Is the New Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful Card Worth Its Annual Fee?

Marriott has added two new co-branded cards to its lineup: the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card from Chase and the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card. Both cards have the same annual fee of $250, so no matter which issuer you prefer — American Express or Chase — you'll still have to weigh the same benefits and cost. Terms apply.

The $250 annual fee makes the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card a new option in the rare midrange travel card field. The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card is a less expensive option (also from Chase) with a $95 annual fee. And on the other end of the spectrum, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card just got revamped with new benefits and has a premium card annual fee of $650. Terms apply.

Is the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card really that much of an upgrade from the $95-annual-fee Marriott card? Is the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card worth its annual fee? Or would you be better off shelling out more money for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card and its Platinum elite status perks? Terms apply.

We dig into the value of the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card's benefits and whether it's worth getting.

Earn 85,000 Bonus Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from your account opening.

NerdWallet values Marriott points at 0.8 cent each, so with a little math you can figure out how much the current welcome offer offsets the annual fee.

» Learn more: The best travel credit card welcome bonuses right now

The Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card earns decent rewards on both Marriott purchases and everyday spending:

• 6x Marriott Bonvoy points on purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy.

• 4x Marriott Bonvoy points on up to $15,000 in combined purchases per year at restaurants and supermarkets.

• 2x Marriott Bonvoy Points on all other eligible purchases.

This card is great for Marriott brand enthusiasts who perhaps don't spend much with the chain yearly, but want a way to multiply their Marriott point earnings.

The 6x on Marriott spending turns into a lot more because this card also comes with automatic Gold elite status. This level of status grants cardholders a 25% bonus on eligible Marriott spend, meaning they'll earn 18.5 points per dollar spent at most Marriott brands.

And the earning isn't limited to hotel spending. Because this card earns 4x on restaurants and supermarkets (up to $15,000 per year), you can accrue a big stash of Marriott points without traveling.

» Learn more: The guide to Marriott Bonvoy

And the Marriott points keep coming with every stay. This unique benefit isn't doled out as an anniversary bonus but as a small points bonus on every stay.

» Learn more: The best ways to rack up Marriott Bonvoy points

The automatic Marriott Gold elite status is probably one of the most valuable benefits of this card because it can get you nicer rooms at no extra cost. NerdWallet values this second tier of Marriott elite status at $126 annually.

Some of the notable benefits of Marriott Gold elite status include:

• 25% bonus on eligible hotel purchases.

• A welcome gift of points (though the exact welcome gift varies by brand).

• An enhanced room upgrade (based on availability).

And compared to the other options for getting Marriott elite status through a credit card, the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card is a good deal. The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card has only Silver elite status, and you'd have to spend $35,000 on the card to earn Gold status. Meanwhile, The Platinum Card® from American Express comes with Marriott Gold elite status (enrollment required), but it comes at a much higher cost — an annual fee of $695. Enrollment required. Terms apply.

If Gold elite status is all you want, the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card is one of the cheapest ways to get it.

The Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card also provides a path to higher levels of elite status with 15 Elite Night Credits to start per year. After that, you'll need to earn an additional 35 Elite Night Credits to earn the next level of elite status (Platinum at 50 nights).

Your other option if you want Platinum elite status is to get it automatically through the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card. Terms apply.

» Learn more: The guide to Marriott Elite Night Credits

The Free Night Award is what usually makes some of the best hotel cards worth keeping, but the one on the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card leaves a little bit to be desired. You'll only earn the Free Night Award after spending $15,000 on the card per year.

Considering the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card gives out a Free Award Night after every card anniversary (it's only worth 35,000 points, but still...), there are plenty of other hotel cards that will give you a free anniversary night outright every year you renew — without needing to reach a spending minimum.

» Learn more: 5 best uses of Marriott's 50,000-point free night certificate

The Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card is designed for people who want the Gold elite status, but not the price tag or commitment of more expensive premium cards. This card pulls its weight with a high rewards rate on non-Marriott spending and meaningful bonuses on Marriott spending.

The information related to the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card credit card has been collected by NerdWallet and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card.