Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card Review: Big bonus or better benefits?
A hotel card firmly planted in the middle ground.
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Snapshot
4.4
Bottom line
Marriott loyalists searching for a hotel card with mid-tier travel benefits will find the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Amex card a great option. The welcome offer is lucrative and there’s plenty of potential to tap into a host of hotel and travel benefits, including a fast-track into Gold Elite Status. However, if you’re searching for more flexibility and long-term value, the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy falls short.
Intro offer
Earn 155,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points
Rewards rate
2X - 6X
Annual fee
$250
APR
20.99%-29.99% Variable
Bankrate Score
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Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Card Overview
The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy is a newer mid-tier option in the Marriott Bonvoy program’s portfolio of credit cards. One of its most notable features is automatic complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status in the Marriott Bonvoy program. This boosted elite status sets the card apart from the Chase Marriott Bonvoy cards, which only offer up to Silver Elite Status.
However, the Bevy doesn’t provide benefits that even lower-cost, general travel cards offer. To determine if the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy is the best hotel card for you, review your personal travel habits and determine if a general travel card might prove a better fit.
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Rewards
- 6X points on purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy
- 4X points at restaurants worldwide (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.) and U.S. supermarkets (up to $15,000 in combined purchases per year, then 2X points)
- 2X points on all other purchases
Expert Appraisal: Good
See our expert analysis -
Welcome offer
- Earn 155,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first six months of card membership.
Expert Appraisal: Good
See our expert analysis -
Rates and fees
- Annual fee: $250
- APR: 20.99 percent to 29.99 percent (variable)
- Late payment fee: Up to $40
- Returned payment fee: Up to $40
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Cash advance fee: The greater of $10 or 5 percent of each cash advance
Expert Appraisal: Typical
See our expert analysis -
Other cardholder perks
- Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status
- Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Free Night Award
- Global Assist® Hotline
- Pay it Plan it®
- Send & Split®
- 15 Elite Night Credits
Expert Appraisal: Good
See our expert analysis
Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card pros and cons
Pros
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You can easily offset the annual fee the first year with this card's welcome offer.
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The card gets you complimentary Gold Elite Status in the Marriott Bonvoy rewards program, boosting your points and granting you extra hotel perks automatically.
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You’ll have access to several Amex perks in addition to Marriott’s perks and benefits.
Cons
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The $250 fee could be steep, especially if you don’t travel often and can’t maximize stays at Marriott properties.
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You won’t get some key features that are common on a lot of other hotel cards with annual fees, like TSA PreCheck credit or lounge access.
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There are no intro APR offers on purchases or balance transfers, so you won’t get a break on interest if you end up carrying a balance.
Why you might want the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card
The Bonvoy Bevy offers strong rewards on common spending and hotel stays. If you stay frequently at Marriott locations — or travel often and want to start staying with them — this card might be a decent fit.Rewards: Earn boosted rewards with elite status.
Welcome offer: A value worth the spending requirement
This card's latest welcome gives you a chance at 155,000 points after you spend $5,000 in your first six months as a card member. That's a huge step up from the card's previous offer of 85,000 points with the same spending requirement.
Based on Bankrate's latest hotel point valuations, which give Marriott points an average value of 0.7 cents per point, 155,000 points could be worth over $1,000 in Marriott stays. So the bonus could carry enough value to offset the card's annual fee four times over. This high value more than makes up for the weaker point value.
Rewards: Earn boosted rewards with elite status
Although this card is most valuable to loyal Marriott customers, you don’t need to use it primarily at Marriott hotels to earn a decent amount of rewards: You’ll also earn boosted points at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets on up to a combined total of $15,000 in purchases per year (then 2X points) and 2X points on all other purchases.
Based on the Bureau of Labor Statistic’s 2022 Consumer Expenditures Report, the average consumer has a combined spending of $8,289 total on food at home and dining out. Based on this average, you most likely won’t need to worry about hitting that spending cap in the restaurants and U.S. supermarkets category.
Perks: Lush perks appeal to Marriott-minded cardholders
You’ll receive complimentary Gold Elite Status with Marriott Bonvoy when you open your card account, which affords you access to a few key perks like complimentary in-room Wi-Fi during stays, exclusive member rates, enhanced room upgrades (when available) and more. To achieve Gold Elite Status without a Bevy card, you’d need to stay 25 nights per year as a Marriott Bonvoy member. While this number of stays isn’t unreasonable, it will cost quite a bit before you can take advantage of exclusive Gold Elite perks. By our estimates, a budget Marriott stay costs roughly $160 with tax. Staying 25 nights at this level will cost $4,000, so the Bevy card is an ample shortcut to more convenience with every stay.
Other perks include 15 Elite Night credits, which are used toward upgrading to the next Marriott Bonvoy program rewards membership tier. You’ll also get 1,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points per eligible stay and a Free Night Award after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases with your card in a calendar year (redemption level must be at or below 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points at a participating hotel).
Why you might want a different rewards card
The Bonvoy cards could be great if you’re a dedicated Marriott customer, but they lack value for anyone who doesn’t regularly stay at Marriott locations.
Annual fee: Will be difficult to offset this card’s ongoing cost
Despite this card’s generous rewards rates in common spending categories and its complimentary Elite Status, it’s worth pointing out that other cards — particularly general travel cards — have stronger rewards programs. Unless you want the complimentary Elite Status this card offers, it won’t be worth its annual fee for the average cardholder. If rewards earnings are how you hope to offset a card’s annual fee, you may want a rewards card that has a more valuable currency.
Consider a quick comparison to the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card. The Boundless has an annual fee that’s less than half of the Bevy, but has a nearly identical rewards rate for Marriott stays. You’ll earn the same amount of points for Marriott stays with the card, but instead of Gold Elite Status you get Silver Elite Status. The lower loyalty status will result in fewer Marriott Bonvoy points per stay, but the card is also a fraction of the cost so you’ll have a lower fee to worry about.
The Boundless is the better card if you stay frequently enough at Marriott locations to earn Gold Elite Status on your own and you have other cards to earn rewards in your everyday spending categories. The Bevy is the better card if you want to buy into Gold Elite Status to take advantage of the extra perks right away, and you plan to use the card for your U.S. supermarket and restaurant spending.
Rewards value: Limited to Marriott with low valuations
Bankrate values Marriott Bonvoy points at about 0.7 cents per point, but this value could vary based on what property you stay at or when you book. To determine the most accurate value of your points at the time of booking, divide the cost of your stay by the amount of points needed to book. Although the value fluctuates based on each stay, it consistently hovers around 0.7 cents, which is quite low for credit card rewards points and miles.
This card has generously boosted rewards rates as one of its most worthwhile features, but these high rates can mislead you into thinking you’re getting a decent value. Hotel rewards are also traditionally worth less than credit card points or airline miles, so consider this when comparing your options.
For instance, using the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card at your U.S. supermarket and restaurant spending can stunt your overall credit card rewards strategy since these categories are commonly boosted on cards with more valuable rewards.
The best way to understand the stunted value of Marriott Bonvoy rewards is to compare it to a similar general rewards card, like the American Express® Gold Card. The Amex Gold may have a higher annual fee, but it has comparable rewards rates and more valuable rewards. Here’s a quick look at how both cards compare based on their annual fees, similar rewards rate and rewards value:
| Card name | Annual fee | Rewards value | Estimated value of 50,000 points* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® | $250 | 0.7 cents | $350 |
| American Express® Gold Card | $325 | 2.0 cents | $1,000 |
*Based on median point values across budget, mid-tier and luxury hotel bookings or the issuer’s five highest-value transfer partners (if available).
How the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card compares to other rewards cards
Co-branded hotel cards can have a varying degree of added perks and benefits depending on the card issuer and hotel brand. Here’s a look at how the Bevy stacks up to a few other cards on the market.
Annual fee
Intro offer
Earn 155,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
Rewards rate
Earn 6 Marriott Bonvoy® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy. Earn 4X points at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on up to $15,000 in combined purchases at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets per calendar year, then 2X points). Earn 2X points on all other eligible purchases.
Recommended Credit Score
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Annual fee
Intro offer
Earn 185,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
Rewards rate
Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. 3X Marriott Bonvoy® points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines. 2X Marriott Bonvoy® points on all other eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card.
Recommended Credit Score
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Annual fee
Intro offer
Earn 80,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership.
Rewards rate
Earn 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio. Earn 5X Points per dollar on purchases at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations. Earn 3X Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
Recommended Credit Score
A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
Best cards to pair with the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card
The ideal card to pair with the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy is a more affordable, general travel card that covers some of the benefits the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy misses, like Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
Who is the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card right for?
There’s just one ideal cardholder for the Bevy: Marriott customers.
Bankrate’s Take — Is the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card worth it?
In short, it depends. The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy is a mid-tier card that offers solid, but not the best, Marriot perks. Whether this card is a great fit depends on how often you travel, where you spend the majority of your hotel stays and how much you’re willing to spend for quality benefits. If you’re somewhere in the middle, the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy is worth a look, but if you’re looking for more or don’t have any loyalty to a particular brand, you may be able to get more from another travel card.
The information about the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.
How we rated this card
We rate credit cards using a proprietary card scoring system that ranks each card’s estimated average rewards rate, estimated annual earnings, welcome bonus value, APR, fees, perks and more against those of other cards in its primary category.
Each card feature is assigned a weighting based on how important it is to people looking for a card in a given category. These features are then scored based on how they rank relative to the features on other cards in the category. Based on these calculations, each card receives an overall rating of 1-5 stars (with 5 being the highest possible score and 1 being the lowest).
We analyzed over 150 of the most popular rewards and cash back cards to determine where each stacked up based on their value, cost, benefits and more. Here are some of the key factors that influenced this card’s overall score and how the score influenced our review:
Frequently asked questions
What cardholders think
Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card
In May 2024, Bankrate collaborated with third-party SliceMR to survey 6160 cardholders nationwide. Bankrate and Slice MR collected, averaged and presented website analytics and cardholder responses to six questions on a 5-point scale. Responses are based on individual cardholder’s product details, and therefore cannot be verified for accuracy. User ratings are unedited and have not been reviewed or approved by credit card issuers, nor do these ratings reflect Bankrate’s own reviews of these cards.
Community Reviews
* See the online application for details about terms and conditions for these offers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information. However all credit card information is presented without warranty. After you click on the offer you desire you will be directed to the credit card issuer's web site where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer.
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, is accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information.
