Please note: the offers mentioned below are subject to change at any time and may not be available.
Editor’s note: This post has been updated with current offers. It was originally published on Nov. 5, 2019.
There’s good news if Marriott is a part of your 2020 travel plans because there are increased intro offers for two of its hotel credit cards – the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless
Credit Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card.
The offer for the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card is for a 100,000-point bonus after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months. And the Marriott Bonvoy Bold card has an increased offer of 50,000 points after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first three months. TPG values Marriott points at 0.8 cents each, making these bonuses worth $800 and $400, respectively.
With the bonus on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless, you can score some solid hotel redemptions, even with the recent rollout of Marriott’s off-peak and peak pricing. A bonus of 100,000 points is enough to get you a night at top-tier properties such as St. Regis Maldives or St. Regis Bora Bora, even during peak pricing periods. You can also stretch out the bonus by booking multiple nights at more affordable locations like the Category 5 Hotel Zachary (a Chicago Cubs-themed hotel across the street from historic Wrigley Field) or Natra Bintan (a glamping-themed resort in Indonesia).
Related reading: Best ways to redeem 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy points
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless can be a good choice for customers looking for a personal credit card or one with a lower annual fee, at $95. The Bonvoy Boundless is issued by Chase and comes with 6x points on eligible Marriott purchases and 2x points on all other spending. I wouldn’t advise using this card for everyday spending, but a 4.8% return on Marriott purchases isn’t bad at all — especially if you also have Platinum or Titanium Elite status that can get you added value for your points.
Related reading: A review of the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless credit card
Starting after your first year with the card, you’ll also get an anniversary free night each year that’s valid for nights costing up to 35,000 points. And as soon as you get the card, you’ll get 15 elite night credits, which give you automatic Silver Elite status. There’s also a pathway to upgrade to Gold Elite status by spending $35,000 a year on the card.
The Marriott Bonvoy Bold is a great choice if you don’t stay with Marriott enough to justify paying an annual fee. For a card with no annual fee you’ll get perks like 15 elite night credits per year, 3x points at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, 2x points on general travel purchases and 1x points on everything else. This puts the Bonvoy Bold on par with Hilton’s no-annual-fee card, Hilton Honors Card from American Express.
Related reading: Credit Card Review: Marriott Bonvoy Bold
Eligibility
Marriott has restrictions on who can earn welcome bonuses across its cobranded cards. Keep in mind that you won’t be eligible for either card’s welcome offer if:
- You are a current cardholder of the Marriott BonvoyTM Premier credit card (also known as Marriott Rewards® Premier), Marriott Bonvoy BoundlessTM credit card (also known as Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus), Marriott Bonvoy BoldTM credit card, or
- You are a previous cardholder of the Marriott BonvoyTM Premier credit card (also known as Marriott Rewards® Premier), Marriott Bonvoy BoundlessTM credit card (also known as Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus), or Marriott Bonvoy Bold credit card, who received a new cardmember bonus within the last 24 months, or
- You are are a current cardmember, or were a previous cardmember within the last 30 days, of Marriott BonvoyTM American Express® Card (also known as The Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express), or
- You are a current or previous cardholder of either Marriott Bonvoy BusinessTM American Express® Card (also known as The Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express) or Marriott Bonvoy BrilliantTM American Express® Card (also known as the Starwood Preferred Guest® American Express Luxury Card), and received a new cardmember bonus or upgrade bonus in the last 24 months; or
- You applied and were approved for Marriott Bonvoy BusinessTM American Express® Card (also known as The Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express) or Marriott Bonvoy BrilliantTM American Express® Card (also known as the Starwood Preferred Guest® American Express Luxury Card) within the last 90 days.
Note that these restrictions are in addition to Chase’s 5/24 rule, which applies to the Bonvoy Boundless card and the Bonvoy Bold card. So if you’ve opened five or more personal card accounts across issuers in the past 24 months, it’s highly unlikely you’ll be approved for the Boundless.
Related reading: Am I eligible for a new Marriott Bonvoy card?
Bottom Line
The standard bonus for the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card card has hovered at 75,000 Marriott points, so this limited-time offer represents a nice 33% increase and an extra $200 worth of points, based on TPG’s valuations. The Marriott Boundless does come with a $95 annual fee but you should have no problem getting at least that much in value each year from the card. Just the anniversary free night alone should offset the annual fee after the first year.
Given that the Bonvoy Boundless has an offer that’s twice as big and more valuable long-term benefits, most people will be better off applying for that card. But the Bonvoy Bold’s intro offer is 20,000 points higher than its previous bonus, so if you’ve been thinking about applying for that card, now is a great time.
Apply here for the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card.
Apply here for the Marriott Bonvoy Bold card.
Additional reporting by Madison Blancaflor, Jason Stauffer and Benét J. Wilson.
