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3.8
Rewards rate
2X–17XAnnual fee
$95Intro offer
Earn 3 Free Nights (each night valued up to 50,000 points)Regular APR
16.24% to 23.24% VariableRecommended Credit Score
Good to Excellent (670 - 850)Editor’s note: Some of the offers on this page may be expired. Check out our Best Credit Cards page for the most up-to-date offers for our favorite credit cards.
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card returns with its previous Free Night Award welcome offer, ending the previous 100,000-point offer for new cardholders (which was available by spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months). By spending the same $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of opening an account, you can once again earn three Free Night Awards. Since each night is worth up to 50,000 points, this adds up to essentially 150,000 points for a $1,200 value (based on The Points Guy’s latest valuation of 0.8 cents per point), which can technically be more valuable than the previous bonus points’ value.
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card offers up to 17X points at participating Bonvoy locations, which includes a network of over 7,000 hotels around the world, but this card also brings 3X bonus categories to reward your grocery store, gas station and dining spending. You’ll also receive 2X points on all other purchases. For added convenience, the Bonvoy Boundless will also have contactless payment capabilities.
This card offers quite a few perks for Marriott and SPG® loyalists—a free night’s stay each after your card renewal month and automatic Silver Elite Status with a path to Gold Elite Status, to name two. Other card benefits include:
If you frequently stay at Marriott, SPG, and Ritz-Carlton hotels, the perks can be well worth the $95 annual fee.
The Bonvoy Boundless card is all about the Marriott perks. The first step in realizing the card’s full worth is to make sure you’re maximizing the value of each benefit that comes with the card. Make sure you’re utilizing your automatic Silver Elite Status, the 15 Elite Night Credits and additional Elite Night Credit opportunities (one extra credit per $5,000 you spend) that count toward the next tier. Take advantage of the anniversary free-night-stay, and always use this card to pay for your Marriott Bonvoy hotel stays.
You’ll want to make sure you’re strategically booking award stays, which may be during off-peak periods whenever possible to take advantage of the lull between peak seasons if the redemption portal shows redemption value differences. Although Marriott no longer uses a redemption value chart with property categories (formerly Category 1 to Category 8) and defined seasonal point values, the new dynamic pricing model may give you more rewards mileage out of your stays for less in-demand travel times.
Finally, consider pairing this card with a more flexible rewards card from Chase to maximize your earning potential. Marriott is a Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partner, so you’ll be able to pool your points before booking high-value award stays.
According to TPG point valuations, each Marriott point is worth 0.8 cents. That doesn’t quite hold up against many fan-favorite travel card rewards, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (2 cents per point) or the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (1.85 cents per mile), but that doesn’t mean that this isn’t the right card for you.
How much your rewards are truly worth may depend on which Bonvoy hotel brands you frequent the most and when you travel. Unfortunately, Marriott moved away from using their handy chart that categorized properties by award night value and the set points required during whichever season you stayed (standard, off-peak or peak) by the end of March 2022. This means your points’ value isn’t transparent but sticking to a similar strategic booking approach may help you make the most of your hard-earned rewards.
You can redeem your points for free nights within the Marriott Bonvoy network, experiences, shop with points or book nights with a combination of cash and points. To learn more, read our guide to Marriott Bonvoy.
If you take more than a couple of trips each year and stay exclusively at Marriott and SPG locations, this is definitely a card worth considering. However, if you’re looking for a more flexible travel card, there are better options available.
You can rack up a lot of points with this card if you frequently stay at Marriott brand hotels, and the perks offered by this card can really enhance your travel experience. Silver Elite Status includes a 20 percent bonus on points earned during stays, access to exclusive savings and rewards redemption options, dedicated reservation and guest services contacts and more.
While using the Bonvoy Boundless is an easy way to maximize points on Marriott Bonvoy purchases, it offers little in the way of everyday spending rewards. You can pair this card with others in the Chase lineup to maximize the rewards you earn in other categories and then transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards® to Marriott, but keep in mind Chase’s strict 5/24 rule that limits how many cards you can apply for within a 24-month span.
There was quite a bit of discussion previously about how the 2018 Marriott and SPG merger had affected the overall quality of the Marriott rewards program. The Bonvoy name got quite a bit of flack, but beyond that, many patrons expressed concerns about rewards devaluations and points difficulties since Marriott and SPG combined programs. However, Marriott credit cards and the award program rebounded to become one of the stronger hotel card lines worth considering. The new dynamic pricing model removes the transparency that gave Marriott Bonvoy points a leg up, which may deter potential applicants looking for consistency as well.
Ultimately, the value that the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless adds to your wallet comes down to how often you’ll utilize Bonvoy brand hotels and the associated perks of this card. You might be happier with another card if you’re looking for more broad travel perks or rewards flexibility.
The information about Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.
* See the online application for details about terms and conditions for these offers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information. However all credit card information is presented without warranty. After you click on the offer you desire you will be directed to the credit card issuer's web site where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer.
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. The information, including card rates and fees, is accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information.
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