8 Critical Things to Know Before Getting a Marriott Credit Card

Marriott credit cards promise free nights at over 8,000 properties worldwide, from budget hotels to $2,000-per-night overwater bungalows in the Maldives. But with six different cards and annual fees up to $650, choosing the wrong one could cost you hundreds in wasted money and missed opportunities.

Here's what the credit card companies won't tell you upfront — and what you need to calculate before applying.

1. Marriott Bonvoy offers six credit cards

There are six Marriott Bonvoy credit cards currently available: five for consumers and one for businesses. All of the cards are issued through Chase or American Express and come with a chance to earn a welcome bonus:

1. Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card (annual fee: $0). Welcome offer: Earn 45,000 Bonus Points after spending $1,000 on eligible purchases within 3 months of account opening with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card!

2. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (annual fee: $95). Welcome offer: Earn 3 Free Night Awards after spending $3,000 on eligible purchases within 3 months of account opening with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card. Redeem your Free Night Award for a one-night stay at properties with a redemption level up to 50,000 points per night. Certain hotels have resort fees. Special Offer through 6/30/2027: Get up to $100 in statement credits after spending $500 on eligible airline purchases. That's $50 in statement credits semi-annually.

3. Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card (annual fee: $250; see rates and fees). Welcome offer: Earn 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.

4. Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card (annual fee: $250). Welcome offer: Earn 85,000 Bonus Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from your account opening.

5. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (annual fee: $650; see rates and fees). Welcome offer: Earn 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.

6. Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card (annual fee: $125; see rates and fees). Welcome offer: Limited Time Offer: Earn 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy® Bonus Points and 1 Free Night Award after you spend $8,000 in purchases on the Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership. The Free Night Award has a redemption level up to 50,000 points at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Resort fees and terms apply. Offer ends 11/4/26. Terms apply.

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

2. Bonvoy points are more valuable at some hotels than at others

Dreaming of Hawaii? Depending on when you go, you might find a room at the Royal Hawaiian, A Luxury Collection Resort on Oahu for 61,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points per night. Or you could head to the Big Island and stay at the stunning Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Autograph Collection for 92,500 points. The Royal Hawaiian seems like a better deal, until you check the cash prices.

That Royal Hawaiian room is worth $478 in cash, which means you’re getting about 0.78 cent per point in value: ($478 / 61,000 points) x 100 = 0.78 cent. But that Mauna Kea room costs $1,009, meaning you get 1.09 cents of value for every point you redeem: ($1,009 / 61,000 points) x 100 = 1.09 cents.

Search for rooms at places you might want to stay in the future and compare the cash price to the points price. This will help you decide how valuable Marriott Bonvoy points will be to you. Use the NerdWallet average of 0.7 cent per Bonvoy point as your benchmark for whether you're getting a great, average or bad deal.

» Learn more: What makes Marriott unique?

3. Resort fees aren’t included in 'free' hotel nights

Resort fees, unfortunately, have cropped up everywhere. These charges let hotels advertise seemingly great room rates because the properties can pad their profits by tacking on fees sometimes exceeding $40 per night.

Hyatt and Hilton waive resort fees when you book your room using points. Marriott does not. So your “free” award stay at a Marriott family property could actually still cost you quite a bit out of pocket.

» Learn more: Which hotels have the worst resort fees?

4. Marriott points transfer to dozens of airline loyalty programs

Sometimes you really need a few extra American Airlines AAdvantage miles for a ticket home for the holidays. Other times, you may find yourself just shy of enough Air France-KLM Flying Blue miles to get to Paris, or maybe you need just a few more Qantas Frequent Flyer miles to explore the Australian outback.

A stash of Marriott Bonvoy points could be your salvation. Marriott points can be converted into the points or miles of these airline loyalty programs and others, in most cases at a 3:1 ratio. That means every 3 Bonvoy points will get you 1 airline mile.

5. You can have more than one Marriott credit card (with a caveat)

Two financial institutions offer Marriott Bonvoy credit cards: Chase and American Express. In theory, you can hold cards from both issuers simultaneously. But if you're hoping to earn a welcome bonus on both sides, the eligibility rules from each issuer now make it a game of careful sequencing rather than a simple double-dip.

If you want a Chase Marriott card: You generally won’t be eligible for a welcome bonus if you currently have — or received a welcome bonus on — certain Marriott cards from either Chase or American Express within the past 24 months. Chase also restricts eligibility based on recent activity with AmEx-issued Marriott cards. You may not qualify if you currently have (or had within the last 30 days) certain AmEx cards, were approved for one in the last 90 days, or earned a bonus on one in the past 24 months.

If you want an AmEx Marriott card: You're generally ineligible for a welcome bonus on personal AmEx Marriott cards if you currently hold or have held essentially any Chase Marriott card — consumer or business, current or legacy — within the last 30 days. You're also ineligible if you acquired the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card, Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card, or Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card from Chase within the last 90 days, or received a welcome bonus or upgrade offer on any of those three cards within the last 24 months.

Because Chase's rules are less restrictive, you could potentially apply for select AmEx Marriott cards, wait 24 months, then apply for a Chase Marriott card without canceling the first card and waiting at least 30 days.

Just keep in that the 24-month welcome bonus restriction runs in both directions regardless of sequencing, so if you've earned a bonus on either side recently, you'll need to wait that out before applying on the other.

6. Marriott credit card perks go beyond mere points

Extra perks can make or break the value you extract from the card — especially if you’re paying upfront for an annual fee. Consider which benefits you’ll use before choosing a Marriott credit card. Examples include:

Rental car coverage

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card and Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card come with rental car insurance if you use it to pay for your rental; however, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card don't. Terms apply.

Elite status

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card comes with Platinum status and the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card, Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card get you Gold status in the Marriott elite status program.

The Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card provide you with Silver status. Terms apply.

Free night award certificates

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card comes with a free night award every year worth up to 35,000 points. The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card gets you a free night every year after your card renewal month worth up to 85,000 points. Terms apply.

The Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card come with a free night award worth 50,000 points, but only after you spend $15,000 in a calendar year. Terms apply.

» Learn more: What you need to know about Marriott’s elite status program

7. Your shopping habits can decide the best card for you

All of the Marriott credit cards are designed to reward you for spending money at Marriott-family hotels, but they will also give you bonus points for other types of purchases. For example, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card pays 3X points for every dollar you spend at restaurants worldwide and on flights purchased directly from an airline, while the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card and Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card both earn 4X points at eligible restaurants and supermarkets.

On the other hand, the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card pays 4 points per dollar charged at restaurants worldwide, U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers, and on U.S. purchases for shipping. Terms apply.

Think about the kinds of charges you’ll be making to help decide which card is best for you.

8. But a higher annual fee doesn't always mean more value

Marriott Bonvoy offers five consumer credit cards with annual fees ranging from $0 to $650. Frequent travelers who usually stay at Marriott hotels can offset the premium Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card's high annual fee ($650) by taking advantage of the card's free night award, $300 statement credit for spending for eligible purchases at restaurants and TSA PreCheck or Global Entry fee credit (terms apply, enrollment required).

But people who won't get enough value out of the card to justify the annual fee (or just don't want to spend that kind of money) will likely be better off choosing the $95-annual-fee Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card rather than the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card ($250) or Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card ($250). The $250 annual fees on those two cards will get you higher rewards at supermarkets and restaurants, plus higher status with Marriott. But the free night isn't automatic. You'll only qualify once you spend $15,000 in a calendar year. Terms apply. Meanwhile, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card's 35,000-point free night award is automatic on your account anniversary and will more than cover the card's annual fee.

» Learn more: Do Marriott points expire?

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

To view rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card, see this page. To view rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, see this page. To view rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, see this page.