BEST CREDIT CARDSBEST CREDIT CARDSMARRIOTT BONVOY BOUNDLESS REVIEW: FREE NIGHT AWARD, ELITE STATUS

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Review: Free Night Award, Elite Status

This card comes with a free night's stay every year, automatic Silver Elite status and high ongoing rewards at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, for an annual fee of $95.
Claire Tsosie Author AvatarSara Rathner Author Avatar
Mar 12, 2024 11:43 a.m. PDT
Edited by
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4.0

NerdWallet rating
The bottom line:

The free night's stay each account anniversary more than makes up for the card's annual fee. The rewards and redemption options are grand, too.

Pros
  • Anniversary perk
  • High rewards rate
  • Automatic elite status
Cons
  • Has annual fee
  • Rewards have limited flexibility
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card Image
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
Annual Fee

$95

Regular APR

21.49%-28.49% Variable APR

Intro APR

N/A

Rec. credit score

Apply Now
on Chase's website
on Chase's website

Annual Fee

$95

Regular APR

21.49%-28.49% Variable APR

Apply Now
on Chase's website
on Chase's website
  • Annual fee

    $95

  • Rewards rate

    2x-17x

  • Bonus offer

    Limited time offer! Earn 5 Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card.

  • Intro APR

    N/A

  • Ongoing APR

    APR: 21.49%-28.49% Variable APR

    Cash Advance APR: 29.99%, Variable

    Penalty APR: Up to 29.99%

  • Balance transfer fee

    Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.

  • Foreign transaction fee

    $0

More details from Chase
  • Limited time offer! Earn 5 Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after qualifying purchases.
  • Earn 3X points per $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining.
  • Earn 1 Elite Night Credit towards Elite Status for every $5,000 you spend.
  • 1 Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary.
  • Earn up to 17X total points per $1 spent at thousands of hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Card.
  • Receive 15 Elite Night Credits annually, automatic Silver Elite status, and path to Gold Status when you spend $35,000 on purchases each calendar year.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees. Your points don't expire as long as you make purchases on your card every 24 months.
  • Member FDIC

Compare to Other Cards

ANNUAL FEE
$95
REGULAR APR
21.49%-28.49% Variable APR
INTRO APR
N/A
RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE
ANNUAL FEE
$0
REGULAR APR
21.49%-28.49% Variable APR
INTRO APR
N/A
RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE
ANNUAL FEE
$95
REGULAR APR
21.49%-28.49% Variable APR
INTRO APR
N/A
RECOMMENDED CREDIT SCORE
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Detailed review: Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card

For travelers who stay at hotels often, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card is worth every penny — even at $95 a year.

The card comes stacked with top-shelf benefits: a free hotel night once a year, automatic elite status and plentiful redemption options. For travelers who stay at Marriott's huge portfolio of properties more than once in a while, it's a fine pick.

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card: Basics

Card type: Hotel.

Annual fee: $95.

Sign-up bonus: Limited time offer! Earn 5 Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card.

Ongoing rewards:

  • 6 points per $1 spent at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels.

  • 3 points per $1 spent spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations and dining (up to $6,000 in combined purchases each year; 2 points per $1 spent thereafter).

  • 2 points per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases.

Rewards earned by using the credit card are in addition to points you earn as a member of the Marriott Bonvoy program.

NerdWallet values Marriott points at 0.8 cent each. This is a baseline value, drawn from real-world data, not a maximized value. In other words, you should aim for award redemptions that offer 0.8 cent or more in value from your Marriott points.

Redemption options:

  • At Marriott hotels.

  • For flights or car rentals.

  • For travel by transferring points to multiple airline partners, usually at a 3:1 ratio (for every 3 Bonvoy points, you'll get 1 airline mile).

Foreign transaction fees: None.

Other benefits:

  • Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary.

  • Automatic Silver Elite status and accelerated path to Gold status.

  • Earn 1 Elite Night Credit towards Elite Status for every $5,000 you spend.

How the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card compares to other Bonvoy cards

Compared to other Marriott Bonvoy cards, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card's annual fee is on the lower end. But depending on what perks you'll use the most, it could be more lucrative than some of its higher-fee siblings. Most notably, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card features an automatic Free Night Award after every cardholder anniversary. You'll only get a Free Night Award with the $250-annual-fee Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card and Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card after you spend $15,000 in a year.

Here's how the cards compare:

Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card (from Chase, $0 annual fee)

  • Up to 14 Bonvoy points per $1 spent at over 7,000 participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels.

  • 2 Bonvoy points for every $1 spent on other travel purchases (from airfare to taxis and trains).

  • 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.

  • Receive 15 Elite Night Credits annually, qualifying you for Silver Elite Status. Restrictions apply.

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (from Chase, $95 annual fee)

  • Up to 17 Bonvoy points per $1 spent at over 7,000 participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels.

  • 3 points per $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations and dining.

  • 2 points for every $1 spent on all other purchases.

  • An additional Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary.

  • Automatic Silver Elite Status each account anniversary year. Path to Gold Status when you spend $35,000 on purchases each account year.

  • 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year. 1 elite night credit toward elite status for every $5,000 you spend.

  • 6X points per $1 spent on participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels.

  • 4X points per $1 spent on up to $15,000 in combined purchases per year at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets.

  • 2X points per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases.

  • 1,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points with each qualifying stay. Complimentary Gold Elite status.

  • A Free Night Award after making $15,000 in purchases per year for any hotel worth 50,000 points or less.

  • 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year.

  • Terms apply.

Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card (from Chase, $250 annual fee)

  • 6 points per $1 spent on participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels.

  • 4 points per $1 spent on up to $15,000 in combined purchases per year at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets.

  • 2 points per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases.

  • 1,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points with each qualifying stay. Complimentary Gold Elite status.

  • A Free Night Award after making $15,000 in purchases per year for any hotel worth 50,000 points or less.

  • 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year.

  • 6X points per $1 spent at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels.

  • 3X points per $1 spent at U.S. restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines.

  • 2X points per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases.

  • One Free Night Award each year after card renewal for any stay at a redemption level of 85,000 points or less.

  • Automatic Platinum Elite status.

  • $300 statement credit for restaurant purchases (up to $25 per month).

  • Priority Pass Select membership (enrollment required).

  • Application fee credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.

  • 25 Elite Night Credits each calendar year.

  • Terms apply.

Benefits and perks

Valuable ongoing rewards

In addition to the card's robust ongoing rewards, you can earn points for Marriott purchases just by being a Marriott Bonvoy member. You'll earn up to 10 points per dollar spent on qualifying charges, depending on the location. Combined with the 6 points per dollar earned with the card, that's up to 16 total points per dollar. With the Silver Elite status the card provides, you’ll also qualify for a 10% bonus on points earned through your Marriott membership. More on that later.

You'll also have plenty of opportunities to redeem those rewards. As of 2024, Marriott Bonvoy has over 8,000 hotels participating in its rewards program. The massive scale of this hotel network makes this card especially valuable for folks looking for plenty of redemption opportunities. Locations aren't limited to big cities, as is the case with some hotel brands.

Free anniversary night

This is perhaps the most valuable benefit on this card. Every year, the card gets you a free night award worth up to 35,000 points. That more than makes up for the annual fee of $95.

This free night expires after 12 months. If you travel less frequently but always stay at Marriott, this benefit alone might give you reason enough to get this card.

Automatic elite status

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card automatically comes with Silver Elite status. That status, which is one step up from basic membership, gets you some goodies, including:

  • Priority late checkout, based on availability.

  • 10% bonus on Marriott points.

The 10% bonus on points applies to points earned through the hotel, not through your credit card. Say you spent $200 on a hotel stay and earned 2,000 base points through Marriott and 1,200 points through the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card. The 10% boost would add 200 points to the points earned through Marriott, so you’d earn 3,400 points in total.

With this card, you can also earn Gold Elite status if you spend $35,000 or more each account anniversary year. After this threshold is reached, your Gold Elite status will be in effect through Dec. 31 of the following year.

Cardholders will earn one elite night credit per $5,000 spent on purchases on the card. Marriott's metric for earning elite status, elite night credits are typically earned through hotel stays. The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card automatically gives 15 elite night credits per year, along with automatic Silver Elite status. But the card gives another avenue to earn elevated status just through credit card spending.

Drawbacks and considerations

Annual fee

The perks on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card make it well worth its annual fee of $95. But if you can't picture going to Marriott properties often enough to use those benefits, a no-annual-fee general travel card might be your best bet.

Consider the $0-annual-fee Discover it® Miles. It earns 1.5 miles per dollar spent on all purchases. Miles are worth 1 cent apiece when used to cover travel purchases made on the card, including hotel stays. The card also includes a unique (and potentially quite lucrative) bonus offer for newcomers: "UNLIMITED BONUS: Unlimited Mile-for-Mile match for all new cardmembers - only from Discover. Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. For example, if you earn 35,000 Miles, you get 70,000 Miles. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match."

Locked into the Bonvoy system

If you frequent several hotel brands, not just Marriott brands, a travel card that lets you transfer points to multiple loyalty programs might be a better fit.

Try the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. It offers bonus rewards in several popular categories, including travel and dining. Those points can be transferred at a 1:1 ratio to several airlines and hotel loyalty programs, including Marriott. Like the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card, it doesn't charge foreign transaction fees. It also features a valuable sign-up bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. The annual fee is $95.

Check out other great offers on NerdWallet's roundup of the best credit cards.

Alternate Pick: Greater flexibility
Redeem points for travel, or transfer them

This card earns bonus rewards in multiple popular spending categories, including travel and dining. Points are worth 1.25 cents apiece when redeemed for travel through Chase, or you can transfer them to more than a dozen airline and hotel programs, including Marriott.

How to decide if it's right for you

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card isn't a good pick for people who are on a tight budget or don't travel much. If hotel rewards may not be a good fit, consider which credit card is best for your style. But it's a perfect fit for travelers who prefer Marriott or want to join a hotel loyalty program that offers abundant choice.

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 Bevy™ American Express® Card, see this page.

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

Methodology

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