MoneyGeek's Take

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card Review

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card is a high-earning travel rewards card with perks for Marriott Bonvoy loyalty members. The card offers a free night stay each cardmember anniversary and a welcome offer of earning 3 free nights after spending $3,000 in purchases during the first three months of activating your account (each night is worth up to 50,000 points). Cardholders are also granted Silver Elite status each year.

Advertising & Editorial DisclosureLast Updated: 11/21/2022
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Last Updated: 11/21/2022

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card is for travelers who want to amp up their earning and redemption rewards from Marriott-branded hotels. The 2x earning on all purchases is a simple and easy way to quickly earn points for redemptions at participating Marriott properties. This card has a relatively high APR on purchases, balance transfers and cash advances. However, the lack of transaction fees means you’ll want to carry this card in your wallet when you’re traveling abroad.

Card Details to Know Up Front
  • Bonus, Fee or Feature
    Has or Not
  • Has Annual Fee
  • Has Balance Transfer Offer
  • Has APR Offer
  • Cash Back Rewards
  • Travel Rewards
Click to see this card’s rates, fees and how they compare to other cards in our dataset.
OUR REVIEW AT A GLANCE

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card at a Glance

If you have good credit and intend to stay in Marriott properties while traveling, you’ll want to take advantage of Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card benefits. The card earns 17x points on purchases made directly with Marriott and 2x points on all other purchases. It is ideal for members seeking frequent or upgraded stays with the Marriott hotel chain.


  • Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card

    An excellent card for earning reward points and free nights at Marriott hotels

    • Good-ExcellentRecommended Credit
    • $95Annual Fee
    • 2 Points per $1Rewards Rate
    • 6xRewards Rate at Hotels
    • 2xRewards Rate on Dining

    Terms, rates and fees apply

    Compare this credit card with other top-rated cards from our partners.

Pros & Cons Explained

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card has several features that deserve consideration. It is essential, however, to also consider its shortcomings.

Pros

  • Benefits
    Description
  • Huge sign-up bonus
    Chase offers a welcome offer of earning 3 free nights after spending $3,000 in purchases during the first three months of activating your account (each night is worth up to 50,000 points). New cardholders also get 10X total points on eligible purchases across various categories.
  • No foreign transaction fee
    Using the card outside of the United States does not incur any international transaction fees, which are usually about 3% per transaction on other cards.
  • Travel and purchase protection
    With the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card, you will be entitled to luggage delay coverage, purchase protection, trip delay and lost luggage reimbursement.
  • Automatic Silver Elite benefits
    You automatically earn Silver Elite status at each account anniversary year if you have this card.

Cons

  • Drawbacks
    Description
  • Annual fee
    While the Marriott Bonvoy Bold card doesn’t charge an annual fee, you will need to pay $95 each year after your Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card application.
  • No intro APR
    Like most other hotel cards, you will not get an intro APR with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card.
  • No cash back rewards
    You will not receive any cash back rewards while using this card
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LOOKING FOR THE BEST CREDIT CARDS OF 2022?

MoneyGeek carries out a monthly analysis of credit card data to establish the best options across popular card categories. You can check out some of MoneyGeek’s recommended top travel cards for comparison with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card.

Bonuses & Rewards Explained

With the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card, you have the potential to earn 3 free nights after spending $3,000 in purchases during the first three months of activating your account (each night is worth up to 50,000 points). You also get 10X total points for making combined purchases of up to $2,500 on groceries, meals and gas within the first six months of getting your card. You also get several other rewards.

1

Anniversary hotel night

You can get a free hotel night each year at any hotel up to a redemption value of 35,000 Bonvoy points.

2

Up to 17 points at Marriott hotels

You can earn six points for each $1 spent at any of the 7,000 Marriott hotels with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card, up to 10 points for being a Marriott Bonvoy member and one point for having the silver elite status.

3

Earn 2 points per dollar on all other purchases

Cardholders earn two points for each dollar spent on groceries, gas, dining costs, entertainment and online shopping using the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card.

Other Features Explained

Beyond the points you can get with this card, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card offers other benefits and features. Read through them to understand if the card is right for you.

  • Card Feature
    Description
  • Balance transfers
    The card allows you to transfer outstanding balances from other cards. However, due to its high APR on balance transfers, you may want to avoid using this feature.
  • Contactless pay
    The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card supports contactless pay. You will only need to tap your card to the checkout terminal to settle your transactions.
  • Purchase Protection
    You will get coverage for your new purchases against theft and damage for a maximum of 120 days against theft and damage. The limits for these are $500 per claim and $50,000 per account.
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MONEYGEEK EXPERT TIP

"Keep in mind that when you book through Marriott’s Bonvoy loyalty program, the fifth night is free. By staying five consecutive nights at the same hotel, you’ll only be charged for four nights. Using this strategy can help the points you earn go much further." - Alene Laney, Credit Card Journalist

Understanding the Fine Print

Cardholders pay various fees with the Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card. While the card does not have foreign transaction fees, you will need to pay an annual fee as well as a balance transfer and cash advance fee. With its variable APR on purchases and balance transfers, you may need to ensure that you do not delay in making your monthly payments as this will result in high interest.

  • Card Feature
    Amount or Rate
  • APR
    18.99% – 25.99%
  • Annual Fee
    $95
  • Cash Back Rewards
  • Rewards Rate
    2 Points per $1
  • Airline Benefits
  • This is an icon

    Variable APR on purchases and balance transfer

    The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card comes with a fairly high variable APR ranging from 18.99% to 25.99% depending on your creditworthiness. This APR applies to purchases as well as balance transfers. However, cash advances have an APR of 27.99%.

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    Balance Transfer Fee

    Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card customers pay $5 or 5% of the transaction amount for transferring cash from another card, whichever is higher. That means if you transfer $100, you will pay $5.

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    Cash Advance Fee

    The cash advance fee for this card is $10 or 5% of the advance amount, depending on which is higher. Therefore, if you request a cash advance of $100, you will pay a fee of $10.

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    Annual Fee

    With this card, you will be charged an annual fee of $95.

  • This is an icon

    Late Fee

    You will pay up to $40 for making your payments past the due date. You will also get a penalty APR of 29.99%.

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FINDING YOUR CARD'S RATES AND FEES

While comparing the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card with other top travel cards, some of the features to pay attention to include the APR, annual, balance transfer and cash advance fees as well as the travel perks associated with each card. If you are comparing it with one of the cards you have, simply check the provider’s website or app or your last billing statement for useful information. You may also find this information in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s credit card agreement database.

Who Should & Shouldn’t Consider Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card?

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Other Considerations for Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card

Before applying for this card, you should first understand the benefits and rewards you will receive as a new customer and after using it for a certain period. The card allows you to earn unlimited Marriott Bonvoy points and get free nights faster. However, this card may not be the best to supplement other cards you may have due to its variable APR and the fact that you will need to pay an annual fee on it.

Things to Consider if This Will Be Your First or Only Credit Card

If you intend to use the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card as your only card, you will need to consider its relatively high APR rates when making purchases and balance transfers. If you allow your balances to roll over to the next month, you will likely pay a lot of interest.

Things to Consider if This Will Be an Additional Card in Your Wallet

If you intend to use the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card to supplement other cards, you may benefit from using it for international travel and purchases since it has no foreign transaction fees. However, having to pay an annual fee and not having any cash back rewards may be some of the drawbacks you will need to deal with. MoneyGeek does not advise you to use this card to transfer outstanding balances from other cards given the relatively high APR charged on such transfers.

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WHY TRUST OUR REVIEWS

MoneyGeek uses a streamlined methodology and review process to rank credit cards. Our process starts with getting credit card details from the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau’s database and standardizing data points to be used in comparing these details. The process also entails estimating average spend profiles, setting long-term value and re-ranking the cards on a regular basis.

How Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card Compares to Other Cards

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card stands out among other Marriot Bonvoy cards because of its generous rewards, including three free nights for meeting the threshold for qualifying purchases, up to 17 total points per $1 spent in a Marriott hotel and automatic Silver Elite status after each account anniversary. However, some people may prefer other options depending on the features they want in a card.

In-Depth Credit Card Comparisons:
Quick Comparison of Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
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Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card

  • Annual Fee: $95
  • Purchase APR: 18.99% – 25.99%
  • Balance Transfer Fee: 5%
  • Foreign transaction fee: $0
  • Cash Advance Fee: $10 or 5%
  • Hotel reward rate: 6X
  • Cash Back Reward: None
  • Best For: Overseas travel with a focus on the hotel benefits
creditCard1

IHG® Rewards Traveler Credit Card

  • Annual Fee: $0
  • Purchase APR: 19.74% - 26.74%
  • Balance Transfer Fee: 5%
  • Foreign transaction fee: $0
  • Cash Advance Fee: 5%
  • Hotel reward rate: 15X
  • Cash Back Reward: None
  • Best For: w/ link to CC’s review page: Ideal for travelers seeking a card with no annual fees but with more hotel rewards than the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card.

Other Helpful Decision-Making Q&As

If you are still unsure whether the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card is a good option for you, here are answers to some of the commonly asked questions to help you make an informed decision.

Still not sure about this card? Consider these options.

Is the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card a good card? If you are not sure about how well this card might suit your needs, you may consider comparing it with other leading cards in various categories. If you are not interested in getting a travel card, you can also check out MoneyGeek’s analysis of balance transfer cards, best reward cards and many other categories.

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*Rates, fees or bonuses may vary or include specific stipulations. The content on this page is accurate as of the posting/last updated date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. We recommend visiting the card issuer’s website for the most up-to-date information available.
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses and recommendations are the author’s alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity.
Advertiser Disclosure: MoneyGeek has partnered with CardRatings.com and CreditCards.com for our coverage of credit card products. MoneyGeek, CardRatings and CreditCards.com may receive a commission from card issuers. To ensure thorough comparisons and reviews, MoneyGeek features products from both paid partners and unaffiliated card issuers that are not paid partners.