Small Business News

AmEx and Marriott Bonvoy Update Small Business Card Rewards

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American Express and Marriott Bonvoy have announced some notable updates for their co-branded small business credit card. While the Marriott Bonvoy Business card will be retaining all of its existing benefits and keeping the same $125 annual fee, business owners will now enjoy expanded rewards at restaurants, discounts on room bookings, enhanced status, and more.

The first addition to the Marriott Bonvoy Business card is a new room rate discount. Now, cardholders will save 7% on standard rates at participating Marriott Bonvoy properties when they book directly. Also new is that, while the 4x points on dining purchases category previously only applied to U.S. restaurants, the 4x category now extends to restaurants worldwide. As for other updated perks, cardholders will now earn automatic Bonvoy Gold Elite status. Prior to now, the card only included complimentary Silver Elite status.

Despite these new additions, the card isn’t losing any of its previous perks. Starting with rewards, the card will continue to earn 6x points per dollar spent on eligible Marriott Bonvoy purchases as well as 4x on U.S. gas station purchases, wireless telephone services purchases directly with U.S. providers, and U.S. shipping purchases — plus the aforementioned 4x points on worldwide dining purchases. All other purchases earn 2x Marriott Bonvoy points.

Beyond these rewards, another key perk of the Marriott Bonvoy Business card is the Annual Free Night Award. Every year, after a business owner’s card renewal, they’ll earn a certificate for a free night, worth up to 35,000 points. Those who spend at least $60,000 in purchases on the card during a calendar year can also earn an additional certificate. Finally, while the card includes Gold Elite Status, cardholders also receive 15 Elite Night Credits that can help them to reach the next level of Bonvoy elite status.

To celebrate the updated card, Amex and Marriott Bonvoy are currently offering an enhanced welcome bonus. Now, business owners who apply and are approved for the Marriott Bonvoy Business card will be able to earn 125,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points when they make at least $5,000 in eligible purchases during their first three months as card members. This specific offer is set to expire on August 31st, 2022.

With updates to complimentary status, the dining rewards category, and the addition of a room rate discount, the changes Amex and Marriott Bonvoy have made to their small business card definitely fall into the “positive” category. What’s more, the card’s annual fee is staying put at a reasonable $125. Of course, how much benefit business owners will get from this card option will heavily depend on how much business travel they’re doing and how loyal they are to the Marriott Bonvoy brand. Should small business owners decide that this updated Marriott Bonvoy Business card does make sense for them, it may behoove them to pick it up before the end of August in order to take advantage of the current 125,000 point bonus.

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Also published on Medium.

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