I wish I could give up on Delta SkyMiles and Marriott Bonvoy. Unfortunately, both programs are important to us based on our travel patterns. Delta flies to many destinations we want to travel to, and Marriott has hotels in those places. Therefore, I’m always looking at ways to get more points I can use with those programs. In addition, I have co-branded cards for each program.
I have encountered a new obstacle in my plan to earn additional points with Marriott Bonvoy and Delta SkyMiles. The banks that issue the co-branded credit cards for these programs, Chase and AMEX, are now enforcing rules on how many cards one can apply for. Marriott Bonvoy cards have a restriction that prevents the cardholder from receiving a sign-up bonus if they already have any of the other Marriott co-branded cards. On the other hand, Delta and AMEX have introduced a “family” rule, which means that you can only get a bonus for a card that’s more expensive than the ones you’ve previously had.
I was looking over our cards and saw that we were only eligible for one Marriott Bonvoy card: the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card from American Express.
Application Rules For AMEX Cards
I am not certain if I ever had the Marriott Business Card in the past. If I did, it was over ten years ago, before I started keeping track of my applications. The “once a lifetime” rule only applies to cards you’ve had in the past 7-10 years, so I should be in the clear. I currently have less than five AMEX credit cards and always try to maintain a good relationship with them, so I hoped to avoid any issues with their pop-up blocker when applying for new cards. However, there’s no way to know for sure what AMEX will do until you actually submit an application.
Application
The current sign-up bonus for the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card is 3 free nights up to 50,000 points. These come in handy for Sharon’s fishing trips, but we can also use them for a stay in Long Island City, NY.
I filled out the application and hit the submit button, but a spinning wheel appeared on the screen for longer than I would have liked. Eventually, I received a message that my new card had been approved.
Approved!
It will take a few days to receive my new card, but I was able to get a virtual card number to start meeting the $6,000 spending requirement. Once I do we’ll have another 3 free nights worth up to 150,000 points.
The card also provides an additional free night every year on your account anniversary after paying the $125 annual fee, so it’s worth keeping for the long run.
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