Marriott Bonvoy Boundless credit card review: Worth keeping year after year
| 17X | Earn up to 17X total points per $1 spent at thousands of hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Card. |
| 3X | Earn 3X points per $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining. |
| 2X | 2X points for every $1 spent on all other purchases. |
Editor's Note
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card overview
Even if you aren't a Marriott loyalist, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card is worth considering. It comes with an annual free night and elite night credits but carries a lower annual fee than most other cards in the Marriott card lineup. Card Rating*: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
*Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPG's editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
Marriott offers a diverse credit card portfolio issued by both Chase and American Express. However, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card from Chase stands out as the only entry-level, mid-tier personal Marriott Bonvoy card available to new applicants.
With an annual fee of $95 and a "good" recommended credit score of at least 670 or higher, the Boundless lands just above the lowest-tier Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card. Even those who stay at Marriott properties infrequently can benefit from this card's valuable welcome bonus, annual free night and elite night credits.
Let's take a closer look at whether the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless might be a good addition to your wallet.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless pros and cons
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Marriott Bonvoy Boundless welcome offer
New applicants for the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless can earn three free night awards after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Each night is valued up to 50,000 points; certain hotels may have resort fees.
Based on TPG's March 2025 valuation of Marriott points at 0.7 cents each, this bonus is worth up to $1,050.
The best welcome bonus we've seen on this card is five free night certificates (no longer available), which was worth over $2,000, according to our January 2025 valuations.
Related: A complete guide to the Marriott Bonvoy hotel loyalty program
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless benefits
The Bonvoy Boundless comes with a $95 annual fee, but it should be easy to get several hundred dollars in value out of the card's perks every year. Here are the major ones to consider:
Anniversary free night award
Each year, on account renewal, you'll receive a reward night certificate worth up to 35,000 points a night. You can also top off your certificate with up to 15,000 additional points, making it potentially worth 50,000 points.
TPG's March 2025 valuations peg the value of 35,000 Marriott points at $245, nearly three times the $95 annual fee. But it's possible to get even more value if you're selective about redeeming your reward night.
TPG senior hotels reporter Tanner Saunders says, "I've found that my Boundless card practically pays for itself since the annual free night award quickly covers the $95 annual fee. Add that to the fact the card helps you earn so many points on every dollar spent, and I've been able to use the points I earned with the help of the card for some great stays, including two nights in a one-bedroom suite at a hotel in Atlanta where rates were sky-high when I went to see Taylor Swift."
Elite status
You'll earn automatic Silver elite status with the Bonvoy Boundless, which comes with 10% bonus points on stays and priority late checkout.
The card also offers a path to Gold Elite status by spending $35,000 on purchases each calendar year. However, if you want a card that provides complimentary Gold elite status with Marriott, consider The Platinum Card® from American Express or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (enrollment is required).
Though you can spend your way to Gold Elite status with the Boundless, you're probably better off earning higher status organically via the card's complimentary 15 elite night credit as well as some stays booked directly with Marriott. So, with the Bonvoy Boundless's 15-night credit, you'd only need to stay 35 nights (instead of 50) to earn Platinum Elite status.
If you have the Bonvoy Boundless and a Marriott business card like the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, you can get 30 elite night credits each year just from credit cards, leaving just 20 nights to go to reach Platinum.
Another pathway toward higher status is earning one elite night credit for every $5,000 you spend on purchases with the card.
Other perks
The above benefits represent a few hundred dollars in value each year and easily make up for the $95 annual fee. But the card also offers a few additional perks:
- Baggage delay insurance: If a passenger carrier delays your baggage for over six hours, Chase may reimburse you for essential purchases up to $100 a day for five days
- Lost luggage reimbursement: If a passenger carrier damages or loses your checked or carry-on luggage, Chase may reimburse you up to $3,000 per passenger
- No foreign transaction fees: This perk makes the Bonvoy Boundless ideal for making purchases and booking hotel stays around the world
- Purchase protection: Chase covers most new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft, up to $500 per claim (capped at $50,000 per account)
- Trip delay reimbursement: If you are delayed by more than 12 hours or required to stay overnight when traveling by a common carrier, Chase may reimburse you for select, otherwise unreimbursed expenses up to $500 per ticket
Earning points on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card earns points at the following rates:
- 6 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program
- 3 points per dollar spent on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year at grocery stores and gas stations and on dining
- 2 points per dollar spent on all other purchases
Based on TPG's March 2025 valuations, these rates equate to a 4.2% return on Marriott purchases. On paper, you can do better using the Chase Sapphire Reserve® for Marriott stays. After all, the Chase Sapphire Reserve earns 3 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar (for a 6.15% return, based on TPG's January 2025 valuations) on travel purchases, including hotels.
But you should consider the value you can get from your Marriott points. Platinum and Titanium elite members get a much better return on their award redemptions thanks to a great set of elite benefits. So, if you have a higher tier of status, you might want to pay for frequent Marriott stays with a Bonvoy credit card to earn 6 points per dollar instead of earning different types of reward points.
Redeeming points on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless
Of course, the most obvious way to redeem Marriott Bonvoy points is for hotel stays. There are a few strategies for maximizing your Marriott redemptions, but this is the most straightforward.
Marriott Bonvoy utilizes dynamic pricing for its award nights, which means the number of points needed to redeem fluctuates given demand and availability.
Using Marriott's award calendar search function can help you find the best deal when redeeming your points. For instance, a night at the Renaissance Atlanta Midtown Hotel could run you as low as 98,000 points in the first week of June but up to 150,000 points per night later in the month.
Redemption rates at Marriott properties also fluctuate depending on which brand you stay with. For example, a night at the business traveler-focused Courtyard Paris Gare de Lyon in March could cost 37,000-60,000 points, while the luxurious The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort costs 110,000-136,000 points per night for the same dates.
Another important factor to note is that you'll want to take advantage of the fifth night free on award stays whenever possible. For every five consecutive nights you stay at a Marriott property using points, you'll receive the night that's worth the lowest amount of points for free. This is a strong way to make your points stretch further on longer stays.
Related: Maximize your hotel points by getting a fourth or fifth night free on award stays
Transferring points on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless
Don't forget that Marriott also has almost 40 airline transfer partners, including some interesting frequent flyer programs with otherwise hard-to-earn miles.
Points transfer to most airlines at a 3:1 ratio with 5,000-mile bonuses for every 60,000 Marriott points transferred. (Note that Bonvoy point transfers to American Airlines AAdvantage, Avianca LifeMiles and Delta SkyMiles aren't eligible for the 5,000-mile bonus.)
So, transferring 60,000 Marriott points to Alaska Airlines, for example, would net you 25,000 miles. However, note that most transfers take at least a few days, so if award availability is tight, the ticket you want to book may be gone by the time the transfer is completed.
TPG credit cards writer Danyal Ahmed utilizes his Bonvoy points to top off his AAdvantage account when in need of some extra miles for high-value redemptions, such as on Qatar Airways' award-winning Qsuite.
Related: Marriott Bonvoy program: How to redeem points for hotel stays, airfare and more
Which cards compete with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless?
If you want more Marriott Bonvoy perks or more flexible rewards, you may find one of these cards to be a better match.
- If you want more flexible rewards: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has the same $95 annual fee as the Boundless but earns more versatile Chase Ultimate Rewards. You can transfer the rewards you earn on this card to Marriott and two additional hotel and 11 airline partners. For more details, check out our full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
- If you want more Marriott Bonvoy perks: The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card comes with more Bonvoy benefits like automatic Gold Elite status for a higher $250 annual fee (see rates and fees). For more details, check out our full review of the Bonvoy Bevy.
- If you want premium Bonvoy benefits: The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card is the highest-tier Bonvoy card. It comes with perks that include an annual dining statement credit up to $300, a Bonvoy property credit and complimentary Platinum Elite status. But you'll pay a premium for these perks, with a high $650 annual fee (see rates and fees). For more details, check out our full review of the Bonvoy Brilliant.
For additional options, check out our full list of the best Marriott Bonvoy credit cards and best hotel credit cards.
Related: Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful vs. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless
Bottom Line
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card is in an interesting spot. One of two entry-level consumer credit cards in the Bonvoy program, the Boundless makes sense for many Marriott travelers. But strict bonus restrictions and fierce competition from other Chase cards mean you should consider which card will suit your needs before applying.
Still, if you've already built out your Chase trifecta and confirmed that you are eligible for the bonus, the Bonvoy Boundless can be a solid addition to your wallet. You should have no trouble getting $200-$300 of value from your anniversary reward night certificate alone, a great return on the $95 annual fee attached to the Bonvoy Boundless.
Apply here: Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex, click here
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Amex, click here