Amex US Bonvoy Playing cards: Gives for As much as 200,000 Factors!

The American Express US Marriott Bonvoy credit cards have a new round of increased offers for Summer 2023. This time, we’re seeing hefty welcome bonuses that come with a reasonable minimum spending requirement, along with an option to boost your balance even further after six paid nights.

Until August 9, 2023, you can score offers for up to 200,000 Marriott Bonvoy points on the American Express US Bonvoy Brilliant Card and up to 175,000 Bonvoy points on the American Express US Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Card.

Amex US Bonvoy Brilliant Card: Up to 200,000 Points!

Let’s start with the Amex US Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card, the premium personal co-branded credit card, which has a very intriguing offer available through to August 9, 2023.

You’ll earn 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy points upon spending $6,000 (all figures in USD) in the first six months. Then, you can earn another 50,000 bonus points after completing six eligible paid nights by January 31, 2024.

All on its own, the initial chunk of 150,000 Bonvoy points would be more than enough for one night at some of Marriott’s most expensive luxury hotels, a few nights at an upscale hotel, or over 30+ nights at some of Marriott’s lowest-end properties. 

But that’s not even including the extra 50,000 Bonvoy points, which you’d get after making six paid stays before the end of January 2024.

Since there’s such a long period of time during which you’ll need to make six paid stays, fulfilling the welcome bonus in its entirety shouldn’t come with too much difficulty.

In terms of earning rates, the Bonvoy Brilliant offers the following:

• 6 Bonvoy points per US dollar spent at Marriott hotels
• 3 Bonvoy points per US dollar spent at US restaurants and airlines
• 2 Bonvoy points per US dollar spent on everything else

The card comes with an annual fee of $650, which is quite easily justified due to the card’s ongoing slew of benefits.

By just being a cardholder, you’ll enjoy Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status, and all the perks that come along with it, including free breakfast, early check-in, late checkout, upgrades, and more.

Each year, you’ll also get a Free Night Award worth 85,000 points, which you can then top up with 15,000 points for a higher-priced stay. You can then earn another Free Night Award worth 85,000 points upon spending $60,000 in a calendar year, and then selecting it as your Earned Choice Award.

If you tend to dine out quite often, the card also comes with monthly $25 dining credits, which can be used at restaurants worldwide.

And as if that weren’t enough, the Bonvoy Brilliant also rewards you with a complimentary Priority Pass membership with unlimited access for yourself and two guests – a stronger guest policy than any credit card you’d find in Canada.

When you put the above perks together, you’ll see why the Bonvoy Brilliant can be such a powerful credit card to hold onto for the long term, year after year. 

Amex US Bonvoy Bevy Card: Up to 175,000 Points!

Now let’s look at the Amex US Bonvoy Bevy Card, which is a bit of a step down from the Bonvoy Brilliant Card in terms of ongoing perks and benefits, but currently has a great welcome bonus as well.

The card is offering 125,000 Marriott Bonvoy points upon spending $5,000 in the first six months. As with the Brilliant card’s offer, you can also earn another 50,000 bonus points after six eligible paid nights by January 31, 2024, for a total of up to 175,000 Bonvoy points.

In terms of earning rates, the US Bonvoy Bevy Card offers the following:

• 6 Bonvoy points per US dollar spent at Marriott hotels
• 4 Bonvoy points per US dollar spent at restaurants worldwide and US supermarkets
• 2 Bonvoy points per US dollar spent on everything else

The US Bonvoy Bevy has a lower annual fee of $250, and comes with fewer meaningful perks as a result.

However, if you’re able to spend $15,000 on the card in a calendar year, you’ll earn a Free Night Award worth up to 50,000 points. That works out to be an average of $1,250 per month, which isn’t an unreasonable amount.

Amex US Bonvoy Business Card: 75,000 Points

Now let’s look at the Amex US Bonvoy Business Card, which is the sole Marriott co-branded credit card geared towards small business owners in the US.

The card is offering 75,000 Marriott Bonvoy points upon spending $3,000 in the first three months, with no further incentives like Free Night Awards this time.

That’s a more modest offering compared to previous elevated bonuses we’ve seen on this card, and it’s probably best to wait for a better offer if you aren’t in a rush to apply.

In terms of earning rates, the US Bonvoy Business offers the following:

• 6 Bonvoy points per US dollar spent at Marriott hotels
• 4 Bonvoy points per US dollar spent at US restaurants, gas stations, wireless telephone purchases, and shipping
• 2 Bonvoy points per US dollar spent on everything else

Compared to the Bonvoy Brilliant, the US Bonvoy Business has a lower annual fee of $125. However, its accompanying perks and benefits are also weaker.

There’s no annual credit or Priority Pass membership; instead, you simply get an anniversary Free Night Award worth up to 35,000 Bonvoy points, which is on par with the anniversary certificate offered by the Canadian-issued Amex Bonvoy Card and Amex Bonvoy Business Card.

Enhance Your Stay with Marriott STARS and Luminous

If you plan on paying cash for a hotel stay, it’s certainly worth booking through a preferred partner program, as you’ll get great benefits at participating hotels. If you don’t have Marriott Bonvoy elite status, or even if you do but you wish to further elevate your stay, booking with Prince of Travel through Marriott STARS or Luminous gives you additional benefits for no extra cost. 

Luxury hotels, such as the St. Regis Toronto, The Ritz-Carlton Toronto, and The Ritz-Carlton Montreal can be booked via Marriott STARS.

Meanwhile, a wider range of properties, including The DOUGLAS Vancouver and the W Montreal, can be booked via Marriott Luminous.

The Marriott STARS or Luminous rates are the same as the best available flexible rate, which can be higher than prepaid rates, member rates, corporate rates, etc., that you may have access to.

How to Apply for the Amex US Marriott Bonvoy Cards

If you’ve already gotten started with US credit cards, then you can simply go ahead and apply to add the Bonvoy Brilliant Card or the Bonvoy Bevy Card to your portfolio.

If not, you can quite easily apply for this card via the Nova Credit service. When filling in the application, simply check the box that says “I don’t have a credit history in the US, but have had a credit card or loan in the UK, India, Mexico, Canada or Australia” on the application form, where it asks you for a Social Security Number.

The Nova Credit service will then link to your Canadian credit file to assess your creditworthiness, although you may still be required to call or live-chat with Amex US for identity verification purposes (usually to submit a copy of your foreign passport).

There are some data points that users are able to complete the Nova Credit process twice in quick succession. However, it does seem that “your mileage may vary” in this case, as not everyone has reported success with this route.

Be sure to consult the full guide to getting US credit cards for Canadians for more information.

Apply Now

Until August 9, 2023, the personal Amex US Bonvoy cards are offering generous welcome bonuses, as well as an additional influx of points upon making six paid hotel stays before January 31, 2024. 

These are great offers that come with big bonuses and a reasonable minimum spending requirement spread out over six months. Then, after six paid nights, you’ll earn an additional 50,000 points with either card.

For the time being, it looks like the Bonvoy Brilliant and Bonvoy Bevy offers are available either through a referral link or on the public landing page. Be sure to take advantage of the offers before they expire if you’re looking to boost your Bonvoy balance for some aspirational hotel stays.