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.<\/p>\n
In our opinion, the Ritz-Carlton Card is the best-kept secret in the arsenal of Marriott Bonvoy credit cards<\/a>. Here's what you should know about this card if you're interested in obtaining it.<\/p>\n Page Contents<\/p> 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<\/a> from Chase, and you can earn a bonus on that card.<\/p>\n We'll cover details on how to change your other Marriott credit card to the Ritz-Carlton Card below.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The Ritz-Carlton Card grants cardholders automatic Marriott Bonvoy\u00ae<\/sup> Gold Elite status<\/a>. 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.<\/p>\n This is a bit of a letdown, considering another premium Marriott card — the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant\u00ae<\/sup> American Express\u00ae<\/sup> Card<\/a> — offers automatic Marriott Bonvoy\u00ae<\/sup> Platinum Elite Status. That adds free breakfast<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n 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<\/a>, you can book a night costing up to 100,000 points using this free night award.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Related: Hotel Credit Cards That Provide Free Annual Night Certificates<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Another useful benefit of the Ritz-Carlton Card is its $300 annual travel credit. Unlike the airline fee credit that comes with the American Express Platinum Card\u00ae<\/sup><\/a> — 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.<\/p>\n It can also be used for a much broader list of airline fees and expenses, such as seat upgrades, lounge passes, and fees.<\/p>\n One caveat: to redeem the credit, you must call or message Chase and let them know you'd like to apply it \u2014 all or part of it \u2014 to a purchase you've already made. The credit isn't applied automatically.<\/p>\n Related: How Does the Ritz-Carlton Card‘s $300 Annual Travel Credit Work?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n An interesting-at-first-glance benefit of the card is that it has three club-level certificates that can be used on paid stays \u2014 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<\/b>\u00a0to book and redeem your certificate.<\/p>\n The Ritz-Carlton Card offers a $100 statement credit every four years toward the cost of applying for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. However,\u00a0the cost of applying for Global Entry has recently increased to $120,<\/a> and it does not appear that Chase increased the value of this credit on this card accordingly.<\/p>\n 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\u2120 Portal<\/a>.<\/p>\n As a cardholder, you'll receive a complimentary Priority Pass\u2122 Select membership<\/a>, which grants access to over 1,700 airport lounges around the world \u2014 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<\/a> in July 2024.<\/p>\n Related: Free Meals, Spa Treatments, Nap Rooms, Even Swimming Pools With Priority Pass<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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\u00ae<\/sup> American Express\u00ae<\/sup> Card to start the year with 30 elite night credits<\/a>. That leaves you just 20 nights short of Marriott Platinum Elite status<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Ritz-Carlton card comes with several emergency travel protections that you should know about:<\/p>\n For policy particulars, please refer to your card's Guide to Benefits.<\/p>\n Related: Best Credit Cards With Free Travel Insurance<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n If you value Marriott Bonvoy points, the Ritz-Carlton Card is a formidable earner. Here's a breakdown of the card's earning rates:<\/p>\n Related: How Many Points Can You Earn on Marriott Stays?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n When it comes to redeeming the points earned on your Ritz-Carlton Card, there are many options \u2014 from budget hotels costing a few thousand Bonvoy points a night to ultra-luxury properties charging well over 100,000 points nightly.<\/p>\n Marriott Bonvoy uses a dynamic pricing system<\/a>, 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:<\/p>\n Alternatively, you can transfer your Marriott points to several dozen airlines at a 3:1 ratio<\/a> (which can be useful in the right circumstances) or put your points towards exclusive experiences<\/a>.<\/p>\n 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n You can product change to the Ritz-Carlton Card from one of the following cards:<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Chase and American Express\u00a0offer a collection of co-branded Marriott Bonvoy credit cards<\/a> \u2014\u00a0personal 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.<\/p>\nRitz-Carlton Card Pros<\/span><\/h2>\n
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Ritz-Carlton Card Cons<\/span><\/h2>\n
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Ritz-Carlton Card Welcome Offer<\/span><\/h2>\n
Ritz-Carlton Card Benefits<\/span><\/h2>\n
Automatic Gold Elite status<\/span><\/h3>\n
Free night award<\/span><\/h3>\n
$300 annual travel credit<\/span><\/h3>\n
Ritz-Carlton Club Level Certificates<\/span><\/h3>\n
$100 Global Entry application fee credit<\/span><\/h3>\n
Car rental privileges<\/span><\/h3>\n
Priority Pass\u2122 Select membership<\/span><\/h3>\n
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15 elite night credits<\/span><\/h3>\n
Emergency and travel coverage<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Ritz-Carlton Card Earning Rates<\/span><\/h2>\n
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Redeeming Points With the Ritz-Carlton Card<\/span><\/h2>\n
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Application Restrictions and Strategy<\/span><\/h2>\n
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Cards That Compete With the Ritz-Carlton Card<\/span><\/h2>\n
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