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For many, the Ritz-Carlton brand is the epitome of luxury in the hotel world. I know that in my days before diving deep into points and miles, I thought the Ritz was the fanciest place in town. In this post, we won't debate which brand is best for luxury, but we will analyze The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card.
The Ritz-Carlton Card has a rewarding slew of spending categories, especially if you're a Marriott Bonvoy® fanatic. It comes with useful perks, including a $300 annual travel credit that can be used for qualifying airline purchases, including seat upgrades. And the card carries a high annual fee of $450 — putting it squarely in the premium travel rewards card category.
What makes the Ritz-Carlton Card particularly interesting is that it isn't available to new applicants. However, you can still get the card if you currently hold another Marriott Bonvoy credit card from Chase. You can product change or upgrade your current card by calling Chase directly.
In our opinion, the Ritz-Carlton Card is the best-kept secret in the arsenal of Marriott Bonvoy credit cards. Here's what you should know about this card if you're interested in obtaining it.
Page Contents
Ritz-Carlton Card Pros
- Strong earning categories for those who value Marriott Bonvoy® points.
- $300 annual travel credit for qualifying airline purchases.
- $100 TSA PreCheck/Global Entry application fee credit.
Ritz-Carlton Card Cons
- $450 annual fee.
- Not open to new applicants, so there's no welcome bonus.
- You'll need a credit line of $10,000 in an existing Chase Marriott card to be able to product change, as this is a Visa Infinite product.
Ritz-Carlton Card Welcome Offer
Unfortunately, this card is no longer open to new applicants, so it doesn't feature a welcome offer. However, getting it requires you to first obtain another Marriott Bonvoy co-branded credit card from Chase, and you can earn a bonus on that card.
We'll cover details on how to change your other Marriott credit card to the Ritz-Carlton Card below.
Ritz-Carlton Card Benefits
The Ritz-Carlton Card offers several benefits similar to those of a premium Marriott Bonvoy credit card but offers several other perks that differentiate it from the rest of the pack.
Automatic Gold Elite status
The Ritz-Carlton Card grants cardholders automatic Gold Elite status with Marriott Bonvoy. Gold status comes with valuable perks, including a 2 p.m. late checkout, a welcome gift of points at check-in, and 25% bonus points on stays.
This is a bit of a letdown, considering another premium Marriott card — the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card — offers automatic Marriott Platinum Elite status. That adds free breakfast, standard suite upgrades, 4 pm late checkout, and more. For what it's worth, the Ritz-Carlton brand doesn't offer free breakfast to Platinum (or Titanium) Marriott elites. And, you'll need Titanium status to have a shot at getting a complimentary suite upgrade at a Ritz.
Free night award
Cardholders get an annual free night award worth 85,000 points. Thanks to the ability to add up to 15,000 additional Bonvoy points to an award night, you can book a night costing up to 100,000 points using this free night award.
This is a great perk of having the card, easily covering the card's annual fee if you want to book a top-tier property.
Related: Hotel Credit Cards That Provide Free Annual Night Certificates
$300 annual travel credit
Another useful benefit of the Ritz-Carlton Card is its $300 annual travel credit. Unlike the airline fee credit that comes with The Platinum Card® from American Express — which can only be used at one designated airline you choose in advance and requires enrollment before using — the Ritz-Carlton Card‘s credit can be used as a statement credit at any airline.
It can also be used for a much broader list of airline fees and expenses, such as seat upgrades, lounge passes, and fees.
One caveat: to redeem the credit, you must call or message Chase and let them know you'd like to apply it — all or part of it — to a purchase you've already made. The credit isn't applied automatically.
Related: How Does the Ritz-Carlton Card‘s $300 Annual Travel Credit Work?
Ritz-Carlton Club Level Certificates
An interesting-at-first-glance benefit of the card is that it has three club-level certificates that can be used on paid stays — up to seven nights each. However, the restrictions on these club upgrades make this benefit rather moot. For instance, rates cannot be discounted in any way, so you can't use the Marriott member rate. You'll need to call 1-800-542-8680 to book and redeem your certificate.
$100 Global Entry application fee credit
The Ritz-Carlton Card offers a $100 statement credit every four years toward the cost of applying for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. However, the cost of applying for Global Entry has recently increased to $120, and it does not appear that Chase increased the value of this credit on this card accordingly.
Car rental privileges
With the Ritz-Carlton Card, you can get discounts at select car rental companies, including Avis, National, and Audi on Demand (formerly Silvercar). Cardholders can enter the unique Visa Infinite code when booking directly on the rental company's website. These discounts are not available on bookings made through the Chase Travel℠ Portal.
Priority Pass Select membership
As a cardholder, you'll receive a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership, which grants access to over 1,700 airport lounges around the world — for you and unlimited guests. But members can also access other amenities like spas, sleep rooms, and more. Sadly, the Ritz-Carlton Card lost its restaurant benefit in July 2024.
Related: Free Meals, Spa Treatments, Nap Rooms, Even Swimming Pools With Priority Pass
15 elite night credits
Each year you hold the Ritz-Carlton Card, you'll receive 15 elite night credits in your Marriott Bonvoy account. These can help you jumpstart your journey to a higher tier of Marriott elite status.
While you can't stack these 15 elite night credits with those earned from other personal credit cards, you can stack them with the 15 elite nights offered by the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card to start the year with 30 elite night credits. That leaves you just 20 nights short of Marriott Platinum Elite status.
Emergency and travel coverage
The Ritz-Carlton card comes with several emergency travel protections that you should know about:
- Emergency evacuation and transportation: Up to $100,000 for medical services and transportation or evacuation if you or an immediate family member becomes ill or injured while traveling.
- Emergency medical and dental benefit: Up to $2,500 reimbursement for medical expenses for you or an immediate family member if you are 100 or more miles from home.
- Baggage delay insurance: Up to $100 per day for up to five days in reimbursement for essentials like toiletries and clothing when your baggage is delayed for more than six hours.
- Roadside assistance: Up to $50 per incident if you need a tow, jumpstart, tire change, locksmith, or gas, available up to four times annually.
- Travel accident insurance: Up to $1,000,000 coverage for accidental death or dismemberment when you use the card to pay for your air, bus, cruise, or train transportation.
- Lost luggage reimbursement: Up to $3,000 per passenger in coverage for checked or carry-on luggage that's lost or damaged by the carrier.
- Primary rental car collision damage waiver: Up to $75,000 in coverage for theft or collision damage to rental cars if you decline the rental agency's collision insurance and with your card.
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance: Up to $10,000 per person and up to $20,000 per trip in coverage for prepaid, non-refundable travel expenses.
- Trip delay reimbursement: Up to $500 per ticket in reimbursement for costs related to delays of six hours or more.
For policy particulars, please refer to your card's Guide to Benefits.
Related: Best Credit Cards With Free Travel Insurance
Ritz-Carlton Card Earning Rates
If you value Marriott Bonvoy points, the Ritz-Carlton Card is a formidable earner. Here's a breakdown of the card's earning rates:
- 6x Bonvoy points per dollar spent at participating hotels
- 3x Bonvoy points per dollar spent on dining, car rentals, and airline purchases
- 2x Bonvoy points per dollar spent on all other purchases
Related: How Many Points Can You Earn on Marriott Stays?
Redeeming Points With the Ritz-Carlton Card
When it comes to redeeming the points earned on your Ritz-Carlton Card, there are many options — from budget hotels costing a few thousand Bonvoy points a night to ultra-luxury properties charging well over 100,000 points nightly.
Marriott Bonvoy uses a dynamic pricing system, meaning the number of points you'll need for a stay can go up or down depending on the season, how busy the hotel is, holidays, local festivals, and more. But whatever your travel style, we've got you covered:
- The Best Marriott Bonvoy Redemptions for The Budget-Savvy Traveler
- The Best Marriott Points Redemptions for Luxury Stays
Alternatively, you can transfer your Marriott points to several dozen airlines at a 3:1 ratio (which can be useful in the right circumstances) or put your points towards exclusive experiences.
Application Restrictions and Strategy
To get the Ritz-Carlton Card, you must already have a Marriott Bonvoy co-branded credit card from Chase. Thus, you won't be applying for the Ritz-Carlton Card; this means you shouldn't have a credit inquiry and needn't worry about the Chase 5/24 rule for new card applications.
You can product change to the Ritz-Carlton Card from one of the following cards:
- Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card
To get the Ritz-Carlton Card, call the number on the back of your current card and ask if you can product change or upgrade your current Marriott Bonvoy credit card. However, you'll need to have this other card for at least a year before changing to the Ritz-Carlton Card.
Cards That Compete With the Ritz-Carlton Card
Chase and American Express offer a collection of co-branded Marriott Bonvoy credit cards — personal and business. With that in mind, some compete with the Ritz-Carlton Card, while others just simply don't hold a candle to the card's perks.
- If you want a Marriott credit card that offers a better tier of complimentary elite status, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card is worth a look. You'll get automatic Platinum Elite status, 25 elite night credits annually, a free night award worth up to 85,000 points each year, up to $300 in annual dining credits, and a Priority Pass membership (Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.), among other perks — all for a $650 annual fee (Rates & Fees). For more details, see our Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card review.
- If you want Marriott Gold Elite status with a lower annual fee, consider the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card. With a $250 annual fee (Rates & Fees), you'll get complimentary Gold Elite status and 15 elite night credits annually. However, you won't receive a free night unless you spend $15,000 on purchases annually; then, you'll earn a free night worth up to 50,000 points. See our Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Card review for more details.
- If you want a new Marriott credit card that you can change to the Ritz-Carlton Card in the future, look into the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card. For a $95 annual fee, you'll get 15 elite night credits annually, a free night award worth up to 35,000 points annually, and complimentary Silver Elite status — plus the ability to spend toward higher status tiers. You'll earn Gold Elite status after $35,000 of purchases on your card, and you'll also earn one elite night credit for each $5,000 of purchases on the card each year. More details are in our Marriott Boundless review.
(Terms Apply)
- 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
(Terms Apply)
- 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
- Earn 6X Bonvoy points per $1 spent participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, 3X points per $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining, and 2X points per $1 on all other purchases
- 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
Final Thoughts
The Ritz-Carlton Card is one of the rewards credit card industry's best-kept secrets. If you don't know it's possible to get it, you'll probably never think about it. Fortunately, you still can get this elusive credit card that gives you premium card perks for less than Marriott Bonvoy's other premium credit card. And the perks that come with this card, namely the generous $300 travel credit and access to Priority Pass lounges, make it a strong competitor for the best little-known secret in the points world.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees), and Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees)
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