How LendingTree Rates Credit Cards?
Our experts rate credit cards based on several factors including card benefits, bonus offers and independent research. Credit card issuers do not influence or have a say in our card ratings. Read our credit card methodology here.The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card is worth it for Marriott hotel loyalists who travel frequently. It’s one of the best Marriott credit cards and a solid choice for those who don’t travel quite enough to justify the high annual fee on a premium travel card. Its $95 fee is easily offset by the card’s solid perks.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card benefits include an incredible sign-up bonus, a yearly free night awarded at your account anniversary and automatic Silver Elite status with a pathway to Gold Elite status. However, its rewards earning rate and redemption value fall short, its rewards are inflexible and it’s missing some of the perks found on the best hotel credit cards.
We estimate that the card’s benefits are worth more than $1,500 in the first year:
Credit Cards | Our Ratings | Welcome Offer | Rewards Rate | Annual Fee | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card*
|
50,000 points
Earn 3 Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.
| 2X - 17X points
| $95 | ||
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Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
|
185,000 points
Earn 185,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
| 2X - 6X points
| $650 | ||
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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
on Chase's secure site Rates & Fees |
60,000 points
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
| 1X - 5X points
| $95 |
on Chase's secure site Rates & Fees |
|
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Citi Strata Premier℠ Card
on Citibank's secure site Rates & Fees |
75,000 points
For a limited time, earn 75,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $750 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com.
| 1X - 10X points
| $95 |
on Citibank's secure site Rates & Fees |
Sign-up bonus: 4.8 out of 5 stars
What’s the current offer?
Earn 3 Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.
How does it compare to other cards?
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card gives you access to one of the most valuable welcome bonuses currently available, and it’s one of the best reasons to apply for the card. At an estimated value of $1,050, this lucrative bonus outshines the sign-up perks of many other travel and hotel cards on the market, including the other Marriott credit cards. They all offer fewer bonus points and lack the additional statement credit offered by the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card.
Is it a good time to apply?
The current welcome bonus is a top-tier Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card offer, but if you want to score even greater value, you might want to wait until the card offers the certificate for five free nights that is sometimes offered. In late 2024, the card offered three free nights, so it could be worth it to wait.
→ See the best credit card sign-up bonuses
Earning points: 4 out of 5 stars
How many points can you earn?
Earn up to 17X total points at participating Marriott hotels. Earn 3X points on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining. Earn 2X points on all other purchases.
How does it compare to other cards?
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card falls a little short in earning points on your purchases. Its earning rate is low compared to other top travel cards. Its points are also worth less because they’re inflexible.
Cards like the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card allow you to transfer rewards to a variety of airline and hotel programs. This allows you to stretch your rewards farther and gives you the most bang for your buck.
Estimated rewards earned per $1 spent*
→ Learn more: Cash back vs. points vs. miles
Redeeming points: 1 out of 5 stars
How can you redeem points?
+ Tons of redemption options with the world’s largest hotel network.
– Rewards nights may have blackout dates.
– You’re restricted to using points for Marriott rewards to get a good value.
– Marriott points are worth slightly less than the average rewards program point.
– Award nights start at ~15,000 points and can run over 100,000 points for luxury properties.
– Points expire after 24 months of inactivity.
– You can’t redeem points for cash back.
How does it compare to other cards?
With over 7,000 properties around the world in Marriott’s portfolio, you’ll find plenty of lodging options for redeeming points in the Marriott Bonvoy® rewards program, whether you’re traveling domestically or internationally. However, Marriott points are only worth around 0.09 cents per point by our estimates — a bit less than average compared to other rewards programs. Also, Marriott award nights can be very expensive. You may need hundreds of thousands of points for a stay with a higher-end hotel.
Points also tend to be less flexible than average, because you’re locked into using them for Marriott stays. You can’t even redeem your points for cash back. If these downsides give you second thoughts, you might consider a more flexible general travel credit card that offers a variety of rewards redemption options.
→ Learn more about redeeming Marriott Bonvoy® points
Other benefits: 3 out of 5 stars
How does it compare to other cards?
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card benefits stand out due to several nice perks, especially the free night award, which alone can justify the cost of the card each year. You also get automatic Silver Elite Status in the Marriott Bonvoy® program. This status confers a variety of benefits, including a 10% points bonus on stays, member rates, free Wi-Fi and priority late checkout. As a cardholder, you also get the opportunity to qualify for Gold Elite Status with your spending each calendar year.
You get some travel insurance protection, but the card lacks trip cancellation insurance. Also, its elite status benefits are lacking compared to some cards, like the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card. For a slightly higher annual fee, you’re eligible for automatic Hilton Gold Status (enrollment required), which comes with bonafide perks like room upgrades, and a daily food and beverage credit (see rates & fees).
You’ll get much better perks with Platinum Elite status (enrollment required), including enhanced room upgrades, your choice of welcome gift (varies by brand), lounge access, late checkout and more. Plus, with your Platinum Elite 50% bonus, you can earn up to 21X points per $1 on Marriott Bonvoy® purchases.
→ Compare Marriott credit cards
You’ll get other solid perks, including a statement credit for hotel stays purchased at Chase TravelSM and $150 value in partnership benefits. The card also has some of the best travel insurance benefits around, including trip cancellation/interruption and primary auto rental coverage.
This Citi travel card offers an excellent welcome bonus. You also get a flexible $100 annual hotel credit and a suite of travel protections, including trip delay, cancellation and interruption protection and auto rental and lost/damaged luggage coverage.
Like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, it earns flexible points that you can redeem for almost any travel purchase. And you can transfer Citi Points 1:1 to more than 10 travel loyalty programs (although Marriott is not included).
Looking for a more flexible travel rewards card?
See the Best Travel Credit Cards
We use calculations to estimate the value of each card for the average cardholder, based on LendingTree and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
To see rates & fees for American Express cards mentioned on this page, visit the links provided below:
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply
The information related to the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card, World of Hyatt Credit Card, IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card and The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card has been independently collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply.
The content above is not provided by any issuer. Any opinions expressed are those of LendingTree alone and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any issuer. The offers and/or promotions mentioned above may have changed, expired, or are no longer available. Check the issuer's website for more details.