Earn 6x Points on Select Travel

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  • American Express has launched a new promotion for personal Amex Marriott Bonvoy cardholders**.
  • From July 14 to September 30, 2021, you can earn 6x points in select travel-related categories.
  • Enrollment is required by September 15, and each category is capped at 10,000 points maximum.
  • Read Insider’s guide to the best rewards credit cards.

If you have one of the personal Amex Marriott Bonvoy cards — either the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card or legacy Marriott Bonvoy™ American Express® Card (no longer open to applications) — there’s a new, limited-time spending bonus that could get you a nice haul of points on your summer travels.

Starting today, cardholders can earn a total of 6x Marriott points in the following categories:

  • Car rentals purchased directly from select car rental companies
  • Flights booked directly with airlines
  • Gas at U.S. gas stations
  • Transit, including purchases on taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, and buses

The promotion runs until September 30, 2021, but enrollment is required through the Amex Offers section of your account by September 15 to get in on the deal. 

Amex Marriott card travel promotion details

Regular APR

15.74{b530a9af8ec2f2e0d4045baab79c5cfb9bfdc23e498df4d376766a0b44d3f146} to 24.74{b530a9af8ec2f2e0d4045baab79c5cfb9bfdc23e498df4d376766a0b44d3f146} variable APR

Credit Score

Good to Excellent

Featured Reward

Earn 75,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months, plus up to $200 in Statement Credits for eligible purchases at U.S. Restaurants within the first 6 months of Card Membership

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  • Pros & Cons
  • Details

  • Pros
    • Annual statement credits can save you money on Marriott stays
    • You get a free reward night each year after your account anniversary
    Cons
    • High annual fee
    • Other cards are more rewarding for earning points on your spending
    • Earn 75,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. Plus, earn up to $200 in Statement Credits for eligible purchases at U.S. Restaurants within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
    • Enjoy up to $300 in statement credits each year of Card Membership for eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels.
    • Earn 6 Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy Hotels. 3 points at U.S. restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines. 2 points on all other eligible purchases.
    • Receive 1 free Night Award every year after your Card account anniversary. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy Points) at a participating hotel. Certain hotels have resort fees.
    • Enjoy unlimited airport lounge visits when you enroll in Priority Pass™ Select membership.
    • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
    • $450 Annual Fee.
    • Terms Apply.

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    Existing cardholders (and those who open the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card and enroll in the promotion by the deadline) are eligible to earn 6x points in each of the bonus categories through September 30, 2021. 

    Read more: How to earn, redeem, and maximize Marriott Bonvoy points

    However, the bonus is capped at 10,000 points per category — about $1,667 in spending — and you’ll only earn bonus points for purchases you make after enrollment (it’s not retroactive). If you spend the maximum in each category (car rentals, direct airline flight bookings, gas at U.S. gas stations, and transit) you could end up with a total of 40,000 points.

    Based on Insider’s 2021 points and miles valuations, Marriott points are worth an average of 0.7 cents apiece, so you can expect to get around $280 in value if you max out this bonus. The cheapest award nights at Marriott hotels start at 5,000 points for an off-peak Category 1 hotel, so it’s certainly possible to stretch this bonus to get multiple free nights.

    Without the bonus, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card earns 2x points in these categories (except flights booked directly with airlines, which usually earns 3x points) — and the Marriott Bonvoy™ American Express® Card would normally earn 2x — so this promo represents up to 4 additional points per dollar you spend.

    That sounds like a lot of points, but if you already have other cards that earn bonus rewards on travel purchases and/or gas stations, shifting your spending to your Marriott card to take part in this promotion might not make sense.

    Read more: The best American Express cards in 2021

    For example, The Platinum Card® from American Express
    earns 5x Membership Rewards points on airfare purchased directly through the airline or through Amex Travel (on up to $500,000 in spending per year). Because Amex Membership Rewards points are far more valuable than Marriott points (1.8 cents each based on Insider’s valuations), you’d do a lot better earning-wise using your Platinum Card to book flights.

    The same holds true if you’d normally use the Citi Premier® Card to earn 3x points at gas stations. Citi ThankYou points are worth 1.6 cents apiece on average based on our valuations, so you’d still come out ahead by sticking with your Citi Premier® Card for these purchases.

    That said, if you’re saving up Bonvoy points for an award, this Amex Marriott summer travel promotion could be an easy way to give your balance a quick boost. And there’s no harm in enrolling your card now, even if you don’t think you’ll take advantage of this deal.

    Featured credit cards from our partners

    Featured Reward

    100,000 points

    Credit Needed

    Good to Excellent

    Featured Reward

    3 Free Nights (valued up to 50,000 points each) after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months, plus 10x total points per $1 spent on up to $2,500 in combined purchases in select categories within your first 6 months

    Credit Needed

    Good to Excellent

    Featured Reward

    $200 after spending $500 in the first three months from account opening

    Credit Needed

    Good to Excellent