9 Valuable Benefits Of Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards

Two main banks issue credit cards under the umbrella of Marriott Bonvoy: Chase and American Express. While some of the features overlap between the issuers, you can expect to see some unique offerings from each.

Chase Bank

Chase offers three cards to Marriott Bonvoy members: the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card*, Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card* and Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card*.

American Express

Amex also has three cards—the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card.

It can be confusing to differentiate between the benefits of the six cards. Some benefits will be the same across all cards, while others will only come with higher annual fee cards. As with all credit card choices, make sure to gauge the annual fee against the potential rewards to see which is the best fit for you.

New Cardholder Bonuses

One of the most compelling reasons to sign up for a new credit card is the new cardholder bonuses for eligible applicants. Each card has its own offer and they vary quite a bit.

The $0 annual fee Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card*, perhaps unsurprisingly, comes with the least interesting and least lucrative of the bonuses. Currently, you can earn 1 Free Night Award after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening.

Next up is the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card (Terms apply, see rates & fees) which currently offers 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after spending $5,000 in purchases on the card within the first 6 months of account opening and the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card* which has an offer of 85,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in purchases in the first three months from your account opening.

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (Terms apply, see rates & fees) card carries a slightly higher bonus but a much higher annual fee: Earning 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months is a jump over the previous two cards, but the annual fee is a whopping $650.

Finally, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card* is currently offering the most attractive sign-up bonus on the market. Eligible new cardmembers can earn 3 Free Night Awards after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening for a low-cost $95 annual fee.

Ongoing Card Benefits

All Marriott cards earn a bonus for spending at Marriott pProperties. While the $0 annual fee Chase Bonvoy Bold card earns 3 points per dollar at Marriott properties worldwide, every other card earns 6 points per dollar at Marriott properties. This means that no matter which hotel you decide to stay at, using your Marriott card will give you a solid bump to your points balance.

Here’s a handy chart of all of the other spend bonuses that come with the Marriott Bonvoy personal Cards:

	Bold	Bountiful	Bevy	Boundless	Brilliant
Marriott	3X	6X	6X	6X	6X
Gas Stations	—	—	—	3X b	—
Dining	—	4X a	4X a	3X b	3X
Supermarkets	—	4X a	4X a	3X b	—
Flights	2X	—	—	—	3X
Other Travel	2X	—	—	—	—
Other Spend	1X	2X	2X	2X	2X

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a: up to $15,000 in combined spend, then 2 points per dollar afterwards
b: up to $6,000 in combined spend, then 2 points per dollar afterwards

Elite Status Benefits

Simply having one of Marriott’s co-branded cards can give you Marriott elite status. Once you’ve got elite status, you’ll start unlocking benefits like bonus points, room upgrades, free breakfast and more.

On top of the elite status, certain cards will also grant you elite nights every year. These elite nights will help you get a jump start on higher elite status levels.

	Bold	Bountiful	Bevy	Boundless	Brilliant
Silver Elite	YES			YES
Gold Elite		YES	YES	$35k spend
Platinum Elite					YES
Elite Nights	15	15	15	15	25

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Anniversary Nights and Free Nights

Anniversary nights are awarded each year on your account anniversary. On the other hand, free night certificates are typically awarded for completing a certain level of spend.

The Boundless card offers a 35,000-point certificate each year upon account anniversary while the Bountiful card offers a 50,000-point certificate each account anniversary, but only if you’ve spent $15,000 the prior year.

American Express’ Bonvoy Bevy offers the same as the Bountiful card in a 50,000-point certificate once achieving a $15,000 spend the year prior. 

The premium Brilliant card offers the highest point value certificate at up to 85,000 points with no spending requirement. Simply pay your annual fee and the certificate will be deposited the following month into your account. If you manage to spend $60,000 in the course of the year you’ll be able to select an Earned Choice Award benefit where one of the options is yet another 85,000 point free night certificate.

Marriott allows you to top off a Free Night Award with more points if you’re looking to stay in a property that’s slightly higher than your award certificate. You can add up to 15,000 points to any of the certificates, allowing you to stretch the award even further to a top-tier Marriott property worldwide.

Statement Credits

While the American Express Bonvoy Brilliant card has the highest annual fee of any of the Marriott credit cards, it also offers plenty of statement credits to help offset the higher cost.

First, each month you will receive up to a $25 statement credit ($300 a year) toward restaurant purchases worldwide. Simply use your credit card at the restaurant and the credit will show up a few days later.

Next, you can start your trip off the right way with a TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit, allowing you to breeze through security, customs and immigration upon your return to the United States. The Global Entry credit is $100 and the TSA PreCheck credit is up to $85, once every 4.5 years.

Forbes Advisor pro tip. If you pay for and are accepted into the Global Entry program, you’ll receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional charge. Consider applying for Global Entry from the start to get both and have the fee credited back to you.

Finally, if you’re staying at one of Marriott’s luxury brands like the Ritz Carlton or the St. Regis, you can get a $100 property credit for eligible charges when you book a special rate for a two-night stay.

Earning Extra Elite Nights and Bonus Points

The Chase Boundless card comes with an accelerator in either your quest for elite status or building up your points balance.

For every $5,000 you spend on your Bonvoy Boundless card, you’ll be granted one elite night toward the next level of status. If you’re close to reaching the next level, using your card to spend a little extra can get you that extra night you need to hit Gold, Platinum or even Titanium. Remember that if you manage to achieve $35,000 in spend you’ll automatically get Gold status.

Both the Chase Bonvoy Bountiful and American Express Bevy card give you extra bonus points for each stay with Marriott. Receive an extra 1,000 points for each stay. Note that this is per stay, not per night, so if you have a one-night stay or a 10-night stay, the 1,000 points is the same.

Airport Lounge Access

The American Express Bonvoy Brilliant card comes with a Priority Pass Select membership, giving you unlimited lounge visits for you and up to two traveling guests once you’re enrolled. With over 1,200 lounges all over the world, it’s a good chance that you’ll be passing by one on your next trip.

Shopping Benefits

If you use DoorDash, you’re in luck. Cardholders of the Chase Bonvoy Boundless card get DashPass, DoorDash’s premium delivery product, free for the first year. After the first year, the subscription auto-renews at the standard monthly rate. 

Both Chase and American Express also offer unique discounts that will apply statement credits or bonus points to your account automatically with purchases. Chase’s version, called Chase Offers, is accessible once you’re logged into your Chase account. American Express’ version, called Amex Offers, functions in much the same way.

One final benefit of the American Express Bonvoy Brilliant and Bonvoy Bevy cards is a ShopRunner membership. After enrollment,you’ll get free two-day shipping on purchases made with over 100 online stores including many popular brands such as Under Armour, Neiman Marcus, American Eagle, Chewy and more.

Travel Protections

Inevitably, something will go sideways when you travel. Having the right credit card can make or break your vacation and your pocketbook.

Chase Cards offer the following travel protections:

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

While American Express cards offer the following:

• Baggage insurance plan<a href=”#Benefit”>¹</a>
• Trip delay/cancellation/interruption insurance<a href=”#Benefit”>2</a>
• Car rental loss and damage insurance<a href=”#Benefit”>3</a>

The American Express Bonvoy Brilliant goes one step further with cellphone protection. You can be protected for up to $800 to repair or replace your phone if it is damaged or stolen.

Finally, every Marriott Bonvoy personal card comes with foreign transaction fee waivers, meaning that while you’re abroad, choose to pay in the local currency and you’ll avoid those pesky fees.

If you’re a frequent Marriott guest, holding any of the Marriott Bonvoy credit cards will help you earn extra points. The value in the cards goes well beyond simple points earnings. From elite status, bonus elite nights, travel credits and even airport lounge access, heading out on your next work trip or family vacation can be much more rewarding by utilizing the benefits that come with your Marriott Bonvoy credit cards.

To view rates and fees for Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card please visit this page.
To view rates and fees for Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card please visit this page.

¹Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
2Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
3Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.