American Express today has launched awesome temporary perks for most of their hotel and airline co-branded cards. In this post I’ll highlight the perks available to Marriott cardholders. In separate posts I covered perks for Delta and Hilton cardholders:
- Delta cards: Enhancements for 2021 (dining, wireless, status boost, and Delta spend bonuses)
- Hilton cards: Enhancements for 2021 (dining, wireless, and spend bonuses)
Each of the perks listed below should be found when you log into your Amex account, select your Marriott card and scroll down to view “Amex Offers & Benefits” (or, on mobile, click the tab labelled “Offers”).
Note that these offers are only for those who’s accounts were active as of January 1, 2021. Those with newer accounts are not eligible.
The Amex Press Release regarding these offers can be found here.
Restaurant Rebates
Each Amex Marriott consumer card is offering a monthly rebate for spend at U.S. Restaurants, as follows:
- Bonvoy Brilliant: $20 per month
- Bonvoy Amex: $10 per month
Simply use your card for restaurant spend each month in the U.S. and you should receive the rebate automatically. These offers will work for dine-in, take out, or delivery.
Eligibility for this offer is limited. Enrollment is required in the Amex Offers section of your account before redeeming.
Cell Phone Services
The Bonvoy Business Amex card is offering a monthly rebate for U.S. wireless telephone services (e.g. cell phone service):
- Bonvoy Business Amex: $15 per month
Use your card to pay $15 or more towards your cell phone service each month in order to earn $15 back.
Eligibility for this offer is limited. Enrollment is required in the Amex Offers section of your account before redeeming.
Spend Bonuses
Through the end of 2021, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant, Marriott Bonvoy Business, and select Marriott Bonvoy cardholders will find the following Amex Offer in their account:
- Spend $7,500, Earn 7,500 Bonus Points
If you spend exactly in $7,500 intervals, this is like getting an extra 1 point per dollar on all spend. Since the eligible Marriott cards always earn a minimum of 2X on all spend, this is an opportunity to earn 3X on spend through the end of the year. Our current Reasonable Redemption Value (RRV) for Marriott points is 0.72 cents per point. With this offer, you’ll be earning the RRV equivalent of 3 x 0.72 = 2.16% back for all spend.
If you have multiple Marriott cards, you can only enroll one card with this spend offer. So, make sure to enroll the card that you most want to put spend on.
Eligibility for this offer is limited. Enrollment is required in the Amex Offers section of your account before redeeming.
My Take
The restaurant and wireless rebates are like free money for most of us. Yes, it requires a tiny bit of work to make sure to use them each month but still… it’s easy money. One exception is for Verizon customers who get a $10 monthly discount by auto-paying via debit card or bank account.
Regarding the spend bonuses, personally I don’t think that an extra 1X is enough to motivate spend just for the points.
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Don’t forget the PayPal spend by 12/31 on Bonvoy Brilliant, 10 points per $1 spend.
Anyone had any success with getting the $15 statement credit for Google Fi payments? I just talked with AmEx supervisor that he said that Google Fi Merchant Code is “Internet & TV” and as such it doesn’t qualify for the statement credit.
No luck on GoogleFi credits on last two statements.
If you have autopay with Verizon, you can still log on to Verizon and make an additional payment with the credit card and get the AmEx rebate..
Would upgrading from Bonvoy $95 version to Brilliant, $450 version, update the restaurant credit ? I have Bonvoy for over 2 years. I have 2 Marriott bookings planned this summer and can use $300 credit plus $220 restaurant credit instead of $110 throughout 2021. It will give 50k hotel credit instead of 35k.
No, you’re stuck with the credits you have. This is great for downgrades, but not great for upgrades.
Bonvoy Brilliant question: Since this shows up as an Amex Offer for which one has to register (click):
1) Yes, only primary account
2) Yes, charges need to be made on the same card that the offer was loaded to. Authorized user card spend won’t count.
Greg, thanks much for putting this together. I like to think I’m diligent enough to check for various offers, but lately, it’s been bit mind-boggling to keep up. Would have missed all three of these promos — on our Brilliant & Biz cards…. $35 a month adds up VERY nicely. (and re. the 7500 1pt/$ extra bonus, doesn’t hurt to add it — who knows, if they pull off any more promos in the coming months like last year, just might do it… )
ps, kudos to Stephen & Nick for similar keeping-up posts on other brands…. (and your highlighting of terrific bank bonus deals) all reminding me of this web site’s extraordinary and very real value.
How can we keep all of this straight does anyone have a spreadsheet to make this easier
hahahahaahaha. too many credits!
So if you have both Amex Delta Plat & Bonvoy business can you get both $15 for internet charges?
Can the $20/month Bonvoy Brilliant dining offer be combined with the Plat’s $15 Uber credit (for Uber eats?).
I just cancelled my Bonvoy Amex a few days ago because the $95 annual fee was due February 1. No retention offer.
you can reopen within 30 days I think.
FWIW, I was able to add the $7,500 spend bonuses to both my Bonvoy Brilliant and Bonvoy Business cards. Got emails confirming both and they’re both active on “Saved to Card”. Probably won’t use either though.
Re: verizon, I know you can do a one-off payment in advance of the due date with your credit card. I remember reading somewhere that they were cracking down on this as people were just paying the whole bill in advance and still getting the credit, but is it confirmed that if you make ANY credit payment ($15 to get the Amex credit), you will not get the $10 VZW discount?
I made a one-time credit card payment to verizon which went through (this was new to me because previously it wouldn’t let me do this), then I went and changed my autopay to credit card. I think this autopay change is what triggered the email I got that said my autopay discount is removed, but I can’t be absolutely positive it wasn’t the one-time payment that triggered the email. Regardless, I put my autopay back on debit. You can make the one time credit card payment and if you don’t get the email, then in theory, you could just continue making a one time payment every month with the credit card until they crack down.
Would ordering through a delivery app like UberEATS, DoorDash or GrubHub qualify? The terms do not mention them
I expect so but I don’t have any official word on that yet
Just received email confirmation of the credits posting for DoorDash on both the Marriott non-Brilliant-whatever-it’s-called and the Delta Blue