Benefits of Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards

Marriott Bonvoy co-branded credit cards for consumers come with benefits worth considering if you’re a frequent — or even infrequent — guest at hotels owned by Marriott.

Benefits range from core perks and rewards you expect from any hotel card to features and protections that are simply nice to have. As you would expect, a higher annual fee gets you more benefits and rewards.

» MORE: Which Marriott Bonvoy credit card should you get?

Points

Credit card spending rewards are earned in Marriott Bonvoy points, where Bonvoy is the name of the loyalty program. The goal is to accumulate enough points to stay one night or more at a Marriott property for free. Two cards are issued by Chase; one by American Express.

» MORE: Marriott Bonvoy program: The complete guide

New cardholder bonus

Higher-tier cards earn better welcome offers for new cardholders.

Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card

Earn 50,000 Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Annual fee: $0

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card

Earn 75,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Annual fee: $95

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card

Earn 75,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points after you use your new card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. Terms apply. (as of Aug. 14, 2019)

Annual fee: $450

Spending rewards

Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card

• 3 points per $1 spent at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels.
• 2 points per $1 spent on other travel (from airfare to taxis and trains).
• 1 point per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases.

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card

• 6 points per $1 spent at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels.
• 2 points per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card

• 6 points per $1 spent at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels.
• 3 points per $1 spent at U.S. restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines.
• 2 points per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases.

Terms apply.

Bonvoy points are worth 0.8 cents each domestically, according to NerdWallet valuations.

» MORE: NerdWallet’s best hotel credit cards

Hotel perks

Anniversary nights. Cashing in these complimentary nights is a valuable benefit, potentially worth hundreds of dollars. However, the lowest-tier card, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card, doesn’t offer this perk. The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card comes with a complimentary anniversary night, valued up to 35,000 points. The complimentary night with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card can be worth up to 50,000 points. Terms apply.

Credits. These are only for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card:

• $300 in statement credits each year for eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels.
• $100 in property credit for qualifying charges, including room service and spa treatments, when you book with your card directly at The Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis using a special rate for a two-night minimum stay.
• Terms apply.

» MORE: How to choose a travel rewards credit card

Travel perks

These are limited to the luxury card, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card.

• Global Entry/TSA Precheck application reimbursement. Receive a statement credit reimbursing you for the application fee when applying for either Global Entry ($100) or TSA Precheck ($85). For Global Entry, you get the perk every four years. For TSA Precheck, it’s every 4.5 years. Terms apply.
• Priority Pass Select. This membership gives you access to more than 1,200 airport lounges worldwide. In lounges that allow guests, you can bring up to two for no additional charge. Terms apply.

» MORE: How to maximize your Priority Pass Select membership

Elite status

All three cards give you an elite status, which come with a few extras.

Silver Elite. Typically for loyalty customers who stay at least 10 nights per year, you automatically get this status level with both the Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card. Status includes a 10% point bonus for bookings, plus late checkout and other perks. 

Gold Elite. The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card gives you this level, equal to loyalty members who stay 25 nights per year. It gives you a 25% point bonus for bookings, as well as room upgrades and even later checkout when these are available. The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card also gives you Gold Elite status when you spend $35,000 on purchases with the card each account year.

With the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card, if you make $75,000 in eligible purchases on your card in a calendar year, you get even more bonus points and perks with Platinum Elite status.

Travel protections

Travel protections are more typically offered by the issuer or card network than by the hotel company, but they are relevant for those considering a travel credit card, like these Marriott hotel cards.

None of these cards charges foreign transaction fees, making them good choices to use abroad — although the American Express card isn’t as widely accepted overseas.

Protections offered by the Chase cards include:

• Baggage delay insurance.
• Lost luggage reimbursement.
• Trip delay reimbursement.

The American Express card offers:

• Car rental loss and damage insurance.
• Baggage insurance plan.
• Travel accident insurance.
• Roadside assistance.
• Terms apply.

More about the cards

Information related to the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card has been collected by NerdWallet and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card.