If you’ve got a business, new or old, big or small, you should consider getting a business credit card. That’s because businesses need access to credit, and these specialized business credit cards can be a great way to fund business purchases, along with saving large amounts of money over time. This guide will review all the best small business credit card offers and explain how to maximize the benefits of each card. As with my list of the top personal travel rewards cards, I’m compiling my business picks based on which bonuses are the most valuable.
Here are the Best Business Credit Cards of 2019:Here’s my list of the best business credit card offers available right now. As always, head to the All Cards Hub to see every credit card currently available.
Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card United Explorer Business Card
The Business Platinum® Card from American Express
Marriott Bonvoy Business
American Express® Card
Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card
Capital One Spark Miles for Business
CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum Select World Mastercard
Capital One Spark Cash for Business
Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card
American Express® Business Gold Card
Brex Corporate Card with Exclusive Rewards
— a star () indicates a limited-time offer with the highest ever publicly available welcome bonus.
If you are a small business or even if you just do some freelancing gigs, a business credit card can help you maximize your purchases, separate your expenses and save money on interest each year. Business credit cards offer bonus rewards on categories such as office supplies, airfare, advertising and gas. You can find more information on how to get business card right here.
Here are some things to research before you apply for a business credit card:Before diving into the list, make sure to check out these posts for information on how applying for new cards affects your credit score, what to know about credit scores, mistakes to avoid and more.
5 Things To Understand About Credit Before Applying For Cards 3 Key Considerations for Improving Your Credit Score Debunking Credit Card Myths: Does Applying For A Card Permanently Impact My Credit Score Avoiding Late Payments and Other Silly Credit Card Mistakes Compare the Best Business Credit CardsHere’s how each of these cards stack up against each other. Note that for bonuses that have two spending tiers, we’re only factoring in the rewards you’d earn for meeting the first tier.
| Credit Card | Bonus Offer | Bonus Value** | Perks Value | Annual Fee | Total Value |
| Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card | 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months | $1,600 | N/A | $95 | $1,505 |
| United Explorer Business Card | 75,000 miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months | $1,050 | N/A | $95* | $1,050 |
| The Business Platinum Card from American Express | Earn 50,000 points after you spend $10,000 and an extra 25,000 points after you spend an additional $10,000 in the first three months. Terms Apply. | $1,000 | $200 air travel credit, $250 worth of lounge access ($450 total). Terms Apply. | $595 (See Rates & Fees) | $855 |
| Business Gold Rewards Card from American Express | 50,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months. Terms apply. | $950 | N/A | $175* | $950 |
| 100,000 points after you spend $5,000 in the first three months | $900 | N/A | $95, waived the first year (See Rates & Fees)*** | $900 | |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card | 60,000 points after you spend $3,000 in the first three months | $900 | N/A | $99 | $801 |
| Platinum Delta SkyMiles Business Credit Card from American Express | 50,000 miles after you spend $3,000 in the first three months and a $100 statement credit after making a Delta purchase in the first three months. Offer ends 11/7/18. Terms Apply. | $700 | N/A | $195 | $505 |
| Capital One Spark Miles for Business | 50,000 miles after you spend $4,500 in the first three months | $700** | N/A | $95* | $700* |
| CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum Select World Mastercard | Up to 60,000 bonus miles; 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $10,000 total on purchases in the first twelve months. | $700 | N/A | $99* | $700 |
| Capital One Spark Cash for Business | $500 after you spend $4,500 in the first three months | $500 | N/A | $95* | $500 |
| Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card | $500 cash back after you spend $3,000 in the first three months | $500 | N/A | $0 | $500 |
| Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card from American Express | 70,000 miles and 10,000 MQMs after you spend $5,000 in the first three months. Offer ends 11/7/18. Terms Apply. | $840 | N/A | $450 | $390 |
*Annual fee waived the first year.
**Bonus value is an estimated value calculated by TPG and not the card issuer.
*** Bonvoy Business Amex annual fee increasing to $125 for new cardholders who apply after Mar. 28. If you apply before that date, you’ll get the annual fee waived the first year; pay $95 the second year; and pay $125 starting on the third year.
In addition, I’m adding two bonus cards to my list. They don’t have a standard points-based welcome bonus, but one comes with statement credits for two business services and the other offers discounts on business purchases. Both are worth considering for the right business.
| Credit Card | Perks for New Card Holders |
| American Express Business Gold Card | New card holders can get up to one free year of ZipRecruiter and up to one free year of G Suite Basic for three users when they pay for their subscriptions to these services using this card.
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| Brex Corporate Card with Exclusive Rewards | $5,000 in Amazon Web Services credits to be used over a year (only available to startups that have previously received fewer than $5,000 AWS credits through AWS, a VC accelerator or other AWS-partnered organization)
$1,560 worth of credits ($129.95 per month for 12 months) for the SendGrid Pro 100K Plan $375 off an annual Salesforce subscription with a 25% subscription discount. 15% discount off of the list price for any new WeWork desk or office space for up to 6 months across all US locations. 40% off of first year with Hubspot and 20% off of second year of Hubspot subscription costs $105 in savings for Caviar orders ($35 off 3 orders of $75 or more) $500 in Twilio credits to be used over 1 year (only available to startups that have previously not received Twilio credits through a VC, accelerator or other Twilio-partnered organization) $5,232 in Zendesk credits ($436 for 12 months), including tools like Email Ticketing, Help Center, Mobile SDK, and Chat $105 in savings for Instacart orders ($35 off 3 orders of $75 or more) |
Now, here’s a detailed rundown of the best business credit cards, with each card’s standout benefits and why it could be worth it for your business.
Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card
Current Bonus: Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Current Bonus Value: $1,600
Standout Benefits: Get 3 points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent on travel, shipping, social media advertising and internet/cable/phone services each account anniversary year, plus 1 point per dollar on everything else. This card also offers cell phone insurance when you use it to pay your (and your employees’) cell phone bill, and primary rental car insurance. You can get employee cards at no additional cost, and there are no foreign transaction fees. Read the full card review here.
Annual Fee: $95
Why it’s worth it: The Ultimate Rewards program may not have the most transfer partners (it has 11 compared to Amex Membership Rewards’ 20), but they can get you outsized value when you redeem points for free flights with carriers such as British Airways and United, or for award stays at Hyatt properties. And if you spend a lot on travel or social media advertising, you’ll be able to keep earning significant UR points after the sign-up bonus thanks to the 3x bonus category for the first $150,000 in combined purchases made each year.
Apart from the large stash of Ultimate Rewards points you will get with the Ink Business Preferred‘s current sign-up offer, this card stands out for its unique cell phone insurance benefit. It offers up to $600 in protection against covered theft or damage, for up to three claims per year with just a $100 deductible. Even better, this covers employees’ cell phones too, though remember that you need to pay the respective bills using this card to get coverage. Primary rental car insurance is another great perk as well.
For the reasons outlined above, I consider this one of the top two business credit cards currently available. The Ink Business Preferred can be an even more powerful tool if you also hold the Chase Sapphire Reserve, since you’ll then be able to redeem points for 1.5 cents apiece through the Chase travel portal.
United Explorer Business Card
Current Bonus: Earn 75,000 miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months
Current Bonus Value: $1,050
Standout Benefits: Earn 2x miles on United, at restaurants, office supply stores and gas stations, and 1 mile per dollar on everything else. Get priority boarding and a first bag checked free. Two United Club passes each account anniversary. Expanded award availability.
Annual Fee: $95 (waived the first year)
Why it’s worth it: This card’s benefits can come in handy when you fly United and don’t get a free checked bag or priority boarding through elite status. The expanded access to award availability that you get as a card holder can make it easier to use your United miles, too. Now’s an especially good time to sign up as the card’s offering an elevated bonus of 75,000 miles.
The Business Platinum Card from American Express
Even though the points rebate dropped to 35%, the Business Platinum is still a strong choice for booking premium seats such as JetBlue Mint.
Current Bonus: Earn 50,000 points after you spend $10,000 in the first three months and an extra 25,000 points after you spend an additional $10,000 also within the first three months from account opening.
Current Bonus Value: $1,000
Standout Benefits: Earn 5 points per dollar on airfare and on prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel, 1.5 points per dollar on purchases of $5,000 or more (up to 1 million extra points per year) and 1 point per dollar on everything else. Redeem points directly for first or business class, or for any seat on the airline of your choice, and get a 35% points rebate. As a card holder you’ll enjoy access to Centurion and Priority Pass lounges, plus Delta Sky Clubs when you’re flying Delta. You also get a $200 annual airline fee credit and a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application rebate. There are no foreign transaction fees. (See Rates & Fees) Read the full card review here.
Annual Fee: $595
Why it’s worth it: I’m still disappointed that the points rebate for flights booked through Amex Travel has dropped to 35%, but this remains a lucrative benefit, allowing you to get 1.54 cents per point in value when you redeem for airfare. With the 35% rebate, I can book my favorite premium domestic seat, JetBlue’s Mint, for fewer than 39,000 points one-way. Like the personal Amex Platinum, the Business Platinum recently received some new benefits, including a 5x bonus category for airfare and prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel. If your business can hit the steep spending requirements, the opportunity to earn up to 75,000 points is definitely worth considering.
Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex
Current Bonus: 100,000 points after you spend $5,000 in the first three months.
Current Bonus Value: $900
Standout Benefits: Get 6 points per dollar at Marriott and SPG properties; 4 points per dollar at US restaurants and gas stations and on wireless telephone services purchased directly from US service providers and on US purchases for shipping; and 2 points per dollar on all other purchases. Receive one free award night every year after your account anniversary — good for stays costing up to 35,000 points. Get complimentary Silver elite status in the new Marriott program, and if you spend $35,000 on the card in a calendar year, earn Gold status. Get 15 elite credits toward the next level of elite status.
Annual Fee: $0 the first year, then $95 — but increasing to $125 soon
Why it’s worth it: This card was previously known as the SPG Business Amex, but it’s been updated with Bonvoy branding to reflect the new unified Marriott/Starwood program. Until Apr. 24, it’s offering an elevated welcome bonus of 100,000 Marriott points, so now’s an ideal time to sign up. Starting on Mar. 28, the card’s annual fee is increasing to $125, but if you apply before that date, you’ll pay $95 the second year (after having the annual fee waived the first year) before moving up to $125 the following year. Also note the application restrictions; these prevent you from earning the welcome bonus on the Bonvoy Business Amex if you have or have had a Marriott business card in the last 30 days or if you’ve had a personal Marriott card welcome bonus in the last 24 months.
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Business Gold Rewards Card from American Express
Enjoy a stop at the Lufthansa First Class Terminal when you book a first-class award flight on the carrier.
Current Bonus: Earn 50,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $5,000 in the first three months.
Current Bonus Value: $950
Standout Benefits: Get 3 points per dollar on one category of your choice from a list of five options and 2 points per dollar on the four remaining categories, on up to $100,000 in purchases in each of the five categories each year, then earn 1 point per dollar on all purchases. This card waives foreign transaction fees. Read the full card review here.
Annual Fee: $0 the first year, then $175 thereafter.
Why it’s worth it: This card is my go-to for small-business expenses, especially since I can really maximize that 3x category since I choose US purchases for advertising in select media from the list of five options. Since I can max out the $100,000 spending limit each year, I net 300,000 points on these purchases alone! I also love that the $175 annual fee is waived the first year, which gives you time to test out the card and see if it’s worth keeping open. And as far as redeeming goes, you have plenty of great transfer options via the Membership Rewards program, such as booking a first-class award on Lufthansa through Aeroplan.–>
Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card
(Photo by Shutterstock.com)
Current Bonus: Earn 60,000 Rapid Rewards points when you spend $3,000 in the first three months.
Current Bonus Value: $900
Standout Benefits: Get 2 points per dollar on Southwest purchases and Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases and 1 point per dollar on everything else. Plus, get 6,000 points after your card member anniversary. Earn 1,500 Tier Qualifying Points toward Southwest elite status for every $10,000 you spend on the card annually (up to 15,000 TQPs). No foreign transaction fees.
Annual Fee: $99
Why it’s worth it: The business versions of this Southwest card is offering an elevated sign-up bonus, giving you the opportunity to score 60,000 Rapid Rewards points. This is a good time to sign up if you want to boost your points balance for an upcoming award booking. And if you’re working toward A-List or A-List Preferred status, the card can earn you Tier Qualifying Points when you meet certain spending thresholds.
Capital One Spark Miles for Business
Current Bonus: 50,000 miles after you spend $4,500 in the first three months
Current Bonus Value: $700 (based on TPG’s latest valuations and not provided by card issuer)
Standout Benefits: Earn 2 miles per dollar on all purchases with no minimum for redeeming. No foreign transaction fees. Free employee cards.
Annual Fee: $95 (waived the first year)
Why it’s worth it: Capital One recently announced that 12 airline transfer partners will be available to transfer your miles to. While this used to be a fixed-value point credit card with miles that were worth 1 cent each, you’ll now be able to get up to 1.4 cents in value for each mile you transfer. Still, if you value convenience over the potential to get much more than 1 cent per mile in value, a card like the Capital One Spark Cash for Business could make sense for you.
CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum Select World Mastercard
Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images.
Current Bonus: Earn up to 60,000 miles; 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months and 10,000 bonus miles after you spend $10,000 total in the first 12 months of account opening.
Current Bonus Value: $700
Standout Benefits: Earn 2x miles on American Airlines purchases and at telecommunications merchants, cable and satellite providers, car rental merchants and gas stations. Earn 1 mile per dollar everywhere else. Get a first checked bag for free on domestic itineraries and 25% off inflight purchases. If you put $30,000 in spending on the card in a calendar year, you’ll get a companion certificate, letting you add a companion to a flight for $99 plus taxes and fees (upon account renewal and account must remain open 45 days after anniversary date).
Annual Fee: $99 (waived the first 12 months)
Why it’s worth it: This card is offering an elevated bonus of 60,000 AAdvantage miles, making now a great time to pick it up. If your business frequently travels on American Airlines, benefits like a free checked bag can come in handy, as can the companion certificate you’ll earn after putting $30,000 of spending on the card in a calendar year.
Capital One Spark Cash for BusinessCurrent Bonus: $500 after you spend $4,500 in the first three months
Current Bonus Value: $500
Standout Benefits: Get an unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases. Employee cards at no additional cost.
Annual Fee: $95 (waived the first year)
Why it’s worth it: Though fixed-value points function like cash in the sense that you know exactly how much value you can get out of them, some prefer earning straight cash back, since there aren’t the same restrictions on how you can redeem your rewards. With the Spark Cash for Business, you’ll earn 2% back on every purchase, with the cash back awarded either in the form of a statement credit or a check. 2% back is pretty standard as far as cash-back rates go, but if you could use the sign-up bonus and value simplicity over tracking bonus categories, this is a solid choice.
Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card
(Photo by Eric Helgas for The Points Guy)
Current Bonus: Earn $500 bonus cash back after you spend $3,000 in the first three months.
Current Bonus Value: $500
Standout Benefits: Get 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases each account anniversary year at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services. Get 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases each account anniversary year at gas stations and at restaurants. Get an unlimited 1% cash back on everything else.
Annual Fee: $0
Why it’s worth it: While the Ink Business Cash card is billed as a cash-back option — and it does offer a solid return with the 5% and 2% bonus categories — it can be even more valuable if you transfer your earnings to another account for a card that earns Ultimate Rewards points, since you could then transfer your rewards to Chase’s 13 airline and hotel partners and get more than 1 cent per point in value. I also like that this card offers some solid travel and purchase protections despite not charging an annual fee.
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Current Bonus: Earn 70,000 miles and 10,000 MQMs after you spend $5,000 in the first three months. Offer ends 11/7/18.
Current Bonus Value: $840
Standout Benefits: Complimentary Delta Sky Club access and a discounted rate for up to two guests when flying on Delta. Get a companion certificate for round-trip domestic travel in first class, Comfort+ or the main cabin each year upon renewal of your card. Earn 15,000 MQMs and 15,000 bonus miles after spend $30,000 in a calendar year, and another 15,000 MQMs and 15,000 bonus miles after you spend $60,000 in a calendar year. Get priority boarding and a first bag checked free on Delta. Earn 2x miles on Delta purchases and 1 mile per dollar on everything else.
Annual Fee: $450
Why it’s worth it: This card’s standout benefits are a companion certificate — good for round-trip domestic travel in first class — each year upon renewal of your card (with taxes and fees capped at $75) and the ability to earn MQMs toward Delta elite status by meeting spending thresholds. The card also offers Delta Sky Club access when you’re flying Delta, though note this is also offered by the Amex Business Platinum. The 70,000 SkyMiles are worth $840 based on my valuations, so that could be reason enough to sign up for this card with the elevated bonus.–>
American Express® Business Gold Card
Current Bonus: Up to one free year of ZipRecruiter Standard, up to one free year of G Suite Basic for three users.
Standout Benefits: This just-launched card offers 4x points on your top two select spending categories each month, from a list of six options including US restaurants and US purchases for shipping and advertising. This is a step up from the Business Gold Rewards Card from Amex (which is no longer open for applications), which offers 3x points on your choice of category from a list of five options, which doesn’t include US restaurants. You can earn 4x points on your top two select spending categories on the first $150,000 spent each year (then 1x) — if you max this out, you’d walk away with a whopping 600,000 Membership Rewards points. Another standout benefit is a 25% Pay With Points rebate when you use points to book airfare through Amex.
Annual Fee: $295 (See Rates & Fees)
Why it’s worth it: The lack of a points-based welcome bonus may be a disadvantage to some, but there’s no denying that this new card is a great option when it comes to points-earning opportunities. The ability to earn 4x points on your top two select spending categories is great, and you have the flexibility to earn bonus points on different categories on a month-to-month basis, rather than being locked into a single select category per year. Plus, up to a free year of ZipRecruiter Standard and G Suite Basic could come in handy depending on your business’ needs. It’s also great that Amex is offering a Pay With Points rebate on this card; previously, only the Business Platinum and Business Centurion had this perk (at a 35% rate rather than 25% on this new card).
Brex Corporate Card with Exclusive Rewards
Current Bonus: While Brex doesn’t have a standard points-based sign-up bonus like most business cards, businesses can take advantage of multiple partner discount offers, such as up to $5,000 in Amazon Web Services credit in the first year, up to $436 per month in Zendesk credits for the first 12 months and $375 off an annual Salesforce subscription with a 25% subscription discount, just to name a few.
Standout Benefits: Brex starts out with a bang, offering thousands of dollars in partner credits in the first year you hold the card. Then if you use the Brex card exclusively for your business charges, the newly introduced Brex Exclusive Rewards program offers 7x points on rideshare and taxis, along with 3x on travel including airlines, hotels and short term rentals like Airbnb, 3x on restaurants, 2x on recurring software/SAAS and 1x on all other purchases. Enhanced control of employee cards and no personal liability will save business owners plenty of headaches.
Annual Fee: None
Why it’s worth it: Brex requires you to think a bit differently to understand the value. The issuer links to your corporate bank account and underwrites your credit limit based on your company’s cash assets, meaning there’s no personal liability. If your business can take advantage of the sign-up discounts with Brex’s partners, this card has a perfect place in your wallet for the first year. Then once you get past those money-saving offers, the value of Brex revolves around heavy spending on Uber or Lyft, travel and restaurants. Brex is effectively a cash-back card, so earning 7x points on an Uber ride is a 7% discount, unparalleled in the credit card world right now, while 3% back on travel and restaurants is competitive, and 2% back on SaaS can really add up for a new business.
How We Chose the Best Business Credit CardsBonus Value: As you can see, the bulk of the value comes from the welcome bonus itself — I used my latest valuations to calculate a dollar amount for each offer.
Travel Credits: From there, I factored in annual travel credits, like the $200 air travel credit offered by the Business Platinum Card from American Express. As the Amex Business Platinum also offers Centurion Lounge access plus Delta Sky Club access when you’re flying Delta, I assigned a value of $250 for these perks. Additionally, if a card waives its annual fee for the first year, I didn’t subtract that from the value of the welcome bonus and other perks, since this post is focused on how much you’ll get from the card as a new applicant.
Bonus Requirements: Also, a few of these cards offer tiered bonuses. For these cards, I focused on the value you’d get by meeting the lowest spending requirement. As an example, the Business Platinum Card’s welcome offer has a high minimum spending requirement of $10,000 in the first three months — and that’s only the first year; to earn the full 75,000-point bonus, you’ll have to spend $20,000 in the first three months
Frequently Asked QuestionsAre business credit and personal credit the same?
Business credit is similar to your personal credit in that it allows potential creditors to judge what kind of a credit risk your business poses. For established firms, a higher business credit score could mean you’ll have better access to loans and lines of credit, lower interest rates and cheaper insurance premiums. When you’re just starting out, you won’t have a business credit score, at least until you open a business credit card or secure a line of credit from a vendor that reports to the business credit bureaus, Experian, Equifax and Dun & Bradstreet.
How do I check my business credit score?
Dun & Bradstreet offers a free service called CreditSignal, which gives you alerts when your scores or reports change, but doesn’t give you access to the full reports themselves. Here’s what the fine print on the website says: “CreditSignal only indicates that your D & B scores and ratings have changed and alerts you when your business credit file has been purchased. To view actual scores and ratings and learn about what industries are purchasing your D & B file, we recommend that you upgrade to one of our business credit monitoring or credit building solutions.”
Can I use a business credit card instead of a business loan?
Yes, but you should take into account your specific business needs. Business credit cards are faster and allow you to use only what you need.
Bonus value is an estimated value calculated by TPG and not the card issuer. Featured image by Eric Helgas for The Points Guy.
Here’s a recap of the Best Business Credit Cards of 2019: Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card United Explorer Business Card The Business Platinum® Card from American Express Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express® Card
Southwest Rapid Rewards Premier Business Credit Card
Capital One Spark Miles for Business
CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum Select World Mastercard
Capital One Spark Cash for Business
Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card
American Express Business Gold Card
Brex Corporate Card with Exclusive Rewards
For rates and fees of the Business Platinum Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Gold, please click here.
There are several Marriott cobranded credit cards that have a permanent place in my wallet because of the annual up to 35,000-point award certificate they provide each year. The currently available Marriott cards that award this certificate at each renewal include:
Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express® Card
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card
If you maximize the annual 35k award for a property selling for $200 to $300 per night, you’ve likely more than offset the annual fee for these cards each year.
Use a 35k-point certificate at the Sheraton Kauai. (Photo courtesy of the hotel)
How to Use A Marriott 35,000-Point Certificate
Once you’ve earned your annual free night certificate, it’s easy to use it at a range of properties.
Wait for Your Credit Card Account AnniversaryOnce you reach your account anniversary with the cards described above, within eight weeks from that date, a Free Night Award E-Certificate should be automatically deposited in to your Marriott Bonvoy account. I do not recall seeing an email alerting me that the certificate had been deposited in my account, but it is possible I missed a notification. I do know that my Marriott card anniversary date was mid-September and the award was deposited in early November.
Check Activity In Your Marriott AccountTo see if an anniversary Marriott Bonvoy 35,000-point certificate has been deposited in your account, log in to Marriott Bonvoy and click on “Activity.”
You should see the certificate under “Earned Awards.”
The Marriott 35k anniversary certificates are valid for one year from the date of issuance, so be sure to use the certificate before it expires or its value to you is exactly zero.
Search for a 35,000 Point (Or Less) Per Night HotelTo use the Marriott 35k certificate, simply search for hotels using Marriott Bonvoy points like normal and select one that prices at 35,000 Marriott points per night or less. Choose your desired room type, and at checkout you will be given the option to pay using your Marriott 35,000-point certificate.
While you cannot upgrade the certificate with additional points to stay at a higher category hotel (though that would be awesome), you can use the certificate in conjunction with points to stay multiple nights on the same reservation.
If your plans change and you need to cancel the reservation made with your certificate, just keep a close eye on your Marriott account to ensure the certificate is indeed redeposited. TPG has received reports of this redeposit process sometimes requiring a phone call.
Best Hotels for a Marriott 35,000-Point CertificateObviously, the best theoretical use of a Marriott 35k certificate is at a hotel that costs at, or very close, to 35,000 points per night — though you can use them for lower-tier properties. You can use the certificates as one night of a longer stay, or when you just need one night of lodging on your journey. Some potential uses include:
The Westin Snowmass Sheraton Kauai Resort Sheraton Steamboat Resort Villas AC Hotel New York Times Square The St. Regis Bangkok Westin Punta Cana Westin Puerto Vallarta Renaissance Aruba Resort
Westin Snowmass (Photo courtesy of hotel)
For more ideas on where to use Marriott 35k certificates:
10 Best Uses of a Marriott 35k Certificate for Families 7 Great Uses of a Marriott and SPG 35,000-Point Certificate Book These Category 5 Marriotts Before March 5Depending on when and where you redeem your award, these certificates can be used at hotels that sometimes sell for several hundred dollars per night, making them quite valuable.
Bottom LineAnnual hotel award nights make it much easier to say yes to credit cards that carry annual fees. My family will easily get several hundred dollars in value from the Marriott 35,000-point certificates that we will enjoy each year from a variety of our Marriott cobranded cards. These awards can kick-start trips to the slopes for a ski vacation, get you close to a theme park, the beach, or even score you an above average room in the middle of a pricey city like Manhattan or Paris.
AC Hotel New York Downtown (Photo courtesy of Marriott)
Now that you know how to use a Marriott 35,000-point award, where do you plan to put it to good use?
Featured image by Shuttestock.com
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