Both the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Cards, issued by Chase, are great options for frequent travelers who want to earn and redeem rewards at their respective hotel chains.
Here's our full comparison to help you decide between the two:
General Comparison
The IHG Rewards Premier Credit Card stands out with its generous welcome bonus, high points earning rate on IHG stays, and complimentary IHG Platinum Elite status. Meanwhile, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card shines with its free night certificate (after meeting required spending), dining and travel rewards, and complimentary Marriott Silver Elite status.
Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the main features of each card:
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IHG Premier vs. Marriott Boundless: Rewards Analysis
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Spend Per Category | Marriott Bonvoy Boundless | IHG® One Rewards Premier |
$10,000 – U.S Supermarkets | 22,000 points | 20,000 points |
$4,000 – Restaurants
| 8,000 points | 8,000 points |
$4,000 – Airline | 8,000 points | 4,000 points |
$5,000 – Hotels | 30,000 points | 50,000 points |
$4,000 – Gas | 8,000 points | 8,000 points |
Total Points | 76,000 points | 90,000 points |
Redemption Value (Estimated) | 1 point = ~0.8 cent | 1 point = ~0.7 cent |
Estimated Annual Value | $608 | $630 |
* Marriot Boundless Card: 3X on the first $6,000 spent on supermarkets
The IHG card offers a range of flexible and rewarding redemption options, including free nights at InterContinental, Holiday Inn, and more. Cardholders can choose from various gift cards,shop for merchandise, book unique experiences or converted into airline miles.
Which Hotel Benefits You'll Get With Each Card?
There are some additional types of perks that you will see with both of these cards. Both cards are issued by Chase, and the extra hotel benefits are quite similar, each card focused on its own hotel network:
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless
- Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite Status:Enjoy Silver Elite Status automatically each account anniversary year as a cardmember.
Elevate Your Status: Earn 1 Elite Night Credit for every $5,000 spent, helping you achieve higher elite status.
15 Elite Night Credits: Receive 15 Elite Night Credits annually, contributing to your elite status. Some restrictions apply.
1 Free Night Award: The Boundless card offers a free night award after spending $35,000 in a calendar year.
- Path to Gold Status: Spend $35,000 on purchases in a calendar year to progress towards Gold Status.
- DoorDash: Receive one year of complimentary DashPass, granting unlimited deliveries with $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on eligible order
- Visa Concierge: Enjoy complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature® Concierge Service, providing assistance with various tasks, including finding event tickets, making restaurant reservations, and helping you select the perfect gift.
IHG® One Rewards Premier
- Redeem 3 Nights, Get 4th Night Free: Enjoy a complimentary fourth night when redeeming points for a consecutive four-night stay at an IHG hotel.
- IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite Status: Enjoy Platinum Elite status in the IHG Rewards program as an IHG One Rewards Premier cardmember.
- 20% Discount on Reward Points Purchases: Save 20% on purchases of IHG reward points when using your IHG One credit card, allowing you to maximize your point accumulation and potentially unlock additional benefits within the IHG loyalty program.
- Anniversary Free Night: Receive a complimentary night each account anniversary year, redeemable for stays at IHG hotels, with a redemption cap of 40,000 points.
- Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS Statement Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits every 4 years to cover the application fees for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS.
Which Protections You'll Get With Each Card?
Both cards are issued by Chase, so the protections are quite similar -with a small difference between them:
Baggage Delay Insurance: Reimburses up to $100 per day for essential purchases like toiletries and clothing when your baggage is delayed by a passenger carrier for more than 6 hours, up to a total of 5 days.
Lost Luggage Reimbursement: Provides coverage of up to $3,000 per passenger for damaged or lost luggage checked or carried on by you or an immediate family member when traveling.
Purchase Protection: Safeguards your new purchases against damage or theft for 120 days, with coverage up to $500 per claim and a maximum of $50,000 per account.
- Trip Delay Reimbursement (Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Only): Covers unreimbursed expenses, such as meals and lodging, up to $500 per ticket when your common carrier travel is delayed for more than 12 hours or necessitates an overnight stay.
- Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance (IHG® One Rewards Premier Only): Receive reimbursement, up to $5,000 per person and $10,000 per trip, for pre-paid, non-refundable travel expenses in case of trip cancellation or interruption due to covered situations like sickness or severe weather.
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When You Might Prefer The IHG Premier?
You might prefer the IHG® One Rewards Premier card over the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless in these situations:
IHG Hotel Preferences: If you prefer staying at IHG hotels and often book with them, the IHG Rewards Premier card is a great match. It offers specific perks within the IHG portfolio to enhance your stays.
Platinum Elite Status Benefits: The IHG Rewards Premier card gives you complimentary IHG Platinum Elite status, which provides a higher level of benefits compared to Marriott Silver status. If elite status is important to you and you value the perks IHG offers, this card could be the better choice.
When You Might Prefer The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless?
You might prefer the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card when:
Consistent Marriott Hotel Stays: If you frequently choose Marriott-affiliated properties and have loyalty to Marriott's brands, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless is a natural fit. The card's benefits, including annual free night awards and bonus points on Marriott spending, align well with the preferences of those who consistently opt for Marriott hotels.
You Need a Broader Global Hotel Network: If you prefer a wider range of hotel options with a global presence, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless may be more suitable. Marriott's extensive portfolio includes a diverse array of brands and properties in various locations, providing more choices for international travelers.
Compare The Alternatives
If you're looking for a travel rewards credit card with hotel benefits – there are some excellent alternatives you may want to consider:
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Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
| The Platinum Card® from American Express | Hilton Honors American Express Card | |
Annual Fee | $650. See Rates & Fees | $695. See Rates & Fees | $0 |
Rewards | 2X – 6X
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
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1X – 5X
5X points on up to $500,000 spent on directly-booked airfare and flights and prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel (per calendar year), 2X points on prepaid car rentals through American Express Travel and 1X points on all other purchases
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3X – 7X
7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio, 5x points at U.S. restaurants (including takeout and delivery) U.S.supermarkets, U.S. gas stations and 3x points for each dollar on other eligible purchases
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Welcome bonus | 95,000 points
95,000 Marriott Bonvoy points after spending $6,000 within the first 6 months of card membership.
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80,000 points
80,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership
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100,000 points
100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership
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Foreign Transaction Fee | $0 | $0. See Rates & Fees | $0. See Rates and Fees. |
Purchase APR | 20.24% – 29.24% Variable | See Pay Over Time APR | 20.24% – 29.24% variable APR |
Compare Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card
While there is no big difference when it comes to points rewards, the Brilliant offers lounge access, credit statements, and Platinum status.
In our opinion, the new Marriott Bountiful isn't worth the higher annual fee compared to the traditional Boundless card. Here's why.
Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful vs Boundless: Side By Side Comparison
The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy is more expensive than the Boundless. Are the extra benefits worth the difference? We don't think so. Here's why.
The Marriott Boundless offers great perks for Marriot lovers, while the Preferred card wins when it comes to general travel-related rewards.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred: Comparison
The Hilton Amex Surpass is our winner as it offers higher estimated total cashback than the Marriot Boundless card and additional hotel perks.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless vs. Hilton Amex Surpass: Side By Side Comparison
The World of Hyatt Card is our winner – it offers a significantly higher annual cash back for the average consumer than Marriott Boundless.
World of Hyatt Card vs. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless: Which Hotel Card Is Best?
Surprisingly, despite having no annual fee – the Wyndham Rewards Earner offers higher estimated cash back, which is why it's our winner.
Wyndham Rewards Earner vs. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless: Which Hotel Card Is Best?
Compare IHG One Rewards Premier Card
In our opinion, the IHG One Rewards Premier wins only if you plan to spend a significant amount on hotels. If not, the differences are minor.
IHG One Rewards Traveler vs. Premier: Side By Side Comparison
With this hotel rewards cards battle, the World of Hyatt Card is our winner as it offers a higher annual cash back for the average consumer
World of Hyatt Card vs IHG One Rewards Premier: Side By Side Comparison
