Massive initial bonus

The Marriott Credit Card, more formally known as the Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card, gives you a whopping 75,000 points for spending at least $3,000 within three months of account opening. That bounty is redeemable for an average of $742 in Marriott reservations, according to WalletHub research. So if you’re a Marriott regular, or you’re planning a trip that will include a hotel stay, this bonus is reason enough to apply for the Marriott Card.
 

Solid ongoing rewards

The Marriott Credit Card gives you 5 points per $1 spent at Marriott locations as well as 2 points per $1 spent on airfare booked directly with airlines, rental car reservations and dining at restaurants. You also get 1 point per $1 spent on everything else. That works out to 0.99% to 4.95% back, based on the average value of a Marriott point ($0.0099). All in all, this ongoing rewards package would earn the average person more than $1,400 over the first two years of use, according to WalletHub calculations.
 

Free night for account anniversaries

Simply keeping your Marriott Rewards Card for at least a year scores you an additional free night at a category 1-5 Marriott location. And you’ll get another for each additional year your account is open. Considering that Marriott’s average daily room rate was $159.33 in 2017, this annual perk should be more than enough to offset the card’s annual fee.
 

$85 annual fee waived for the first year

The Marriott Card offers plenty of rewards value to make up for its $85 annual fee, but it’s still worth noting that this fixed cost is more than five times what the average credit card charges.
 

No financing appeal

You need good or excellent credit for approval, and the average credit cards for people with good and excellent credit charge 19.51% and 13.98%, respectively. That means you should pay your Marriott Credit Card bill in full every month and, if necessary, find a good 0% card for financing purposes.
 

Requires good credit or better

The fact that the Marriott Rewards Visa demands good or excellent credit for approval effectively rules out more than 40% of consumers from serious consideration, according to WalletHub data. So make sure to check your credit score for free on WalletHub before applying.