Travel September 30, 2025 0 Comments

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card: The Surprising Perk That Makes It a Must-Have Year After Year

Ever wondered if a credit card could actually reward you with more than just points and promises? The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card might just be the sneaky little gem in the Marriott lineup you didn’t see coming. With an annual fee standing modestly at $95, it throws in benefits like an annual free night award and elite night credits that many pricier cards only dream about. Even if you’re not married to Marriott, this card can tip the scales in your favor — offering value without the usual hefty price tag. Curious if it fits your travel game plan or wallet goals? Let’s unravel what makes the Bonvoy Boundless tick and see if it deserves a spot in your card deck. LEARN MORE

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card overview

Even if you aren’t a Marriott loyalist, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (see rates and fees) is worth considering. It comes with an annual free night award 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 card portfolio issued by both Chase and American Express. However, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card from Chase stands out as the only mid-tier personal Marriott Bonvoy card available to new applicants.

This card features a $95 annual fee, and we recommend you have a credit score of 670 or higher to increase your chances of being approved. Even if you only stay at Marriott properties once in a blue moon, you can benefit from this card’s welcome bonus and benefits.

Let’s dive deeper to see whether the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless makes sense for your wallet.

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless pros and cons

Pros	Cons
Annual free night award Elite night credits Automatic Silver Elite status A pathway to Gold Elite status	Other Marriott cards offer higher elite status Fewer premium perks than higher-tier cards Charges an annual fee

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless welcome offer

New applicants for the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless can earn 125,000 bonus points and one free night award (valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $3,000 within the first three months of account opening. Note: Certain hotels have resort fees.

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card art — THE POINTS GUY

TPG’s September 2025 valuations peg Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.7 cents each, making this bonus worth up to $1,225 if you fully max out the free night at 50,000 points (for a total welcome bonus of 175,000 points).

This welcome offer is higher than the standard one we typically see, making now a good time to apply if you’ve been considering this card.

It’s also important to note the eligibility requirements for this card:

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To be approved, you’ll need to be under the Chase 5/24 rule since this card is issued by Chase.
Additionally, Marriott cobranded cards are known for having strict and somewhat confusing eligibility requirements, and unfortunately, the Boundless is subject to these rules.

Before submitting an application, be sure to check the eligibility requirements. Generally, you should not have received a welcome bonus on another Marriott or former Starwood Preferred Guest credit card within a certain period of time when applying for a new cobranded Marriott card.

Additionally, if you currently hold a Marriott cobranded card, you may not be eligible for this card’s welcome bonus now.

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 free night certificate worth up to 35,000 points. You can also top off your certificate with up to 15,000 additional points, making it potentially worth 50,000 points.

TPG’s September 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.

Marriott hotel — TARAH CHIEFFI/THE POINTS GUY

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 that 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

With the Bonvoy Boundless, you’ll earn automatic Silver Elite status, which comes with 10% bonus points on stays and priority late checkout.

The card also offers a path to Gold Elite status: 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; terms apply).

Although you can unlock Gold Elite status through spending, you’re probably better off earning higher status organically via the card’s complimentary 15 elite night credits, as well as some stays booked directly with Marriott. For example, with the Boundless’ 15 nights, you’d only need to stay 35 nights (instead of 50) to earn Platinum Elite status.

Renaissance Honolulu — CLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY

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 only 20 nights to go to reach Platinum Elite.

Another pathway toward higher status is earning one elite night credit for every $5,000 you spend on purchases with this 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 covered traveler.
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 on a common carrier, Chase may reimburse you for select, otherwise unreimbursed expenses, up to $500 per covered traveler.

Earning points on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card earns points at the following rates:

Up to 17 points per dollar spent on eligible Marriott stays:
Up to 10 points per dollar from being a Bonvoy member
6 points per dollar by paying with this card
Up to 1 point per dollar from your Marriott Silver Elite Status, a benefit of being a Marriott Bonvoy Boundless cardmember. This equates to a total 11.9% return on spending based on TPG’s September 2025 valuations
3 points per dollar spent on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on dining, at gas stations and grocery stores
2 points per dollar spent on all other purchases

JW. Marriott — TARAH CHIEFFI/THE POINTS GUY

The bonus points you earn thanks to the complimentary elite status that comes with this card can be valuable — especially if you’re committed to earning Marriott Bonvoy 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 33,000 points in the first week of November but up to 43,000 points per night later in the month.

Renaissance Atlanta Midtown screenshot — MARRIOTT

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 June could cost 65,000-68,000 points, while the luxurious The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort costs 128,000-140,000 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 (known as “Stay for 5, Pay for 4”) 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 number of points for free. This is a strong way to make your points stretch further on longer stays.

TPG credit cards writer Chris Nelson is using this fifth-night-free perk on an upcoming stay at the AC Hotel Cape Town Waterfront, where he is redeeming just under 100,000 points for seven nights.

Transferring points on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless

Marriott lets you transfer points to nearly 40 airline partners, including some with hard-to-earn currencies like Frontier Airlines and Korean Air. Most transfers are at a 3:1 ratio, with a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 points transferred.

While this can be useful for topping off an account or booking an award flight, it’s usually not the best use of Bonvoy points — especially since most transfers take a few days, and award space may disappear before your transfer completes.

Qatar Qsuite business class — ERIC ROSEN/THE POINTS GUY

TPG credit cards writer Danyal Ahmed uses his Bonvoy points to top off his American Airlines AAdvantage account when he needs some extra miles for high-value redemptions, such as on Qatar Airways’ award-winning Qsuite.

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:

For additional options, check out our full list of the best Marriott Bonvoy credit cards and best hotel credit cards.

Bottom line

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless offers solid value for its $95 annual fee, with perks usually found on more expensive cards. It’s a good fit for the occasional Marriott guest — but be mindful of the strict bonus rules and Chase’s 5/24 limits.

If you’ve already completed the Chase Trifecta and qualify for the bonus, this card can be a smart addition to your wallet.

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.