Signing up for a new credit card can be confusing, especially when it comes to the Marriott Bonvoy family of cards. The rules can be difficult to understand, and when you add in the restrictions placed on applicants by American Express, one of the two banks that deal with Marriott, the rules can become almost indistinguishable.
In my opinion, Frequent Miler has written the best guide to Marriott Bonvoy co-brand cards issued by both Chase and American Express. I believe there’s no need for me to reinvent the wheel and create a new guide on this topic. So, if you have any questions regarding which cards are available and the restrictions of applying for any of them, I recommend you to check out their post.
However, I find it helpful to post data points regarding uncertainties about applying for credit cards and earning sign-up bonuses. I learned three things while applying for the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card from American Express.
What’s A Lifetime To AMEX?
American Express has a policy in its application rules that prohibits anyone from earning a sign-up bonus if they have already earned one for the same card.
You may not be eligible to receive a welcome offer if you have or have had this Card or the Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express or previous versions of these Cards.
I wanted to take advantage of the three-free night bonus offer for the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card from American Express. I was the only one eligible since Marriott forbids anyone who has a Bonvoy Business card from Chase from getting a signup bonus. Since Sharon still has the Marriott Bonvoy Premier Plus Business Card, she’s ineligible for the welcome offer on the AMEX business card.
You may not be eligible to receive a welcome offer if you have or have had this Card or the Starwood Preferred Guest Business Credit Card from American Express or previous versions of these Cards.
Welcome offer not available to applicants who have or have had the Marriott Bonvoy Premier Plus Business Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Rewards Premier Plus Business Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Business Credit Card from Chase, or the Marriott Rewards Business Credit Card from Chase in the last 30 day
I forgot that I previously had the Starwood Preferred Guest Business Credit Card, which should make me ineligible for another bonus. According to my records, I applied for the card in 2013 and canceled it in 2014.
American Express doesn’t explain the “once in a lifetime” rule, but there’s evidence that the card history is based on your credit report. According to sources, you should be able to reapply for an AMEX card and earn the bonus once it drops off your report after seven years. However, some have reported being able to apply for the same card sooner than that. In my personal experience, I was approved instantly for the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card from American Express and it was ten years since I last had it.
Do Tax Payments Count?
One of the easiest ways to meet credit card spending requirements is by paying taxes. While you’ll pay close to 2% extra to pay your taxes with a payment service, it’s worth it if you’ll receive five to ten cents per point value for a sign-up bonus. One of the reasons people hesitate to pay taxes with an AMEX card is the fear that such payments will be considered a cash advance or cash-like transaction and not count toward a sign-up bonus.
There’s been a back-and-forth on this topic for years. This Doctor of Credit post cites several sources saying tax payments DO count towards spending requirements on AMEX cards.
I can add another data point that paying taxes with your AMEX does trigger a sign-up bonus. A few days after my tax payment posted to my AMEX card, I received the three free-night certificates in my Marriott Bonvoy account. So tax payments do count towards the spending requirement on AMEX cards.
How Long Are Free Nights Good For?
If you sign up for a Marriott Bonvoy co-brand card, you’ll either earn points or free nights when you reach the spending requirement. While the points can remain active forever, as long as you have some account activity, the same is not true for the free nights.
If you earn free nights as the sign-up bonus for a Marriott Bonvoy co-brand card, the certificates expire one year from the day they are deposited in your account. In my experience, that’s the day you hit the spending requirement. Since I met the spending requirement by paying my taxes (on tax day), I need to use the three free nights by April 15th, 2025.
That means I need to use them to stay at a hotel before next April, not just make a reservation before then.
Final Thought
When I applied for the Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express card, there were a few things that I was unsure about. Firstly, I had forgotten that I had previously held the card. However, it was a relief to learn that AMEX considers 10 years a “lifetime.” Secondly, I had never used a tax payment to fulfill an AMEX spending requirement, as I’m cautious about breaking their rules. Lastly, I never earned free nights as a sign-up bonus. So, I had questions regarding when the awards would be credited to my account and how long they would remain valid.
Data points are simply singular occurrences among many. While I am happy to contribute my experiences to those of others in similar situations, I would not consider them definitive. Keep in mind that we are dealing with American Express and Marriott, and either of them can change their policies abruptly.
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