The Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ is one of two brand-new Marriott cards that launched in September 2022, along with the almost identical Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card.
The Bonvoy Bountiful attempts to be a mid-tier card between the luxury Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card and budget Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card, but falls short of what you would expect for a $250 annual fee card.
- Earn 85,000 Bonus Points After Spending $4,000 in Purchases in the First Three Months
- 18.5x Points at Marriott Hotels and Resorts: 6x points using your Bountiful card, 10x points for being a Marriott Bonvoy Member, and 2x points for being a Gold status member courtesy of the Bountiful card
- 4x Points on Groceries on Dining (up to $15,000 in combined purchases per year)
- 2x Points on all other purchases
- Automatic Marriott Gold Elite Status
- 1,000 Bonus Points per Eligible Marriott Stay
- $250 Annual Fee
Table of Contents
Welcome Bonus of 85,000 Points
The Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful card offers 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points for applicants who use the new card to make $4,000 in eligible purchases within the first three months from account opening.
Marriott Welcome Bonus Restrictions
Chase and American Express both issue Marriott Bonvoy cards, which causes some complicated welcome bonus restrictions.
You are eligible for new cardmember bonus if:
- You currently have or had any of the following cards within the last 30 days;
- You applied and were approved for any of the following cards within the last 90 days OR
- You received a new cardmember bonus or upgrade bonus for any of the following cards within the last 24 months:
- Marriott Bonvoy® American Express® Card
- Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express
- Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card
- Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
- Starwood Preferred Guest® American Express Luxury Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card
Earning Marriott Points
The Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful Card earns:
- 18.5x Points at Marriott Hotels and Resorts: 6x points using your Bountiful card, 10x points for being a Marriott Bonvoy Member, and 2x points for being a Gold status member courtesy of the Bountiful card
- 4 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $15,000 in combined purchases per calendar year
- 2 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases
Bonvoy Bountiful Card Benefits
The Bonvoy Bountiful card offers some benefits that could make it worthwhile for some travelers:
Marriott Gold Elite Status
This card comes with Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status, which gets you a 25% points bonus, welcome amenity, late checkout, enhanced room upgrades, and enhanced internet.
Bonus Points on Each Stay
This card offers 1,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points per paid eligible stay booked directly with Marriott Bonvoy for properties participating in Marriott Bonvoy.
Annual Free Night Award via Spending:
If you spend at least $15,000 on eligible purchases during your cardmember year, you’ll earn a free night certificate that can cover a one-night hotel stay costing up to 50,000 points.
Given the $250 annual fee, I expected that this card would offer a free night without a spending requirement since the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card, with a $95 annual fee, offers a free annual night certificate of 35,000 points without a spending requirement.
But if you can meet the spending requirement for this card, the 50,000 point annual free night certificate is a nice benefit.
Elite Night Credits
The Bountiful card automatically gives you 15 elite qualifying night credits per year.
This benefit can be stacked with the nights you earn with a Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, which gets you only 20 nights away from Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status.
This benefit does not stack with Marriott’s personal cards, such as the:
Baggage Delay Insurance
Baggage delay insurance can reimburse you for the cost of necessary personal and business items if (1) you purchased your trip with this card and (2) your bag is delayed by a common carrier like an airline, train, ferry, or cruise ship, etc.
Common reimbursable items include clothing, toiletries, and phone chargers, which can be a life-saver when you are without your bag.
Lost Luggage Reimbursement
Lost luggage reimbursement covers the cost to repair or replace your luggage and the contents inside if your bag is lost or damaged during a covered trip.
You must purchase the trip with this card, and it will also cover immediate family members traveling with you.
Coverage is also secondary to any reimbursement from the airline or common carrier. For example, if your bag and its contents were worth $1,000 and the airline gave you $200, you could file a claim for $800.
Trip Delay Insurance
You should always buy flights with a credit card that offers trip delay insurance, which reimburses you for things like hotels, food, transportation, and other necessary items.
Flights are increasingly delayed or canceled, and it is too risky to not use card that offers free trip delay insurance. Plus, airlines frequently blame delays on weather or an external factor to get out of paying compensation to passengers.
This benefit can really come in handy during a delay. While other passengers are worried about where to sleep and eat, you can book a nice hotel of your choice and enjoy some nice meals, without worrying about the cost.
Secondary Rental Car Insurance
Secondary rental car insurance covers any damage to a rental car not covered by your primary insurance when you pay for the rental using this card.
Other credit cards offer primary rental car insurance, which pays before your insurance and saves you the hassle of filing multiple insurance claims.
But there are situations where this secondary insurance becomes the primary insurance, including when renting a car outside the U.S. and your personal car insurance does not cover you in that country, or if you don’t have collision insurance.
You still need to maintain liability car insurance to cover damage to another person or property.
Purchase Protection for 120 Days
Purchase protection can save you a lot of money if you bought an eligible item that is damaged or stolen within 120-days.
For example, if accidentally dropped your new phone or laptop and broke the screen, you could file a claim to get it replaced if it was purchased within the last 120 days.
Coverage for this benefit is limited to $500 per claim and up to $50,000 per cardholder.
Extended Warranty
Credit card extended warranty protection adds up to an additional year of coverage for eligible purchases on manufacturer’s warranties up to 3 years.
Coverage matches the protection provided by the original warranty so that damage or defect would have to be covered by the original warranty for extended warranty coverage.
The maximum coverage is $10,000 per item and $50,000 per cardholder.
For example, if you bought a TV with a manufacturer’s warranty of three years, then this card would extend the warranty for free to the fourth year.
But if the TV comes with a four or five-year warranty, you should consider using an American Express or Citi credit card, which covers warranties up to 5 years.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
This card has no foreign transaction fees on purchases outside the U.S., which is helpful if you travel internationally to help you avoid paying a 3% fee on those international purchases.
Bonvoy Bountiful Pros and Cons
Here’s a quick overview of Bonvoy Bountiful’s advantages and disadvantages.
Pros:
- Marriott Gold Elite status
- 1,000 Marriott bonus points per eligible stay
Cons:
- Free night requires $15,000 in spending per cardmember year.
- Lower annual fee cards like the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card offer similar benefits.
- Frequent Marriott guests are better off with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
- Lack of a fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
- Lack of access to Priority Pass lounges
- Lack of statement credits
Alternatives to Bountiful Card
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
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Points After Spending $3,000 in the First 3 Months.
- 6x Points at Marriott Hotels & Resorts
- 3x Points on Groceries, Gas, and Dining on the First $6,000 in Combined Purchases Each Year
- One Annual Free Night Award (Up to 35,000 Points Every Year After Account Anniversary)
- Automatic Silver Elite Status + 15 Elite Credits
- Trip Delay, Baggage Delay, and Lost Luggage Insurance
- $95 Annual Fee
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card is a good option for travelers who want benefits at Marriott for a reasonable annual fee of $95, which is offset by a free night award of up to 35,000 points after each account anniversary.
The Bonvoy Boundless card also offers Bonvoy Silver status, 15 elite night credits, 6x points at Marriott Bonvoy hotels, 3x points at grocery stores, gas stations, and on dining on the first $6,000 in combined purchases each year.
Plus, the card offers benefits such as baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, trip delay reimbursement, purchase protection, and no foreign transaction fees.
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
- Earn 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy Points After $5,000 in Eligible Purchases in the First 3 Months
- 6X Points at Marriott Hotels & Resorts
- Up to a $300 Statement Credit for Eligible Purchases at Restaurants Worldwide Each Year ($25 Per Month)
- Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite Status
- Free Anniversary Night Award (Up to 85,000 Points)
- Priority Pass Airport Lounge Access
- $650 Annual Fee and No Foreign Transaction Fees (Rates and Fees)
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card is a premium hotel card that gets you Platinum Elite status, a free annual hotel night up to 85,000 points, 6x points at Marriott Bonvoy hotels, and Priority Pass airport lounge access.
The Bonvoy Brillant comes with several great statement credits to help offset the annual fee, including:
- Up to $300 in statement credits per calendar year (up to $25 per month) for eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide.
- Priority Pass airport lounge access
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit
- Cell phone insurance
- 25 Marriott Elite night credits to help you reach higher status
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Earn 60,000 Ultimate Rewards Bonus Points for Spending $4,000 in the First 3 Months
- 5x Points on Travel Booked Via Chase
- 3x Points on Dining and Eligible Delivery Services
- 3x Points on Select Streaming and Online Grocery (excluding Walmart, Target, and Wholesale Clubs)
- 2x Points on All Other Travel Purchases
- 10% Anniversary Points Boost
- Trip Delay and Trip Cancellation Insurance
- Primary Rental Car Insurance
- $95 Annual Fee
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the best rewards cards for travelers who want solid earning rates for travel and dining expenses.
For only $95 per year, this card earns 5x Chase Ultimate Rewards points on travel booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, 3x points on dining, online groceries, and streaming services, and 2x on all other travel purchases.
Cardholders will also get a 10% anniversary points bonus, a 12-month DoorDash DashPass subscription, and a $50- anniversary hotel statement credit.
Plus, it provides extensive travel protections, including trip delay, primary rental car, baggage, and purchase protection plans.
Is the Bonvoy Bountiful Worth It?
No, in most situations.
If you stay at Marriott hotels less than ten nights a year, you are better off with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card.
If you stay more than ten nights a year, you will likely find the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card is worth the high annual fee with the Platinum Elite status, statement credits, 25 elite night credits, and airport lounge access.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, please click here.
