On February 9, 2027, the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card’s annual fee rises from $120 to $150, its complimentary status moves from Silver Elite to Gold Elite, and the yearly free night will require $3,000 in purchases. The business card gets the same status and free night changes, and a new no-fee Marriott Bonvoy Bright card launches the same day.
Key takeaway: For most cardholders the card still pays for itself: at $2,000 a month of typical spending it earns about $336 a year in points, or about $186 after the new $150 fee, before counting the free night. Anyone who spends less than $3,000 a year on the card will lose the free night.
Editorial update November 12, 2026 · WalletReturn Editorial Team
Three things, all effective February 9, 2027, according to American Express: a higher annual fee, a better complimentary status, and a spending requirement for the Annual Free Night Award.
American Express doesn’t list any change to the earn rates.
| Today | From February 9, 2027 | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $120 | $150, from the first annual fee billed on or after February 9, 2027 |
| Complimentary status | Silver Elite | Gold Elite: 25% bonus points on stays, 2 p.m. late checkout, enhanced room upgrades when available |
| Annual Free Night Award | Each year after your Card anniversary | After $3,000 in purchases each year before your annual reset date |
You earn the Annual Free Night Award once your purchases reach $3,000 in the year before your annual reset date, which is based on your Card anniversary.
Purchases start counting toward the first $3,000 from the later of your 2027 reset date or February 9, 2027. Additional cardholders’ purchases count; returns and credits reduce the total; balance transfers, cash advances, fees, interest, travellers cheques and foreign currency purchases don’t count. The award is issued 8 to 10 weeks after the reset date.
The free night itself doesn’t change: a standard room costing up to 35,000 points a night. At our 0.7¢ value for Bonvoy points, that’s worth up to about $245 if you’d otherwise pay for the stay.
At our typical spending of $2,000 a month, the card earns about $336 a year in Bonvoy points. That’s $216 after today’s $120 fee and about $186 after the new $150 fee.
The $30 increase is less than the value of the free night for anyone who uses it, and $2,000 a month is $24,000 a year, far above the new $3,000 requirement. The card is a weaker deal if it sits in a drawer: with little spending you’d pay $150 and lose the free night.
| Today | With the $150 fee | |
|---|---|---|
| Points earned a year (at $2,000 a month) | $336 | $336 |
| Annual fee | $120 | $150 |
| Net of the fee | $216 | $186 |
| Free night (up to 35,000 points) | Every year | Only after $3,000 in purchases |
Gold Elite gives 25% bonus points on Marriott Bonvoy stays, 2 p.m. late checkout and enhanced room upgrades, the last two subject to availability. Cardholders who already have Gold Elite or higher keep their status.
The card also keeps its 15 Elite Night Credits a year, which count toward higher Marriott Bonvoy status.
The business card gets the same two benefit changes on February 9, 2027: Gold Elite status instead of Silver, and a free night that requires $3,000 in purchases a year. American Express hasn’t announced a change to its $150 annual fee.
Our business card page shows the change notice and the card’s first-year value.
A third Marriott Bonvoy card from American Express, with no annual fee, launching February 9, 2027. American Express announced it on November 10, 2026; applications aren’t open yet.
It earns less than the $150 card and has no free night, but it costs nothing to keep. American Express hasn’t published a welcome offer, insurance coverage or the other terms yet; we’ll add the card to our directory when it launches and its terms are published.
| Marriott Bonvoy Bright (from February 9, 2027) | Marriott Bonvoy American Express (from February 9, 2027) | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $0 | $150 |
| Points at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels | 3 per $1 | 5 per $1 |
| Points on dining | 2 per $1 | 2 per $1 |
| Points on everything else | 1.25 per $1 | 2 per $1 |
| Complimentary status | Silver Elite | Gold Elite |
| Elite Night Credits a year | 5 | 15 |
| Annual Free Night Award | Not announced | After $3,000 in purchases a year |
No. The changes apply automatically. If you hold the card mainly for the free night, make sure you’ll put at least $3,000 a year on it; if you won’t, compare it with a no-fee card before your 2027 renewal.
Cardholders who already have Gold Elite or higher status keep it.
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