Underrated Reasons Why You Need a Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card

Even if you’re not a Marriott loyalist, it may be worth considering the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card. This card offers a minimum of double points on all purchases — and even more in select spending categories — helping you quickly earn valuable Marriott Bonvoy points toward free hotel nights. As a cardholder, you can stay at some of Marriott’s 7,000-plus properties over 30 brands, from St. Regis hotels to Luxury Collection resorts. And you get a range of travel benefits and purchase protections and won’t have to pay fees for additional cardholders. Terms apply.

The well-known reasons

Here’s a snapshot of the more commonly known benefits of the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card:

• Welcome bonus offer: Earn 3 Free Night Awards after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Each Free Night Award has a redemption level up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points, for a total potential value of up to 150,000 points, at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees. Terms apply. We value Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.8 cent apiece.

• Elite status: The primary cardholder receives 15 Elite night credits meaning you’ll automatically be fast-tracked to Silver staus and be just 10 nights away from Gold Elite Status. Silver status comes with benefits like availability-based priority late check-out, free Wi-Fi and 10% bonus points on stays.

• Bonus miles in select spending categories: Earn 6x Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar spent at over 7,000 participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels globally. Earn 4x Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar spent on restaurants, at gas stations and on wireless telephone services and shipping, all within the U.S.

Terms apply.

Underrated reasons

Here are some lesser-known reasons why you should consider the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card.

Minimum double miles on purchases

Many credit cards earn only 1 point per dollar spent for purchases beyond special bonus categories. This card, however, earns at least 2x Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar, with higher earnings on categories mentioned above. Terms apply.

Annual free night award

Every year following annual renewal, cardholders receive one free night award from Marriott Bonvoy, valid for a one-night stay at any hotel participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program at a redemption level of 35,000 points per night or less — normally a Category 5 hotel or lower. If you spend more than $60,000 on the card in a single calendar year, you get an additional free night award. Terms apply.

Access to Cash + Points redemptions

While cardholders can book and pay for room stays entirely with points, they can also do so by combining money and points, starting at $55 plus 1,500 points per night for a Category 1 hotel during off peak dates. Terms apply.

No fees for employee cards

While the primary card member pays an annual fee, additional employee cards come at no additional cost and points earned by employees are banked by the primary cardholder. Terms apply.

Extended warranty

Make an eligible purchase with the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card and American Express will add an extra 12 months to the manufacturer's warranty or an extra 12 months of warranty beyond a purchased service contract (i.e. AppleCare). This means that for one extra year, American Express will repair, replace or reimburse a covered item if an eligible defect occurs, up to a maximum of $10,000 per item and $50,000 per calendar year. This is a valuable benefit for pricey electronics like computers, cell telephones, cameras and televisions. Terms apply.

Purchase protection

When you charge an item entirely to this American Express card and it’s accidentally damaged or stolen within 90 days from the date of purchase, American Express may cover the repair, replacement or reimbursement for the item, up to $1,000 per covered purchase and up to $50,000 per year. Terms apply.

Travel protections

When you use your card to buy a ticket on a plane, train, ship or bus and your baggage is lost, damaged or stolen, American Express may cover up to $500 per person for checked baggage and $1,250 per person for carry-on baggage. In addition, this card provides secondary rental vehicle damage and theft coverage in covered territories worldwide, up to $50,000 per rental agreement when you decline the collision damage waiver. Terms apply.

If you're considering the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card

The Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card offers a valuable welcome bonus offer and an earnings structure that allows you to rack up points more quickly than the average credit card. It also comes with numerous travel benefits at a manageable annual fee of $125 and $0 for additional employees. Terms apply.

Even if you visit hotels in the Marriott portfolio only occasionally, you can still rack up double miles on all purchases, an annual free night award, travel protections and purchase protections. Terms apply.