Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card review: Solid mid-tier option

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card

Bankrate Score

Rating: 4.7 stars out of 5

4.7

Annual fee

$95

Intro offer

Earn 3 Free Night Awards

Earn 3 Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card!

Rewards rate

2X - 17X

Earn up to 17X total points per $1 spent at thousands of hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Card. Earn 3X points per $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining. 2X points for every $1 spent on all other purchases.

Recommended Credit Score

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)

A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.

Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card

Bankrate Score

Rating: 4.3 stars out of 5

4.3

Annual fee

$0

Intro offer

Earn 30,000 Bonus Points

Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after spending $1,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card!

Rewards rate

1X - 14X

Earn up to 14X total points for every $1 spent at thousands of hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Earn 2X points for every $1 spent at grocery stores, rideshare, select food delivery, select streaming, and internet, cable, and phone services. 1X point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.

Recommended Credit Score

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)

A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Bankrate Score

Rating: 4.9 stars out of 5

4.9

Apply now

on Chase's secure site

Annual fee

$95

Intro offer

60,000 bonus points

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Rewards rate

1x - 5x

5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠. 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries. 2x on all other travel purchases. 1x on all other purchases.

Recommended Credit Score

Good to Excellent (670 – 850)

A FICO score/credit score is used to represent the creditworthiness of a person and may be one indicator to the credit type you are eligible for. However, credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.

• Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Card vs. Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Card

  The no-annual-fee Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card offers the same automatic Silver Elite status as the Boundless, but only provides five elite night credits each year. You also won’t earn as much at Boundless on Marriott stays (up to 14X total points) or any of the Boundless’ bonus categories. However, the Bold offers 2X bonus points in some categories the Boundless doesn’t. The Bonvoy Boundless card offers a higher welcome bonus and better overall rewards rate, but the Bold card may better suit occasional travelers not interested in paying an annual fee and who might optimize the Bold’s bonus categories better.

• Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

  Earning Ultimate Rewards with the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card gives you more flexibility in how you redeem rewards, including the ability to transfer to Marriott Bonvoy. While both cards have the same $95 annual fee, the Sapphire Preferred Card offers superior travel insurance benefits and the potential to earn higher rewards with its bonus categories. The only categories that offer a better return with the Boundless are gas stations, in-person grocery store shopping and Marriott stays. Otherwise, you’re better off with the Sapphire Preferred.

• Occasional Marriott guests

  Occasional guests of Marriott can get some additional benefit from the automatic elite status benefits that come with the Boundless card. The rewards are solid too, even if you don't frequent Marriott stays.

• Budget travelers

  With a free night every year that is ideally suited for budget Marriott properties, people looking for no-frills accommodations can get solid value with the Boundless card. Plus, while the 15 Elite Night Credits might not be much, they can still help put off the edge if you are traveling on a budget. 

• Rewards value

  The primary criteria for a rewards or cash back card’s rating is its rewards value. This includes the card’s average rewards rate, estimated annual rewards earnings, sign-up bonus value and reward redemption value.

  To estimate a card’s average annual rewards earnings, we first calculate its average rewards rate based on how much it earns in different bonus categories and how closely its categories align with the average person’s spending habits, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

  The most recent BLS data estimates average total spending in 2023 was $77,280 per consumer. We then narrow our focus to which purchases are likely to be put on a credit card and earn rewards, subtracting expenditures like housing, vehicle purchases and education. This gives us a total “chargeable” annual spend of around $22,500.  

  Some of the major spending categories that contribute towards the annual spend include:

  • Groceries: $6,000

  • Dining out: $3,900

  • Entertainment: $2,500

  • Gas: $2,400

  • Apparel and services: $2,000

  Using this data, we assign a weighting to each of a card’s bonus categories. For example, a card’s grocery rewards rate receives a 26 percent weighting based on how much of the average person’s budget is spent on groceries. We also estimate the redemption value of points or miles from various issuer, airline and hotel rewards programs.

  This weighting and rewards valuation allows us to estimate a card’s average annual rewards earnings — how many points or miles you’d earn with a given card if your spending was about average and you used the card for all of your purchases, as well as what those points are worth. We also use point valuations to determine a card’s sign-up bonus value.

  With these calculations complete, we assign each card a score based on how its average rewards earnings, sign-up bonus value, rewards rate and redemption value stack up against other rewards cards.

• Rates and fees

  We also rate cards based on how much it costs to keep them in your wallet or carry a balance. 

  To start, each rewards or cash back card is scored based on whether it offers an intro APR and how its ongoing APR compares to the rates available on other rewards or cash back cards. 

  We also score each card based on how its annual fee influences its overall value. 

  We consider a card’s annual fee in two ways — how it ranks relative to the fees you’ll find on other cards in the category and how it impacts a card’s overall rewards value. Cards with an annual fee will always be at a slight disadvantage in our scoring system since annual fees inherently cut into your rewards value, but if a card offers terrific value via its ongoing rewards and perks, it can earn a high score even if it carries a high annual fee. 

  With this in mind, we rate a card based primarily on how its ongoing rewards value and ongoing perk value (such as annual credits or bonuses) stack up against other cards in the category when you subtract its annual fee.

• Flexibility

  We rate each card’s flexibility based on the restrictions it imposes on earning and redeeming rewards and factor this rating into a card’s overall score. 

  Flexibility factors include whether a card only allows you to earn a high rewards rate on a small amount of spending or requires you to meet a certain earning threshold before you can redeem rewards. We also examine whether your points are worth less when you redeem for some options versus others and whether a card gives you the flexibility to transfer rewards to airline and hotel partners.

• Perks

  We also score each card’s set of features – its perks and benefits — against five tiers of features to provide a rating. 

  We break down these tiers as follows:

  • Tier 1 has less than standard card features (an ultra-streamlined card that offers basic utility and next to nothing in the way of ancillary benefits. 

  • Tier 2 includes the benefits you’d expect on standard Visa or Mastercard credit cards, such as free access to your credit score, car rental insurance and $0 liability for fraudulent charges. 

  • Tier 3 includes “prime card” or better-than-average card features like cellphone insurance, lost luggage insurance, concierge services and purchase protection. 

  • Tier 4 includes luxury features such as airport lounge access, elite status with an airline or hotel and credits for expedited security screening membership programs. 

  • Tier 5 includes the sort of exemplary benefits you’ll find on top-tier luxury cards, such as high-value travel credits, cardholder memberships and other unique and valuable perks.

• Can I have a Marriott Bonvoy co-branded card from Chase and American Express?

  Yes, as long as you meet the eligibility requirements, you can hold Marriott co-branded cards with both Chase and American Express. You can also have both personal and business cards concurrently.

• What credit score do I need to qualify for the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card?

  You’ll need at least good credit to have the best chance for approval, meaning a FICO score of 670 or higher. Most co-branded hotel cards have similar requirements.

• What application restrictions does the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card have?

  Marriott has some of the most complicated application and eligibility restrictions for their co-branded cards. Generally, these depend on which Marriott cards you have or previously had, whether you’ve earned a welcome bonus on those cards and how long it’s been since you’ve applied for other Marriott cards. Additionally, American Express restricts you to one new Amex card approval in five days and two per 90 days. Chase’s 5/24 rule also restricts you to only five new cards from any issuer within the past 24 months.

What cardholders think

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card

4.5

38 ratings

In May 2024, Bankrate collaborated with third-party SliceMR to survey 6160 cardholders nationwide. Bankrate and Slice MR collected, averaged and presented website analytics and cardholder responses to six questions on a 5-point scale. Responses are unedited and have not been reviewed or approved by credit card issuers.

95% of customers recommend this card

Score breakdown

5 stars

58%

4 stars

37%

3 stars

5%

2 stars

0%

1 star

0%

Score by category

Overall 4.5 / 5

Extra perks 4.3 / 5

Privacy and security 4.7 / 5

Customer service 4.3 / 5

Online portal or mobile app 4.6 / 5

Ease of rewards redemption 4.5 / 5

Rewards value 4.6 / 5

In May 2024, Bankrate collaborated with third-party SliceMR to survey 6160 cardholders nationwide. Bankrate and Slice MR collected, averaged and presented website analytics and cardholder responses to six questions on a 5-point scale. Responses are based on individual cardholder’s product details, and therefore cannot be verified for accuracy. Users received an incentive for their feedback. User ratings are unedited and have not been reviewed or approved by credit card issuers, nor do these ratings reflect Bankrate’s own reviews of these cards.