Marriott bonvoy credit card no annual fee

Up to 14X total points at Marriott

Earn 3X points for every $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® credit card.* Same page link to Offer Details

Plus, earn up to 10X points from Marriott for being a Marriott Bonvoy® member.* Same page link to Offer Details

Plus, earn up to 1X point from Marriott with Silver Elite Status, a benefit you qualify for by being a Marriott Bonvoy Bold cardmember.* Same page link to Offer Details

NextAdvisor Credit Cards Reviews Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card Review: Basic Rewards for Marriott Customers, for No Annual Fee

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Marriott bonvoy credit card no annual fee

Marriott bonvoy credit card no annual fee
Holly Johnson

Contributing Writer

Holly Johnson is a credit card expert and writer who covers rewards and loyalty programs, budgeting, and…

September 23, 2022 | 7 Min Read

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Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card

  • Intro offer:

    60,000 Points
  • Annual fee:

    $0
  • Regular APR:

    18.24% – 25.24% Variable
  • Recommended credit score:

    670-850 (Good to Excellent)

Rewards rate:

Earn up to 14X total points per $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Card. 2X points for every $1 spent on other travel purchases (from airfare to taxis and trains). 1X point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.

NextAdvisor’s Take

Pros

  • Earn Marriott Bonvoy points on Marriott and travel spending
  • No annual fee
  • Automatic Silver Elite status
  • Travel and purchase protections

Cons

  • Lower bonus and fewer perks than other Marriott cards
  • Low rewards rate on regular, non-Marriott purchases
  • High APR

The Bottom Line

The Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card is a no annual fee card option within the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program. It doesn’t offer the most lucrative benefits, but you can earn points toward future stays at Marriott Bonvoy properties worldwide, and you’ll get basic elite hotel status just for signing up.

Additional Card Details

  • 15 Elite Night credits annually, qualifying you for automatic Silver Elite status
  • Baggage delay insurance worth up to $100 per day for up to 5 days when your baggage is delayed by more than six hours
  • Lost luggage reimbursement worth up to $3,000 per passenger
  • Trip delay reimbursement worth up to $500 per passenger when an eligible trip is delayed 12 hours or longer
  • Purchase protection worth up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account
  • Access to Visa concierge services
  • No foreign transaction fees

Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card Full Review

Card Type

The Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card is a hotel rewards credit card affiliated with the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program. Like many co-branded Marriott credit cards, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold is issued by Chase.

Annual Fee

There’s no annual fee required for the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card, which is one of its biggest benefits. If you travel only a few times a year, but you prefer to stay at Marriott properties, a hotel credit card with no annual fee may be a good fit for you.

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. That’s not enough points for a free night in Marriott’s most premium property (at least without using both cash and points, or pooling the bonus with other points you earn), but it can get you multiple nights in a Category 1-4 property. The 60,000-point bonus also covers a free night at a Category 6 hotel during peak travel dates, or a free night in a Category 7 hotel during off-peak dates. You can use Marriott’s redemption chart to view more options and even filter hotels by Bonvoy category on the Marriott site.

Rewards

You’ll earn up to 17x total points per dollar spent at Marriott properties with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold. Marriott Bonvoy members already earn 10x points per dollar spent with the hotel brand regardless of payment method. With the Bonvoy Bold card, you’ll earn 6 additional points per dollar, and another 1 point per dollar for being a Silver Elite member (which you qualify for automatically upon account opening).

Outside of Marriott Bonvoy purchases, you can also earn 2x points per dollar on other travel and 1x points on everything else you buy.

Fees

The Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card doesn’t charge an annual fee or any foreign transaction fees. 

Fees to watch out for include a 5% (minimum $5) balance transfer fee — though this card has no introductory offer on balance transfers, making it a poor choice for debt payoff — and a 5% (minimum $10) cash advance fee. If you make a late payment fee or have your payment returned, you’ll be charged up to $40.

Pro Tip

The Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card does allow balance transfers, but only at the regular variable APR. If you need to transfer high-interest debt from other cards, check out our list of top balance transfer credit cards.

Other Benefits

As a Marriott Bonvoy Bold cardholder, you can score a few travel benefits to boost your Marriott status and protect your travel purchases. 

You’ll get 15 Elite Night credits annually (which renew on or before March 1 each year). This automatically qualifies you for Silver Elite status, which includes perks like priority late checkout, free Wi-Fi, and more. Other benefits include travel protections like baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, trip delay reimbursement, and purchase protection against damage or theft.

Benefits of Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card

Marriott Bonvoy Bold is a solid co-branded choice for those who prefer staying with Marriott but may not travel enough to justify other Marriott Bonvoy cards with fees. You’ll earn fewer points and get benefits than you would with the $95 Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card*, for example, but the lack of an annual fee makes this card’s value long-lasting no matter your travel plans.

Automatic Silver Elite status makes it easier to work toward higher levels of hotel status through paid stays. As you spend throughout the year, this initial boost makes it easier to achieve higher levels of status — you can qualify for Gold Elite status with an additional 10 nights per year (plus the 15 credits you get with the card, for a total 25). 

Marriott Bonvoy, in general, is also a far-reaching program if you’re looking to earn loyalty points on your hotel stays. Where some other hotel loyalty programs have a much smaller footprint, the Marriott Bonvoy program boasts more than 7,000 hotels and resorts around the world, so you’ll have many properties to choose from once you’re ready to redeem your points.

Drawbacks of Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card

While Marriott does have thousands of properties to choose from, the biggest drawback of the program is the value of your points. Our recent analysis showed that Marriott Bonvoy points were only worth about half of a cent each on average. You may find you get more value from a card that earns points within an issuer program, like Chase Ultimate Rewards or American Express Membership Rewards, which you can transfer to Marriott Bonvoy.

The Marriott Bonvoy Bold earns competitive rewards on hotel stays within the program, but you’ll get little benefit from your spending elsewhere, with just 2x points on other travel and 1x on everything else. Marriott Bonvoy Bold also doesn’t offer many benefits beyond boosted status, which is relatively common among no annual fee co-branded cards. If you’re looking for perks like free nights on your cardmember anniversary, annual resort credits, and more, compare other Marriott credit cards and hotel cards from other brands before you apply.

How to Use the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card

If you’re going to sign up for the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card, designate it only for paid hotel stays with Marriott. It’s also a good idea to wait and apply for the card when you’re ready to book your next stay with Marriott — you’ll need to spend at least $333 within the first three months to qualify for the welcome bonus, so you can earn points toward future travel and attain the bonus more easily when you use your new card to book an upcoming trip.

For the rest of your spending, you’ll get much more value from another rewards card or cash back credit card with a higher rate of return on regular purchases. And if you’re still looking to accrue Marriott Bonvoy rewards, any American Express Membership Rewards or Chase Ultimate Rewards card — many of which offer rewards in categories like dining or groceries — will allow you to transfer points to the Marriott Bonvoy program. 

With the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, for example, you can earn 60,000 points when you spend $4,000 within three months of account opening. You also earn 5x points on travel booked through Chase, 3x points on dining and online grocery purchases, 3x points on select streaming services, 2x points on other travel and 1x points on everything else. Chase Ultimate Rewards points earned with the Chase Sapphire Preferred transfer to your Marriott Bonvoy account in increments of 1,000 at a 1:1 ratio.

Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card Compared to Other Cards

  • Intro offer:

    60,000 Points

  • Annual fee:

    $0

  • Regular APR:

    18.24% – 25.24% Variable

  • Recommended credit:

    670-850 (Good to Excellent)

  • Learn more externa link icon At our partner’s secure site

  • Intro offer:

    60,000 points

  • Annual fee:

    $95

  • Regular APR:

    18.24% – 25.24% Variable

  • Recommended credit:

    670-850 (Good to Excellent)

  • Apply Now externa link icon At Chase’s secure site

  • Intro offer:

    100,000 Bonus Points

  • Annual fee:

    $95

  • Regular APR:

    18.24% – 25.24% Variable

  • Recommended credit:

    670-850 (Good to Excellent)

  • Learn more externa link icon At our partner’s secure site

Is the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card Right for You?

Editorial Independence

As with all of our credit card reviews, our analysis is not influenced by any partnerships or advertising relationships.

The Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card is pretty basic, like other co-branded no annual fee hotel credit cards.

You can enjoy boosted rewards on hotel stays with Marriott, but this shouldn’t be the only card in your wallet. If you’re going to use a credit card for regular spending and bills, you would be a lot better off with a cash back credit card that gives you up to 2% back on everything with no annual fee, or that offers bonus rewards on your everyday spending.

This card can be a good fit if you’re looking for a few extra perks and you stay at Marriott properties a few times each year. Its travel protections, like trip delay insurance and lost luggage reimbursement, can be valuable if you’re in a bind while traveling. Boosted status is a solid benefit too, and makes it easier to reach higher status tiers with more worthwhile perks. And, if the spending is within your budget, the 60,000-point welcome bonus (after spending $2,000 in the first three months) can work out to a few free nights.

If you’re OK with some basic benefits in exchange for no annual fee, this card may be exactly what you need. Even so, it never hurts to look at other travel credit cards and cash back credit cards that offer different rewards and benefits.

*All information about the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card has been collected independently by NextAdvisor and has not been reviewed by the issuer.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is Marriott Bonvoy Bold?

The Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card is a hotel credit card issued by Chase and affiliated with the Marriott Bonvoy brand. There’s no annual fee, and you can earn hotel rewards points on your spending.

Does the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card charge foreign transaction fees?

There’s no foreign transaction fee for purchases you make abroad with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold.

What credit score do you need for the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card?

For the best chances of approval for the Marriott Bonvoy Bold, you’ll need good-to-excellent credit, or a score of 720 and up.

Who issues the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card?

The Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card is issued by Chase.

Is there a Marriott card with no annual fee?

The Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card is a no annual fee card option within the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program. It doesn't offer the most lucrative benefits, but you can earn points toward future stays at Marriott Bonvoy properties worldwide, and you'll get basic elite hotel status just for signing up.

Is the Marriott Bonvoy card worth keeping?

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card provides great value with automatic Silver Elite Status, upgrades and perks during your stays and 6X bonus points for spending at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy as well as 2X points on all other card purchases.

How much is 50000 Bonvoy points worth?

Based on our analysis, 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points are worth about $350. How much are 80,000 Marriott Bonvoy points worth? Based on our analysis, 80,000 Marriott Bonvoy points are worth about $560.

Do any credit cards give you Marriott Platinum?

Instant Platinum Elite Status: American Express US Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card. As of September 2022, the American Express US Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card will automatically grant cardholders Platinum Elite status for as long as they are a cardholder.