Marriott Bonvoy American Express Premium Card
This top-tier card lets you earn 3x Marriott Bonvoy points on every 100 yen spent. Benefits include automatic Gold Elite status with a path to Platinum Elite, a free night certificate annually with qualifying spend, and comprehensive travel perks.
Sign Up Bonus
45,000 Marriott Bonvoy
First Year Value
¥84,000
(breakdown below)Annual Fee
¥49,500
Foreigner-Friendly Score
80 / 100
Sign Up Bonus Details
This card offers a total of 45,000 Marriott Bonvoy points as a sign up bonus. Here's how the bonus is structured:
- 36,000 bonus points: After spending ¥300,000 in the first 3 months (exclusive to finance smart)
- 9,000 points: Regular earning points (from ¥300,000 spend)
Marriott Bonvoy points are generally valued at ¥1.20 per point, making this sign up bonus worth approximately ¥54,000. However, you can potentially get even higher value when using points for luxury hotel stays.
Card Benefits
The Marriott Bonvoy Premium Card is a luxury card offering premium hotel benefits and elite status. It comes with several benefits that justify the annual fee:
- Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status (Annual value: approx. ¥30,000): Includes breakfast discounts, late checkout, priority room upgrades, and more
- Platinum Elite Status with ¥4 million annual spend (Annual value: approx. ¥100,000): Includes complimentary breakfast, 4:00 PM late checkout, lounge access, room upgrades, and more
- Free Night Award with ¥1.5 million annual spend (Value: ¥45,000+): Redeemable for stays up to 50,000 points, including at luxury properties
- First supplementary card free: Additional cards ¥24,750 each
Our conservative estimate of the guaranteed benefits value (Gold Elite status) is ¥30,000 annually. You can obtain even greater value with annual spending thresholds: Free Night Award at ¥1.5 million and Platinum Elite status at ¥4 million.
Exceptional Point Earning Power
The Marriott Bonvoy Premium Card offers one of the highest reward rates among Japanese credit cards:
| Earn Rate | Spending Category |
|---|---|
| 3% | 3 Marriott Bonvoy points per ¥100 spent on all purchases |
This reward rate has the following features:
- Unlimited high earning rate: Unlike many cards that cap high earning rates, this card maintains 3% returns without limits
- Ideal for large purchases: Particularly attractive for those spending several million yen annually
- Accelerated earning with supplementary cards: Spending on supplementary cards counts toward status requirements
How Foreigner-Friendly is American Express?
Applying for credit cards in Japan can be a bit difficult for foreign residents, but luckily American Express is one of the better card issuers in handling issues that foreign residents often run in to.
American Express makes applying easier for foreign residents with the following measures:
- Allows Long Names: No matter how long your name is (including middle name), AMEX supports entering your full name in alphabetical characters to match your residence card.
- Easier Application Processing If You Have an Overseas AMEX: Though not a guarantee of approval, if you have an AMEX card issued overseas in good standing, you can enter the number on the application and use that credit history to apply.
- English Phone Support: There are customer service options in English, making it easier if you're not comfortable with Japanese.
The only downside is that if you cannot read Japanese, the application process and website is still entirely in Japanese. You can use a translation tool to navigate the application, however.
Our Verdict
The Marriott Bonvoy Premium Card is especially recommended for:
- Those who spend several million yen annually (can maximize Platinum Elite status benefits)
- Regular business or leisure travelers (can fully utilize membership benefits)
- Those seeking a high reward rate card (3% return is among the highest in Japan)
While the ¥49,500 annual fee isn't insignificant, the benefits value well exceeds this amount. The ability to earn Platinum Elite status with ¥4 million annual spend is arguably this card's most attractive feature. Combined with the 45,000 points sign up bonus, we highly recommend this card for its long-term value.