Flytrippers award won
Marriott BonvoyTM American Express® Card
| Flytrippers opinion: One of the best, a must-have card for Canadian travelers: It provides exceptional value with its welcome bonus and annual certificate. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Flytrippers Valuation of Welcome bonus (net value) |
via Amex secure application link |
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≈ $ 357ⓘ Rewards: ≈ $477 Card fee: $120 |
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Card eligibility
no minimum income required Welcome bonus eligibility must not have had this specific card ever before |
Marriott Bonvoy points (more lucrative)
Bonus: 50k pts Earn on min. spend: 3k pts (total: 53k pts) • ≈ 8 free nights in certain destinations • ≈ $477 to ≈ $2650 for expensive hotels • ≈ $477 for any Marriott hotel • ≈ $424 for private lodging rentals |
How to unlock bonus
spend $1,500 in 3 months |
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| Terms and conditions apply. Flytrippers editorial opinion only. Amex is not responsible for maintaining the content on this site. Please click "Apply Now" to see most up-to-date information. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Summary of Flytrippers' review
WHY GET THIS CARD
- Good welcome bonus of ≈ $357
- Annual certificate for free luxury night worth ≈ $315 every subsequent year
- Marriott points that are more lucrative and can provide outsized value
- Flexibility of points with no time limit to be used
- Automatic Silver Elite status (and shortcut to Gold and higher)
- Good base earn rate
WHO SHOULD GET THIS CARD
- All Canadian travelers, without exception
Card details
Welcome bonus structure
50,000 points Bonus after spending $1,500 (in a maximum of 3 months)
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Earn on the minimum spending requirement
3,000 points Minimum earn on the minimum spending requirement of $1,500 (at base earn rate of 2 pts/$)
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Total rewards by unlocking the welcome bonus
53,000 points Welcome bonus + earn on the minimum spending requirement to unlock it
Value of the welcome bonus offer
(at our Flytrippers Valuation of ≈ 0.9¢/pt)
≈ $450 Bonus after min. spend (50,000 pts)
≈ $27 Earn on min. spend (3,000 pts)
–$120 Card fee (deducted from Valuation)
≈ $357 Total net value by unlocking the welcome bonus alone
‣Learn more about our Flytrippers Valuation of welcome bonuses
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Effective return rate
≈ 23.8% Return on the minimum spending requirement (≈ $357 on $1,500 in 3 months)
‣Learn more about effective return rates (coming soon)
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Rewards acquisition summary
≈ $477 Rewards you get for $120
Value of redemption options (welcome bonus)
For each available redemption option, here is the value of the 53,000 Marriott Bonvoy points you get by unlocking the welcome bonus:
≈ $477 Hotel nights at the 30+ Marriott brands
≈ $424 Nights in private lodging with Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy
≈ $424 Unique experiences with Marriott Bonvoy Moments
≈ $334 Specific flights booked via transfers to airline programs
≈ $265 Flights and car rentals through Marriott
≈ $212 Gift cards
≈ $159 Merchandise
‣Learn more about the best redemptions of Marriott Bonvoy points (coming soon)
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Value of redemption options (per point)
For each available redemption option, here is the value per Marriott Bonvoy point to help you understand:
≈ 0.9¢ Hotel nights at the 30+ Marriott brands
≈ 0.8¢ Nights in private lodging rentals with Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy
≈ 0.8¢ Unique experiences with Marriott Bonvoy Moments
≈ 0.6¢ Specific flights booked via transfers to airline programs
≈ 0.5¢ Flights and car rentals through Marriott
≈ 0.4¢ Gift cards
≈ 0.3¢ Merchandise
‣Learn more about the basics of the values per point (coming soon)
Redemptions for Marriott hotel nights
The more valuable type of reward redemption, with a variable value: the amount of points required is unrelated to the cash price of the hotel. The value depends on how many points are required (varies and isn’t fixed by a chart) and the cash price. This is the best use for 99% of travelers. You can use the points for any standard room in the 8,000+ Marriott hotels.
Redeem your 53,000 Marriott points for completely free hotel nights:
≈ 6,000 pts In a few destinations (if you book 5 consecutive nights)
≈ 7,500 pts In a few destinations (if you don’t book 5 consecutive nights)
≈ 10,000 pts In a few dozen countries (if you book 5 consecutive nights)
≈ 12,500 pts In a few dozen countries (if you don’t book 5 consecutive nights)
≈ 14,000 pts In hundreds of destinations (if you book 5 consecutive nights)
≈ 17,500 pts In hundreds of destinations (if you don’t book 5 consecutive nights)
≈ 30,000 pts In thousands of destinations anywhere
≈ 50,000 pts In hotels that can be very expensive in cash anywhere
‣Learn more about the best uses of Marriott Bonvoy points (detailed guide coming soon)
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Redemptions for anything other than travel
Should always be avoided, as with all rewards!
‣Learn more about why you should always redeem your rewards for travel (coming soon)
Expiry
Marriott points don’t expire as long as you use your card at least once every 2 years, so essentially they never expire (there are ways to avoid expiration without having the card too but you should absolutely never close it).
‣Learn more about Marriott Bonvoy points expiry (coming soon)
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Pooling
Marriott points can be pooled with travel companions easily online.
‣Learn more about pooling Marriott Bonvoy points (coming soon)
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Logistics
Marriott points can be used directly on the Marriott website or app.
‣Learn more about how to get started with Marriott Bonvoy rewards (coming soon)
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Rewards program summary
Rewards: Marriott Bonvoy Points
Source: Hotel rewards
Type: More valuable
Flytrippers Valuation: ≈ 0.9¢/pt
Minimum value: N/A
Maximum value: Unlimited
Transferable: Yes (40+ partners)
‣Learn more about rewards programs basics (coming soon)
Earn rates
5 points per $ (≈ 4.5%):
- Marriott hotels
2 points per $ (≈ 1.8%):
- Everywhere else
‣Learn more about credit card earn rates (coming soon)
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Earning with additional cards
Fee for additional cards: $0
Quantity allowed: 9
Minimum age: 13 years old
‣Learn more about additional cards (coming soon)
Annual free night certificate
On every anniversary of your account, you’ll get a certificate that’s worth 35,000 points (≈ $315) for a completely free night at thousands of hotels, including many high-end ones, so never cancel this card!!!
‣Learn more about the Marriott free night certificate
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Marriott Silver Elite Status
As a cardholder, you get free Silver Elite status for VIP benefits at hotels.
‣Learn more about the Marriott Bonvoy elite status
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Shortcut to higher elite status (15 Elite night credits)
Your number of nights required to reach the higher elite statuses is reduced by 15 nights (Gold Elite status also offered depending on $30,000 but it’s highly unrecommended).
‣Learn more about the Marriott Bonvoy elite status
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Amex Offers program
Access to discounts, credits, and special offers throughout the year.
‣Learn more about the Amex Offers program
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American Express Experiences program
Access to exclusive virtual and in-person experiences and pre-sale tickets to lots of events.
‣Learn more about the American Express Experiences program (coming soon)
Insurance included
Flight delay insurance
Baggage delay insurance
Rental car insurance
Lost or stolen luggage insurance
Hotel burglary insurance
Travel accident insurance
Purchase insurance
Extended warranty
‣Learn more about the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card’s insurance coverage (coming soon)
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Insurance not included
Medical travel insurance
Travel cancelation insurance
Trip interruption insurance
Mobile device insurance
‣Learn more about the different types of insurance coverage (coming soon)
Card eligibility
Minimum income: $0
Age: Majority in your province
Estimated credit score: Good or Excellent
Credit bureau: TransUnion
‣Learn more about credit card eligibility requirements (coming soon)
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Welcome bonus eligibility
You must not have had the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express® Card before.
‣Learn more about credit card welcome bonus eligibility rules (coming soon)
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Offer end date
Offer is subject to change at any time
‣Subscribe to Flytrippers’ free travel rewards newsletter to get all card updates
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Card details
Issuer: American Express
Network: American Express
Card Type: Credit card
Product Type: Personal card
‣Learn more about credit card types (coming soon)
Fees and rates
Card fee: $120
Fee for additional card: $0
FX fee: 2.5%
Purchases annual interest rate: 21.99%
Purchases annual interest rate (penalty): 25.99% – 28.99% Variable
Funds advances annual interest rate: 21.99%
Balance transfer fee: N/A
‣Learn more about why Flytrippers recommends ignoring fees and rates (coming soon)
• New Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Cardmembers earn 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points after you charge $1,500 in purchases to your Card in your first three months of Cardmembership. Subject to change at any time
• Earn 5 points for every dollar in eligible Card purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®
• Earn 2 points for every $1 in all other Card purchases
• Receive an Annual Free Night Award for up to 35,000 points at eligible hotels and resorts worldwide every year after your first anniversary
• No annual fee on Additional Cards
• Redeem points for free nights with no blackout dates at over 7,000 of the world’s most desired hotels
• Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status membership
• Receive 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card. These can be used towards attaining the next level of Elite status in the Marriott Bonvoy program
• Enjoy an automatic upgrade to Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status when you reach $30,000 in purchases on the Card each year or when you combine 10 qualifying paid nights within one calendar year with the 15 Elite Night Credits from your card
• American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information click the Apply now link. Conditions apply
Start earning rewards today
And make sure to download our free checklist for when you get a new card—it includes very important mistakes to avoid
(it will open in a separate tab, or you can click here)
via Amex secure application
Questions?
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Terms & conditions — Travel rewards
†Terms and conditions apply.
This content is not sponsored. However, this page may contain some affiliate links that allow Flytrippers to earn a commission at absolutely no cost to you. Thank you for using our links and helping us keep all our content free for everyone. This helps us fulfill our mission of helping Canadians travel more for less.
The views and opinions expressed on this page are purely our own. They have not been provided, approved, endorsed, or ratified by any third party mentioned on the site.
Financial institutions are not responsible for updating or ensuring the accuracy of the information on Flytrippers’ website. All the information was independently collected by Flytrippers and not provided by financial institutions.
All offers described on the Flytrippers website are subject to the financial institutions’ latest terms and conditions, which can be found on their official website. No efforts are spared to ensure this page is up to date but offers from financial institutions change quickly. It is your responsibility to ensure the accuracy of these offers on their website. Flytrippers will not accept any responsibility for the accuracy of the offers or the result of your actions.
Flytrippers’ website does not contain all available credit card offers or all available credit card products on the market. In addition, Flytrippers never shares an offer if it is not considered advantageous for some travelers, at its sole discretion.
No author on Flytrippers’ website is a financial advisor, a financial planner, a legal professional, or a tax professional. No author on Flytrippers’ website can in any way be considered as such.
All articles, pages, and content on Flytrippers’ website are merely personal opinions of a general nature and are for informational purposes only and should not be considered advice for specific situations. It is your responsibility to perform your own personal research to ensure that travel rewards are appropriate for your own situation.
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Valuation ≈ $357