Marriott Bonvoy Launches Two New UK Debit Cards with Currensea

Some interesting news landed in my inbox this morning: Marriott Bonvoy has launched two new debit cards in the UK, powered by Currensea and Mastercard. Unlike the existing Marriott Bonvoy American Express credit card, these are debit cards that link directly to your existing bank account—no new current account needed.

As someone who currently holds Marriott Titanium status and has been keeping an eye on the UK Marriott card landscape, I was keen to dig into the details. Here's what you need to know about these new cards and whether they're worth considering for your wallet.

Marriott has launched two tiers of debit cards, both issued by Currensea—a UK fintech company specialising in travel debit cards with competitive FX rates:

The entry-level card includes:

The premium option ups the ante with:

If you're not familiar with Currensea, it's worth understanding how this card operates. Unlike a traditional credit or debit card, Currensea cards connect to your existing UK bank account via direct debit. When you make a purchase, the card authorises the transaction, and the money is withdrawn from your linked account a few days later.

Currensea has been around for several years and has built a solid reputation—they're rated 4.9/5 on Trustpilot with over 18,000 reviews. The platform works with most major UK banks including Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, NatWest, Santander, Nationwide, Monzo, Starling, and Revolut.

The key advantage is that you don't need to preload funds or open a new bank account—you're simply spending money you already have in your current account, but with better FX rates and the ability to earn Marriott points.

Here's where things get interesting: the Elite Night Credits from these debit cards stack with the Marriott Bonvoy American Express card. If you hold both the Amex card (which provides 15 ENCs annually) and the Premium debit card (which can provide up to 20 ENCs), you could earn up to 35 Elite Night Credits per year just from having the cards.

This is genuinely significant if you're chasing Marriott status. To put it in perspective:

For frequent Marriott guests, this card combination could be a genuine game-changer in reaching or maintaining elite status. I achieved Titanium this year through a combination of stays and the Amex card's 15 ENCs, and having the option to add another 20 from a debit card would have made the journey considerably easier.

Both cards are launching with enhanced welcome bonuses that are available until 4 February 2026:

Additionally, anyone who orders a card by 4 February 2026 is entered into weekly draws for 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy points—a nice cherry on top.

The 30,000-point bonus on the Premium card is particularly attractive. That's enough for a free night at many mid-tier Marriott properties, or it can be combined with the annual free night certificate for even more value. If you value Marriott points at a conservative 0.5p each, that's £150 worth of points for £175 in annual fees—almost breaking even before you factor in the status and Elite Night Credits.

After reviewing the details, there are several scenarios where these cards genuinely shine:

The 0.5% FX fee is exceptional compared to most travel rewards credit cards. The Marriott Bonvoy Amex charges 2.99% FX fees, as do the British Airways Amex cards. If you spend £10,000 abroad annually, that's a saving of £249 compared to using a standard rewards credit card (2.99% vs 0.5%).

For regular international travellers or those who make foreign currency purchases online (think software subscriptions, international online shopping, etc.), this low FX fee combined with earning Marriott points makes these cards compelling. I find myself making quite a few purchases in US dollars and euros throughout the year, and this would save me a meaningful amount compared to my usual Amex Platinum Business card.

If you're intentionally working towards Marriott Platinum or Titanium status, the Elite Night Credits are incredibly valuable. The Premium card's ability to earn up to 20 ENCs (15 automatically plus 5 through £20,000 in spending) means you can fast-track status in a way that wasn't previously possible in the UK market.

Consider this: someone doing 35 actual nights per year at Marriott properties would normally miss Platinum (which requires 50 nights). With the Premium debit card (20 ENCs) and the Amex card (15 ENCs), they'd hit 70 nights total—comfortably achieving Platinum and well on their way to Titanium.

The fact that these cards complement rather than replace the Marriott Amex is significant. You can hold both, and because one is a credit card and one is a debit card, they serve different purposes. Use the Amex for its 2 points per £1 everywhere and 6 points per £1 at Marriott hotels in the UK, then switch to the debit card for foreign currency transactions where the low FX fee makes it superior.

As promising as these cards sound, there are some important limitations to be aware of:

This is the big one. As a debit card, you don't get Section 75 protection (the UK consumer protection law that covers credit card purchases between £100 and £30,000). You do get Mastercard chargeback protection, which offers similar coverage in many circumstances, but it's not quite the same legal safeguard.

Additionally, because it's a debit card drawing directly from your current account, you're spending your own money immediately rather than benefiting from the credit card float. For those who strategically use credit cards for cash flow management or to maximise interest on savings, this is a meaningful difference.

Both welcome bonuses specifically require foreign currency spending—£1,000 for the standard card, £3,000 for the Premium. If you don't travel or make international purchases regularly, hitting these thresholds within 12 months could be challenging. The Marriott Amex, by comparison, requires £3,000 in any spending (domestic or international) within three months for its 20,000-point bonus.

The Premium card's free night certificate sounds attractive, but it requires £5,000-£9,500 in foreign currency spend annually for the 25,000-point certificate, or £9,500+ for the 50,000-point version. That's a substantial amount of international spending to unlock the benefit.

For context, the Marriott Amex provides a free night certificate (worth up to 25,000 points) when you spend £25,000 in a year—but that can be any spending, not just foreign currency. Depending on your spending patterns, the Amex's requirements might actually be easier to meet despite the higher threshold.

Let's be honest about the earning rates. On UK and European spending, you're getting 1 point per £1 (standard card) or 1.5 points per £1 (Premium card). Given that Marriott points typically value around 0.5p each, that's an effective return of 0.5% to 0.75% on domestic spending.

Compare this to:

The Premium debit card's 3 points per £1 on foreign currency spending (1.5% return) is competitive but not groundbreaking. The real value comes from the combination of decent earning rates, low FX fees, and the Elite Night Credits—not from earning rates alone.

It's worth directly comparing these new debit cards to the existing Marriott Bonvoy American Express card (£95/year):

For most people, the Amex remains the better primary Marriott card. It's cheaper, has better overall earning rates, and the welcome bonus doesn't require foreign currency spending. However, if you spend a lot internationally, adding the debit card as a companion for FX transactions makes sense.

After analysing all the details, here's my take on who would benefit most from these cards:

The £55 annual fee is relatively modest, and if you're saving 2-2.5% on FX fees, you only need to spend about £2,500 abroad to break even, before considering the points earned and the welcome bonus.

The math on the Premium card is tighter. You're paying £175 for Gold status (which you can get free via the Amex Platinum Business card), 15-20 ENCs, and potentially a free night certificate. If you're not actively working towards higher status or making substantial foreign currency spend, it's a harder sell.

I'm genuinely considering the Premium card despite already having Marriott Titanium status. Here's why:

I currently hold the Marriott Bonvoy Amex (getting 15 ENCs annually), and I'm finding that maintaining Titanium requires more stays than I'd ideally like to do. Adding the Premium debit card would give me up to 20 more ENCs, meaning I'd only need 40 actual nights to maintain my 75-night Titanium status. That's a much more comfortable cushion.

Additionally, I make a fair amount of foreign currency purchases throughout the year—whether it's booking hotels, paying for services in dollars or euros, or international subscriptions. Using the Premium debit card for these would save me roughly 2.5% in FX fees compared to my usual Amex cards, and I'd earn 3 Marriott points per £1 in the process.

The 30,000-point welcome bonus (if I apply by February) is essentially £150 in value at a conservative 0.5p per point valuation. That alone nearly covers the £175 annual fee. The challenge will be whether I can hit the £9,500 FX spend to unlock the 50,000-point free night certificate—that's a lot of international spending, and I'm not confident I'd reach it.

If you already have the Marriott Amex and are serious about status, I think the Premium debit card is worth considering as a complementary card. Use the Amex for domestic spending and Marriott hotel stays in the UK, then switch to the debit card for international purchases to benefit from the lower FX fees.

However, if you're just starting out with Marriott cards, I'd still recommend getting the Amex first. It's cheaper, has a better overall value proposition, and the welcome bonus is easier to earn. Then, if you find yourself spending a lot internationally and wanting more Elite Night Credits, you can add the debit card later.

If you're interested in applying, you can find full details and applications on the dedicated Marriott Bonvoy Currensea website. The application process is reportedly quite straightforward—you'll link your existing UK bank account via secure connection, and the card should arrive within 3-7 days.

Remember, if you want the enhanced welcome bonuses (10,000 points for the standard card, 30,000 for Premium), you'll need to apply by 4 February 2026. After that date, the bonuses drop to 5,000 and 15,000 points respectively.

These new Marriott Bonvoy debit cards fill an interesting gap in the UK market. They're not going to revolutionise your points earning, but they offer a compelling package for specific use cases: foreign currency spending, status chasing, and complementing the existing Marriott Amex.

The ability to stack up to 35 Elite Night Credits per year across the Amex and debit cards is genuinely significant for anyone working towards Platinum or Titanium status. And the 0.5% FX fee combined with decent earning rates makes these cards competitive for international spending.

However, they're not a slam-dunk recommendation for everyone. The debit card format means you lose Section 75 protection, the welcome bonuses require foreign currency spending, and the annual fees (particularly the £175 for Premium) need to be justified by your actual usage patterns.

My advice? If you're already heavily invested in the Marriott ecosystem, make substantial foreign currency purchases, and are working towards elite status, the Premium card is worth serious consideration—especially during this launch period with the enhanced welcome bonus. For everyone else, the standard £55 card might be a safer bet, or you might be better off sticking with the Marriott Amex as your primary Marriott card.

As always, run the numbers based on your own spending patterns and travel goals. These cards work brilliantly for some people and make little sense for others—it all depends on your circumstances.

What are your thoughts on these new cards? Are you planning to apply? Let me know by replying to this email.

Safe travels, Jack