Marriott Bonvoy Business Card Amex Canada Review

Amex Bonvoy Card vs Business Bonvoy Card Canada

The benefits offered on the personal and business Bonvoy Cards in Canada are identical. The business Card is simply targeted towards business owners.

Read the Review: Personal Marriott Bonvoy Card Canada.

Business Bonvoy Fees

Annual Fee

The annual fee on the Business Bonvoy is $150, which is $30 more than the Personal Card. So what does that get you? I’m still trying to figure that out too. With other Amex Business Cards in Canada, there are some obvious business benefits, but with the Bonvoy Cards, there really isn’t.

Supplementary Card Fees

The Personal Bonvoy Card offers free supplementary Cards, up to a maximum of 9. Whereas the Business Bonvoy Card charges $50 per supplementary Card, up to a maximum of 99.

Welcome Bonus: Earn up to 60,000 Bonvoy points Bonvoy Points

Earn up to 60,000 Bonvoy points points with the welcome bonus offer. Here’s how:

• Earn 60,000 welcome bonus Marriott Bonvoy® points.
• Earn 60,000 Welcome Bonus Marriott Bonvoy® points after you spend $5,000 on your Card in your first three months of Cardmembership.

If you have some upcoming travel plans, the accelerated earning bonus can help earn points even faster.

View the Marriott Awards Redemption Chart by Hotel Category.

Earning Rate

After the welcome bonus earning rate of 5x the points on gas, dining and travel has ended, you’ll earn:

• 3 points for every $1 on eligible gas, dining and travel.
• 5 points for every $1 at participating Marriott Bonvoy properties.
• 2 points for every $1 everywhere else.

Receive Hotel Loyalty Benefits with Automatic Silver Elite Status

You’ll receive automatic Silver Elite loyalty status. Most notably, you’ll earn:

• 10% bonus points on stays.
• Late 2pm checkout.

Get Upgraded to Gold Elite

If you charge over $30,000 CAD to your card in a year ($2,500 a month on average), you’ll be upgraded to Gold Elite loyalty status which will get you:

• 25% bonus points on stays.
• Late 2pm checkout
• A room upgrade

The big win here is the complimentary room upgrade. Room upgrades are subject to availability, so I always like to check-in as early as possible and ask at the front desk what’s available.

Room upgrades can mean the difference between a standard room, and 1 bedroom suite. So when you book a room with Bonvoy points, or cash, book the lower room category. Chances are you’ll get upgraded to the room you really wanted at check-in!

Get an Annual Free Night Stay

On every Card anniversary, you’ll receive a free night stay valued at up to 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. That’s enough for a standard rate Category 5 hotel, such as the Marriott Grand Chateau in Las Vegas and is worth more than the annual fee on this Card alone. A room at that hotel is currently going for $254 USD a night, which is more than the $150 CAD fee you’d pay on this Card.

Get 15 Elite Night Credits

You’ll receive 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year . Elite nights can help you achieve a higher loyalty status with Marriott Bonvoy.

Here’s how many nights per year it takes to achieve the different loyalty tiers:

• Member: 0-9 nights/year.
• Silver Elite: 10-24 nights/year.
• Gold Elite: 25-49 nights/year.
• Platinum Elite: 50-74 nights/year.
• Titanium Elite: 75-99 nights/year.
• Ambassador Elite: 100+ nights/year and $20k in annual qualifying spend.

Earn Points Fast with the Amex Refer a Friend Bonus

Once you’re a Cardmember, you can refer friends, family, and business associates to the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card, and earn a referral bonus of 15,000 Bonvoy points for each approved referral, up to a maximum of 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy points a year, or 10 referrals.

This referral bonus varies slightly from the Personal Bonvoy Card where you can refer up to 15 people a year, but only receive 10,000 points per referral.

Is the Amex Business Bonvoy Card Worth it in Canada?

Choices for hotel branded credit cards are slim in Canada. Luckily, the Bonvoy Card is well worth it, with the annual free night award, elite night credits, welcome bonus Bonvoy points, and earning rates, easily putting you ahead of the annual fee. If you’re a frequent hotel guest, you’d be smart to get a Bonvoy Card in Canada.

But it’s worth noting that the Business Bonvoy Card is $30 more than the Personal Card with no added benefits. So save yourself that $30 and go with the Personal Bonvoy Card to start rewarding yourself with free hotel stays.

for the Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card