AwardWallet receives compensation from advertising partners for links on the blog. Terms Apply to the offers listed on this page. The opinions expressed here are our own and have not been reviewed, provided, or approved by any bank advertiser. Here's our complete list of Advertisers.
Offers for the Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card, Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card and The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card are not available through this site. All information has been independently collected by AwardWallet and has not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. Some offers may have expired. Please see our card marketplace for available offers.
Marriott offers six co-brand credit cards issued in tandem by Chase and American Express.
Unfortunately, Marriott doesn't make it easy to decipher the application rules for the combined card lineup. I've covered the cards and their benefits below. To see if you are eligible for the welcome offer on any of the cards, check our updated Marriott card eligibility resource.
Base Card
The no annual fee Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card is the only Marriott co-brand card that doesn't charge an annual fee. Cardmembers receive Silver Elite status courtesy of the 15 elite night credits issued with the card, plus new cardmembers can collect 30,000 points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from your account opening.
- 3X points for every $1 spent at over 7,000 participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels
- 2X points on other travel purchases (from airfare to taxis and trains)
- 1X point on all other purchases
The major consideration for folks looking to apply for the Bonvoy Bold is that it can lock you out from getting more valuable Marriott co-brand cards over the following 24 months if your circumstances change. The Bonvoy Bold is perfect if you want the 15 elite night credits to help you reach a higher elite status tier, and the 30,000 point bonus is decent for a no-annual-fee card. If you can make use of the free night, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card will likely provide more value over the long-term.
Mid-Tier Card
The $95-annual-fee Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card delivers top benefits for a mid-tier card.
- Earn 6X Bonvoy points per $1 spent at over 7,000 participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels
- Earn 3 Marriott Bonvoy® points for every $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on gas stations, grocery stores, and dining
- Earn 2X Bonvoy points for every $1 spent on all other purchases
$95 is a solid price to pay for an annual free night. The 2X base earning rate continues to be a disappointment compared to the legacy SPG Amex's equivalent 3X earning power, but I think if you're eligible, this is a card to get and keep.
Premium Cards
Marriott recently launched two new cards into its collection, the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card and Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card from Chase. These new cards aim to fill the gap between the entry-level Marriott co-brand cards, and the top-tier Luxury card.
- Earn 125,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy.
- Earn 4X points at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on up to $15,000 in combined purchases at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets per calendar year, then 2X points).
- Earn 2X points on all other eligible purchases.
- 1K Bonus Points Per Stay: Earn 1,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points per paid eligible stay booked directly with Marriott for properties participating in Marriott Bonvoy.
- With complimentary Gold Elites status, earn up to 2.5X points from Marriott Bonvoy® on eligible hotel purchases with the 25% Bonus Points on stays benefit.
- Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Free Night Award: Earn 1 Free Night Award after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases on your Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ Card in a calendar year. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at a hotel participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- 15 Elite Night Credits: Each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express Card® you can receive 15 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy® Elite status. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express. Terms apply.
- Plan It® is a payment option that lets you split up purchases of $100 or more into equal monthly installments with a fixed fee. Plus, you'll still earn rewards the way you usually do.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 6X points on purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy
- 4X points on up to $15,000 in combined purchases per year at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets
- 2X points on all other eligible purchases
However, with annual fees of $250 per year,(Rates & Fees) and no complimentary annual free night certificate to speak of, (both cards offer a free-night award after you spend $15,000 in eligible purchases in a calendar year) it's a struggle to see why you would take the new cards over the existing cards in Marriott's family of rewards cards.
Luxury Card
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card is Marriott's premium co-brand card, providing the highest level of perks available to Marriott Bonvoy members. The welcome offer is currently two 85K Free Night Awards after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months.
- Earn two 85K Free Night Awards after you spend $6,000 in purchases on the Card in your first 6 months. Each award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy. Card Members could enjoy a value of up to $1,200 when redeeming each reward. Certain hotels have resort fees. Offer ends 11/1/2023.
- $300 Brilliant Dining Credit: Each calendar year, get up to $300 (up to $25 per month) for eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card at restaurants worldwide.
- With Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status, you can receive room upgrades, including enhanced views or suites, when available at select properties and booked with a Qualifying Rate.
- Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. 3X points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines. 2X points on all other eligible purchases.
- Marriott Brilliant Free Night Award: Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Each calendar year after spending $60,000 on eligible purchases on your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, you will be eligible to select an Earned Choice Award benefit. You can only earn one Earned Choice Award per calendar year. See https://www.choice-benefit.marriott.com/brilliant for Award options.
- $100 Marriott Bonvoy Property Credit: Enjoy your stay. Receive up to a $100 property credit for qualifying charges at The Ritz-Carlton® or St. Regis® when you book direct using a special rate for a two-night minimum stay using your Card.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®: Receive either a statement credit every 4 years after you apply for Global Entry ($100) or a statement credit every 4.5 years after you apply for a five-year membership for TSA PreCheck® (up to $85 through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider) and pay the application fee with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card you can receive 25 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy® Elite status. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy® member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express. Terms apply.
- Enroll in Priority Pass™ Select, which offers unlimited access to over 1,200 lounges in over 130 countries, regardless of which carrier or class you are flying. This allows you to relax before or between flights. You can enjoy snacks, drinks, and internet access in a quiet, comfortable location.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on international purchases.
- With Cell Phone Protection, you can be reimbursed, the lesser of, your repair or replacement costs following damage, such as a cracked screen, or theft for a maximum of $800 per claim when your cell phone line is listed on a wireless bill and the prior month's wireless bill was paid by an Eligible Card Account. A $50 deductible will apply to each approved claim with a limit of 2 approved claims per 12-month period. Additional terms and conditions apply. Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 6X points on purchases at Marriott Properties
- 3X points at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery
- 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines
- 2X points on all other eligible purchases
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card has a compelling welcome offer and plenty of high-value perks and benefits, but the underwhelming earning rates make this card less attractive than I had hoped. My wife has the Ritz-Carlton Card which I think overall is a more effective Marriott Bonvoy luxury card. It's a shame the Ritz-Carlton Card is not open to new cardmembers, but our plan is to hold onto it and forego this card for now.
Business Card
American Express has emerged from the two banks as the lone holder of the Bonvoy co-branded business card. The business card has a $125 annual fee (Rates & Fees) which is not waived for the first year. The welcome offer is 125,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points after you use your new Card to make $8,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership (Offer Ends 11/1/23).
- Limited Time Offer: Earn 125,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points after you use your new Card to make $8,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 11/1/23.
- Receive a 7% discount off standard rates for reservations of standard guest rooms at hotels that participate in the Marriott Bonvoy program when you book directly through Marriott. Terms and Conditions Apply.
- 6x Marriott Bonvoy points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
- 4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping.
- 2x points on all other eligible purchases.
- Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Plus, earn an additional Free Night Award after you spend $60K in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Awards can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Enjoy Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status with your Card.
- Terms apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 6x Marriott Bonvoy points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program
- 4x Marriott Bonvoy points on each dollar of eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping
- 2x Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar on all other eligible purchases
This card is more compelling to me than the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card or Marriott Boundless thanks to a more competitive 4x earning on useful spending categories. Unlike the two Chase Marriott cards, cardholders also receive complimentary Gold Status, which is a huge plus for the business card. Plus, if you hold both a personal and a business Marriott co-brand card, you'll receive a total of up to 40 elite night credits each year (max elite night credits from each card). This doesn't apply to holding two Marriott personal cards and is a massive incentive to get the business card.
Recommended Strategy
There are three points you need to consider before picking a strategy with the Bonvoy cards:
- First, consider your Chase 5/24 slots. This doesn’t have to mean you must apply for Chase cards first; it means you need to know your 5/24 standing and how further card openings will affect what you are eligible for down the road.
- Next, look at which cards you hold or have recently held and review the list of rules announced to see if you’re ineligible for any welcome offers based on your current and previous card portfolio.
- Finally, consider your future stay plans with Marriott to see which on-property benefits you could pick up with the co-branded cards.
Bottom Line
Now is a great time to apply for one of these co-brand cards to secure a massive haul of points. Don't forget, American Express has an online welcome offer-eligibility tool that will confirm your research as to whether or not you are able to receive a Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card or Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card welcome offer.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card (Rates & Fees), Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees), and Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees)
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Hi, please help shed some light. I have SPG $95 AE bonvoy now (since 2010). I would like to apply for Chase brilliant 250K points. I’ve did the research and it’s either 30 days never have had the card (which I qualify) or 30 days cancellation period on the existing spg card. Any thoughts? Thanks!
We get much more into the nitty-gritty of Marriott card eligibility in this post: https://awardwallet.com/blog/marriott-card-application-rules/
Are you referring to the Chase Bonvoy Boundless card’s 5 night certificates (each worth up to 50k) offer? If so, it does look like you’d need to cancel (or potentially product change?) your existing card and then wait 30 days.
“Eligibility for the new cardmember bonus: The bonus is not available to you if you (1) are a current cardmember, or were a previous cardmember within the last 30 days, of Marriott Bonvoy® American Express® Card (also known as The Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express)”
Nice to able to earn points on the Bonvoy card even though they are devalued; however getting Marriott status (Gold elite) has not gotten us a single room upgrade over 21 stays Jan to Apr 2019. Don’t expect it. Book other rooms than Marriott and get what you want instead of anticipating an upgrade.
Thank you for the detailed post. Much appreciated.
Too bad the Bonvoy cards earn 33% less points on regular purchases compared to SPG
The Bonvoy Brilliant annual $300 statement credit offsets the $450 annual fee pretty nicely. Even so, agree that point accrual and gold status vs platinum could be better. Still may consider in the future..Thanks for the great insight!
One problem I have run into in the past with Marriott Rewards (now Bonvoy) is that free night certificates are only good for a certain level of hotel, and very often in big cities such as Washington DC, and london, there are no hotels at that level. So, you end up having to stay far away or not use the certificate.
AMEX and Chase scramble to divide up the strangely renamed Marriott affinity credit card pie:
Badly Branded Bonvoy Boundless/ Brilliant Battles Belie Bad Bank Business Breakup
Great info to read. Can’t believe they debuted Bonvoy commercials during the Oscars telecast!
The Amex luxury card is pretty disappointing, comparing to all other high annual fee cards. Wonder if it’s due to dual-issuer agreement which makes Amex less compelled to give very competitive features.
Awesome! Thank you for clarifying this
Between the two, I personally like the Amex cards. Customer service is above all.
I need to wait a few more months until I’m eligible again to apply, but am bookmarking the application rules post. Thanks!
Quite the tangled web of cards. Thanks for making some sense of it.
Is there a way to convert AAdvantage miles to Marriott points?
Love Marriott brand hotels, especially now they are even bigger with SPG hotels. Would def consider getting the co-brand new cards.
I’ve had the Chase Marriott cars for years and recently upgraded it. Would there be good reason to apply for the AmEx Marriott card to take advantage of their sign on bonus points, or would I be ineligible for it?
Eligibility depends on the exact card you hold, when you applied for it, and the last time you received a bonus on it. Check out the bullet points next to the card you want to apply for in our updated Marriott card application rules post.
Rich
Thanks for the though breakdown of the new types of credit cards.
Thanks for the breakdown. It is helpful as I am debating whether to go with Hilton or Marriott for my travel and will get a CC to enhance earnings.
The 2x points on all non Marriott spending isn’t enough to make me jump for the new card.
Thanks for this article, it helps a lot. I still can’t get over the name Bonvoy though!
Amex wouldn’t allow the Bonvoy Business if you have Chase Marriott Personal
Sure do miss earning the 3x SPG points on the old SPG card…
I need a new Marriott card!
be careful if you have had the bonus from Amex before (for SPG) then you may not be eligible for the new AMEX bonvoy cards. There are some specific rules around this. search other blogs for more detailed info about it.
Statement credits for the Luxury card have the potential to completely negate the annual fee if you spend on certain things.
I don’t like how bonus points are limited to US locations but that’s across the board with Amex.
Love Marriott experience every time I stayed. Great to be part of the program.
Wow what amazing deals – wish we had something similar in the UK! Still have the SPG Amex at a fairly poor earning rate (with minimal benefits for annual fee) and a Marriott MasterCard which is closed to new applicants!
thank for the information. very helpful
I’m still sorting through the Marriott Bonvoy program overall now that it has consolidated, but this is a great summary of the different cards I’ll have a choice of with the new program when I decide if the fees will be worth it. Very helpful, thanks.
It’ll be interesting to see what happens in the UK, where the SPG card is still available.
Great layout to best understand what you get where. I’m waiting for the no AF card from Chase. I wonder when they might put that out. I don’t use Marriott enough to justify the cards with the AF right now.
Just wish one was available in Australia.
with this new bonvoy launch, the credit card offerings have gotten pretty messed up. The new AmEx bonvoy business card didn’t provide any additional benefits but they still increased the annual fee. That on top of the loss of 1/3 rd of the earning rate. I”m likely going to cancel the card.
It is really a wonderful gift to us that you are able to analyze this amount of data and clearly explain it to the rest of us. Thank you!
making it more confusing everyday so you either squander your points, never use them or never earn them… I miss the old days
Can the 100,000 AE points be transferred to United Airlines or Marriott? Previously to transfer AE points to either program one had to transfer AE to Marriott then from Marriott to UA. There wasn’t a direct transfer from AE to UA. It’s been a while since I did this so I may be mistaken. The basic question …can I transfer the business AE 100,000 points to either Marriott or UA?
Regards,
Nick
Still no direct transfer between Membership Rewards and United. You can transfer Membership Rewards to Marriott at a 1:1 ratio but it’s not a recommended use of your points as Amex points are much more valuable than Marriott Points.
Helpful info. as these restrictions/qualifications are continually getting more complicated and requiring more careful consideration.
I do think Bonvoy is the worst name of any loyalty program.
This is a huge help in understanding the nuances of the cards. I find these explanations extremely helpful. Thanks! I think I know which direction I’m heading towards finally!
Thanks for the breakdown. 4x points at gas stations, the extra night and auto status on the business card is a worthwhile consideration for me.
Thanks for sharing the breakdown. Very helpful!
Looking to mortgage shop around September so I will have to miss out on any credit card sign ups until after all of that is complete.
It’s very confusing, they should have stuck with either Chase or Amex.
Too many rules to even get a card.
Thanks for this, much appreciated.
Great info. Want this deal.
Thank you for pointing out the most valuable card for us.
strange the UK SPG Amex is still available for new sign-ups.
I’m still really not sure which marketing agency thought bonvoy was a good name?! But putting that aside, I’ve found the integration betweeen Marriott and SPG fairly smooth, and I’m enjoying being able to book some top end former spg properties using points advance.
Imagine them announcing it at the airports for people are apart of that status.
Wow! This lays it out all out nicely compared to other posts I’ve seen about these changes. Thank you! And thank you for the Marriott card eligibility link – super helpful as I strategize which cards to get in what order!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I don’t understand why the Bonvoy business card is any better, especially with the increased fee since there is no increase in benefit with the increase in fee. Unless you are spend significantly in the bonus categories (which by the way are bonus categories for other cards as well and provides better value there), its much better to just get the personal chase version.
Ability to get a second free night, the higher bonus categories and currently higher welcome bonus put it above the personal version IMO
Thank you for the clarity. Heavily invested in SPG / Marriot and looking toward getting new program card.
Thanks for reminding me of the AMEX ‘Welcome Tool’ to ascertain eligibility (since Chase is out (5/24).
Business card it is! Needed a cooling couple months before my next chase business card
The Automatic Silver Elite status is good.
Will have to think about what to do next!
Wow, I’m actually impressed by the premium card… elite status, $300 Marriott credit, and annual free night cert is pretty compelling.
I have both the Bonvoy Brilliant card and the business card and will probably keep them. With the 300 dollar credit, the luxury card annual fee is reasonable. I wish it had a better earn rate at their hotels — the same earn rate as the other cards is disappointing. I agree that the business card has the best for category earnings. It will be my gas card when there are no quarterly gas bonuses.
A very confusing line up of cards compared to other chains. Thanks for the rundown on the latest changes.
I have no idea what I’m going to do with my remaining cards. I previously dropped the business versions of my SPG and Marriott cards.
Too bad Amex isn’t an option for entry level – partner doesn’t like Chase due to banking scandals
Don’t think business card is better one. Bonus categories may be better but how many readers here are using only one card?
With effectively $150 fee for Brilliant, $125 for business is really high.
Anyway, we will still keep two Lux, 1 Amex biz, 2 Chase Biz for a while.
Some useful information here, thanks.
Being burdened with Chase 5/24 I do not have to worry about any new Chase cards at this time.
I very much appreciate your spinning of a “burden” into “no worry for me here.” Turning such a negative on its head is probably a tool that serves you well in life. And, I need to take a lesson from you!
Thanks for the info. This seems to be the clearest explanation I’ve seen, so far.
you’re welcome!
Seems to me the luxury card gets the most bang for the buck.
Well that makes sense!
The “Cross over” rules (see Marriott card eligibility resource.) are really a PITA. I suddenly have an Amex Bonvoy card and my husband has a Chase Bonvoy card. I was the lucky one – I got approved for the new Amex Bonvoy Business card; my husband was the unlucky one. He upgraded his Chase Marriott card i November and got points AND he hasn’t had the card for 24 months yet.
Couldn’t agree more. Basically an act of collusion. Not saying it’s illegal or anything like that, but to see companies start to partner in this way is concerning.
The $95 is justified with the card. I wish it was a little higher or offered more points, but it’s worth it and justified for sure.
The free night is worth it. I wish it was a little more value/higher levels, but it’s still good enough to justify.
I hope they clarify the posting times of when the free night cert will hit out accounts
I’m really sad Amex is not issuing the basic consumer card anymore.
Yea, its difficult to pick up cards with Chase if youve been in the space a while