The Marriott Bonvoy Bold is a strong, beginner-friendly points card with a good earning capacity. You earn double points on purchases made on travel purchases such as airfare, taxis, and trains, all without an annual fee. Another benefit of the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card is its contactless pay capability. You only need to tap the card to a checkout terminal to make your payments. That makes the card more secure when used to settle your accommodation, travel and other related expenses. Moreover, cardholders do not pay international transaction fees.
MoneyGeek’s Take
Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card Review
Travelers who wish to remain loyal to the Marriott Bonvoy chain of hotels around the world can add the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card to their wallets. With this card, you will earn rewards on purchases made while staying in Marriott properties and be able to redeem points for free nights at these properties.
Updated: October 23, 2024
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Moneygeek.com credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.
- PROS
- No foreign transaction fees
- Good welcome offer
- No annual fees
- Annual credit for elite qualifying nights
- Travel and purchase coverage
CONS- Cardholders must use the card at least every 24 months to avoid losing points
- No cash back rewards
- Low value on redemption points outside hotel room awards
- Rewards limited to hotels
Introductory Offers
- Earn 60,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points and a Free Night Award after spending $2,000 in the first three months. The Free Night is valued at 50,000 points.
Rewards
- Earn 3 points per dollar spent at Marriott Bonvoy properties.
- Earn 2 points per dollar on grocery stores, rideshare, select food delivery, select streaming, internet, cable, and phone services.
- Earn 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
APRS, Fees, and Penalties
- No annual fee.
- No foreign transaction fees.
Perks & Benefits
- Break up travel purchases into equal monthly payments with no interest or plan fees on qualifying travel purchases. Terms apply.
To determine the best credit cards, MoneyGeek utilized a detailed step-by-step assessment process. The first step was to obtain the relevant credit card information from the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau. We then generate standard data points and ideal spend profiles, outline the bonuses offered by each card option and carry out a continuous assessment of the information relating to each card every month.
Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card Overview
Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card customers are usually entitled to various bonuses and rewards.
>>MORE: CHASE ULTIMATE REWARDS: PROGRAM GUIDE
Quick Take
- Card users can earn unlimited points
- Only eligible purchases can apply to the $2,000 spend bonus
- Additional terms and conditions may apply
Important Card Details
While this card offers a sign-up bonus to new cardmembers, it is essential to mention that individuals who have the Premier credit card and Boundless credit card from Marriott Bonvoy in the past 24 months are not eligible to receive the bonus. However, the card is an ideal option for individuals seeking to supplement their rewards without an additional annual fee.
Variable APR on Purchases
The Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card has a variable APR of between 20.99% - 27.99% on all purchases. The rates depend on each market’s prime rates and the customer’s creditworthiness. The same APR rates apply for balance transfers as well as the My Chase Loan feature, although promotional offers with fixed APRs may be available on some accounts once in a while.
Penalty APR
Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card customers may also pay a penalty APR of up to 29.99% if they fail to make the minimum payment by the due date or if the payment is returned as unpaid. Most cardholders avoid this penalty since it may last indefinitely if it’s applied to their accounts.
My Chase Plan Fee
This is a fixed monthly rate charged on each eligible purchase transaction per month. For this card, the fee is 1.72% of the transaction cost, and this amount remains constant until you complete payment for your plan.
Balance transfer Fee
The Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card balance transfer fee is $5 or 5% of the amount transferred depending on whichever amount is higher. For instance, if you transfer $50 from another card to your Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card, you will pay $5 since 5% of $50 is $2.50, which is less than $5.
Late payment Fees
Marriott Bonvoy charges $40 as the late fee for the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card as well as a return payment fee of the same amount.
Cash Advance Fee
You will pay $10 or 5% of the amount taken as cash advance based on whichever is greater.
Additional Benefits
There are several other features associated with this card besides its benefits and rewards.
How the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card Compares To Other Cards
The Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card is one of the few cards that combine travel and purchase coverage with no annual fees. If you have good to excellent credit, you can make use of the card to enjoy various rewards. However, other cards may be better suited to your needs.
In-Depth Credit Card Comparisons:
How the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card Compares
Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card
- Annual fee: $0
- Purchase APR: 20.99% - 27.99% variable
- Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 Bonus Points plus 1 Free Night Award after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Free Night valued at 50,000 points. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Balance transfer fee: Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
- Foreign transaction fee: $0
- Cash advance fee: Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each transaction, whichever is greater.
- Best For: Travelers and loyal customers to Marriott Bonvoy
Hilton Honors American Express Card
- Annual fee: $0 See Rates and Fees
- Purchase APR: 20.49%-29.49% variable See Rates and Fees
- Sign up bonus: Earn 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 1/8/2025.
- Balance transfer fee: N/A
- Foreign transaction fee: $0 See Rates and Fees
- Cash advance fee: Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater. See Rates and Fees
- Terms Apply
- Best For: Travelers seeking to earn more points on signup, and who are loyal to the Hilton chain of hotels
Frequently Asked Questions
You need to have good to excellent credit to qualify for the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card.
Yes, this card reports customers’ payment history to all three credit bureaus.
The Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card application process is short. You can submit the application online through the Chase website. Prequalification depends on the Marriott cards you already have.
You will need to provide your personal details such as your name, state and mailing address. You also need to state your financial information and contact details.
The Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card offers an option for individuals to apply for cards and manage their accounts online. There is also a mobile app that you can use to get information about the Marriott Bonvoy hotel amenities as well as dining and transportation options.
Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card credit limits do not increase automatically.
The Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card does not have an option to freeze accounts. However, the contactless payment option ensures adequate security for online payments.
Chase has various other travel and business cards, including the Southwest Rapid Reward Plus credit card, Chase Marriott Boundless credit card and the Ink Business Unlimited credit card.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Card, please click here.
All information about the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card has been collected independently by Moneygeek.com and has not been reviewed by the issuer.
About Doug Milnes, CFA
Doug Milnes is a CFA charter holder with over 10 years of experience in corporate finance and the Head of Credit Cards at MoneyGeek. Formerly, he performed valuations for Duff and Phelps and financial planning and analysis for various companies. His analysis has been cited by U.S. News and World Report, The Hill, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and many other outlets.
Milnes holds a master’s degree in data science from Northwestern University. He geeks out on helping people feel on top of their credit card use, from managing debt to optimizing rewards.
sources
- Chase Credit Cards. "Marriott Bonvoy Bold: Hotel and Travel Credit Card." Accessed October 15, 2024.
- Marriott Bonvoy. "Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards." Accessed October 15, 2024.
- J.D. Power. "2020 U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study." Accessed October 15, 2024.
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