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Annual Fee: $0
Earn 45,000 Bonus Points after spending $1,000 on eligible purchases within 3 months of account opening with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card.
Earn 45,000 Bonus Points after spending $1,000 on eligible purchases within 3 months of account opening with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card.
This is Marriott’s entry-level personal co-branded card, and for no annual fee, it's a decent deal. You do lose out on some of the travel perks and higher spend categories that their premium cards offer, but if you’re just getting into the travel game and want to test the waters without having to pay an annual fee (but still earn some points along the way), this is a great option.
[.redeem] 14X [.redeem] per $1 at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. That's 3X from the Card, up to 10X as a Marriott Bonvoy member, and up to 1X more from Silver Elite status.
[.redeem] 2X [.redeem] per $1 at grocery stores.
[.redeem] 2X [.redeem] per $1 on rideshare and select food delivery.
[.redeem] 2X [.redeem] per $1 on select streaming, and internet, cable, and phone services.
[.redeem] 2X [.redeem] per $1 on all other eligible purchases.
🏆 Best for Marriott Free Nights
🏆 Best for Marriott Free Nights
Annual Fee: $95
🏆 Marriott Elite Status
🏆 Marriott Elite Status
Annual Fee: $250
Earn 45,000 Bonus Points after spending $1,000 on eligible purchases within 3 months of account opening with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card.
There's a version of the points-and-miles conversation that skips straight past cards like this one, and I think that's a mistake.
The Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card is not exciting. It's a $0 annual fee card with a modest earn rate and an entry-level status tier that mostly gets you late checkout and Wi-Fi. But the welcome offer is very approachable, ANNNND the lowest spending requirement anywhere in the Marriott co-branded lineup. Plus, there's no annual fee, so you never have to sit down in December and decide whether it earned its keep.
That's the whole pitch, and it's a better pitch than it sounds like. For someone taking their first real swing at hotel points, a card that asks nothing of you every year is worth more than a slightly better earn rate you have to keep justifying.
[.pro] $0 annual fee, so there's no annual math to do [.pro]
[.pro] Up to 14X total points per $1 at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® [.pro]
[.pro] The lowest welcome offer spending requirement in the current Marriott lineup at $1,000 in three months [.pro]
[.pro] Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite Status® for as long as your account is open [.pro]
[.pro] No foreign transaction fee [.pro]
[.con] Just 5 Elite Night Credits a year which makes this a weak status tool [.con]
[.con] No annual Free Night Award, which is what the paid Bonvoy cards are really selling [.con]
[.con] Silver is the entry status tier, so the perks are real but modest [.con]
[.con] The 2X categories are narrow and everything else earns 1X [.con]
[.redeem] 14X [.redeem] per $1 at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. That's 3X from the Card, up to 10X as a Marriott Bonvoy member, and up to 1X more from Silver Elite status.
[.redeem] 2X [.redeem] per $1 at grocery stores.
[.redeem] 2X [.redeem] per $1 on rideshare and select food delivery.
[.redeem] 2X [.redeem] per $1 on select streaming, and internet, cable, and phone services.
[.redeem] 2X [.redeem] per $1 on all other eligible purchases.
[.dontreco] We don't recommend: Using it for everyday spending outside the bonus categories[.dontreco]
1X on everything else isn't competitive, and Marriott Bonvoy points only work inside Marriott. If you're putting real volume on a card, put it somewhere that earns a currency you can move around.
[.sometimesreco] We sometimes recommend: Keeping it as your permanent Bonvoy anchor [.sometimesreco]
This card costs nothing, and it keeps your Silver status active as long as the account is open. An old account with no fee is good for your credit profile. Plenty of people keep this one indefinitely and do their real earning elsewhere.
[.alwaysreco] We always recommend: Booking your Marriott stays directly and putting them on this card [.alwaysreco]
The 14X figure only shows up on eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, and only when all three layers apply. Book direct.
If you want more flexibility alongside your Marriott points, the Sapphire Preferred is a great partner. Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred directly to Marriott when you need a little extra, but they’re also great with other transfer hotel and airline transfer partners. This gives you a way to diversify your travel rewards without relying just on Marriott redemptions.
1. The First-Hotel-Card Person
You've decided points are worth paying attention to and you don't want your first move to cost you money. The welcome offer spending requirement is something most households hit without changing anything.
2. The Two-Trips-a-Year Marriott Guest
You stay at a Courtyard for work a couple times a year and a nicer property on vacation. You don't want a premium Bonvoy card with an annual fee, but you'd still like the stays to count for something. This is the version of that card that doesn't punish you for being occasional.
3. The Keeper
You already have your real earning setup figured out and you want a no-fee card that maintains Marriott status in the background. Silver isn't much, but priority late checkout has saved more travel days than it gets credit for.
If you're chasing Marriott status, this isn't your card. Five Elite Night Credits doesn't move the needle, and every other card in the lineup gives you more.
If you want an annual Free Night Award, you'll need to look at a card with a fee. That's the actual trade you're making by going no-fee here.
And if the bulk of your spending is outside grocery stores, rideshare, food delivery, streaming, and telecom, you'll earn more elsewhere on the same dollars.
The usual rules apply too. If your credit isn't in good shape, work on that first, and if a new card will pull you into spending you can't pay off in full, the points will never keep up with the interest.
A good to excellent credit score is recommended for the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card.
