Is the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy worth the annual fee?
Editor's Note
The credit cards world scratched its collective head when Marriott Bonvoy and Amex launched this card.
While most credit cards fall into the “basic” card camp (with annual fees under $100) or the “luxury” card camp (annual fees of $400-plus), the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card launched in September 2022 with an annual fee of $250 (see rates and fees).
But what do you get for this fee? Is the card sufficiently positioned above those entry-level credit cards to justify an extra $150? And what does it lack that’s included on cards with $400 or more in annual fees?
Let’s look at what you get for the $250 annual fee on the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Bevy to see if it’s worth it.
Welcome bonus
New applicants can earn 85,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership.
This total bonus is worth up to $595, according to TPG’s March 2025 valuations.
Great locations for using Marriott Bonvoy points include award stays at places like The Ritz-Carlton, Turks & Caicos, The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort and The West Hollywood Edition. Skiiers and snowboarders might enjoy properties like The St. Regis Aspen Resort, The St. Regis Deer Valley or The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch.
If you’ve had Marriott credit cards from Chase or American Express in the past, there are restrictions that will limit your ability to collect a new member bonus. Fortunately, there’s a pop-up that will tell you if you are not eligible for the bonus when you apply before Amex runs your credit — and our chart can help clarify things as well.
Related: How to maximize Bonvoy award night redemptions
Elite status and related perks
Cardmembers receive automatic Gold Elite status with Marriott Bonvoy. At this level, you can expect benefits like upgrades to preferred rooms (but not suites), late checkout and a welcome gift of bonus points at check-in.
Cardholders also receive 15 elite night credits in their Marriott Bonvoy account each year. These are what you need to reach higher levels of status, and they can be stacked if you also hold a business credit card from Marriott. For instance, if you hold the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, this card will give you another 15 elite night credits — meaning you start the year with 30 elite night credits automatically.
To earn Platinum Elite status — where benefits like suite upgrades and free breakfast kick in — you need 50 elite night credits per year with Marriott Bonvoy, so holding these two credit cards would put you more than halfway there.
However, unlike many hotel credit cards, there’s no path to achieving elite status by spending a lot on your Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card each year. You can’t spend your way to Platinum Elite status, no matter how many purchases you make.
You do get automatic Platinum Elite status with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, but that card comes with a hefty $650 annual fee (see rates and fees).
Related: Here’s why you need both a personal and business Marriott Bonvoy credit card
bonus points every stay
Cardmembers can receive 1,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points for each eligible paid stay at a hotel or resort that participates in Marriott Bonvoy.
TPG's March 2025 valuations peg Marriott points at 0.7 cents apiece, meaning 1,000 points are worth $7. The bonus points are unavailable on stays where you redeem points or free night awards.
Annual free night earning option
Cardmembers who spend $15,000 or more on their cards within a calendar year can receive a free night award worth up to 50,000 points (certain hotels have resort fees). You can redeem these awards at properties like the JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa, St. Regis Langkawi in Malaysia, The Ritz-Carlton, Bali and the Westin Hapuna Beach Resort in Hawaii.
That said, due to Marriott Bonvoy’s dynamic pricing, you’ll want to do a calendar search for flexible dates to find nights that cost 50,000 points or less. It can be especially difficult to use your free night awards on or near holidays or events and concerts since award prices on those dates also tend to be higher. However, if you want to use your free night award at a pricier hotel, you can add up to 15,000 points for more redemption options.
While it’s nice to have the option to get a free night with the Bevy, many hotel cards include a free night each year as an automatic perk — often for a lower annual fee. Having to work for a free night makes it much harder to justify the card’s $250 annual fee.
Related: The best ways to redeem the Marriott 50K free night award
Other perks
Earning points on the Bevy card is similar to what you’ll see on other Marriott Bonvoy credit cards. Cardmembers earn 6 points per dollar at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy, 4 points per dollar on the first $15,000 per year in combined purchases at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (then 2 points per dollar) and 2 points per dollar on other purchases.
Bevy cardholders can also take advantage of several travel protections to help if things go wrong during a trip.
Based on TPG’s March 2025 valuations, that’s essentially a return of 4.1% on Marriott purchases, 2.8% at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets and 1.4% on everyday spending. These rates aren’t jaw-dropping but aren’t bad for a cobranded card.
Cardmembers also gain access to Amex Offers, which can provide targeted discounts or bonus points on eligible purchases.
Related: Should you have multiple Marriott credit cards?
Bottom line
If you want Gold Elite status with Marriott Bonvoy and don’t stay enough nights annually to qualify, you’ll likely be able to justify the Bevy’s $250 annual fee. However, most will get more value from the automatic free annual night that comes with the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Business Card (plus automatic Gold status) for a $125 annual fee (see rates and fees) or the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (see rates and fees) from Chase (plus Silver status) for a $95 annual fee.
For more information, read our full review on the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Amex card.
Apply here: Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card
For rates and fees of the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Bevy, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Business, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card, click here.
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.