Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card review: Get it for the welcome bonus, keep it for the annual free night
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BLUEPRINT
Updated 4:04 p.m. UTC March 29, 2024
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With a big welcome bonus and an anniversary Free Night Award, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card * The information for the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. easily justifies its annual fee, but its shortcut to status perks falls short for Marriott loyalists.
About the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card
Within Marriott’s diverse portfolio of credit cards is its Chase-issued, mid-range personal credit card: the $95-annual-fee Marriott Bonvoy Boundless. With a generous welcome bonus of three Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points each) after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening, the card comes out of the gate strong.
It maintains momentum with an earning rate of 6 points per $1 at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program, 3 points per $1 each year on combined grocery stores, gas stations and dining purchases (up to $6,000 spent) and 2 points per $1 on all other purchases.
The card loses speed by only granting low-level Silver Elite status and 15 Elite Night credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy status tier. With Silver Elite status, you get a 10% point bonus on stays, priority late checkout (based on availability), member room rates, and complimentary WiFi.
You can earn one additional Elite Night credit for every $5,000 you spend on purchases or reach Gold Elite status by spending $35,000 on purchases each calendar year — neither worth that kind of heavy spending for a 25% point bonus, 2 p.m. checkout, and points as hotel welcome gifts.
Although the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card carries a $95 annual fee, it still offers a winner with the annual account anniversary Free Night Award. The award is valid for a one-night hotel stay at a property with a redemption level up to 35,000 points, which can easily be valued at more than the annual fee.
While Marriott loyalists may find that a more premium card with higher elite status and rewards is more suitable for them, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless is a great option for the occasional Marriott guest.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless basics
- Annual fee: $95.
- Welcome bonus: Earn three Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points each) after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
- Rewards: Earn 6 points per $1 at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program, 3 points per $1 each year on combined grocery stores, gas stations and dining purchases (up to $6,000 spent) and 2 points per $1 on all other purchases.
- APR: 21.49% to 28.49% variable APR on purchases and balance transfers. A balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5% of each transfer, whichever is greater, applies.
- Foreign transaction fees: $0.
- Other perks and benefits: Anniversary Free Night Award, Silver Elite status, baggage delay insurance, lost luggage coverage, trip delay reimbursement, purchase protection, Visa Signature® Concierge.
- Does the issuer offer a preapproval tool? No.
- Recommended credit score: Good to excellent.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless details
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless rewards
With 30 brands and over 8,000 properties across 139 countries and territories, Marriott’s massive property portfolio has endless options for where to redeem your points — but first you’ll have to earn them.
With the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card, you can earn 6 points per $1 at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program, 3 points per $1 each year on combined grocery stores, gas stations and dining purchases (up to $6,000 spent) and 2 points per $1 on all other purchases.
The low earn rate outside of Marriott spending makes it hard to amass points, but the big welcome bonus and anniversary Free Night Award make the card worth your while. You can maximize award redemptions by taking advantage of Marriott Bonvoy’s “Stay for 5, Pay for 4” offer where for every five consecutive nights you redeem with points, you receive the lowest point-value night for free.
The anniversary Free Night Award can be redeemed for a hotel stay bookable for 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points or less, with the option to top off the award with up to 15,000 points and level up your reservation. Free Night Awards start at 7,500 points, but since Marriott’s awards have dynamic pricing based on demand, the actual number of points required for any given stay is unpredictable.
Marriott points can also be transferred to any of its several dozen airline partners at a 3 points to 1-mile ratio, with a couple exceptions — notably, United MileagePlus at a 3:1.1 ratio. While transferring from hotels to airlines (and vice versa) is not usually the best use of points and miles, it can make sense if you’re in need of a miles top-off or find an award flight that gives you a better cent value than using it on a Marriott stay.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless rewards potential
Using government data and other publicly available information, we estimate that a household in the U.S. that would be in the market for this card has an annual income of $84,352 and $25,087 in expenses they are likely to be able to charge to a credit card. With those estimates in mind, here’s what we project a cardholder could earn with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless:
- $868 in spending on Marriott Bonvoy hotels x 17 = 14,756 points.
- First $6,000 in spending on gas stations ($2,228), grocery stores ($4,942) and dining ($3,526) x 3 = 18,000 points.
- $18,219 in spending on all other purchases x 2 = 36,438 points.
For a grand total of 69,194 rewards points annually.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless APR
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card has a 21.49% to 28.49% variable APR on purchases and balance transfers. A balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5% of each transfer, whichever is greater, applies.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless pros
- Anniversary Free Night Award: A one-night hotel stay at a Marriott property with a redemption level up to 35,000 points every year after your card anniversary.
- Generous welcome bonus: Earn three Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points each) after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
- 15 Elite Night credits: A shortcut to earning higher status.
- Travel protections: Baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, and trip delay reimbursement.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless cons
- Annual fee: There’s no avoiding the $95 fee every year.
- Low elite status: Silver Elite status offers little in the way of hotel perks.
- Potentially low points value: High-point-cost award redemptions due to dynamic pricing make bookings unpredictable.
Marriott Boundless vs. Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card * The information for the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Also a mid-tier personal credit card, but with a higher annual fee of $250, the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful Card has a welcome offer of 85,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in purchases in the first three months from your account opening. The card earns 6 points per $1 on eligible Marriott purchases, 4 points per $1 on the first $15,000 spent in combined yearly grocery and dining purchases, and 2 points per $1 on all other purchases.
The Marriott Bountiful comes with automatic Gold Elite status, 1,000 bonus points per eligible Marriott stay and a Free Night Award after spending $15,000 on purchases each calendar year – valid for a one-night stay at a property with a redemption level of up to 50,000 points.
It’s hard to justify the value of the Marriott Bountiful Card given its high annual fee and bare-bones perks, especially when the Marriott Boundless Card offers a bigger welcome bonus with a lower spend requirement and an annual Free Night Award with no spend threshold, albeit at a lower tier hotel.
How the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card compares to other hotel cards
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card vs. IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card * The information for the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
With just a slightly higher annual fee of $99, the IHG One Rewards Premier card offers a welcome bonus of five Free Nights (worth up to 60,000 points each) after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
Like the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless, the card comes with an anniversary free night award and Elite status but sweetens the deal with an up to $100 statement credit reimbursement for application fees on Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or Nexus every four years.
The IHG One Rewards Premier card has an earning rate of 10 points per $1 at IHG Hotels and Resorts, another 10 points per $1 as an IHG One Rewards member, 6 points per $1 from IHG with Platinum Elite Status (a benefit of this card), 5 points per $1 on travel, dining and gas stations and 3 points per $1 on all other purchases.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card vs. The World of Hyatt Credit Card * The information for the The World of Hyatt Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
With the same $95 annual fee as the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless, The World of Hyatt Credit Card * The information for the The World of Hyatt Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. offers 30,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months, plus up to 30,000 points by earning 2 points per $1 total on up to $15,000 in the first six months of account opening (then 1 point).
The card earns 9 points total per $1 at Hyatt — 4 points points on qualified purchases at Hyatt hotels and 5 base points per $1 from Hyatt as a World of Hyatt member. Earn 2 points per $1 at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airlines, on local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.
Like the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless, the World of Hyatt Card comes with an anniversary free night award plus an extra free night award after spending $15,000 on purchases in a calendar year; both free night awards are limited to a category 1-4 hotel. The card also comes with automatic Discoverist status.
While the World of Hyatt Card’s welcome bonus is significantly lower in number, the value of each point is typically higher due to the generous Hyatt loyalty program and fixed award chart.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Also with a $95 annual fee, the Chase Sapphire Preferred offers 60,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. It has the major benefit of being a travel card with flexible rewards, so you’re not limited to one hotel or airline.
Cardholders earn 5 points per $1 on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3 points per $1 on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 2 points per $1 on all other travel purchases and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.
Points can be used to book both flights and hotels either through the Chase Travel℠ portal at a value of 1.25 cents per point or by transferring to over a dozen partner airlines and hotels (Marriott included) at a 1:1 rate.
Although there’s no annual free night award, cardholders earn bonus points equal to 10% of total purchases made the previous year on each account anniversary and receive an up to $50 statement credit for hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Should you get the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card?
If you occasionally stay at Marriott properties or would like to, it probably makes sense for you to get the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card. But, if you’re a frequent Marriott guest who is seeking higher elite status and more perks, a more premium credit card would be a better option.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card summary
| MARRIOTT BONVOY BOUNDLESS CARD DETAILS | |
|---|---|
Annual fee
| $95
|
Rewards
| Earn 6 points per $1 at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program, 3 points per $1 each year on combined grocery stores, gas stations and dining purchases (up to $6,000 spent) and 2 points per $1 on all other purchases
|
APR
| 21.49% to 28.49% variable APR on purchases and balance transfers. A balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5% of each transfer, whichever is greater, applies
|
Foreign transaction fees
| $0
|
Major perks/benefits
| Anniversary free night award; Silver Elite status; no foreign transaction fees; baggage delay insurance; lost luggage and trip delay reimbursement; purchase protection; Visa Signature Co
|
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
You most likely need good-to-excellent credit to get approved for the Marriott Boundless Card, which is typically considered a FICO Score in the range of 670 to 850.
We’ve determined the value of Marriott Bonvoy points to be roughly 0.74 cents per point, which makes 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points worth $370. Your exact value will depend on your specific redemption, however.
Credit card limits will vary for each cardholder and are determined by the card’s issuer, Chase Bank.
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card is worth it if you want to stay at Marriott properties and are looking for a solid hotel credit card that offers a big welcome bonus and an annual Free Night Award for a reasonable annual fee.
*The information for the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card, Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card, Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card and The World of Hyatt Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
