Last updated: April 2026 | Author: Harold Phillips
Key Takeaways
- The American Express Marriott Bonvoy card costs $120/year and earns 5 Marriott Bonvoy points per $1 at Marriott properties, 2 points per $1 on everything else
- New cardholders can earn a welcome bonus of around 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. Confirm the current offer before applying, as it changes periodically
- The annual Free Night Award (up to 35,000 points value), credited on your card anniversary, can single-handedly justify the annual fee if you stay at Marriott properties even once a year
- American Express acceptance gaps in Canada are real. This card works best as a companion to a Visa or Mastercard, not a standalone daily driver
What Is American Express Marriott Bonvoy?
The American Express Marriott Bonvoy card is a co-branded travel credit card issued by American Express in Canada. You earn Marriott Bonvoy points on every purchase (Marriott's loyalty currency), and those points can be redeemed for free hotel nights, flight transfers to airline programs, and upgrades across Marriott's portfolio of brands. That portfolio is substantial: Marriott, Sheraton, Westin, W Hotels, The Ritz-Carlton, Courtyard, Residence Inn, Delta Hotels (which you'll recognize from most Canadian city centres), and roughly two dozen others.
At $120/year, it's positioned as an entry-level travel card. It isn't competing with the $400-plus cards that offer business-class lounge access and annual travel credits. It's aimed at someone who travels a handful of times a year, stays at mid-range or upscale hotels, and wants to be earning something on those nights rather than nothing.
The way I'd describe it: this is a good card for a specific person. If you travel a few times a year and those trips often involve Marriott-family properties, the math works out. If you mostly accumulate airline miles, or if you barely touch hotels at all, it's a harder sell.
American Express Marriott Bonvoy Referral Code: tYLERCPrYN
Applying through a referral link makes you eligible for the welcome bonus, currently around 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for new cardholders, though that number shifts during promotional windows. Check the current offer on the Amex Canada site before you apply; there are usually better periods a few times a year.
Here's how to use the referral:
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Go to referralmaxxing.ca/go/amex-marriott |
| 2 | Click through to the American Express Canada application page |
| 3 | Complete your application; the referral is tracked automatically |
| 4 | Meet the minimum spend requirement within the qualifying period (typically around $1,500 in 3 months) |
| 5 | Welcome bonus points are deposited into your Marriott Bonvoy account |
The minimum spend sounds like a lot until you actually run the numbers. Groceries, transit, subscriptions, one dinner out: most people hit $1,500 in about six weeks without adjusting their spending habits at all. I cleared it in less than a month without trying.
One thing worth knowing: Marriott Bonvoy points go into your loyalty account, not your Amex account. If you don't already have a Marriott Bonvoy number, you'll create one during the application process. It's free and takes about two minutes.
Pricing and Plans
The American Express Marriott Bonvoy is a single product with one annual fee. There's no free tier, no upgraded premium version. Just one card.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Annual fee | $120/year |
| Welcome bonus | ~50,000 points (verify current offer) |
| Earn rate at Marriott properties | 5 points per $1 |
| Earn rate on all other purchases | 2 points per $1 |
| Annual Free Night Award | Up to 35,000 points value, issued on card anniversary |
| Elite Night Credits | 15 credits toward Marriott Bonvoy status annually |
| Automatic status | Silver Elite |
| Foreign transaction fee | 2.5% |
| Additional cardholders | $0 (one additional card included) |
| Insurance | Travel accident, purchase protection, extended warranty |
The free additional cardholder is a genuinely useful feature. My partner has a card on the account, and every purchase they make earns points toward the same balance. Small thing, but it adds up across a year.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Annual Free Night Award easily offsets the $120 fee | ❌ 2.5% foreign transaction fee stings on any spending outside Canada |
| ✅ Automatic Silver Elite Status with 15 Elite Night Credits | ❌ American Express isn't accepted everywhere in Canada |
| ✅ 5x points at Marriott properties is a strong earn rate | ❌ Marriott's dynamic pricing makes point values harder to predict than they used to be |
| ✅ Free additional cardholder | ❌ Welcome bonus requires minimum spend; annual fee isn't waived in year one |
| ✅ Massive hotel network (Delta Hotels, Westin, Sheraton, Marriott, and more) | ❌ 2x points on general spending is decent but not exceptional |
American Express Marriott Bonvoy vs TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite
The TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite is the most common card people compare this to. Both are entry-to-mid-range travel cards in roughly the same fee range, aimed at Canadians who travel a few times a year. The main difference is which ecosystem you're buying into: Marriott Bonvoy hotel points versus Aeroplan miles.
| Feature | Amex Marriott Bonvoy | TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $120 | $139 |
| Welcome bonus | ~50,000 Bonvoy points | ~20,000 Aeroplan miles + extras |
| Primary earn rate | 5x at Marriott hotels | 1.5x on groceries, gas, Air Canada purchases |
| General earn rate | 2x everywhere else | 1x everywhere else |
| Annual travel benefit | Free night award (up to 35K pts) | First checked bag free on Air Canada flights |
| Status benefit | Silver Elite (Marriott) | None |
| Foreign transaction fee | 2.5% | 2.5% |
| Card network | American Express | Visa |
| Best for | Hotel stays, Marriott loyalists | Air Canada flyers, Aeroplan collectors |
Honestly, if you fly Air Canada even semi-regularly, the Aeroplan card is probably the better pick. The free checked bag perk alone covers the annual fee if you take two or three flights a year, and Aeroplan has a cleaner redemption structure for anyone who's primarily chasing flights rather than hotel nights.
But if hotels are your main travel expense (business trips, long weekend stays, city trips where the room cost matters more than the airfare), the Marriott card's free night award and 5x earn at properties changes the math considerably. I haven't done a complete head-to-head redemption comparison in the last few months, so I won't claim one is objectively better. The right answer depends almost entirely on which type of travel you do more of.
My Experience with the American Express Marriott Bonvoy Card
I picked this card up about eighteen months ago after a stretch of work travel (Calgary twice in six months, a conference in Ottawa) that I was running through a card earning me absolutely nothing on hotel bookings. My company reimburses expenses, but there's always a lag between paying out of pocket and getting money back, and I figured those nights should at least be stacking points somewhere.
The application was quick. Amex approved me within two days. Linking my Marriott Bonvoy account took about five minutes. The welcome bonus hit my account roughly six weeks after I cleared the minimum spend, which I hit in the first month without really changing how I was spending.
The free night award is where this card proves itself. On my card anniversary, a certificate for a free hotel night showed up in my Marriott account, valid at properties up to 35,000 points. I used it at a Westin in Montreal after a conference. I'd planned to leave the same day but pushed my checkout back twenty-four hours to walk around the Plateau. That night would have been around $275 out of pocket. The $120 fee paid for itself and then some. That's the whole case for this card, really. One reasonable hotel night per year and you're ahead.
That said.
The Amex acceptance problem is real, and it shows up at the worst times. There's a Vietnamese spot near me in Leslieville I've been going to for three years. They don't take Amex. A few of the smaller grocers I use regularly don't either. Canadian Tire mostly does; most large chains are fine. But if you're planning to use this as your only card, you'll run into friction constantly. I carry a Visa for daily spending and pull out this card specifically for hotels and larger travel purchases.
The 2.5% foreign transaction fee is the other thing I keep coming back to. I noticed it going through my statement after a quick trip to New York. Every US charge had a little fee sitting next to it. It wasn't catastrophic, but it added up. If you're travelling outside Canada more than a couple of times a year, a no-FX card probably makes more sense as your travel card.
Silver Elite Status is genuinely useful in a quiet way. It's the lowest Marriott tier, but it gets you late checkout when it's available, bonus points on paid stays, and priority service when something goes sideways. I called about a booking issue at a property in Calgary (wrong room type) and being on the Elite line meant I talked to someone in under two minutes. That's not nothing.
The thing is, the 2x points on general spending isn't going to blow anyone away. I'm not putting my whole financial life on this card. It earns on everything, which is fine, but for day-to-day spending it's not exceptional. I use it where it earns well (hotels, travel bookings, the occasional large purchase) and my Visa handles the rest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the American Express Marriott Bonvoy card available across Canada?
Yes, it's available to Canadian residents in all provinces and territories. Amex evaluates creditworthiness through their standard Canadian underwriting process. No provincial exclusions. This one's available coast to coast, unlike some financial products that quietly skip Quebec or Atlantic Canada.
How does the Marriott Bonvoy referral code work?
When you apply through referralmaxxing.ca/go/amex-marriott, the referral is tracked automatically via the link, so you don't enter a code manually. If your application is approved, you're eligible for the welcome bonus points. I may receive a small reward from Amex when you're approved. It doesn't affect your annual fee, your interest rate, or any terms of your card.
What are Marriott Bonvoy points worth?
Roughly 0.7–0.9 cents Canadian per point for standard hotel redemptions, though the actual value varies quite a bit. Marriott moved to dynamic pricing a few years back, which means there's no fixed point cost for a given hotel category. The same room can cost wildly different amounts in points depending on the date and demand. This makes it harder to calculate value before you redeem, which I consider a real drawback. Premium property redemptions during off-peak dates can beat that estimate meaningfully; budget redemptions at lower-end properties often underwhelm.
Does the American Express Marriott Bonvoy card have a foreign transaction fee?
Yes, 2.5% on purchases made in foreign currencies. It's the most common complaint I see about this card and I share it. If you travel internationally regularly and put significant spending on your card abroad, a no-FX card is probably a smarter primary travel option. For mostly Canadian travel with the occasional US trip, it's annoying but manageable.
Is the annual Free Night Award actually worth it?
For most people who stay at a Marriott-family property at least once a year, yes. A certificate valid at properties up to 35,000 points is worth roughly $200–$350 in hotel stays depending on where you use it. Against a $120 annual fee, that's a straightforward win. The catch: certificates expire after twelve months from issue and can't be extended. You have to actually use it, and you have to plan ahead. I've heard from people who let theirs lapse without realizing. That stings.
What Marriott hotels can I redeem at in Canada?
Canada has solid coverage, especially in major cities. Delta Hotels alone has properties in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Montreal, and multiple Toronto locations. Add Sheraton, Westin, Courtyard, Marriott, and Fairfield into the mix and most business travel between Canadian cities is covered. Outside urban centres the network thins out, but for the typical business traveller or city-trip weekend, you're generally fine.
Is the American Express Marriott Bonvoy card worth it in 2026?
For someone who travels a few times a year and gravitates toward Marriott-family hotels, yes, the card earns its keep. The free night award and Silver Elite Status are real benefits that show up in real situations. For someone who primarily flies rather than hotels, or who's already deep in an Aeroplan or Avion ecosystem, adding a second points currency is harder to justify. And if Amex acceptance is a dealbreaker for you, this probably isn't your card.
Can I earn points on regular everyday spending?
Yes. The 2x on all purchases means you're accumulating Marriott Bonvoy points on groceries, transit, subscriptions, everything. It's a fine earn rate, not a spectacular one. I don't treat this as my primary spending card for a reason, but for a secondary card where points stack passively on non-hotel spending, it's a solid baseline.
Final Verdict
The American Express Marriott Bonvoy card is a good hotel rewards card for Canadians who actually stay at Marriott properties. The free night award is the centrepiece. Use it once a year at a reasonable Marriott-brand hotel and the $120 fee pays for itself with room to spare. Silver Elite Status and the 15 Elite Night Credits toward Marriott's higher tiers add meaningful convenience for anyone spending regular nights on the road. And the welcome bonus, running around 50,000 points for new applicants, is a strong head start.
The limitations are worth taking seriously. Amex acceptance in Canada means you'll need a Visa or Mastercard alongside it. This isn't a replace-everything card. The 2.5% foreign transaction fee is a real cost for international spending. And Marriott's shift to dynamic pricing on award nights means the value of your points requires more homework than it used to.
My honest take: pair this with a no-fee or no-FX Visa as your everyday card, and the Amex Marriott earns its place in the wallet for hotel bookings and travel spending. As a standalone card, it asks too much of you to work around its gaps.
If you're ready to apply, check the current welcome offer and use my referral link at referralmaxxing.ca/go/amex-marriott. The bonus amount fluctuates, and there are usually two or three promotional windows per year where it runs higher than the baseline. If you're not in a rush, it's worth keeping an eye on.
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This article contains referral links. If you sign up using my code, I may receive a reward at no extra cost to you. I only recommend services I personally use.