Card benefits change often, and this page may be out of date by the time you read it. Always check the bank’s page and your card’s guide to benefits for the current terms before you rely on a benefit.
The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy is Amex’s mid-tier Marriott card: a $250 annual fee, automatic Marriott Gold Elite status, 15 Elite Night Credits, 1,000 bonus points per paid stay, 6x at Marriott and 4x at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets.
It has no statement credits and no automatic free night (it takes $15,000 of spending), so it’s mostly a card for its welcome offer. Below is how it earns, what’s included, the insurance in Amex’s own numbers, the Amex and Chase Marriott rules, and my verdict.
Marriott Bevy at a glance
- Annual fee: $250; No fee for additional cards
- Current public offer: 125,000 points plus a $150 statement credit after $5,000 in purchases in the first 6 months, through Doctor of Credit’s direct link; Amex’s public page shows 85,000 points after the same $5,000 (as of October 14, 2026, per Doctor of Credit)
- Is it the best ever?: No. It was 175,000 points until May 2026. Doctor of Credit says the 125,000 + $150 link technically still has lifetime language but has been working without a pop-up for people who’ve had the card; Frequent Miler and Amex’s page show only the standard 85,000.
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Best for: People who want a big Marriott bonus for $5,000 of spending and are fine cancelling or downgrading after year one.
- Skip it if: You want a Marriott card to keep long term; Chase’s Boundless gives a yearly free night for $95, and the Brilliant does far more if you’ll use its credits.
- Bank’s page: Marriott Bonvoy Bevy on americanexpress.com
Jump to: Highlights · Earning · Status and perks · Insurance · Transfers · Application rules · My take · The catch · Keep it? · Offer history · Quick Answers
The highlights
- 6x at Marriott; 4x at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets on up to $15,000 a year combined, then 2x; 2x elsewhere
- Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status and 15 Elite Night Credits a year
- 1,000 bonus points per paid stay booked directly with Marriott
- Free Night Award (up to 50,000 points) only after $15,000 in purchases in a calendar year
- Marriott points transfer to 38+ airlines, mostly at 3:1 with a 5,000-mile bonus per 60,000 points
- No statement credits and no lounge access
- Trip delay at 12 hours, baggage insurance, secondary rental car coverage and purchase protection; no foreign transaction fees
How it earns
| Category | Rate | Caps and fine print |
|---|---|---|
| Hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy | 6x | No cap. Gold status adds a 25% bonus on base points from Marriott. |
| Restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets | 4x | On up to $15,000 in combined purchases per calendar year, then 2x. Restaurants include U.S. takeout and delivery. |
| Everything else | 2x | No cap. |
Marriott points are worth well under a cent each in my eyes, so 4x is roughly 3% back and 2x about 1.5%. Amex says you can earn up to 18.5x total at Marriott once you add the base points and the Gold bonus from the program itself.
Marriott status and other perks
- Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status: a 25% bonus on base points on stays, plus Marriott’s own Gold benefits such as enhanced room upgrades and late checkout when available.
- 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year toward the next status level. They’re per Marriott account, so they don’t stack with the 25 from a Brilliant or the 15 from a Chase Marriott card.
- 1,000 bonus points per paid eligible stay booked directly with Marriott, which in my eyes is worth a few dollars a stay.
- Free Night Award after $15,000 in purchases in a calendar year, for one night costing up to 50,000 points (resort fees may apply).
- No lounge access: Amex’s FAQ says so.
- Amex Offers, Amex presale tickets and the Global Assist Hotline (24/7 referrals and emergency help when you’re 100+ miles from home).
Insurance and protections
| Benefit | What the bank says |
|---|---|
| Trip delay | Up to $300 per trip after a delay of more than 12 hours, max 2 claims per card per 12 months One-way and award tickets: One-ways only as part of a round trip: Amex’s terms require round-trip travel paid entirely with the card; it can be made of one-way tickets, but a trip with no return isn’t covered. Award tickets: the terms let you pay with the card in combination with points, so award taxes paid on the card should count (The Points Guy reads it the same way). |
| Trip cancellation / interruption | None listed |
| Lost luggage (Baggage Insurance Plan) | Up to $1,250 for carry-on and $500 for checked bags that are lost, damaged or stolen, above what the airline pays One-way and award tickets: One-ways are fine: the plan needs the Entire Fare of the ticket on the card, with no round-trip rule. Award tickets probably don’t count, because paying only the taxes isn’t the entire fare (The Points Guy reads Amex’s “Entire Fare” wording the same way). |
| Car rental loss and damage | Secondary coverage for damage or theft when you decline the rental company’s CDW; not available in Australia, Italy or New Zealand, and no liability coverage |
| Purchase protection | Theft, accidental damage or loss within 90 days, up to $10,000 per purchase and $50,000 per calendar year |
| Extended warranty | Up to one extra year on U.S. warranties of 5 years or less |
| Cell phone protection | None listed |
Amounts are from Amex’s card page, checked October 14, 2026; trip delay is insured by New Hampshire Insurance Company (AIG), and the round-trip definition comes from Amex’s trip delay terms.
For how this compares with other cards, see my card travel benefits comparison.
Transfer partners
Marriott Bonvoy points transfer to 38+ airline programs, most at 3 points to 1 mile with a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 points (so 60,000 points become 25,000 miles); United adds 10,000 per 60,000, and American and Delta get no bonus. That’s a weak ratio, so I’d only transfer to top off an award. Ratios and transfer times for every partner are in my transfer partners guide.
Application rules for this card
- The bonus is generally once per lifetime, and the Bevy has an Amex Marriott family rule: its terms say you may not be eligible if you have or have had the Bevy or the Brilliant (the Amex lifetime rule). The Brilliant isn’t blocked by the Bevy, so get the Bevy first if you want both. Amex shows a pop-up before any hard pull if you’re not eligible.
- Doctor of Credit’s 125,000 + $150 link reportedly hasn’t shown that pop-up to past cardholders, but its terms still technically include the lifetime language, so that’s based on reports, not a guarantee.
- Chase Marriott cards matter too. Per Amex’s terms, you won’t get the bonus if you’ve had any Chase or J.P. Morgan Marriott or Ritz-Carlton card (personal or business) in the last 30 days, opened a Chase Marriott Boundless, Bold or Bountiful in the last 90 days, or received a bonus or upgrade offer on one of those in the last 24 months (Amex rules). Chase’s Marriott cards have the same kind of rule in reverse.
- Amex generally limits you to 5 Amex credit cards at once and approves about 1 credit card every 5 days and 2 every 90 days (Amex rules).
The full rules for every bank are in my credit card application rules guide.
My take
A $250 fee with no credits to offset it, so the real fee is the full $250 in my eyes. Gold status and 15 Elite Night Credits are nice, but Gold’s benefits are modest, the 1,000 points per stay are worth a few dollars each, and the free night needs $15,000 of spending, so after year one there’s very little here for $250.
That makes it a welcome-offer card. If Doctor of Credit’s 125,000 + $150 link is still working when you apply, the bonus is worth far more than the first year’s fee; at the public 85,000, it’s much less compelling.
In any case, I personally would hate to sign up at 85,000 (or even 125,000) when 175,000 was available as recently as May 2026.
The catch
There are no credits and no automatic free night, so the fee is pure cost after the bonus. The 4x on restaurants and supermarkets is capped at $15,000 a year combined, and the free night is capped at 50,000 points and needs $15,000 in spending.
Trip delay needs a 12-hour delay and a round trip paid on the card, there’s no trip cancellation or cell phone protection, and the cross-issuer rules with Chase’s Marriott cards can block the bonus for up to 24 months.
Keep it after year one?
The fee to me is $250 with nothing easy to subtract, so I’d only keep it if you’re putting $15,000 a year on it for the free night and value Gold status. Otherwise, before the second fee posts, ask Amex to move you to the older $95 Marriott Bonvoy Amex (Frequent Miler lists it as the Bevy’s downgrade path; it’s closed to new applicants but comes with a 35,000-point free night each year) or cancel.
Offer history
| Offer | Ended |
|---|---|
| 175K after $5K in 6 months (best ever) | 2026-05 |
Quick Answers
$250 a year, with no fee for additional cards, as of October 2026.
As of October 14, 2026 Amex’s public page shows 85,000 points after $5,000 in purchases in the first 6 months. Doctor of Credit lists a 125,000 points + $150 credit link for the same $5,000, which reportedly works even if you’ve had the card.
No. You earn a Free Night Award (up to 50,000 points) only after spending $15,000 on the card in a calendar year.
Usually not. The Bevy’s terms block the bonus if you have or have had the Bevy or the Brilliant. The Brilliant’s terms don’t mention the Bevy, so the Bevy should come first.
Yes. Frequent Miler lists the $95 Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card, which is closed to new applicants but still a product-change option, as the Bevy’s downgrade path.
Last checked: October 14, 2026. Card terms change often, so confirm on the bank’s page before you apply. There are no affiliate or referral links on this site, ever; links go to the bank’s own page.