September 29, 2023
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For Marriott loyalists, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card is the best Marriott credit card. It’s a quick route to free stays with Marriott, including a free night certificate each year.
Whether you’re looking for a posh five-star retreat in a U.S. city or a budget hotel abroad, it’s not hard to find a place to stay and earn rewards within Marriott Bonvoy’s extensive network. Boasting more than 7,000 properties around the world, including well-known brands such as Westin, Sheraton, Courtyard and Fairfield Inn, Marriott Bonvoy offers one of the most versatile hotel rewards programs around. Marriott also partners with American Express and Chase on a wide range of hotel cards, including a no-annual-fee budget card and an ultra-lux travel card. Compare the best Marriott Bonvoy credit cards of 2023.
Sign up bonus: Earn 3 Free Night Awards
If you’re not ready to go all in with one of Marriott’s premium credit cards, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card offers plenty of brand and other travel perks at a lower cost. Plus, it earns outstanding bonus rates on spending at Marriott hotels.
Like other Bonvoy cards, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card earns an incredible rate for spending at over 7,000 participating Marriott properties worldwide. Other bonus categories include grocery stores, gas stations and dining.
As one of Marriott’s entry-level co-branded cards, it’s a solid choice for individuals looking to build loyalty with a hotel brand and earn free nights through its welcome offer and card spending.
Sign up bonus: Earn 50,000 points
The ultimate entry-level Marriott card, Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card is the choice for individuals who want to earn rewards toward free hotel stays without paying a fee. Although it doesn’t offer as many perks as other Marriott cards, it still gives you a taste of Marriott elite status.
The Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card comes with a decent welcome bonus with a low spending requirement. Beyond the bonus, the primary way to earn points is through Marriott stays and purchases while on property. You can earn bonus points for other travel purchases but may earn higher rates with other cards. Points don’t expire as long as you make purchases with your card every 24 months.
Welcome offer: Earn 125,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points
The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card doesn’t have the most extensive list of Marriott benefits that typically come with an annual fee of around $250. However, it might be a good choice if you want to earn automatic Gold Elite Status with Marriott quickly and travel enough to take advantage of those benefits (enrollment required). The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card has a similar welcome offer, rewards rate, list of benefits and annual fee to the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful credit card. The main difference is the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card is issued by American Express, and the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful credit card is issued by Chase. So if you prefer American Express cards and you’re deciding between these two, the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card might be a better choice.
The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card has a decent earning rate. It offers an elevated earning rate on Marriott hotels, restaurants, take-out and U.S. supermarket purchases. Plus, you earn 1,000 bonus points per eligible stay at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels. Points on this card don’t expire.
See rates and fees for full details.
Sign up bonus: Earn 125,000 Bonus Points
The Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful credit card, like the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card doesn’t have an exhaustive list of benefits. It does, however, have a decent rewards rate, welcome offer and some perks, including automatic Marriott Gold Elite status. But for a $250 annual fee, this card is probably only worth it if you’re looking to gain that complimentary status quickly and travel enough to use the benefits that come with it. The main difference between this card and the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card is the former is issued by Chase and the latter is issued by American Express.
The Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful credit card has a decent earning rate. It offers an elevated earning rate on Marriott hotels, restaurants, take-out and U.S. supermarket purchases. Plus, you earn 1,000 bonus points per eligible stay at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels. Points on this card don’t expire.
Welcome offer: Earn 125,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points
If your company’s annual budget includes line items for travel and select business expenses, the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card can help you earn valuable rewards for awards stays at Marriott resorts worldwide.
It’s especially beneficial for businesses with multiple employees with cards, allowing you to pool points and boost your rewards balance quicker. Between the business card’s welcome offer and ongoing rewards for card spending, there’s more than enough value to outweigh its annual fee.
The Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card offers bonus earning potential for spending at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels and lucrative categories like restaurants worldwide.
American Express allows business owners to add employee cards to their accounts for free, extending their rewards earning potential with employee card spending.
The Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card is an excellent fit for business owners who spend considerable money annually on travel, telecommunications and shipping costs.
To see rates & fees for Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card please click here.
Welcome offer: Earn two 85K Free Night Awards
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card carries a premium price tag but is worth the cost for frequent travelers who take advantage of the card’s luxury travel perks. Between its many travel credits, airport lounge access and automatic Platinum Elite status (enrollment required), the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card is ideal for loyal Marriott travelers who enjoy luxury perks.
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card comes with a sizable welcome offer. As a cobranded Marriott card, most of the card’s earning potential comes from booking stays at participating Marriott properties. You can also earn bonus points at U.S. restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines.
Ideally, cardholders should be someone who travels frequently, enjoys dining out and wants access to hotel and luxury travel benefits.
To see rates & fees for Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card please click here.
Welcome offer: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points
The Platinum Card® from American Express features one of the highest annual fees of any card, which might scare some travel enthusiasts. As one of the premier luxury travel rewards cards, though, it’s a perfect choice for those who want access to the best travel perks and benefits. With access to luxury lounges worldwide, automatic elite status with Marriott and Hilton (enrollment required), and an expansive list of annual credits and perks, few cards offer the value found with The Platinum Card® from American Express. Cardholders can also transfer their points to one of Amex’s many travel transfer partners, including Marriott.
That said, it’s only ideal for frequent travelers who can take advantage of the card’s laundry list of perks yearly to justify the high fee.
The Platinum Card® from American Express comes with an enormous welcome offer with a higher spending requirement to match. The luxury Amex card earns bonus points on a variety of travel categories.
Unless you are a frequent traveler, you won’t get much out of this card in terms of rewards earning.
To see rates & fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express please click here.
Sign up bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers flexible travel rewards and perks that extend beyond one hotel brand like Marriott. It’s specifically geared toward frequent travelers who want versatile travel rewards they can use in multiple ways. So, it’s an excellent card if you love Marriott resorts but don’t want to be tied to one brand.
Like many top rewards credit cards, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card comes with a substantial welcome bonus if you meet its spending requirement. It also features elevated bonus rewards rates in multiple spending categories, including travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards® and dining.
Points earned with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card have even more value when redeemed through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Also, cardholders earn bonus points annually equal to 10% of total purchases made the previous year.
| Credit Cards | Our Ratings | Welcome Offer | Annual Fee | Recommended Credit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
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Winner
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Earn 3 Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from your account opening. | $95 | Excellent/Good | |
|
Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card
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Best for no annual fee
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Earn 30,000 points when you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening | $0 | Excellent/Good | |
Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card
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Best for mid-tier benefits
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Earn 125,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. | $250 | Excellent/Good | |
|
Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful credit card
Review Coming Soon
|
Runner-up, mid-tier benefits
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85,000 Bonus Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from your account opening. | $250 | Excellent/Good | Review Coming Soon |
Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card
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Best for small businesses
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Limited Time Offer: Earn 125,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points after you use your new Card to make $8,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 11/1/23. | $125 | Excellent/Good | |
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
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Best for luxury benefits
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Earn two 85K Free Night Awards after you spend $6,000 in purchases on the Card in your first 6 months. Each award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy. Card Members could enjoy a value of up to $1,200 when redeeming each reward. Certain hotels have resort fees. Offer ends 11/1/2023. | $650 | Excellent/Good | |
The Platinum Card® from American Express
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Best for elite status across brands
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Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. | $695 | Excellent/Good | |
|
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
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Best for staying at other hotels
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Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. | $95 | Excellent |
Marriott’s elite status program allows frequent guests to earn special perks, such as exclusive discounts and free benefits, as a reward for staying at Marriott-branded hotels. Several co-branded Marriott cards offer automatic elite status with the Marriott Bonvoy program — from Silver status with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card to Platinum Elite status with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (enrollment required). The higher the elite status tier, the more perks you’ll enjoy.
Elite night credits are the credits you earn as a Marriott Bonvoy member when you stay at a Marriott property. These credits are used to help determine whether you qualify for elite status and which tier you’re in. Marriott credit cards also offer honorary elite night credits you can use to earn a higher status.
A free night certificate is an exclusive benefit on select Marriott cards, redeemable for one night at a Marriott hotel for a room worth 35,000 points or less (85,000 or less for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card). These certificates are awarded on your card anniversary with a 12-month expiration date and do not cover resort fees.
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card gives you up to $100 of credit per booking toward qualifying purchases at qualifying Marriott properties, such as on-site restaurant purchases and spa services. Qualifying purchases do not include the cost of the room, property fees, taxes or gratuities.
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card members also get access to Priority Pass lounges. Your Priority Pass Select™ membership entitles you and up to two guests free access to more than 1,300 airport lounges worldwide (enrollment required).
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card members get an $85 to $100 application fee credit every four and a half years when they apply for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck membership. These airport security programs allow approved travelers to get faster security screening at select airports.
Marriott card members are automatically enrolled in the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program, which includes free in-room Wi-Fi for all members.
The best Marriott card for you will depend on your spending habits and budget. If you’re a frequent traveler, you’ll likely get the most value from the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card or the high-end Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card. But if you prefer less commitment, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card still offers a significant amount of value.
To get the most out of your Marriott cards, be mindful of your spending. Choose which cards you use based on the number of points you expect to earn per purchase. For example, if you own a Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card and The Platinum Card® from American Express, use The Platinum Card® from American Express for airfare and hotel purchases and the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card for miscellaneous purchases.
Don’t spend more than you can afford to repay in full, even if you’re using a credit card with a high credit limit. Card rewards are never worth paying high interest on a credit card balance.
In addition, reserve your Marriott Bonvoy rewards for rooms that offer a return of at least a penny or a penny and a half or more per point. Although securing a lower priced rewards room may require trade-offs, such as an out-of-the-way location or a revised travel date, it could also save you a lot of money. You may also be able to secure a more enjoyable stay by using your points to pay for pricey high-end rooms that you can’t afford in cash.
You can apply for a Marriott credit card online by visiting the application page for your first choice card. But since Marriott cards are issued by different lenders, make sure you’re going to the right website. For example, you can apply for a Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card or a Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card through Chase, but you’d need to go through American Express to apply for a Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card or a Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card. You can also learn more about each card and who issues it by visiting Marriott Bonvoy’s credit card page.
You generally need good to excellent credit to qualify for a Marriott card.
If you’re using a Marriott Bonvoy card, your card will be automatically enrolled with Marriott Bonvoy once you’re approved. If you’re using a card that’s a Marriott Bonvoy partner, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express, you won’t be able to link your American Express card to your Bonvoy membership. Instead, you’ll be given the option of transferring your points to Marriott Bonvoy.
It depends on how long it takes American Express or Chase to approve your application. If you’re approved right away, you may be able to use your credit card number immediately if you’re opening an American Express card. But with a Chase card, you may need to wait a while longer until your new card arrives in the mail.
Yes. However, owning two cards may limit your point earnings or perks. For example, if you have two Marriott cards that offer 15 elite night credits, you’ll only be allowed one of the card’s credits. Similarly, you may not qualify for a new card’s welcome offer if you already own another Marriott card.
No. None of Marriott Bonvoy’s credit cards charge a foreign transaction fee.
The number of points you’ll need to pay for a Marriott stay will vary, depending on the destination, date of travel and hotel. However, you can expect to pay anywhere from 4,000 points to 100,000 points for a free night’s stay. In general, ultralow rates of 10,000 points or less are typically reserved for off-peak PointSavers deals or for rooms that have been priced well below market value.
You can transfer your Marriott Bonvoy points to more than 40 partner airlines, including American Airlines, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest and United. You can also transfer your Marriott Bonvoy points for free to another member.
You can book a room through Marriott.com using a Visa, American Express, Discover or Mastercard.
To make choosing the right card easier, we’ve looked at credit cards reviewed on LendingTree as well as cards on major issuer sites to compile a list of the best rewards credit cards available right now. Our recommendations are based on the additional value you can earn with the cards — including the rewards value, cost of ownership and value of benefits such as travel and purchase protections, lounge membership and airline companion passes. Our choices are not influenced by our advertisers. Learn more on how we calculate rewards.
See rates and fees for full details.
To see rates & fees for Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card please click here.
To see rates & fees for Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card please click here.
To see rates & fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express please click here.
The information related to Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card, Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card, Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful credit card and Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has been independently collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication.
The above offers and/or promotions may have since changed, expired, or is no longer available. Check the Issuers’ website for more details.
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