What credit score is needed for a Marriott credit card?

Yes, there are a lot of Marriott credit cards benefits, including a Free Night Award on each account anniversary, which gives you a free one-night hotel stay. Plus, you’ll also get complimentary membership levels, which give you a wide range of benefits at Marriot Bonvoy’s worldwide portfolio of brands. On top of that, you’ll get car rental insurance, extended warranty and more.... read full answer

Visa and American Express are responsible for several extra Marriott consumer and business credit card benefits, respectively. The car rental insurance and extended warranty perks are among those that come through Visa and Amex. On top of that, both of these card networks also provide roadside assistance, lost luggage reimbursement and more.

What you should know before getting a Marriott Credit Card:

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless does have a $95 annual fee. And the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card features a $650 annual fee. So make sure to use the benefits enough to justify the yearly cost. The annual Free Night Award is worth a maximum 35,000 points for most cards. The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant cardholders receive an annual Free Night Award, valued up to 85,000 points. These perks alone can cover the annual fee and then some.

Here are the Marriott credit cards benefits:

• Free Night Award: Valid for one night stay at Marriott properties (valued up between 35,000 and 85,000 for points for certain cards). An e-certificate will be automatically deposited in to your account within 8-12 weeks of the anniversary date.
• $0 foreign transaction fees: No surcharge on purchases made outside of the United States or from internationally based merchants.
• Automatic Elite Membership Status: Renews each account anniversary year. Perks include a 10% points bonus on stays and priority late checkout. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant will get you Platinum Elite Status while the other cards will get you Silver Elite Status.
• Free in-room premium Internet access at Marriot Bonvoy properties.
• Dedicated 24/7 Cardmember Services: Dedicated round the clock customer service lines through Visa and Amex; ability to sign up for personalized account alerts to track your balance payments and available credit by email, texts, or voicemails and a concierge service provided by Visa Signature for last-minute restaurant reservations and more.
• Embedded Chip and Contactless Checkout: All cards come with a chip for an extra layer of security and wider acceptance, especially during your international travels. The contactless feature also makes for fast, easy and secure payments.
• Roadside assistance: Visa 24/7 dispatch will help with towaway services (up to 5 miles ), tire changes, lockouts, jump starting and fuel delivery (up to 5 gallons for Visa) if your car breaks down. Service calls are a flat $69.95, but there might be additional charges based on the service provided. Only Visa Mariott Credit Cards have this benefit.
• Lost luggage reimbursement: This benefit offers coverage if your or an immediate family member’s checked bags or carry-on luggage are lost or damaged by the carrier when you pay for your reservation with your card. Coverage and limits apply, depending on the card.
• Trip delay reimbursement: All cards are covered by reimbursements for essential purchases (food, lodging) if your flight is delayed for more than 12 hours or requires overnight stay. Must purchase airfare with your card. Coverage and limits apply, depending on the card.
• Travel and Emergency Assistance Services: Visa’s and Amex’s services are designed to help you when running into problems while traveling. You can call your Benefit Administrator at (800) 992-6029 or (804) 673-1675 while outside the U.S. for Visa cards and (800) 345-2639 or (715) 342-7979 while outside the U.S. for Amex.
• Car rental insurance: Covers you up to the cash value of the vehicle against damages from accident or theft. Must purchase entire rental with your card and decline the rental agency’s coverage.
• Purchase protection: Covers purchases against theft, damage, or natural disasters for each card. Item(s) must be purchased with your card and coverage lasts up to 120 days from the moment of purchase, depending on the card.
• Extended warranty: Adds an extra year to U.S. manufacturers’ warranties of up to 5 on items purchased with your card. Only available for certain credit cards.
• Fraud Protection: Zero liability protection ensures you aren’t responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
• Cardmember Events: Marriott Bonvoy Boundless membership gets you invitations to high profile events. To get a sense of what these events have in store, you can check out Chase’s Marriot Bonvoy Events web page.

There are a lot of great Marriott credit card benefits that you can take advantage of. But if you don’t want your rewards points restricted to a single hotel chain, consider a general travel rewards card like Chase Sapphire Preferred which has all the Visa Signature benefits of Marriott Bonvoy Boundless and offers 5 points / $1 spent on travel and dining and 60,000 bonus points for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. It also benefits from a $0 foreign transaction fee.

In addition, Chase Sapphire Preferred points have a 1:1 transfer ratio to 14 major airline and hotel rewards programs, giving you some added flexibility. The card also provides the same sought-after Visa Signature benefits like travel accident insurance and trip cancellation coverage. Its annual fee is $95, so make sure you make use of its benefits enough to justify this cost.

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card is worth it for people who spend at least $3,000 within 3 months of opening an account and earn the Bonvoy Boundless card’s initial bonus of 100,000 points. That bonus is worth much more than the card’s $95 annual fee. The Marriott Boundless card also is worth it for frequent travelers who spend at least $1,800 per year on Marriott reservations, which would net enough rewards to cover the annual fee. Or, you just need to spend about $1,500 per year if you count the free night (worth up to 35,000 points) that you get after each account anniversary.... read full answer

The rewards that come with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card are great for frequent flyers, too. You can transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to most Marriott partner airlines - including Southwest, American Airlines, Delta, and more - at a ratio of 3 points to 1 mile. And for every 60,000 points you transfer to airline miles, Bonvoy throws in an extra 5,000 miles as a bonus.

Finally, the Bonvoy Boundless card is worth getting for people who want to earn “elite” status in the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program. The card gives automatic Silver Elite status just for having the card, plus a path to Gold Elite status (spending at least $35,000 on the card annually). Without the help of Marriott Bonvoy Boundless, you would need to stay 10 nights at Marriott hotels every year to earn Silver Elite status, and 25 nights per year for Gold Elite status. Among other benefits, Silver Elite status gives 10% bonus points on Marriott stays.