The Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card serves as Marriott’s entry-level credit card option with bonus points on hotel stays and travel purchases. While it provides useful benefits like Silver Elite status and travel protections, you’ll find more limited earning potential compared to Marriott’s premium card options.
This credit card review will cover everything you need to know about this card to determine if you should add this card or a different card to your wallet. Let’s dive right in.
- Earn 60,000 Bonus Points after spending $1,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.
- 3X Points at Marriott and 2X Points on Other Travel Purchases
- Silver Elite Status + 15 Elite Night Credits
- Trip Delay Insurance
- 120-Day Purchase Protection
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- $0 Annual Fee
Welcome Bonus
The Bonvoy Bold Card currently offers the following welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 Bonus Points after spending $1,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.
You won’t be eligible for the Marriott Bonvoy Bold welcome bonus if you currently have or recently held certain Marriott cards. These restrictions include current cardholders of the Marriott Bonvoy Premier Card, Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card, or Marriott Bonvoy Bold Card. The same applies if you’ve received a welcome bonus on any of these cards in the past 24 months.
The restrictions extend to American Express Marriott cards as well. If you currently have or had the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card within the last 30 days, you won’t qualify. Similarly, if you’ve received a welcome bonus in the past 24 months on the Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card, or Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Card, you’ll need to wait. Additionally, opening any of these Amex Marriott cards in the past 90 days will make you ineligible.
Chase’s standard 5/24 rule also applies here – if you’ve opened 5 or more credit cards in the past 24 months across all issuers, you likely won’t be approved.
Earning Marriott Bonvoy Points
The Bonvoy Bold Card allows cardholders to earn Marriott points at the following rates:
For a no-annual-fee card, the earning rates are quite weak compared to other options in the market. While 3x at Marriott properties provides some value, you’ll do significantly better with Marriott’s premium cards that offer 6x earnings.
Most everyday spending at 1x points makes this card a poor choice for regular purchases, where cards offering 2% cash back or transferable points would be much more rewarding.
The 2x bonus categories offer minimal value since travel rewards cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card provides better earnings in similar categories with more flexible points.
No Annual Fee
The Bonvoy Bold Card has no annual fee, making it an accessible entry point into the Marriott Bonvoy program.
While you won’t get premium perks, you’ll still receive valuable benefits like complimentary Silver Elite status, 15 elite nights annually toward status, and various travel protections including trip delay coverage. You can also add authorized users to your account at no additional cost.
Card Benefits
The Bonvoy Bold Card offers the following benefits for its cardholders: Marriott Silver Elite Status: Enjoy Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status, which gets you late checkout and a 10% points bonus on hotel stays. 5 Elite Night Credits: Cardmembers earn 5 elite night credits to help you get closer to the next level of elite status. No Foreign Transaction Fees: You’ll save money on every purchase while traveling internationally since this card doesn’t add the typical 3% surcharge that many other cards impose. Trip Delay Insurance: When your trip is significantly delayed due to covered reasons like equipment failures or severe weather, this protection reimburses you for reasonable expenses including lodging, meals, toiletries, and medication. The coverage activates when you pay for travel with your card and extends to family members on the same itinerary, though you’ll need to seek reimbursement from the travel carrier first. Baggage Delay Insurance: Missing luggage doesn’t have to derail your trip – this coverage steps in to reimburse you for essential purchases when your checked bags are delayed by airlines, trains, or other carriers. You can grab the necessities you need, from a fresh outfit to personal care items, while waiting for your bags to arrive. Lost Luggage Reimbursement: Your checked luggage gets extra protection against loss, theft, or damage beyond the basic compensation offered by carriers when you pay for travel with this card. 120-Day Purchase Protection: Get 120 days of protection against damage, theft, and even loss of your purchases – one of the longest windows available. This premium coverage automatically applies when you pay with your card. DashPass Membership: This card offers a one-year DashPass membership for free, which includes DoorDash and Caviar, offering unlimited deliveries with free delivery fees and reduced service fees for eligible purchases. The offer must be activated by December 31, 2027. Once the free membership is over, you will be automatically enrolled in DashPass at the prevailing monthly rate.
Redeeming Points
Marriott Bonvoy points offer versatile redemption options, with hotel stays typically providing the best value. We value Marriott points at 0.82 cents per point based on our data study, but you can get the best value at luxury properties or during peak seasons. The program’s dynamic pricing model means rates fluctuate, so flexibility in your travel dates can help maximize value. A standout feature is the fifth night free on award stays, effectively giving you a 20% discount on longer bookings. This benefit applies to consecutive award nights and can significantly stretch your points. Marriott also offers Cash + Points options, allowing you to combine cash and points for more flexibility. Transferring Bonvoy points to airline partners is another valuable option. With a 3:1 transfer ratio for most airlines and a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 points transferred, this can be an excellent way to top up airline accounts or access niche programs. However, transfer times vary, so plan accordingly. For unique experiences, consider Marriott Bonvoy Moments. These exclusive events and activities, often unavailable for cash purchase, can provide memorable opportunities for point redemptions. While Marriott allows point redemptions for flights, car rentals, and cruises, these typically offer lower value compared to hotel stays or airline transfers. Unless you have a specific need or excess points, it’s generally best to avoid these options.
Pros and Cons
While the Marriott Bonvoy Bold offers a number of travel benefits to cardholders, it has a few drawbacks that should be taken into account. Let’s take a closer look at the pros and cons of this credit card.
Pros:
No Annual Fee Value: You’ll never pay an annual fee for this card, making it a good entry point into the Marriott Bonvoy program without any yearly cost commitment.
Travel Protections: You’ll get impressive travel insurance benefits for a no-fee card, including trip delay coverage, baggage delay insurance, and lost luggage reimbursement.
No Foreign Transaction Fees: You can use this card internationally without paying extra fees, making it a solid choice for overseas travel.
Cons:
Limited Earning Power: You’ll only earn 3x points on Marriott stays, which is half of what other Marriott cards offer, limiting your point-earning potential significantly.
Basic Status Benefits: You’ll only receive Silver Elite status, which offers minimal perks compared to the higher status levels provided by premium Marriott cards.
No Free Night Certificate: You won’t receive an annual free night certificate, which is a valuable benefit offered by other Marriott cards that can easily offset their annual fees.
Poor Everyday Earning: You’ll get just 1x points on most purchases outside of travel and Marriott stays, making this card inefficient for daily spending.
Other Credit Card Alternatives
Now that you know about this credit card’s various benefits and pros and cons, it’s time to see its alternatives.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (review) offers valuable rewards for Marriott stays plus an annual free night certificate valid at properties costing up to 35,000 points. While the card provides good baseline benefits for Marriott guests, its true strength lies in helping you achieve higher elite status tiers through its 15 annual elite night credits. Welcome Bonus:6x points at Marriott Hotels; 3x points on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year at grocery stores, gas stations, and restaurants; 2x points on all other purchases. Earning Rewards: 6x points at Marriott Hotels; 3x points on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year at grocery stores, gas stations, and restaurants; 2x points on all other purchases. Card Benefits: Free annual hotel night after each account anniversary (up to 35,000 points), Marriott Silver elite status, 15 elite night credits, no foreign transaction fees, travel insurance (trip delay, baggage delay, and lost luggage), and purchase protection.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (review) is one of the most popular travel rewards cards because it offers nice welcome bonus and extra points on travel and dining, which can be transferred to airline and hotel partners or redeemed directly for travel at a rate of 1.25 cents per point through Chase Travel℠. The Sapphire Preferred also offers great travel and purchase protections for a card with a $95 annual fee. Welcome Bonus: bonus_miles_full Earning Rewards: 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3x points on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 2x points on all other travel purchases, and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. Card Benefits: Ability to transfer to airline and hotel partners, 25% bonus when redeeming points through Chase Travel, $50 annual hotel stay credit via Chase Travel, 10% anniversary points bonus, no foreign transaction fees, primary rental car insurance, trip delay insurance, trip cancellation insurance, baggage delay insurance, purchase protection, and extended warranty. Transfer Partners: Aer Lingus, Air Canada Aeroplan, British Airways, Emirates, Air France KLM Flying Blue, Hyatt, IHG, Iberia, JetBlue, Marriott, Singapore KrisFlyer, Southwest, United, and Virgin Atlantic.
Is the Bonvoy Bold Card Worth It?
The Bonvoy Bold Card credit card presents a decent entry point into hotel rewards for beginners, offering automatic Silver elite status and basic travel protections without charging an annual fee.
While you’ll get some useful perks like trip delay coverage and baggage insurance that are rare for a no-annual-fee card, the earning rates are quite low compared to other Marriott cards and general travel credit cards.
However, if you stay at Marriott properties even a few times per year, you’ll likely get more value from the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card, which offers a free night certificate that can easily offset its $95 annual fee.
The Bold Card makes the most sense if you’re just starting your points journey and want to test out the Marriott program without committing to an annual fee, but more frequent travelers should look to the premium Marriott cards for better earning rates and benefits.
Learn How to Apply: Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card.
- Earn 60,000 Bonus Points after spending $1,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.
- 3X Points at Marriott and 2X Points on Other Travel Purchases
- Silver Elite Status + 15 Elite Night Credits
- Trip Delay Insurance
- 120-Day Purchase Protection
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- $0 Annual Fee
