Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card Review

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless benefits include 1 free night at a Marriott property each year after the account anniversary, automatic Silver Elite status in the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program, and travel insurance coverage. The Bonvoy Boundless card also has a $0 foreign transaction fee and an initial bonus of 5 free nights for spending $5,000 in the first 3 months.

Silver Elite status gets Bonvoy Boundless cardholders priority late checkout, free Wi-Fi, member rates, and 10% more points on stays with Marriott. And Bonvoy Boundless cardholders already earn 6 points per $1 spent at participating Marriott hotels, 3 points per $1 spent at gas stations, restaurants and grocery stores (up to $6,000 combined per year), and 2 points per $1 on all other purchases, just from the card alone.

Bonvoy Boundless travel insurance includes coverage for lost luggage, rental cars, and trip delays. In addition, the Bonvoy Boundless card provides purchase protection, extended warranty protection, and zero-liability fraud protection.

A final Bonvoy Boundless benefit is that cardholders get 15 elite night credits each calendar year, which is a head-start to gaining higher elite status levels in the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program. The extra 15 credits annually mean that cardholders just need to spend 10 nights per year at Marriott hotels to get Gold Elite status. Also, the card offers 1 elite night for every $5,000 spent. Alternatively, cardholders can earn Gold Elite status by spending $35,000 on their Bonvoy Boundless card annually.

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless rental car insurance works when you use it to pay for your rental and decline the insurance offered by the rental company.

It covers theft and collision damage for most cars in the U.S. and abroad, reasonable towing charges and valid loss-of-use charges. Keep in mind, though, that in the U.S. the coverage is secondary to your personal insurance.

To file a claim, call 1-888-320-9656 or click here.

The issuer doesn't usually waive the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card's annual fee, because it's justified by the card's benefits. If you're approved for a new account, you'll receive a generous signup bonus, as well as ongoing rewards and countless travel-related perks.

But if you're a long-time customer who finds the annual fee to be unreasonable and you're contemplating closing your account, you may have luck with talking to customer service. In order to keep you as a cardmember, they might waive your annual fee. Just call (800) 935-9935 to talk to a representative.

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card doesn't have a balance transfer intro APR offer. Any balance you wish to transfer to this card will have an APR of 16.74% - 23.74% (V), as well as a transfer fee of: Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.

So if you'd like to pay down an outstanding balance from another card at a more convenient rate, look for a card that offers a long 0% transfer intro APR period. To find the best one for your needs, check out our editors' latest picks for balance transfer credit cards.

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card is worth it for people who spend at least $5,000 within 3 months of opening an account and earn the Bonvoy Boundless card's initial bonus of 5 Free Nights. 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.

The big welcome bonus for the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card is 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.

Yes, you might be able to use your Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card instantly after approval, on the condition that you get instantly approved.

In this case, you would need to add your Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card to your Digital Wallet. To get started, sign in to your account via the mobile app. Scroll down, tap on Digital Wallets, and follow the instructions to add your new card.

If you cannot use your Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card instantly after approval, your physical card should reach you in about 7-10 business days. Having said that, if you need to make a purchase immediately, you can call customer service at (800) 935-9935 and ask them to rush your credit card delivery. In this case, you would receive your new Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card in about 1-3 business days.

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card's travel insurance works by offering lost luggage and trip delay reimbursement when using your card to pay for your trip.

You are covered for up to $3,000/passenger if your luggage is damaged or lost by the carrier. And if your travel is delayed by more than 12 hours, or requires you to stay overnight, you're covered for unreimbursed expenses, up to $500/ticket.

Certain exclusions and limitations do apply, though. For more information, and to file a claim, call the number on the back of your card or check your Guide to Benefits.

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless credit card is made of plastic. You'd expect more from a high-end credit card like this one.

To get a Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant cash advance:

1. Call American Express customer service at 1 (800) 528-4800 and request a PIN, if you don't already have one.
2. Insert the credit card at an ATM and enter the PIN.
3. Select the cash advance option on the ATM screen.
4. Enter the amount you'd like to withdraw.
5. Withdraw the cash and remove the credit card from the ATM.

Before you take out a Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant cash advance, it's important to note that it is a very expensive transaction. For starters, there's a cash advance fee of 5% (min $10). There's also a separate cash advance APR of 26.74% (V) that applies as soon as you withdraw the cash. There may be ATM-owner fees, too.