Head-to-Head: Amex Bonvoy Card vs. Amex Bonvoy Business Card

In this edition of Head-to-Head, we’ll compare two credit cards from Marriott Bonvoy, one of the largest hotel programs for Canadians: the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card.

Marriott Bonvoy is currently the only major hotel chain with a co-branded credit card in Canada. Both credit cards offer solid value propositions with reasonably low annual fees, as well as some very desirable perks and benefits.

If you’ve got your eye on one of these cards, read on to find out which one is best for you. 

Card Basics

We’ll begin with some of the cards’ key characteristics: the bonuses, fees, and earning rates.

1. Annual Fee

Both cards have very reasonable annual fees, especially when you consider the perks and benefits that come along with them, which we’ll describe in detail below.

The Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card has an annual fee of $120, while the Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card has an annual fee of $150.

Verdict: The difference of $30 makes the personal Amex Bonvoy Card the winner here.

2. Welcome Bonus

Until May 6, 2024, the personal Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card offers up to 85,000 Bonvoy points when you apply via a refer-a-friend link.

On the other hand, the Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card offers up to 90,000 Bonvoy points when applied for using a referral link, valid through to May 6, 2024.

Historically, the minimum spending requirement for the personal version of the card has hovered around $3,000, with a welcome bonus of between 50,000–70,000 Bonvoy points, up to a historical high of 105,000 points.

For the business version of the card, the spending requirement has fluctuated from a low of $1,5o0 to a high of $5,000, with some time in between at $3,000. Similar to the personal card, the welcome bonus has ranged between 50,000–80,000 Bonvoy points, up to a high of 105,000 Bonvoy points.

Verdict:  The Bonvoy Business Card tends to have a slightly larger welcome bonus than the personal variant, giving it a slight edge in this measure.

3. Earning Rates

Both credit cards have an excellent…