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The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card features high rewards and good benefits geared towards making your stays at Marriott properties cheaper and more comfortable. You’ll get an annual free night award and enrollment into Silver Elite status, which comes with its own set of perks including a 10% point bonus and priority late checkout.
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We give the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card 5 out of 5 Stars because it provides a great return at participating Marriott properties, and there are several valuable benefits too.
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless, issued by Chase, offers a slew of rewards and benefits for anyone who stays at Marriott Bonvoy hotels.
Cardholders will earn 6X bonus points per dollar at these properties, plus additional points for your hotel member status: at least 11X Base points at Marriott Bonvoy properties.
There are a number of hotel perks to take advantage of. You have automatic Marriott Silver Elite status, which comes with a 10% point bonus, priority late check-out, and more. Upgrade to Gold Elite status by spending $35,000 on purchases in a given year. After your first account anniversary you’ll be awarded with a Free Night Award every year.
You’ll get complimentary premium in-room WiFi, and 15 Elite Night credits towards a higher member status. And there are a number of lesser perks, like invitations to Marriott Premier Experience Events and a personal concierge.
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless costs $95 per year, and there are no foreign transaction fees to pay.
You cannot apply for this card if you already currently have this card or the Marriott Bonvoy™ Premier Credit Card, or you’ve received a new cardmember bonus from either of those cards in the last 24 months. If you’re a Marriott Bonvoy Premier cardholder you can request an upgrade to the Bonvoy Boundless.
If you spend much time in Marriott Bonvoy properties every year, this card could probably help you save money and have a better time while you’re at it. But there are four Marriott Bonvoy co-branded cards in total, including three personal cards and a business card.
Card | Annual Fee | Rewards |
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Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card | $0 |
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Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card (This review) | $95 |
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Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card (Review) | $125 (Rates & Fees) |
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Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card (Review) | $450 (Rates & Fees) |
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If you have the older Marriott Bonvoy™ Premier Credit Card (which is no longer open to new applicants), you aren’t eligible for the new cardmember bonus.
Instead, you can request an upgrade to the new Bonvoy Boundless. You may get a bonus offer, like 20,000 points after your first purchase. But there’s no guarantee that you’ll get a bonus offer, or that it will be of a certain amount.
Take note that this will be counted as a product change, not a new account opening. Your credit card account number will not change, but the expiration date and CVV may change. So if you have any automatic payments set up you should check the details after upgrading.
Upgrade requests may take up to four business days to be approved. If you’re approved you should receive your new card within seven to 12 business days.
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Visa Signature offers an excellent return on your spending at Marriott Bonvoy properties, with a cash back equivalent of about 17%–34% or more. Other non-category purchases get a good return as well, at 2%–4% cash back equivalent.
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So you’ll have several point earning opportunities. You’ll get 6X points at all of the brands included in the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio. You’ll also earn a certain number of Base points at these hotels, depending on your member status.
To check out all your options, see Marriott Bonvoy hotel brands.
The number of Base points you earn will depend on your member status with that particular hotel brand. Cardholders get automatic Silver Status with Marriott, which is one level higher than the basic member status. A normal member would get 10X Base points but Silver members get a 10% bonus, for 11X Base points in total.
You’ll only earn points at these high rates when making purchases directly from the hotel. If you use a travel agency or discount travel site, for example, you’ll get the normal purchase rate of 2X points.
Take note that you will not be eligible for the welcome bonus offer if you’ve had other Marriott Bonvoy co-branded cards at certain times. You will not be eligible if you:
SPG, Marriott, and The Ritz-Carlton recently combined their rewards programs, and they’re all now covered under the Marriott Bonvoy program. If you had any SPG Starpoints in the previous system they will be multiplied by 3 to give your new point value. And if you had multiple accounts with these brands you should merge them, which will collect all your points and benefits together in one account.
Marriott Bonvoy points will expire after 24 months of no account activity. You can keep your points active simply by making a purchase with your card once every 24 months.
There are quite a few ways to redeem Marriott points. The value of your points will depend on when, where, and how you redeem them.
Typically, PointSavers stays and regular award stays are the most valuable redemption methods. Or, if you book four award nights in a standard room you’ll get a fifth night free, which will also provide a great overall return on your spending.
Your redemption options consist of:
Remember that redemption offers come and go, and sometimes there are special offers at certain properties. You may be able to find an excellent deal for your upcoming trip if you take some time to explore the options. Be sure to check the value you’re getting per point.
Free night stays are probably the simplest and most valuable redemption method. Oftentimes, the best deals will be found at the least and most expensive properties, rather than mid-range properties, but this isn’t always true.
The higher the hotel category, the more points required for a night’s stay.
Hotel Category | Standard Requirement | Off-Peak | Peak |
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1 | 7,500 | 5,000 | 10,000 |
2 | 12,500 | 10,000 | 15,000 |
3 | 17,500 | 15,000 | 20,000 |
4 | 25,000 | 20,000 | 30,000 |
5 | 35,000 | 30,000 | 40,000 |
6 | 50,000 | 40,000 | 60,000 |
7 | 60,000 | 50,000 | 70,000 |
8 | 85,000 | 70,000 | 100,000 |
You can browse the full list of 6,700 Marriott Bonvoy properties, including their categories and point requirements.
PointSavers reservations will help you save some points, if you’re lucky enough that your travel plans align with some eligible dates. The PointSavers requirements are as follows.
Hotel Category | PointSavers Requirement | Off-Peak | Peak |
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1 | 6,000 | 4,000 | 8,500 |
2 | 11,000 | 8,000 | 13,000 |
3 | 16,000 | 12,000 | 18,000 |
4 | 22,500 | 17,500 | 27,500 |
5 | 32,500 | 27,500 | 37,500 |
6 | 45,000 | 35,000 | 55,000 |
7 | 55,000 | 45,000 | 65,000 |
8 | 80,000 | 65,000 | 90,000 |
Say you want to spend a night at the Fairfield Inn & Suites Seattle Bremerton, a Category 3 hotel in Washington. A standard room here might normally cost $199 for non-members, depending on the date.
Or you could get this room for 17,500 points (only 16,000 if you get a PointSavers deal). To earn 17,500 points, you could spend $1,030 at Marriott properties, earning at the 17X rate (6X points from the card and 11X points from Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status).
Here, you would spend $1,030 to get a room valued at $199. Your points are worth about 1.14 cents each in this example, for a return on spend of about 19.32%.
For a PointSavers offer, 16,000 points would require $942 in spending. In this case your points are worth 1.24 cents each, for a return on spend of about 21.13%, a pretty great deal!
Total spend: $1,030
Point value: $199 ÷ 17,500 points = about 1.14 cents each
Return on Spend: $199 is about 19.32% of $1,030
Total spend: $942
Point value: $199 ÷ 16,000 points = about 1.24 cents each
Return on Spend: $199 is about 21.13% of $942
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless credit card comes with benefits from three different sources: Marriott, Chase, and Visa Signature.
Purchase APR | Balance Transfer APR | Cash Advance APR |
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15.99% - 22.99% Variable | 15.99% - 22.99% Variable | 24.99% Variable |
Annual Fee | Foreign Transaction Fee |
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$95 | $0 |
Balance Transfer Fee | Cash Advance Fee |
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Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater. | Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each transaction, whichever is greater. |
Penalty APR | Late Fee | Returned Payment Fee |
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None | None | Up to $38 |
The rewards and benefits of this card might seem complicated, but the terms and fees are pretty simple.
The major points of interest are the $95 annual fee, and no foreign transaction fees. That means you can bring this card with you when traveling outside the U.S. without worrying about extra charges, which can be as much as 3% on other cards.
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card is a very rewarding card offer from Chase, giving you a chance to earn Marriott Bonvoy points and enjoy enhanced member status.
The 6X Bonus points you get are in addition to any Base points for being a member. So the higher you can raise your status, the more value you’ll get from this card. If you like staying at Marriott Bonvoy properties, the introductory offer should take you pretty far.
Read up on all the benefits, and take advantage of them whenever possible to get discounts, room upgrades, and insurance for your purchases and trips. For some travelers, perks like the Free Night Award and Silver Elite status might make this card worth the cost all on their own.
Look for the best redemption options, and consider paying with your card if you can’t get a good deal with points.
This is an excellent card for booking with Marriott Bonvoy hotels, but if you don’t ever stay in these hotels the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless won’t do you any good. Or perhaps you want something even better, with more valuable benefits. Take a look at some other credit cards for hotel spending below.
You can apply for this Marriott card securely by following the link below.
Usually you’ll get an instant decision, either yes or no. In some cases Chase may request more information to process the application.
It’s recommended that you have good credit before applying.
That means your credit scores would have to fall within the ranges of 670–739 for FICO and 700–749 for VantageScore.
But keep in mind credit card issuers will look at other factors when making their decisions. They’ll consider things like your income and source of income, so even if your scores are lower than that, you could still be approved.
However, that also means even if you have higher-than-recommended credit scores, you could be denied.
Along with a handful of shopping and travel protections, you’ll get an annual free night stay after your first year, Silver Elite status enrollment (which includes a 10% point bonus, priority late checkout, and more), and an expedited path to Gold Elite status.
Check out the complete list of benefits for more details.
The IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card (Review) is one of several credit cards offered from IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group).
It offers similar rewards to the Marriott Bonvoy card, earning the cash back equivalent of 15%–25% at IHG, compared to the Marriott Bonvoy card’s 17%–34%. And like the Marriott Bonvoy card, it features benefits aimed at making your IHG stays more affordable and enjoyable.
You’ll still get an annual free night award, but you’ll also get automatic enrollment into Platinum status. It’s similar to Marriott Bonvoy’s Gold Elite, with a few, better, changes. Rather than a 10% point bonus you’ll get a 50% bonus, and you’ll gain complimentary room upgrades when available. And there’s a fee credit for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application.
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The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (Review) is a good option if you prefer staying at Hilton properties.
It earns slightly less than the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless, but it’s not by much. Whereas your Boundless points will be worth 1–2 cents, your Hilton points are worth 0.4–1 cent. This works out to cash back equivalents of 17%–34% for the Marriott card and 12%–30% for the Hilton card.
There are also a few differences in their benefits. Rather than automatically receiving an annual free night award, with the Hilton card you’ll have to spend $15,000 in a calendar year. So unless you travel pretty frequently, that’s a pretty high limit to reach.
However, you’ll gain Priority Pass Select membership, which grants access to over 1,300 airport lounges around the globe. That’s a pretty valuable perk. On top of that, the point bonus afforded by the automatic Hilton Honors Gold status is 80%, compared to the Boundless’ 10%. Other than these differences, the two cards are relatively comparable.
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Additionally, members will earn 18X points per dollar at Hilton from their Hilton Honors Gold membership. That brings the total to a hefty 30X points per dollar at Hilton, which can end up providing a cash back equivalent of 12%–30%.
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The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card (Review) is a decent choice for general spending, offering a nice welcome bonus and with no annual fee to worry about.
The VentureOne’s reward program is pretty simple compared to the Bonvoy Boundless. Capital One miles are always worth 1 cent each when redeemed for travel expenses, so you can easily see the minimum return on spend for any given purchase. But you can get more than 1 cent per mile after a transfer to an airline or hotel partner, if you find a good deal.
You won’t get any free nights, but you also won’t be obligated to stay at any one hotel brand. That could be useful to the more infrequent traveler. And you’ll still get a handful of travel protections and access to The Luxury Hotel Collection. That provides special perks at a number of hotels around the globe.
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The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (Review) is one of the more popular general-use travel cards. It’s good for all kinds of travel spending, like hotels, airlines, car rentals, parking garages, and more.
You’ll earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points with the Sapphire Preferred, which are usually worth 1 cent each. But they can be redeemed for travel expenses through the Ultimate Rewards portal for 1.25 cents each. You can also transfer them to a variety of airline and hotel partners (including Marriott), where they might be worth as much as 2 cents each or more.
If you redeem for 1.25 cents per point, you’ll be getting a cash back equivalent of 2.5% on travel and dining. If you get 2 cents per point, your cash back equivalent would be 4% on those purchases.
That’s not very much compared to what the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card can offer, but it’s pretty good for a general travel card. The Marriott card is much more rewarding but it’s limited to Marriott Bonvoy brands.
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Do you have the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless to get great deals at Marriott properties? What are your favorite ways to use it? Let us know in the comments below!
Maybe Marriott Bonvoy isn't the hotel brand for you? See our favorite hotel cards here. Best Hotel Credit CardsFor rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card, please click here.
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