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Offers for the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card are not available through this site. Some offers may have expired. Please see our card marketplace for available offers
While many hotel credit cards are best suited for a small group of committed brand loyalists, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card stands out for its value to a broad range of travelers.
If you stay with Marriott just once or twice a year, you can easily justify the card’s modest $95 annual fee by using the free night this card offers each year. Additionally, you'll receive benefits like entry-level elite status and elite night credits that can help you earn higher status tiers each year. Plus, cardholders can earn additional elite night credits from spending on the card. Regardless of how often you stay, this card is an excellent addition to your wallet.
Here's everything you should know about the Marriott Boundless Card from Chase.
- 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
Page Contents
Marriott Boundless Pros
- Automatic Silver Elite status.
- Anniversary free night certificate worth more than the annual fee.
- Ability to spend your way to higher status.
Marriott Boundless Cons
- $95 annual fee.
- Marriott Bonvoy® dynamic pricing makes using points and free nights complicated.
- Complicated application rules if you've had other Marriott credit cards in the past.
Marriott Boundless Welcome Bonus
Instead of a traditional welcome bonus of Marriott points, the Marriott Boundless offers three bonus Free Night Awards after you use your new card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening, plus 50,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 total on eligible purchases within 6 months of account opening..
Marriott Boundless Benefits
While you won't find any jaw-dropping benefits on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card, the perks can easily overcome the card’s annual fee of $95.
Anniversary Free Night Certificate
The standout feature on the Marriott Boundless is the anniversary free night certificate, awarded after each cardholder anniversary. The anniversary free night is worth up to 35,000 points and can be topped off with up to 15,000 additional points, making it worth a potential 50,000 points.
Related: How To Use Marriott Boundless Card Free Night Certificates
Automatic Silver Elite status
Just for holding the Marriott Boundless, you’ll earn Silver Elite status with Marriott Bonvoy and keep it as long as you are a cardholder. While not the best elite hotel status out there, Silver Elite status members are entitled to:
- Complimentary in-room internet
- Member rates
- Mobile check-in/services
- Ultimate Reservation Guarantee
- 10% points bonus on base points
- Priority late check-out (when available)
- Bonus points as an in-hotel welcome gift
Silver Elite status isn't likely to get you into the executive suite, but any status is better than no status when booking stays with Marriott. At a minimum, you'll earn points at a better rate on paid hotel stays.
Path to Gold Elite status
For each calendar year that you put $35,000 of spending on the Marriott Boundless Card, you’ll earn Gold Elite status through December 31st of the following year. If you can knock that spending out in the first couple months of the year, you could earn Gold Elite status for the better part of two years. In addition to the benefits awarded to Silver Elite members, Gold Elite members receive:
- 25% points bonus on base points
- 2 p.m. priority late checkout (when available)
- Bonus points, breakfast, or an amenity as an in-hotel welcome gift
- Complimentary room upgrades (subject to availability)
15 elite night credits each year
Cardmembers will receive 15 elite night credits per cardmember year; these count toward Marriott elite status. While this benefit doesn’t stack with elite night credits from other Marriott personal cards, if you hold both a personal and a business Marriott card, you'll receive 15 nights from each card for a total of 30 nights per year. That's enough for Gold Elite status and just 20 nights short of Marriott Platinum Elite status, where the best benefits kick in.
Other benefits
The above benefits more than make up for the annual fee, but there are further benefits offered on the Marriott Boundless Card, including:
- No foreign transaction fees: There are no foreign transaction fees when you use your card for purchases made outside the U.S.
- Baggage delay insurance: You will be reimbursed for essential purchases, like toiletries and clothing, for baggage delays over six hours, up to $100 a day for five days.
- Lost luggage reimbursement: If you or an immediate family member have checked or carry-on luggage that is damaged or lost, you're covered up to $3,000 per passenger.
- Trip delay reimbursement: If your trip is delayed more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay, you and your family are covered for expenses, such as meals and lodging, up to $500 per ticket.
- Purchase protection: This covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft, up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account.
Marriott Boundless Earning Rates
The Marriott Boundless earns points at the following rates:
- 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
If you're looking for a card to maximize your everyday spending, this isn't it. There are much better credit cards for everyday spending. However, if you are a Marriott fan and want to get some decent perks and a solid return on your Marriott spending, this is a great choice.
Related: Ways To Earn Marriott Points Without Staying at a Hotel
Redeeming Points With the Marriott Boundless
Points earned on the Marriott Boundless go directly into your Marriott Bonvoy account, and you can use these to book hotel stays. And we have some great ideas for how to do that. If luxury stays are your jam, check out the best Marriott points redemptions for luxury stays. Alternatively, if you prefer to save money and stretch your points, check out the best Marriott Bonvoy redemptions for budget-savvy travelers.
Additionally, don't forget to take advantage of Marriott's fifth night free when booking award stays. For every four nights you book, you'll get the fifth night at 0 points, which means you're getting a 20% discount on your stay. This benefit is an easy way to stretch your points!
To use your points or free night awards on stays, ensure you click on the box for “Use Points/Awards” when searching for a hotel on Marriott's website or in the mobile app.
Marriott Bonvoy uses a dynamic pricing model, so the number of points you need for a room at a hotel changes based on the cash cost of the hotel and how many rooms are still available. Thus, you won't know exactly how many points you need for a stay until you start looking, but the general idea is that you'll need more points during busy travel periods.
Transferring Marriott points
One thing that sets Marriott apart from other hotel award programs is the 40 Marriott Bonvoy airline transfer partners. Marriott points transfer to most partners at a 3:1 transfer ratio. Plus, you'll (generally) receive a 5,000-mile bonus when transferring at least 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points at one time. This means you'll have a total of 25,000 miles for most frequent flyer programs — or 30,000 United miles, thanks to Marriott's partnership with United.
While this might not provide the greatest value in every instance, it's nice to have the option to use your hotel points for a flight.
Other redemption options
In addition to Marriott stays and transferring to airline partners, there are a few other options for redeeming your points. You can:
- Book cruises, flights, car rentals, and more in the Marriott travel portal.
- Use points to buy merchandise or gift cards in the Marriott shopping portal.
- Enjoy unique culinary, sports, and entertainment experiences through Marriott Moments.
Application Restrictions
The Marriott Boundless is issued by Chase, and there are multiple rules at play for determining who can earn the welcome bonus on this card.
In addition to the regular 5/24 policy placed on Chase’s credit cards, Marriott has layered an extensive and confusing set of restrictions on its rewards cards. Long story short, if you currently hold the Marriott Boundless, you aren't eligible to get another one.
If you don't already hold this card, the next step is to consider any Marriott or Starwood Preferred Guest cards you had previously. Consider those when reading through our guide to who is eligible for each Marriott card.
Lastly, understand that Chase doesn't typically approve anyone for more than two credit cards within 30 days.
Related: Understanding Rewards Credit Card Application Rules and Restrictions
Cards That Compete With the Marriott Boundless
(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
- 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
- 5X points on Lyft rides through September 2027
- 5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3X points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3X points on eligible streaming services
- 3X points on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs)
- 2X points on all other travel
- 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases
- If you're a Marriott loyalist and want a card with further benefits, look into the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card. It has a $250 annual fee (Rates & Fees) but offers complimentary Gold Elite status. It also offers 15 elite night credits annually and earns 4X points on up to $15,000 in combined purchases per year at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. However, it doesn't offer elite night credits via spending, and you'll need to spend $15,000 on purchases annually to receive a free night award (worth up to 50,000 points).
- If you want a Marriott credit card without an annual fee, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card is it. This card also offers complimentary Silver Elite status and 5 elite night credits annually. In exchange for not having an annual fee, it provides a free night award and earns points at a lower rate when paying for Marriott hotels. More details are in our Marriott Bonvoy Bold Card review.
- If you want points that can be used with Marriott plus other hotels and airlines, check out the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. You can transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Marriott at a 1:1 ratio, but you potentially can get much more value from your points by taking advantage of Chase's other transfer partners, including Hyatt, United Airlines, and Southwest Airlines. The card also offers an annual $50 hotel credit, travel insurance, and great earning rates in multiple categories. Our Sapphire Preferred review will tell you more about why this is one of our favorite cards.
Related: Which Cards Earn Marriott Bonvoy Points?
Final Thoughts
The Marriott Boundless isn't the most lucrative choice for everyday spending, but this is an excellent card to keep in your wallet. Anyone who stays at least one night per year with Marriott should get more value from the free night certificate than the $95 annual fee. The card's other perks provide positive value year over year, thanks to the 15 elite night credits and ability to earn more elite night credits through spending on the card.
- 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
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees), and Chase Sapphire Preferred® 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.
I have the older legacy Marriott Bonvoy Premier card. which has an anniversary night that is limited to stays up to 25K points.
I have been seeing the Bonvoy Boundless anniversary night is valid on stays up to 35K points.
It seems like it makes sense to upgrade… However, do I really want to upgrade. Pro vs. Con… what are they?
I feel like I should should cancel the premier card… and then sign up for the Boundless to get the sign up bonus that would be included. I don’t think you get that offer with an upgrade or do you??
Is it o my for US citizens?
Generally yes. You’ll need a US SSN (Social Security Number) or ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) to apply for the card.
Always keep this card for the annual free night – even if they have now limited that with the categories it still provides value. In addition this year there have been some nice spending bonuses they have been putting out there (Grocery and now restaurants/gas).
For all that this card offers, $ 95 a year seems cheap to me. I don’t think you’ll get a night at any of the Marriott properties, so it’s a great deal. I will take advantage.
This is one of the few Chase cards I still don’t have.
It’s quite tempting due to the sign up offer and annual FN.
Marriott bonvoy silver status is not really very good. However if you stay a few times at Marriott every year, the card allows you to fast track to gold. Still you only get good benefits once you reach platinum status.
Besides the Bold, are there any other Chase Marriott cards? Since I have the AMEX business card, I’m wondering if it’s worth canceling my Boundless card and applying for another one later for the bonus points.
I guess you are still able to enjoy the Bonvoy perks as a high status member if you book the nights via Hotels.com
With a 100,000 point bonus I should be able to get three free nights at a decent hotel.
is there a business version for this card? anyway great article
Thanks! You can find the biz version here: https://awardwallet.com/credit-cards/marriott-bonvoy/marriott-credit-card/
I’ve held onto this card since it was the SPG. General earning is not as good now, but still a solid card worth keeping for the free night.
Had this card, hard to redeem the points for a good value in Us
How can I add Marriott bonboy if I have booked from hotels.com?
Hey Manu, generally the big hotel programs won’t let you earn elite credit from stays (or honor benefits) when you book through an OTA/3rd party like Hotels.com. There are definitely some exceptions, so you might try calling Marriott to see if they will add your loyalty number to the reservation.
Sure wish the free night offered higher points usage.
I had the card myself and tried to refer to my spouse as well hoping to book hotels for this upcoming Christmas pretty ‘last minute’. the referral gives only 3 nights of 35k which does not work for me. but we still got new sign up anyways to have 110k in the account. fingers crossed to have points posted soon for my trip!
Thanks, really helpful as usual. Always keeping up this posts to check new interesting things. Thanks and regards!!!
I just had my 1 year anniversary with the card but I’d like to downgrade it to BOLD (the no annual fee version). Will I still be able to use the 1 free night award that I just got for my 1 year anniversary, or would it be removed from my account?
If the free night is already showing in your Marriott account, it’s yours to keep 🙂
So if you’re considering upgrading from the Bonvoy to the Bonvoy Boundless card – one thing to consider is that you no longer will get 1 elite night credit for every $3000 in purchases. I achieve Gold status just from my travel, and I use the annual 15 nights + my $$ spend to achieve the next tier(Platinum). I would lose this ability to earn extra nights if I change cards.
So is the $95 membership fee charged the very first month of owning the card?
Annual fees are typically charged on your first statement alongside purchases.
I upgraded my old Marriott Rewards card to the Premier for a $10 increased annual fee which gave me an additional 10,000 points with my next purchase. Definitely a no-brainer to do that!
“I’d personally continue to use the SPG Amex for every day (non-bonused spend) as 1 SPG = 3 Marriott, until August 1st. On August 1st SPG points no longer exist and then I’ll personally re-evaluate how I’ll use that card going forward. I say the new Marriott card is worth a serious look.”
I’m thinking of getting this card to basically transfer it to 33,000 SPG points. Worse comes to worse you go back to Marriott I’d presume at 3:1 right?
Question on the SPG to Marriott transfer in Aug, will all your SPG points just auto go to Marriott at 3:1? I’m thinking of holding a SPG hotel booking with SPG points right before Aug 1 so if the new Marriott chart devalues at least I have a hotel booked with SPG already. However, what if by some miracle the rates go down on the Marriott chart or I just decide to cancel the booking with I still get the 3:1 if there’s no more SPG points at that point? (pun intended) Would be terrible if those were only 1:1 after Aug 1.
Correct, worst case it comes back as Marriott — but the timeline is really tight — getting those points deposited before August 1 will be a challenge.
This seems like it would make it easier to get to gold, but harder to make platinum as it doesn’t seem to give you the nights for gold, just the status. The current card, at 1 night/$3,000 would land you with 11 nights for that Path to Gold Spend, plus the annual nights.
am I missing something?
@M says: “Love when brand new cards come out!”
Yes indeed, for several reasons. It’s a particularly good moment to evaluative where card benefits are at and where they’re trending.
It’s great to continue seeing a 100k bonus.
This looks like a fantastic offer! I will definitely be looking into it.
Any news on what they will be doing with the business card?
Nothing firm at this time.
I am at 4/24 through the end of 2018. I am waiting for a better credit card offer.
Solid sign up bonus. Rest of the card is meh.
100,000 points sounds nice, but I really just prefer my Cap One card where I get 1.5% back in cash. Can’t beat cash!
Yikes! I’d really recommend you consider a different card. You can do better than 1.5% cash back. Instead look at the Freedom Unlimited (which will earn you 1.5% cash back + you can transfer points to partners if you have another premium Ultimate Rewards card — https://awardwallet.com/credit-cards/chase-ultimate-rewards/chase-rewards-card-combo/) … or you could get the Citi Double Cash or Fidelity 2% cash back card.
Marriott, followed by SPG are the two hotel portfolios I stay at the least, but the addition of the free night cert makes this new card offering really attractive since holding both the SPG AmEx & this new card is another great avenue to what should be, at the very least, a fairly deeply discounted 2-night stay. Hopefully some desirable properties will make the eligible list!
I’m not good with the 5/24 but my wife on the other hand is probably eligible. I’m going to check her Credit Karma account to verify how many cards she’s (I’ve) opened in the last couple of years and what’s fallen off the report.
does this work for the business card also?
Does what work?
This is a decent offer and Marriott points are about to become one of the flexible currencies (I guess they are now if your transfer them to SPG) but I’m just at the point where I’m no longer 5/24. I think I’m going to try and get more cards that give me Chase UR rather than this one. However, for the person that already has every UR card, this would be a nice addition to the portfolio.
My offer wasn’t enticing enough to upgrade. I think I might just cancel my current card and wait it out for 24 months.
What would be the dollar amount of points that transfer if moved to Southwest rapid rewards?
Huh?
Remind us what the 5/24 policy is. Thanks
If you click the 5/24 text you’ll see it is a link that takes you to a blog post that explains 5/24. I’d recommend doing that.
What if I am an authorized user on my wife’s old Marriott card? Will I qualify for the sign up bonus (assuming I clear 5/24)?
Being an authorized user would not preclude you from receiving the associated new cardmember bonus if you were approved and met the spend requirements.
Helpful guidance, thanks!
Have the old card. Checked into apply for upgrade to new card. Was offered 20K bonus miles and took it.
Not bad at all!
So, I’m SPG Platinum and have the SPG Amex; worth it to sign up and switch?
I’d personally continue to use the SPG Amex for every day (non-bonused spend) as 1 SPG = 3 Marriott, until August 1st. On August 1st SPG points no longer exist and then I’ll personally re-evaluate how I’ll use that card going forward. I say the new Marriott card is worth a serious look.
I hold and have held, the Marriott Rewards Signature Visa card for over two years (got the bonus for signing up for it). I will cancel my crd; wait a couple weeks or so and apply fo the new Marriott Rewards Premier Plus card and should be able to qualify for the new card and bonus. I am way under on the Chase 5/24 policy.
I have the old card…x6 is a good improvement, and I was offered 50k in points for making a purchase by 12/31 on the upgraded card.
wow! heck of an upgrade offer.
I assume there is no biz version? Thanks for all the info!
Of all the travel blogs I follow (which is a lot), you are the best at actually answering questions. We appreciate that.
There is no (new) business version of the card. Thanks for the compliment and thanks for reading!
Would it help me if I took my name off of my husband’s accounts as an authorized user? I noticed when I pulled my credit that all of those are on there too. Would it make all of those drop off or not?
If you pull yourself off as an authorized user the cards will still show on your credit report — they won’t immediately drop. You could petition to the bank to ask them to remove the records from your credit report as you were never financially liable for the account and you want your credit report cleaned up.
In all likelihood though, doing this isn’t going to improve your ability to be approved for the card and it certainly won’t improve your credit score as long as all of those cards are in good standing.
Looks like a good card to check out.
Heck yes.
Do you think I could cancel my current Marriott card then apply for this one and get the 100k?
Card terms state:
The product is not available to either (i) current cardmembers of the Marriott Rewards Premier or Marriott Rewards Premier Plus credit card, or (ii) previous cardmembers of the Marriott Rewards Premier or Marriott Rewards Premier Plus credit card who received a new cardmember bonus within the last 24 months.
So if you don’t have a Marriott Rewards Premier or Premier Plus credit card and it has been 24+ months since you received a bonus on either card, then yes, you’d be eligible for the card. Keep in mind, this card is subject to 5/24.
100k, pfft.. Did you see Citibank’s promo of a Motel 6 Visa Signature of ONE MILLION points (room rates ~ 500k/night).
Drinking the sarcastic juice today, eh?
thanks for info, will look into
I assume the plug in is only for personal card?
We only have Marriott business right now.
Correct; consumer only card here.
30k upgrade offer was quite nice
nice!!!
Over 5/24, so I guess will have to consider the upgrade route…
I’m liking the look of these cards, massive sign up bonuses and free night certificates.
Wow, what an initial bonus – 100k points. Looks a great card all round to me.
great card, booey for 5/24!!
Meh. not very enticing.
really? Meh?
Hmm…enticing!
How long will the 100k bonus last?
We don’t know for sure — my gut says possibly through August when SPG is integrated into Marriott.
Unfortunately already have the other card option so no bonus offer is a no go for now.
@45k for a normal room and up to 100k for 5star this is no better than a 3ok bonus? The 6x spend is an improvement over what they are going to give existing SPG Amex holders. Not super impressed with anything Marriott has done.
Welp! That didn’t work. Too many credit cards open in last 2 years. He said I had 8 cards..so I’ll wait. Arggh! Great deal, though..
Oh my goodness! I hope I can snag this deal on Marriott Credit Card for 100k points! I’m on hold with the reconsideration line now. Eeek
100,000? Thats like 30,000 of the real thing. Can’t see myself getting too much benefit out of this or the SPG card I have now from AMEX, they do seem to be the exact same though. before I bother calling AMEX to cancel my account, does anybody know if they let you convert an SPG card to a cash card?
You cannot do such a conversion.
A definite improvement over the current Marriott card.
6 x on Marriott spend is a nice improvement over the old card
Darn (probable) 5/24.
This appears to be a decent value for those who have not had the predecessor cards and can find hotels that are in the category covered.
Or transfer to SPG and transfer to airlines!
can i upgrade if i had gotten the older version recently?
Check the link in the post to see if you’re eligible and what your offer is
Love when brand new cards come out!
Now, this seems like I decent promotion! Is the $95 waived the first year?
No.