If you enjoy staying in Marriott hotels and resorts, it stands to reason that you’ve considered the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program. However, what you may not have considered is the best Marriott cards that can give your loyalty point balance a boost.
Fortunately, there are several cards to choose from that can help you determine which Marriott credit card is right for you.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
On Chase Website, Terms Apply
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
Reward details
Current Offer
Credit Rating
Annual Fee
0% Intro
APR
On Chase Website, Terms Apply
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card has a huge annual fee, so make sure you use your free night at the Marriott hotels every year to make the annual fee up. Marriott has a large selection of locations around the world, so you aren’t limited with this card when you travel. Marriott owns 30 hotel brands in over 129 countries.
You get bonus points for every stay as well as other perks like late checkout and room upgrades to suites or more upscale rooms. The card is only good for Marriott hotels, so make sure you’re loyal to this brand. You can also consider the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card.
Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card
Reward details
Current Offer
Credit Rating
Annual Fee
0% Intro
APR
On Chase Website, Terms Apply
This is a co-branded credit card with Chase and has no annual fee. Since this is a basic Marriott card, it does not offer a massive selection of perks, but it does still have a tiered reward structure weighted towards Marriott Bonvoy spending with up to three points per dollar. There are also additional point bonuses for loyalty members increasing the potential rewards up to 14 points per dollar.
The card has a generous welcome bonus with a modest spend requirement. However, the main perk is that each calendar year, you’ll receive 15 Elite Night Credits towards your Marriott Bonvoy Elite status. This immediately provides Silver Elite status and can help you towards higher Elite tier levels.
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
Reward details
6 Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program, 3 points at Worldwide restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines and 2 points on all other eligible purchases
Current Offer
Credit Rating
Annual Fee
0% Intro
APR
This is the premium American Express co-branded card, which does carry a premium annual fee and considering one of the top-notch hotel cards.
As you would expect, with a high annual fee, this card is packed with benefits and perks. These include automatic Platinum Elite status, Earned Choice Award benefits, one free Night Award on card renewal, Marriott Bonvoy property credit, and premium internet access. There are also some non Marriott Bonvoy specific benefits which we will discuss in further detail later.
Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card
Reward details
Current Offer
Credit Rating
Annual Fee
0% Intro
APR
This is an American Express co-branded card with a reasonable annual fee. The card has a tiered reward structure weighted towards Marriott Bonvoy purchases offering up to six points per dollar. There is an impressive welcome bonus with a reasonable spend requirement.
The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy does offer some great perks that should offset the higher annual fee compared to the Chase offerings. Firstly, you’ll receive complimentary Gold Elite Status with 15 Elite Night Credits per year, bonus points for every eligible stay booked directly with your card and one free night when you meet the annual spending requirement. There is also premium internet access for your Marriott Bonvoy stays.
Table Of Content
Requirements for Marriott Credit Cards
As with all credit cards, there are some requirements that you’ll need to meet to qualify. These include:
- Credit Score: While these four cards have different characteristics, they all require a good to excellent credit score to qualify. This means you’ll need a FICO score of at least 690.
- The Number of Credit Cards: Both American Express and Chase have rules about the number of credit cards you can hold, which will influence your chances of approval. American Express only allows customers to hold a maximum of five Amex cards at any time. So, if you already have several, you may struggle to qualify. Chase has its 5/24 rule, which means that if you’ve opened five new credit card accounts, with any issuer in the last 24 months, you won’t be approved for a new Chase card.
- Your Income: Although your credit score factors in your income to debt ratio, the card issuers will also check your income to determine that you have sufficient income to support your new card.
Pros and Cons of Marriott Cards
As with any financial product, there are positives and potential negatives associated with Marriott cards. It is important to be aware of both before you make a decision about opening a new account.
Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Elite Status | Good to Excellent Credit Required |
Brand Specific Perks | Hotel Specific Benefits |
Card Options |
Marriott Specific Rewards |
Great Welcome Bonuses |
- Elite Status
With all of these cards, you’ll automatically qualify for at least silver Elite status, which can be a bonus for those who struggle to qualify or have difficulty achieving the higher status levels.
With automatic status, you can concentrate on working on building your level or enjoying the perks associated with your new level.
- Brand Specific Perks
As you would expect with a co-branded credit card, there are some nice brand specific perks. Even something as simple as complimentary premium WiFi during your stay can enhance your Marriott experience.
- Card Options
With four co-branded card choices, there is a Marriott card to suit almost every type of traveler.
Whether you tend to travel infrequently and don’t want to worry about an annual fee or are a frequent traveler who enjoys a premium experience, there is a card for you.
- Great Welcome Bonuses
Each of the cards offers a welcome bonus if you meet the spend requirement, which adds even more perks to your new account.
- Good to Excellent Credit Required
Although the cards have different features and rewards, all the Marriott cards require good to excellent credit. So, if your credit score is less than 690, you’re unlikely to qualify.
- Hotel Specific Benefits
As you would expect with a co-branded card, with a few exceptions, the benefits and perks of these cards are quite hotel specific.
So, if you’re not completely brand loyal to Marriott, you may find the cards frustrating.
- Marriott Specific Rewards
Additionally, the rewards for these cards are tailored for the Marriott Bonvoy loyal customer.
While other redemption methods are possible, if you want the best value for your accumulated points, you’ll need to stick to Marriott Bonvoy purchases.
How to Choose a Marriott Credit Card
With a choice of cards, you may be struggling to decide which is the best pick for you. Fortunately, there are some factors to consider which can narrow down your choices.
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The Annual Fee
All four cards have distinctly different annual fees from $0 to hundreds of dollars. So, you will need to think about what annual fee you’re comfortable paying.
Typically a higher annual fee means more benefits, but you’ll need to use the card enough to easily cover the annual fee.
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Benefit Value
On paper, the benefits package of each card should more than offset the annual fee, but you need to think about the value of the benefits for you personally. Think about how much you will benefit from the card perks and whether they have value for you.
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Spending Requirements
Whether you’re looking at the welcome bonus promotion or some of the card benefits, there is likely to be a spending requirement to qualify.
So, you need to be realistic about whether you can comfortably reach or exceed this minimum spend.
There is no point in going for a card with a massive bonus like the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant if you will struggle to spend enough in the first three months.
How the Marriott Loyalty Program Works
As a member of the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program, you can earn points with stays in Marriott Bonvoy locations, participating restaurants and of course your Marriott credit card. You’ll have several redemption options for your accumulated points including free nights at Marriott locations, Marriott Moments experiences, rental cars, gift cards and shopping.
Marriott Bonvoy has its own “Shop with Points” platform, which is a shopping portal with a variety of tech and fashion items. You will see a points price for each item, but there is no cash value, so you’ll need to check the retailer price to ensure you’re getting the best redemption deal.
The value of your Marriott Bonvoy points depends on your redemption method. The average value is 0.7 cents per point, but hotel stays offer the highest redemption rates. The award nights have dynamic pricing, so you can shop around for the best deal for your points.
Another important aspect of the loyalty program is Elite status. There are five tiers of Elite status with higher levels offering greater perks. This includes things like getting more reward points, room upgrades, and welcome gifts.
The Main Benefits of Marriott Cards
In addition to Marriott specific benefits and rewards, you can also access other benefits with your new Marriott card. These include:
- No Foreign Transaction Fees: Regardless of whether you opt for a Chase or Amex co-branded card, there are no foreign transaction fees. This means that you can use your card abroad without worrying about getting hit with the typical 3% fee.
- Baggage Insurance: The Chase cards offer baggage delay insurance offering up to $100 per day for five days if your baggage is delayed for more than six hours by your carrier. There is also lost or damaged baggage insurance. The Amex cards offer coverage if your baggage is lost, damaged or stolen.
- Trip Delay Coverage: Both Chase and Amex offer trip delay reimbursement if your travel is delayed by over 12 hours or requires an overnight stay. However, while Chase cards have a cap of $500 per ticket, Amex is capped at $300 or $500 depending on your card.
- Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance: This is offered with the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant for up to $10k per trip.
- Car Rental Coverage: Both Amex cards offer car rental coverage for loss of or damage to your rental car when you pay for the entire rental with your card.
- Reimbursement for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck: With the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant, Amex will provide a statement credit if you pay for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck using your card.
- Lounge Access: The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant also provides a Priority Pass Select, which allows unlimited lounge visits for yourself and up to two guests at 1,200 plus airport lounges across the globe.
- Purchase Protections: Both Amex and Chase offer purchase protections with Marriott Bonvoy cards.
- Helpline/Concierge: The Chase cards offer access to Visa Concierge services, while Amex offers its Global Assist Helpline for cardholders.
Redemption Options For Marriot Cards
As we touched on earlier, there are several redemption options for your Marriott Bonvoy points. These include:
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Hotels
As you would expect, the best value for your Marriott Bonvoy points is when you use them to book free nights at Marriott properties. You can search for award nights on the Marriott Bonvoy website according to your dates, destination and hotel preferences.
There is no set point conversion rate as the award cost depends on the specific location, dates and other factors. So if the cash price for a stay is higher, it is likely to cost you more points compared to a budget location. This does create the potential to search for the best deal, particularly if you’re flexible on your dates.
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Travel Partners
Marriott Bonvoy has partnership agreements with approximately 40 airlines, so you can also exchange your points for miles towards your airfare. Depending on the specific airline program, you will need to transfer 3,000 plus points with a typical transfer rate of 3:1. So, for every three Marriott points, you’ll get one mile.
However, there are some exceptions. For example, with Air New Zealand, you’ll need 200 Marriott Points for every mile.
You’ll need to associate your Marriott Bonvoy account with the particular airline’s frequent flier program to make transfers, but with most loyalty plans there is a miles bonus if you’re transferring 60,000 Marriott points.
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Other Redemption Options
There are also a few other ways to use your Marriott Bonvoy points including:
- Shopping: We’ve touched on this earlier, but you can browse the offers on the “Shops with Points” platform.
- Rental Cars: You can use the Marriott Bonvoy website to search for rental car deals with Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty.
- Hotel and Air Packages: The search feature also allows you to look for hotel and air packages with dozens of partner programs.
- Gift Cards: Finally, you can search the Marriott Bonvoy platform for your preferred gift card options. There is a fairly comprehensive choice of popular merchants including Best Buy, Macy’s Bloomingdales, Starbucks and Red Lobster. However this option does not offer the best redemption rates.
FAQs
Can you track the arrival of a Marriott Bonvoy credit card?
Depending on whether you’ve applied for a Chase or an Amex Marriott Bonvoy card, you’ll need to log into the appropriate website and “check on application status.” Alternatively, you can call the Chase or Amex helpline.
Do gift cards count as purchases with Marriott credit cards?
Gift cards and other cash equivalent products typically don’t attract rewards with either the Chase or Amex Marriott credit cards.
How can I upgrade my Marriott credit card?
If you have an Amex Marriott card, you can click the “Offers and Benefits” section on your dashboard to check for any targeted upgrade offers. If you find an offer, you simply need to click “Request an Upgrade.”
The best way to upgrade a Chase Marriott card is to call the Chase helpline. A Chase representative will go through your details and advise you if you qualify for an upgrade.
How do I earn elite nights through Marriott credit cards?
You’ll receive elite night credits automatically with your Marriott credit card, but some also provide additional Elite Nights if you meet the spending requirement. For example, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless offers one additional Elite Night for every $5,000 you spend with your card.
How do I tie a Marriott credit card to reward accounts?
When you apply for your Marriott credit card, you’ll see a field for your Marriott Bonvoy number.
If you’re already enrolled in the rewards program, you simply need to enter the number on your application and the card issuer will tie them together for you.
New loyalty program members are automatically enrolled when their card application is approved.
What credit score is needed for a Chase Marriott card?
You’ll need a good to excellent credit score for any of the Chase Marriott credit cards. This means a FICO score of at least 690.
Who carries Marriott credit cards?
Marriott credit cards are co-branded with either Chase or American Express. The Marriott Bonvoy Bold and Boundless are Chase cards, while the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy and Brilliant cards are issued by American Express.
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