Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express credit card review: Moderate perks with limited offerings

Overview of the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card

The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card provides moderate perks, such as automatic Gold Elite status, good points accumulation at Marriott locations, and elite night credits. However, it falls short of many benefits you might anticipate for a card with a $250 annual fee (see rates and fees). Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐

*Card rating reflects the views of TPG's editors and is not swayed by the card issuer.

Marriott has a range of cobranded cards for prospective cardholders, with annual fees varying from $0 to $650. The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card is positioned in the middle tier, featuring an annual fee of $250 (see rates and fees).

The card misses a feature we typically expect from hotel credit cards: a complimentary free night each year on your account anniversary. This may lead you to question whether it provides enough ongoing perks to justify the annual fee year after year.

To enhance your chances of approval for this card, TPG suggests that applicants should have a credit score of 670 or higher. There are also some application limitations similar to the rest of the Bonvoy lineup. However, if you meet the criteria, let’s explore whether the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card deserves a spot in your wallet.

Pros and cons of the Bonvoy Bevy Amex

Welcome offer for the Bonvoy Bevy Amex

The Bonvoy Bevy Amex currently provides 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you spend $5,000 within the first six months of having the card.

According to TPG's October 2024 valuations, Marriott points are valued at 0.85 cents each, making the 85,000 points worth $723.

Be aware that Amex has restrictions that may affect your ability to earn a new member bonus if you’ve previously held similar Marriott products from Chase or earlier Starwood Preferred Guest cards from American Express. Review the card's offer details page to confirm your eligibility.

Benefits of the Bonvoy Bevy Amex

The Bonvoy Bevy Amex truly excels in the perks it provides:

• Marriott Gold Elite status: Primary cardholders enjoy complimentary Marriott Gold status for as long as they hold the card. At this mid-tier level, the key benefits include room upgrades and a 25% bonus on points for hotel spending (applies to Qualifying Rates). Unlike many hotel credit cards that allow you to earn elite status through spending, this option is not available with the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card. Note that enrollment is necessary to access this elite status benefit.
• Annual free night award through spending: Cardholders who spend at least $15,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year can earn a free night worth up to 50,000 points at participating hotels (though some locations may impose mandatory resort fees). This is more advantageous than the free night certificates offered by lower-tier Marriott cards, which are limited to 35,000 points. Top options for the 50,000-point free night include luxury accommodations like The Ritz-Carlton, Macau and The St. Regis Langkawi, where nightly rates can exceed $500—however, Marriott's dynamic pricing might complicate bookings during peak seasons. Other Bonvoy cards, like the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, offer free night certificates without any spending requirements.

• Elite night credits: Cardholders receive 15 elite qualifying night credits each year, which can be combined with nights earned through a Marriott small-business card, allowing for a potential fast-track to 30 elite nights annually. For context, you need 50 nights in a year to achieve Platinum Elite status.
• Travel protections: This card includes trip delay insurance* for trips delayed over 12 hours for covered reasons, along with baggage insurance** and secondary car rental loss and damage insurance.*
• Shopping protections: Purchases made with this card come with 90 days of purchase protection and up to a year of extended warranty coverage** for warranties of five years or less on eligible purchases in the U.S. or its territories.

While these benefits provide some value, it is disappointing that the card does not include an automatic free night award on the account anniversary each year, along with other premium perks like reimbursement for the application fee for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.

Earning points with the Bonvoy Bevy Amex

The Bonvoy Bevy Amex earning structure is familiar, yet it varies slightly from other Marriott credit cards, such as the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex and the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card.

Cardholders can earn 6 Marriott Bonvoy points for every dollar spent on eligible purchases at Marriott Bonvoy hotels, 4 points per dollar on the first $15,000 spent annually at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (after which it drops to 2 points per dollar), and 2 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases.

According to TPG's October 2024 valuations, this translates to a return on spending of 5.1% (for purchases earning 6 points per dollar), 3.4% (for purchases earning 4 points per dollar), or 1.7% (for other purchases earning 2 points per dollar).

Redeeming points with the Bonvoy Bevy Amex

There are numerous rewarding ways to redeem your Marriott Bonvoy points. The most straightforward and valuable option is for free hotel stays. With access to over 8,000 properties across 30 brands in nearly 140 countries, you have plenty of options.

In addition to hotel stays, you can transfer your Bonvoy points to airline partners, use them for flights, car rentals, and cruises, or redeem them for merchandise and gift cards. However, these alternatives will typically provide much less value than TPG's October 2024 valuation of Marriott points at 0.85 cents each, so it’s advisable to use your points for Bonvoy stays whenever possible.

TPG's senior points and miles writer Katie Genter finds significant value in her Marriott points by redeeming them for stays in blocks of five nights, taking advantage of Marriott's stay for five, pay for four offer. While she occasionally considers transferring points to one of Marriott's airline partners, she generally prefers to save her points for hotel stays.

Transferring points with the Bonvoy Bevy Amex

You can also transfer your Bonvoy points to over 35 airline partners, but this option rarely provides great value unless you're looking to top off an account for flight redemptions.

This option might also be appealing if you want to access an airline's frequent flyer points or miles that are not affiliated with any of the major U.S. credit card issuers.

Which cards are alternatives to the Bonvoy Bevy Amex?

If you're seeking more or different hotel benefits, one of these cards might suit you better:

• For enhanced Marriott benefits: The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card offers automatic Platinum Elite status, an annual free night certificate worth up to 85,000 points (note that some hotels may have resort fees), and up to $300 in statement credits for dining purchases on the Bonvoy Brilliant (capped at $25 monthly). For further details, check out our complete review of the Bonvoy Brilliant.
• If you prefer a brand other than Marriott: Consider the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, which has an annual fee of $550. This card provides valuable perks such as top-tier Diamond status with Hilton Honors and a free night certificate each year on your account anniversary. For more details, refer to our complete review of the Hilton Amex Aspire.
• If you're looking for a more versatile travel card: Look into the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. This premium travel card has a $550 annual fee and includes benefits like Priority Pass membership, reimbursement for the TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee, an annual travel credit of up to $300, and strong earning potential. For more information, read our complete review of the Sapphire Reserve.

For more options, check out our comprehensive list of the top hotel cards.

The information for the Hilton Aspire card has been independently gathered by Dinogo. The details provided on this page have not been reviewed or supplied by the card issuer.

Final thoughts

It's clear that cardholders can find significant value in the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Amex during the first year, thanks to its attractive welcome offer. However, considering the earning structure and the benefits available, it may be challenging to justify keeping this card in your wallet in the second year (and beyond)—particularly when other Marriott cards provide similar perks for lower annual fees.