Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card review: Solid rewards and benefits for frequent Marriott guests

American Express and Marriott Bonvoy recently launched a new co-branded credit card — the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card — aimed at helping Marriott guests earn more rewards points to redeem for future hotel stays.

Interestingly, Chase debuted its own Marriott card — the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card — on the same day, offering many of the same perks. So, are they worth considering if you're in the market for a new travel rewards credit card?

Below, Select takes a closer look at the benefits of the new Marriott Bonvoy Bevy^™ American Express^® Card, as well as a few other things you should think about before applying.

• Welcome bonus
• Benefits and perks
• Earning and redeeming points
• Rates and fees
• Card comparison
• Bottom line

Once approved for the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card, new cardholders can earn 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. You'll also earn a minimum of 2X points per dollar on eligible purchases made with the card.

Keep in mind that the value of the points you're earning varies depending on how you redeem them. That said, many points and miles websites value Marriott Bonvoy points at about 0.7 cents per point, making those 85,000 points worth about $595.

While there is a $250 annual fee for this card, you can still come out ahead in the first year of card membership, especially if you plan to take advantage of all its perks and benefits.

The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card comes with a solid list of benefits, including:

• Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status, which includes 2.5X bonus points on stays, free in-room WiFi, room upgrades (based on availability) and 2 p.m. late checkout
• 1,000 bonus points per eligible stay booked directly through Marriott Bonvoy
• Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Free Night Award: Earn 1 Free Night Award after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases on your Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ Card in a calendar year. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at a hotel participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
• 15 Elite Night Credits per calendar year to put toward your next level of Marriott Bonvoy Elite status.
• Travel protections including trip delay insurance, baggage coverage and secondary car rental and damage insurance.
• No foreign transaction fees for using the card abroad and access to the 24/7 Global Assist Hotline.
• Purchase protection and extended warranties for purchases made with the card.
• Access to Amex Offers and American Express Experiences, which lets you save on shopping as well as tickets to Broadway shows, concerts, sports events, and other entertainment.

The more you spend with the card — and stay at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels — the more rewards you will earn that can be redeemed for free (or almost free) future hotel stays. When spending on the Bevy card you'll earn:

• 6X points per dollar spent at participating Marriott Bonvoy properties
• 4X points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide, including take-out and delivery (on up to $15,000 across restaurants and supermarkets, then 2X points).
• 4X points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $15,000 across restaurants and supermarkets, then 2X points).
• 2X points per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases

Outside of what you get for spending on the card, when you stay at participating Marriott Bonvoy properties you'll also earn 10X points per dollar just for being a Marriott loyalty program member. So if you stay at a Marriott hotel as a Bevy cardholder you can earn up 18.5X points per dollar spent, here's how it breaks down:

• 10X points as a loyalty program member
• 2.5X points as a Marriott Gold member (which is complimentary to Bevy cardholders)
• 6X points for paying for your stay with the Amex Bevy card

Redeeming Marriott Bonvoy points

Earlier this year, Marriott ditched its fixed award chart in favor of a more dynamic model to help points-earners redeem their rewards. As a result, predicting how many points you'll need for an upcoming stay is trickier, but with a little flexibility, you can still find some sweet spots.

When it's time to redeem your Marriott Bonvoy points for free hotel nights, keep in mind that their estimated value is about 0.7 cents per point. One of the most important parts of earning and redeeming travel rewards points is to treat them like cash by using them strategically, and while it isn't required that you hit that number, doing a quick calculation can help you understand if your redemption is stretching the value of your points — or if it isn't worth cashing them in.

For example, let's say a hotel stay you've got your eye on is 80,000 Marriott Bonvoy points but costs $587 after taxes and fees. By dividing 587 by 80,000 — and seeing that you'd be netting 0.7 cents per point in value — you can see how this would be considered a solid redemption.

In addition to free hotel stays at more than 7,000 participating hotels and resorts around the world, Marriott Bonvoy points can also be redeemed for flights or car rentals via the Air+Car feature, or transferred to one of Marriott's 40+ airline travel partners, though those redemptions may not be as lucrative in terms of overall points value.

The card has a $250 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees.

If you plan on carrying a balance month to month, this card may not be your best choice since it has a high interest rate of 20.99%-29.99% (variable)*. If you'd rather avoid accruing interest, consider signing up for a credit card with a 0% introductory APR offer instead.

Late payment fees can also be up to $40* with this card.

*See rates and fees.

Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express^® Card vs. Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card

The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card is a solid mid-tier hotel credit card for travelers who enjoy staying at Hilton properties.

With this card, you'll earn rewards on your purchases — 12X points for purchases made at Hilton hotels and resorts; 6X points for dining, takeout and delivery at U.S. restaurants; 6X points when you use the card at U.S. supermarkets and gas stations; 4X points on U.S. online retail purchases; and 3X points for all other purchases — which can then be redeemed for free hotel nights with Hilton.

Additional perks include complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status — which gives you bonus points on stays and room upgrades, when they're available — or Diamond status through the end of the following year when you spend $40,000 with the card in a calendar year; a Free Weekend Night Reward once you spend $15,000 within a year; 10 complimentary visits to more than 1,200 Priority Pass™ Select lounges worldwide; car rental loss and damage insurance; 24/7 access to the Global Assist Hotline; and access to American Express Experiences, mentioned above. Effective February 1, 2024, the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card will no longer offer a complimentary membership to the Priority Pass™ Select program.

You'll also be able to earn a generous welcome bonus of 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

This card has a $150 annual fee (see rates and fees), which is much lower than the Bevy card's annual fee of $250.

So, which card is the right choice for you? Both hotel brands offer a range of budget-friendly and luxury properties around the world — so it's really more of a subjective preference based on where you like to travel and which brand you prefer to stay with.

If, however, you're trying to keep your annual fee overhead low and want to focus on using just one card, the Hilton Surpass card is a great option to go with.

Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express^® Card vs. Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ credit card

Both new Marriott co-branded cards were actually launched on the same day, and with similar benefits. The two cards also have identical welcome offers, spending categories, points-earning opportunities, travel benefits, shopping protections and annual fees.

So which one should you pick? It all depends on how many other credit cards you've applied for recently, as each issuer has its on rules regarding approval for a new card.

If you're aiming for the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card, make sure you're under the American Express 2/90 rule, which means if you've been approved for two or more credit cards within the last 90 days, you will not be approved for a new card.

If the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful Card from Chase is your preference, make sure you fall under Chase's 5/24 rule, which restricts you from being approved for a new Chase credit card if you've already been approved for five or more credit cards within the last 24 months.

If you're not sure how many credit cards you've been approved for lately, consider using a credit monitoring service to check your recent credit activity.

Whichever card you qualify for will most likely be your favored option, since they are identical when it comes to their perks and benefits.

The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card is a decent mid-tier hotel rewards card that offers a solid range of benefits for those who prefer to stay at Marriott properties. However, you will have to maximize a lot of the perks to justify the hefty $250 annual fee. The Bevy card does come with a large welcome bonus, so it can be worth getting for that alone and then evaluate the product as you use it to see if it's worth keeping long term.

For rates and fees of Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, click here.

For rates and fees of Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express Card, click here.