Canada’s Marriott co-brand lineup is going from two annual-fee Cards to three. On November 10, 2026, American Express Canada and Marriott Bonvoy announced a new no-annual-fee Marriott Bonvoy Bright American Express Card, launching February 9, 2027. At the same time, the existing personal Bonvoy Amex and Bonvoy Business Amex are being upgraded (status moves to Gold, Free Night Awards add a spend threshold, and the personal Card’s annual fee rises). The two brands have co-branded in Canada for more than 15 years; this is the first time the lineup adds a no-fee tier.

Confirmed Bright details

The press release already lists the Card’s core terms (full terms land on launch day):

  • Annual fee: $0 — Canada’s first no-annual-fee Marriott co-brand
  • Earning: 3X Marriott Bonvoy points at Marriott hotels, 2X on dining, and 1.25X on all other purchases
  • Complimentary status: Cardmembers get Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite (including 10% bonus points on stays, member rates, and other base benefits)
  • Elite nights: 5 Elite Night Credits each year, which count toward Gold (25 nights) and higher tiers
  • No Free Night Award: the release does not list an Annual Free Night Award for Bright, which fits a no-fee product

For a no-fee Card, Bright covers two high-frequency categories: 3X at hotels and 2X on dining. It is clearly the entry product Marriott and Amex are using to pull new members in: get people into the Bonvoy ecosystem with no annual fee, then migrate heavier stay and spend users up to the fee Cards.

Three-Card comparison (from February 9, 2027)

Bright (new) Bonvoy Amex (personal) Bonvoy Business Amex
Annual fee $0 $150 (up from $120) $150 (unchanged)
Marriott hotel spend 3X 5X 5X
Dining 2X Counts as “other” 2X 3X (same tier as gas and travel)
Gas / travel Counts as “other” 1.25X Counts as “other” 2X 3X
Other spend 1.25X 2X 2X
Complimentary status Silver Elite Gold Elite (up from Silver) Gold Elite (up from Silver)
Elite Night Credits / year 5 nights 15 nights 15 nights
Annual Free Night Award None 35,000-point award, new $3,000 spend threshold each year 35,000-point award, new $3,000 spend threshold each year

Note: details of the personal and Business Card changes (how the fee takes effect, how the Free Night Award spend threshold is measured, and so on) follow Amex’s product-change page. The personal Card’s $150 fee is charged on the first annual-fee billing date on or after February 9, 2027.

Who Bright suits

  • Light Marriott users: if you only stay at Marriott a few times a year and do not want to pay an annual fee for a co-brand, Bright is currently the only option — everyday spend goes straight into Bonvoy, and dining still earns 2X
  • People who need an “keep-alive” Card: Bonvoy points expire after 24 months with no account activity. A no-fee Card with ongoing posted spend is the easiest way to keep the balance alive
  • Status grinders passing through: 5 free Elite Night Credits a year have marginal value if you are a few nights short of Gold or Platinum
  • Conversely, if your Marriott spend and stays are already solid each year, the personal Card’s post-upgrade mix of 5X + 15 nights + a 35,000-point Free Night Award is still the better keep. Bright is not meant to replace it; it fills the no-fee slot

Still unpublished (full terms on February 9, 2027)

  • Welcome offer: the release says nothing. No-fee Cards usually do not carry a huge bonus, but whether there is one — and how large — waits for launch day
  • Fee details such as Additional Card fees, foreign-exchange fees, and interest rates
  • How the 5 Elite Night Credits stack with the other two Cards: under Marriott’s current rules, co-brand elite nights you can combine in a year are usually “one personal Card + one Business Card.” Whether Bright’s 5 nights can sit alongside the personal Card’s 15 still needs official terms
  • Application eligibility and underwriting

We will update this post as soon as the formal terms are out.