Marriott Bonvoy Amex fee rises to $150: is the card still worth it?
On February 9, 2027, the Marriott Bonvoy Amex fee rises to $150 and the free night requires $3,000 in purchases. We run the numbers: net value, break-even point and spending scenarios.
On February 9, 2027, the annual fee on the Marriott Bonvoy® American Express®* Card rises from $120 to $150, and the Annual Free Night Award will require $3,000 in purchases. American Express announced the changes in its official news release, alongside automatic Gold Elite status on both existing Marriott Bonvoy Amex cards.
This analysis runs the numbers on the Marriott Bonvoy Amex card changes: what each card costs after February 9, 2027, what the free night is worth, and how much you need to spend for the card to pay for itself. For a first-hand cardholder view, our sister site Milesopedia published its take on the Marriott Bonvoy Amex changes. To compare other options, see our credit cards hub.
Marriott Bonvoy Amex card changes at a glance
Two existing cards are affected: the personal Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card. The table below compares the terms in force on November 10, 2026 with the terms announced for February 9, 2027.
| Feature | Personal card today | Personal card from Feb. 9, 2027 | Business card today | Business card from Feb. 9, 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $120 | $150 (first fee charged on or after Feb. 9, 2027) | $150 | $150 (unchanged) |
| Marriott Bonvoy status | Silver Elite | Gold Elite | Silver Elite | Gold Elite |
| Condition for the annual free night | None (issued after the card anniversary) | $3,000 in total purchases | None (issued after the card anniversary) | $3,000 in total purchases |
| Free night cap | Up to 35,000 points | Up to 35,000 points, plus up to 25,000 of your own points | Up to 35,000 points | Up to 35,000 points, plus up to 25,000 of your own points |
| Elite Night Credits | 15 per calendar year | 15 per calendar year | 15 per calendar year | 15 per calendar year |
| Earn rates | 5X at Marriott, 2X elsewhere | No change announced | 5X at Marriott; 3X gas, dining, travel; 2X elsewhere | No change announced |
| Foreign transaction fee | 2.5% | No change announced | 2.5% | No change announced |
When the $150 fee applies
The new fee does not hit every cardholder on February 9, 2027. It applies to the first annual fee charged on or after that date. If your fee is billed before February 9, 2027, you pay $120 for that card year, then $150 at your following anniversary.
In practice, a cardholder whose anniversary falls in January 2027 keeps the $120 fee until January 2028. A cardholder whose anniversary falls in March 2027 pays $150 from March 2027.
Gold Elite status: what it adds
Both cards move from Silver Elite to Gold Elite status automatically. Today, a cardholder reaches Gold only with $30,000 in annual purchases, or with 10 paid nights in a calendar year combined with the card's 15 Elite Night Credits.
Gold Elite status includes:
- Bonus points: 25% more points on eligible stays.
- Late checkout: up to 2 p.m., subject to the hotel's policy.
- Room upgrades: subject to availability.
The 15 Elite Night Credits per calendar year stay in place on both cards. For a traveller who stays with Marriott a few nights a year, Gold status has real value. However, it is hard to price in dollars, so the calculations below leave it out.
What the free night certificate is worth
The Annual Free Night Award stays capped at 35,000 points. According to the announcement, you can add up to 25,000 of your own points to book a more expensive night. At a valuation of about 1 cent per Marriott Bonvoy point, a certificate used at its full cap is worth about $350. Our points valuation page explains how we value hotel points.
The change that matters most is the new condition. From February 9, 2027, the certificate is issued only after $3,000 in total purchases on the card. Today, it arrives every year after your anniversary, with no spending required.
| Item | Today ($120 fee) | From Feb. 9, 2027 ($150 fee) |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $120 | $150 |
| Free night certificate (up to 35,000 points) | About $350 | About $350 |
| Spending required to receive the certificate | None | $3,000 in total purchases |
| Net value of the certificate after the fee | About $230 | About $200 |
| Net value if spending stays under $3,000 | About $230 | -$150 plus points earned |
Annual spending scenarios
The scenarios below use the personal card at the $150 fee. They assume all spending earns 2 points per dollar, the rate outside Marriott hotels, and that the certificate is used at its full 35,000-point value. Spending at Marriott earns 5 points per dollar, so a cardholder who books stays on the card does slightly better.
| Annual spending | Points earned | Value of points | Free night certificate | Net value after $150 fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,000 | 4,000 | $40 | None (under $3,000) | -$110 |
| $3,000 | 6,000 | $60 | About $350 | About $260 |
| $10,000 | 20,000 | $200 | About $350 | About $400 |
| $30,000 | 60,000 | $600 | About $350 | About $800 |
Break-even point
At $150, the break-even point is the $3,000 spending threshold itself. Below $3,000, the card earns no certificate and 2 points per dollar cannot cover the fee: you would need $7,500 in purchases for the points alone to reach $150.
Once you cross $3,000, the card produces about $260 in net value, as long as the certificate is used at a property close to the 35,000-point cap. The certificate only needs to be worth $90 at that spending level for the card to break even. A certificate used on a 20,000-point night, worth about $200, still keeps the card in positive territory.
The real risk is not the $30 increase. It is a year where you spend less than $3,000 on the card, pay $150, and receive no free night.
The Business card: same fee, new spending bar
The Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card keeps its $150 annual fee, and no change to its earn rates has been announced:
- Participating Marriott hotels: 5 points per dollar.
- Gas, dining and travel: 3 points per dollar.
- All other purchases: 2 points per dollar.
For a business owner, the trade is simple: Gold Elite status arrives at no extra cost, while the free night now needs $3,000 in purchases. Most businesses that use the card for regular expenses will clear that bar. A card kept only for the certificate will not.
Compared with the Bright card and Hilton Honors Amex
American Express is also launching the no-fee Marriott Bonvoy Bright American Express Card, covered in detail in Milesopedia's Marriott Bonvoy Bright card article. The Hilton Honors American Express Card is the closest rival with the same $150 fee.
On non-Marriott spending, the gap between the Bright card and the personal Marriott Bonvoy Amex card looks like this, at about 1 cent per point and after fees:
- $2,000 per year: Bright card $25, Marriott Bonvoy Amex -$110.
- $3,000 per year: Bright card about $38, Marriott Bonvoy Amex about $260.
- $10,000 per year: Bright card $125, Marriott Bonvoy Amex about $400.
Below $3,000 a year, the no-fee card comes out ahead. Above it, the free night tips the balance toward the $150 card.
Hilton Honors points and Marriott Bonvoy points do not have the same value, so the earn rates cannot be compared point for point. The Hilton card matches the Marriott card on fee and on Gold status. It has no annual free night, but pays 50,000 bonus points after $12,000 in purchases in a calendar year.
| Feature | Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card (from Feb. 9, 2027) | Marriott Bonvoy Bright American Express Card | Hilton Honors American Express Card |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $150 | $0 | $150 |
| Hotel status | Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite | Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite | Hilton Honors Gold |
| Earn rates | 5X at Marriott, 2X elsewhere | 3X at Marriott, 2X at restaurants, 1.25X elsewhere | 6X at Hilton; 4X at gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants in Canada; 2X elsewhere |
| Elite Night Credits per year | 15 | 5 | Not applicable (different program) |
| Annual free night | Yes, after $3,000 in purchases (up to 35,000 points) | None announced | No; 50,000 bonus points after $12,000 in a calendar year |
| Points on $10,000 of non-bonus spending | 20,000 Marriott Bonvoy points | 12,500 Marriott Bonvoy points | 20,000 Hilton Honors points |
What is still unknown
Bottom line
For a cardholder who spends at least $3,000 a year on the card and uses the certificate, the Marriott Bonvoy Amex card stays profitable at $150, with Gold Elite status as an added benefit. For a cardholder who keeps the card in a drawer for the free night, the math no longer works, and the no-fee Bright card is the more logical choice. To see every hotel card side by side, browse our best Marriott Bonvoy credit cards and best hotel credit cards.
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