Marriott Bonvoy Bold credit card review 2024

Our quick take: The Marriott Bonvoy Bold? Credit Card * The information for the Marriott Bonvoy Bold? Credit Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. lets you rack up more points in the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program and get automatic Silver Elite status and several travel insurance protections, all without paying an annual fee.

Pros:

• Earn 3 points for every dollar you spend on Marriott purchases
• Earn 2 points per dollar on all other travel purchases
• Earn 1 point per dollar on everything else
• Complimentary Silver Elite status for being a cardholder
• Purchase protection against damage or theft, lost luggage reimbursement, baggage delay insurance and trip delay reimbursement
• No annual fee

Cons:

• Meager elite hotel benefits
• Marriott Bonvoy points aren’t as valuable as some other hotel rewards points

Current welcome bonus: Earn 30,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.

Best for: Marriott loyalists who don’t want to pay a fee for their credit card, but want to earn more Marriott points on spending and get basic elite status without any paid stays.

Introducing the Marriott Bold card

If you love staying with the Marriott hotel brand and you want a credit card that lets you earn rewards in this program without an annual fee, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold should be at the top of your list. There are definitely more rewarding Marriott credit cards out there, including ones that offer higher elite status, annual travel credits and important elite perks. However, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold is more of a basic hotel credit card for the occasional traveler who wants some rewards without making a big commitment.

In addition to the initial bonus points you can earn, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold is fairly rewarding on your regular spending. For example, you’ll earn 3 points for every dollar you spend on the card at Marriott properties. That’s in addition to 10 points per dollar at Marriott for being a Marriott Bonvoy member and another 1 point per dollar for being a Silver Elite, a status that’s complimentary with this card.



What else does Silver Elite status with Marriott get you? To be honest, not a lot, although it’s better than nothing. The perks include an ultimate reservation guarantee, late checkout and a 10% bonus on the points you earn on paid Marriott stays.

More importantly, signing up for the Marriott Bonvoy Bold gives you a leg up because you’re starting out with 15 elite night credits each year that you have the card. This makes it much easier to climb the elite status ladder through additional paid nights and spending.

Advantages of the Marriott Bold card

The two major advantages of the Marriott Bonvoy Bold are its lack of an annual fee and the automatic Silver Elite status you get as a card holder. However, this card’s initial welcome bonus offer is also worth pursuing — even if you’re not especially loyal to the Marriott brand.

Considering free night awards with the Marriott Bonvoy program start at 5,000 points, the current welcome bonus on this card could be worth six off-peak award nights in a Category 1 property. And in case you don’t know, Marriott gives you a free night when you redeem points for five consecutive nights in one reservation.

The Marriott Bonvoy Bold also offers a surprising number of benefits for a hotel credit card, much less one with no annual fee. For example, card holders receive purchase protection against damage or theft, baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement and trip delay reimbursement.

Disadvantages of the Marriott Bold card

The main disadvantage of the Marriott Bonvoy Bold is its lack of major benefits. Silver is the lowest tier of elite status in the Marriott program, and it won’t get you major hotel perks like free breakfast or complimentary upgrades.

Also, keep in mind that Marriott Bonvoy points aren’t as valuable as some other hotel loyalty points, such as rewards in the World of Hyatt program, which means you’ll need a lot of points to book even a middle-tier Marriott property. For example, one night in a mid-tier property over standard travel dates could set you back 25,000 points. That means you could fork over most of the welcome bonus from the Marriott Bold for just one night at the TownePlace Suites in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

However, Marriott got rid of its award charts in March 2022 and began pricing awards based indirectly on the cash rate that you’d normally pay for the same room. This undoubtedly makes some redemptions cost more than they used to, but it could also lead to some current redemptions dropping in price.

Other credit cards similar to the Marriott Bold

If you’re willing to pay a $95 annual fee, you can sign up instead for the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless? Credit Card * The information for the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless? Credit Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. and earn?Earn 3 Free Night Awards after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening.. This Marriott credit card also earns more points on Marriott purchases and comes with a free night award (good at properties worth up to 35,000 points) starting with the second year you have the card and every year thereafter.

Luxury travelers can also consider the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant? American Express? Card (terms apply, see rates and fees), which is currently offering one of the highest points welcome offers amongst the Marriott credit card portfolio.

This card charges a hefty $650 annual fee, yet true Marriott enthusiasts will get plenty of value thanks to benefits like a Earn 95,000 points, a Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership (enrollment required), cell phone protection, a fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck? membership and more. With this card, you’ll also receive an Annual Free Night Certificate which can be redeemed at any Marriott property up to 85,000 points per night.

Finally, let’s not forget that Marriott Bonvoy is a Chase Travel? partner. This means you can use cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred? Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve? to earn rewards and transfer them to Marriott at a one-to-one ratio. While Chase points are worth considerably more on average than Marriott points, the ability to transfer points to Marriott can be helpful if you need to top off your account for a redemption you want to make.

Should you get the Marriott Bold credit card?

At the end of the day, you should decide whether you’re willing to pay an annual fee, as well as whether the earning rates on cards you’re considering align with your normal spending habits. If you’re not a regular Marriott traveler, then you might be better off with a different card, or you can pick up this card just for the welcome bonus and keep it since it has no annual fee.

But true Marriott enthusiasts who are avoiding credit cards with annual fees should consider the Marriott Bonvoy Bold. While you’ll get more from other Marriott credit cards, you’ll pay an annual fee for the privilege, which makes the Marriott Bold an intriguing option for the budget-conscious traveler.

To view rates and fees of Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant? American Express? Card, please visit this page.