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The Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card is a good card if you only travel a couple of times per year, and stay at Marriott properties if you can. It comes with a $0 annual fee, a sign-up bonus and a decent rewards rate at Marriott hotels. However, you won’t get many hotel benefits.
You can earn up to 14X total points for every $1 spent at thousands of hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® and 2X points for every $1 spent at grocery stores, rideshare, select food delivery, select streaming, and internet, and cable and phone services. Plus, earn 1X point for every $1 you spend on all other purchases. That is lower than other Marriott cards.
If you do stay at Marriotts frequently, it’s worth looking into the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card. It comes with a $95 annual fee but has more benefits — including free night awards and a better rewards rate.
Intro Purchase APR
N/A
Regular Purchase APR
20.49% - 27.49% Variable
Intro BT APR
N/A
Regular BT APR
20.49% - 27.49% Variable
Annual Fee
$0
Cash Advance Fee
Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each transaction, whichever is greater.
Foreign Transaction Fee
$0
Balance Transfer Fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
$0 annual fee
The Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card charges a $0 annual fee. As the only Marriott card with a $0 annual fee, it’s the best option if you don’t stay at Marriott properties enough to justify an annual fee.
Plus, there’s a $0 foreign transaction fee, so this card is light on fees overall.
Sign-up bonus
The Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card currently features an excellent sign-up bonus for a no-annual fee card. It lets you earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
However, you can earn better bonuses with the other Marriott credit cards. For instance, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card — which only has a $95 annual fee — has a much higher welcome offer than that. You can earn 3 Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.
Silver Elite status
Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card cardholders automatically receive Marriott Bonvoy® Silver status and 5 elite night credits to help you qualify for higher elite status. Silver status includes modest perks such as:
Redeem points for free nights
The Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card makes it easy for you to redeem your points for free nights. That’s access to more than 8,500 properties across the globe. If you’re purchasing Marriott stays frequently, that’s good news since you can accumulate points quickly and redeem free nights sooner.
But if you’re not staying at Marriott properties frequently, you might have trouble earning free nights, depending on where you want to go. A free night can be anywhere from 12,000 in Little Rock, Arkansas to 80,000 points in New York City.
There are several ways to redeem Marriott points, including flights, cruises, rental cars, entertainment and more. However, redeeming points for free stays is your best option — you won’t find as much value in redeeming them for those other options.
Travel protections
For a $0 annual fee card, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card offers solid travel protections. You can receive baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement and trip delay reimbursement.
On top of travel protection, you’ll also receive general purchase protection.
Low rewards rate
The Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card offers a fair rewards rate for a $0 annual fee card. Cardholders earn up to 14X total points for every $1 spent at thousands of hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® and 2X points for every $1 spent at grocery stores, rideshare, select food delivery, select streaming, and internet, and cable and phone services. Plus, earn 1X point for every $1 you spend on all other purchases.
However, that rate is less generous than the other Marriott Bonvoy® cards. For example, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card lets cardholders earn the following: Earn up to 17X total points at participating Marriott hotels. Earn 3X points on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining. Earn 2X points on all other purchases.
If you stay at Marriott properties on a regular basis, then you should likely consider a card with a higher rewards rate so you can earn free nights faster.
No anniversary free night award
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card both offer a free night award each year after your account anniversary, valid for a one night hotel stay at a property (with a redemption level up to 35,000 points for the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card and up to 85,000 points for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card).
The Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card, however, does not offer a free night award. You can redeem your points for free nights with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card, but it might take longer than other Marriott cards because of its lower rewards rate and sign-up bonus.
Few Marriott perks
Since the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card has a $0 annual fee, it’s missing some of the perks that make many of the other Marriott credit cards valuable.
It doesn’t offer any free nights as part of its sign-up bonus, nor does it offer any property credits like the higher-end Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card does.
Plus, it only offers Silver Elite status — which isn’t that valuable compared to other loyalty programs like Hilton and Hyatt. That’s why this card may only be best for casual travelers instead of frequent ones.
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card charges a $95 annual fee, but could likely provide more value to frequent Marriott residents than the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card.
Its sign-up bonus lets you earn 3 Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening. By contrast, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card’s bonus could possibly be used for just one night, depending on location.
It also earns more rewards at Marriott properties: Earn up to 17X total points at participating Marriott hotels. Earn 3X points on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining. Earn 2X points on all other purchases.
Plus, you’ll get a free night award every anniversary, a path to Gold Elite status and 15 Elite Night credits. If you stay at Marriott properties frequently, then the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card is likely a better choice.
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card has a costly annual fee of $650 and is designed for Marriott frequenters looking for luxury perks.
Its welcome offer lets you earn 185,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. The spending requirement is high, but the welcome offer alone could be worth several nights, depending on how you redeem it.
Plus, its rewards rate makes it much easier to earn points in several categories: Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Earn 3X Marriott Bonvoy® points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines and 2X Marriott Bonvoy® points on all other eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card.
Its other benefits include a $300 dining statement credit*, $100 Marriott Bonvoy® property credit*, 25 Elite Night credits, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck® fee credit*, Priority Pass™ Select lounge access* and strong travel protections. So if you’re at Marriott properties often and take advantage of those perks, this may be a good card for you.
If you don’t frequently stay at Marriott properties, you may want to consider a rewards card that lets you earn points or miles at a variety of locations, such as the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers a more substantial sign-up bonus: Earn 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening, plus receive a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year – that’s equal to $1,000 in travel.
Plus, cardholders earn 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day; 5 Miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
Keep in mind, though, that the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card charges an annual fee of $95 (see rates & fees). However, you can also use Capital One miles for travel expenses other than hotels, such as airfare.
| Credit Cards | Our Ratings | Welcome Offer | Rewards Rate | Annual Fee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card*
|
Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. | Earn up to 14X total points for every $1 spent at thousands of hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® and 2X points for every $1 spent at grocery stores, rideshare, select food delivery, select streaming, and internet, and cable and phone services. Plus, earn 1X point for every $1 you spend on all other purchases. | $0 | ||
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card*
|
Earn 3 Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening. | Earn up to 17X total points at participating Marriott hotels. Earn 3X points on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining. Earn 2X points on all other purchases. | $95 | ||
|
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
|
Earn 185,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. | Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Earn 3X Marriott Bonvoy® points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines and 2X Marriott Bonvoy® points on all other eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card. | $650 | ||
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
 Apply Now
on Capital One's secure site Rates & Fees |
75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening, plus receive a one-time $250 Capital One Travel credit to use in your first cardholder year – that’s equal to $1,000 in travel | 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day; 5 Miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel | $95 |
Apply Now
on Capital One's secure site Rates & Fees |
If you’re a Marriott Bonvoy® loyalist who doesn’t want to pay an annual fee every year, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card is a good choice. But if you want to earn a larger welcome offer and more points on your hotel stays, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card or would be a better pick — as long as you don’t mind paying an annual fee.
And if you aren’t loyal to any one particular hotel rewards program, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card may be worth checking out as well.
To see rates & fees for American Express cards mentioned on this page, visit the links provided below:
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply
The information related to the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card has been independently collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply.
The content above is not provided by any issuer. Any opinions expressed are those of LendingTree alone and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any issuer. The offers and/or promotions mentioned above may have changed, expired, or are no longer available. Check the issuer's website for more details.
