriott properties will be at your disposal.
And given that you can add up to 15,000 additional Bonvoy points to your certificate, that means that this free night award can really be used at properties costing up to 50,000 points per night.
With how expensive hotels have gotten, this benefit alone is enough reason to get the card and keep renewing it year after year.
Marriott Gold Elite Status
Bonvoy Business cardholders get automatic Marriott Gold Elite status for as long as they hold the card. What does that mean?
Gold Elite status will get you a welcome gift of up to 500 Bonvoy points, a 25% bonus point earning on paid stays, a 2 p.m. late checkout, and space-available room upgrades (though I wouldn't count on it).
Elite Night Credits
You'll get 15 elite night credits each year that you hold the Bonvoy Business Card. This means that even though you also get automatic Gold Elite status, you'll be able to climb the status ladder even faster on your way to Platinum (50 elite nights) and Titanium status.
Best of all, if you've got a personal Bonvoy credit card in addition to the Bonvoy Business Card, your elite night credits will stack – up to a maximum of 40 elite night credits per year.
Discount on Paid Stays
With the Bonvoy Business card, you'll get a 7% discount off standard rates for reservations at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels. While a 7% savings doesn't sound like much, if you're on the road a lot for work, that savings can add up over time and help to offset the card's $125 annual fee.
Looking for a different Bonvoy Card instead? Check out the full Marriott Bonvoy Card portfolio and their current welcome offers.Â
Are You Eligible for the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card?
Since this is a business card, you'll need to have a business in order to apply. This might scare a lot of people off, but it shouldn't – many Americans have what the banks would consider a small business and don't even realize it.
Do you have any income from freelance work, or plans to start freelance work? You have a business. Have you ever sold an item on eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Etsy, or other platforms, or have plans to do so in the future? You have a business.
At the end of the day, if you are selling any goods or services, or contracting with a company to do so in an attempt to make a profit, you have a small business and thus are typically eligible to apply for a small business credit card. That makes it possible for just about anybody to apply for a business credit card.
After determining whether or not your small business is eligible for this new welcome offer you'll also want to make sure you're able to get a new Marriott Card in general. Marriott has some really convoluted card eligibility rules thanks in part to the hotel chain's relationship with both Chase and American Express.
We'll break it down in greater detail below.
Marriott Credit Card Application Rules
First off, if you've never had a Marriott or Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card, you're good to go. Don't bother yourself with trying to decipher the rest of these rules.
For those that previously had, or currently have a Marriott co-branded credit card, you'll want to ensure you're eligible before applying for this increased offer. Since Marriott and their bank partners have made it a challenge to know exactly which card you're eligible for, we created a handy card eligibility matrix to help make sense of it all.
Below you'll find the specific terms and limitations for the current welcome offer.
- Welcome offer not available to applicants who have or have had the Marriott Bonvoy® Premier Plus Business Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Business Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Business® Credit Card from Chase, or the Marriott Rewards® Business Credit Card from Chase in the last 30 days, have acquired the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card from Chase, in the last 90 days or received a bonus offer in the last 24 months.
So what does all this mean? If you currently have a Marriott Business Card from Chase, you're out of luck. Additionally, you won't be eligible for the increased welcome offer if you've had a Marriott Business Card from Chase in the past 30 days.
If you currently have any of the personal Bonvoy cards from Chase, or if you've had one in the past, it needs to be more than 24 months since you received a new cardmember welcome bonus in order to be eligible for the Bonvoy Business Card.
Related reading: Which Marriott Credit Card Am I Eligible For?
Best Use of 125K Bonvoy Points
Last year Marriott ditched their award chart in favor of dynamic pricing, so it's anyone's guess as to what a property will charge for an award stay these days.
Having said that, this hasn't yet led to the sky-high rates that many feared and there is still plenty of value to be had when using Marriott Bonvoy points for a free night around the globe.
Take an aspirational property like the Le Méridien Maldives for example. Thrifty Traveler co-founder Nick had a chance to stay at this property in January and found the overwater villas, spa treatments, and mile after mile of uninterrupted ocean views to be a luxurious choice for anyone checking the Maldives off their bucket list.
Although Nick was able to book his stay before Marriott completely scrapped their award chart, we recently found wide open availability to book this property for under 50,000 Bonvoy points per night.
By timing it right, you may even be able to use the Bonvoy Business Card's annual 35,000-point free night certificate to spend an additional night in paradise.
If the beach isn't really your style, maybe you'll feel more at home in the heart of the Sacred Valley of the Incas at Tambo del Inka, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa. This hotel offers dramatic views of the Andes Mountains and is situated along the Incan Path, providing the perfect gateway to the royal city of Machu Picchu.
At the time of publication, there are many nights throughout the winter months (peak summer in South America) that can be had for just 44,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night. After meeting the spending requirement, you could spend three nights at this mountain oasis with the points earned from the *bonvoy business*Â welcome offer alone.
Thrifty Tip: Tambo del Inka, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa has its own private train station for anyone starting the journey between Urubamba and Machu Picchu.
See our best cheap flights to South America!
Bottom Line
Marriott and American Express are out with a new limited-time offer on the *bonvoy business*, allowing new card members to earn three free night awards after spending $6,000 in the first six months. In addition to the bonus points, the card comes with perks like elite status, an annual free night certificate, and a discount on paid stays that make it a keeper for the long haul.
If you've got a good use in mind for the free night certificates and this card has been on your radar, now could be the time to apply!
Learn more about the *bonvoy business*.
Hotel photos courtesy of Marriott Bonvoy