Best Marriott Credit Cards

Yes, a Marriott credit card is worth getting if you're a frequent traveler who mainly uses Marriott hotels as accommodation. These cards offer the highest rewards rate for Marriott stays and their points are worth more when they are redeemed for Marriott reservations.

If you're not a frequent Marriott guest, though, you can apply for a good overall travel rewards credit card instead.

Marriott points are worth 0.98 cents each, on average. That means 10,000 Marriott points have a value of about $98. Plus, Marriott points are worth about the same amount as the average hotel points, which are worth roughly 0.95 cents each.

It's important to remember that the value of Marriott points depends on how they are redeemed. They have the most value when used for Marriott Bonvoy hotel reservations. You can easily calculate the value of Marriott points for any redemption method, though.

How to Earn More Marriott Points

One of the best ways to increase the number of Marriott points that you earn is to apply for a Marriott credit card. That can also help you reach a higher status tier in the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program, further boosting your earning potential.

Marriott Points vs. The Competition

How to Calculate the Value of Marriott Points

The easiest way to calculate the value of Marriott points is to determine the dollar value of what you're redeeming for, minus any taxes and fees that you'll still have to pay, and then divide that amount by the number of points you're required to redeem. For your convenience, here's the formula:

Dollar Value of Redemption Item / Number of Marriott Points Needed = Marriott Point Value

Marriott points expire after 24 months of inactivity. That means two consecutive years without earning or redeeming Marriott Bonvoy points will result in the loss of any unredeemed points.

You can check to see when your Marriott points will expire by signing into your Marriott Bonvoy account and looking up Account Activity. Clicking on “Latest Activity” will tell you the date of your last qualifying transaction. Just add two years to that date to find your Marriott points expiration date.

Once points have expired, they cannot be reinstated. But Marriott rewards members can earn new points after losing some to expiration.

To keep your Bonvoy points from expiring, you only need one qualifying activity every two years. Fortunately, there are many qualifying activities that require minimal effort or cost. Read on to learn more about how you can keep your Marriott Bonvoy account active and make sure you don't lost your hard-earned points.

Here are some ways to keep Marriott Bonvoy points from expiring:

• Stay at any Marriott hotel. Earning or redeeming points at a Marriott hotel is one of the most straightforward ways to keep your account active.
• Make a purchase with a Marriott co-branded credit card at least once every 24 months.
• Transfer points to airline miles. Converting your points to miles or converting miles to points with any of Marriott's 40+ airline partners will count as a qualifying activity.
• Earn Marriott points with program partners like Hertz or Cruises Only.
• Book an activity through Marriott, such as a culinary experience or tour.
• Book a qualifying event or meeting through the Rewarding Events Program.
• Donate points to eligible charitable organizations.
• Purchase points.

While it is fairly easy to keep your Marriott account active through these qualifying activities, there are a few activities that will not reset your points expiration date. These activities include gifting or transferring points to other Marriott members, receiving points as a transfer or gift, and earning points through social media programs/promotions, such as #BonvoyPoints.

The American Express Platinum card Marriott benefit offers complimentary Gold Elite Status in the Marriott Bonvoy hotel loyalty program, giving American Express Platinum card cardholders a extra bonus points during each stay, complimentary room upgrades (when available), 2 p.m. late checkout (when available) and more.  American Express Platinum card cardholders must activate the Gold Elite Status upgrade in order to be eligible for the benefits.

Here's how the American Express Platinum card Marriott benefit works:

• What you get: Complimentary Gold Elite Status in the Marriott Bonvoy hotel loyalty program. This comes with extra bonus points during each stay, room upgrades (when available), 2 p.m. late checkout (when available), complimentary in-room fast internet access, welcome gift of points at arrival, and more.
• How to get it: You must enroll in the program and activate the Gold Elite Status upgrade to be eligible for the benefits. To activate, log in to your online account and, from the benefits tab, click the Marriott Bonvoy benefits page. When prompted, enter your Marriott account information. If you don't have a Marriott account, you can create one for free on the Marriott Bonvoy Once you've verified the information is correct, the benefit will be activated immediately. To earn points, you must book stays directly with Marriott.
• Expiry: You will maintain Gold Elite Status without needing to meet required criteria asl long as your American Express Platinum card account is open and American Express continues to offer this benefit.

The American Express Platinum card Marriott benefit is quite valuable if you stay at Marriott properties more than a few times a year. The benefit also includes both the Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) and Ritz-Carlton Rewards programs. Without the benefit, you'd need to spend at least 25 nights at Marriott hotels to qualify for Gold status. Just bear in mind that cardholders must book stays directly with Marriott, not through a third-party website, to earn Gold status benefits.

The American Express Platinum card is a great travel credit card with travel perks that go beyond Marriott properties. If you're a frequent traveler who favors Marriott, feel free to also take a look at our editors' picks for some of the best Marriott credit cards.

No, there is no Sheraton credit card. One of the best credit cards for Sheraton rewards is the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card because it offers 6 points / $1 spent on Sheraton purchases. The card also offers 3 free nights for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. Sheraton is a Marriott property, as is SPG. And the rewards you earn with any of the Marriott-affiliated credit cards can get you free nights at Sheraton hotels. You also earn bonus rewards on Sheraton stays.

There is also a card for small business owners, the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card.

While those are valuable benefits for frequent Sheraton guests, you may get more value overall with a general travel rewards card such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.

Here are the best Sheraton credit cards:

6 points / $1 spent on Sheraton/Marriot/SPG purchases and 2 points / $1 on all other purchases. 3 free nights for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. $0 foreign fees. $95 annual fee. Good required.

80,000 bonus points for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. Points transferrable to Marriott Rewards at a 1:1 ratio. 5 points per $1 spent on travel purchased through Chase, 2 points per $1 on all other travel purchases, 3 points per $1 on dining and online grocery purchases, 3 points per $1 on select streaming services, and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases. $0 foreign fees. $95 annual fee. Good credit required.

75,000 miles for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months. 5 miles per $1 spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, and 2 miles per $1 on all other purchases. $0 foreign fees. $95 annual fee. Good credit required.

75,000 points for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. 6 points per $1 spent at participating Marriott Bonvoy Hotels, 4 points per $1 at U.S. restaurants and U.S. gas stations, 4 points per $1 on U.S. wireless phone services and U.S. shipping, and 2 points per $1 on all other purchases. 0% foreign fees. $125 annual fee. Good credit required.

Any of the Marriott cards can function well as a Sheraton credit card because they provide big initial bonus offers, a free night each year and a high rewards rate on Sheraton purchases.

If you're going to use your credit card for international travel, you'll want a card that's widely accepted worldwide. Mastercard and Visa cards, including the Marriott cards and both Chase Sapphire Preferred and Capital One Venture, are accepted in more than 200 countries.

You can use a Marriott free night certificate to pay for a stay at any category 1-6 Marriott property by logging in to your Marriott Rewards account and checking the "Use Points / certificates" box before conducting your search. Once you select your hotel and desired room, you'll be given the option to select any available free night award certificate(s). Watch out, though. You only have 12 months to use a Marriott free night certificate before it expires.

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card gives 3 Free Nights as an initial bonus (after cardholders spend $3,000 in 3 months). Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card users receive one of these reward certificates (valued up to 35,000 and 50,000, respectively) every account anniversary. Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card users also receive a free night award certificate (valued up to 35,000 points) every account anniversary, plus an additional one for spending $60K in purchases in a calendar year. You may also get a Marriott free night certificate if you spend points to purchase one. Once you have the certificate in hand, though, you'll need to know the steps for redeeming it.

Here's how to use a Marriott free night certificate:

1. Log into your Marriott Rewards account. 
2. Fill out your destination, select your travel dates and the number of rooms and guests
3. Check the “Use Points/Certificates” box if it's not automatically selected
4. Click “Find Hotels”
5. Select your desired hotel by clicking “View Rates” beside it
6. Select your desired room
7. Under “Review Reservation Details” you will be given the option to select any available free night certificate(s)
8. Review your reservation details and click “Book Now” to confirm your reservation

Your rewards certificate will now be applied to your booking and you'll get to enjoy a free night. The process should go smoothly, as long as you remember to redeem within 12 months of your certificate being issued. There are no blackout dates for Marriott free night certificates, for example. But if a problem occurs during your booking, you can always call Marriott Credit Card customer service for help. The number is (302) 594-8200 for Marriott credit cards issued by Chase and (336) 393-1111 for cards issued by American Express. 

The best hotel credit card with no annual fee is the Hilton Honors American Express Card because it offers 7 points / $1 spent at Hilton properties. The Hilton Credit Card also offers an initial bonus of 100,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months, plus up to $100 in statement credits for purchases made at any of the Hilton family hotels in the first 12 months. Plus, this credit card has a 0% foreign transaction fee, in addition to its $0 annual fee.

Best Hotel Credit Cards with No Annual Fee

In case you don't want to be tied to a specific hotel brand, you should consider getting a general travel credit card with no annual fee. That way can earn rewards on all travel expenses.

Best Travel Credit Cards with no Annual Fee

• Overall: Chase Freedom Unlimited
• Students: Bank of America Travel Rewards for Students
• Business: Spark Miles Select Card

Hotel credit cards with no annual fee can save you up to hundreds of dollars per year, depending on the alternative. When you're charged an annual fee, you're basically paying for any benefits and rewards built into the card. Generally, the higher the annual fee, the more benefits the card offers. However, many hotel cards with no annual fee do offer significant benefits.

There are a lot of Marriott credit cards benefits, such as a Free Night Award on each account anniversary which gives you a free one-night hotel stay and 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 warranties and more.

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.

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless does have a $95 annual fee. And the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card features a $450 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 all cards but the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant, which sets its redemption level a bit higher, at 50,000 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 to 35,000 points for both consumer cards and the Marriott Bonvoy Business Credit Card and 50,000 for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant). An e-certificate will be automatically deposited in to your account within 8 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 Gold 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 and Amex 24/7 dispatch will help with towaway services (up to 5 miles for Visa and 10 for Amex cards), tire changes, lockouts, jump starting and fuel delivery (up to 5 gallons for Visa and 2 for Amex cards) if your car breaks down. Service calls are a flat $69.95 for Visa, while the first 4 calls are free for Amex, but both card networks will add on any additional charges based on the service provided.
• Lost luggage reimbursement: Visa coverage for up to $3,000 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. For the two business cards, Amex offers reimbursements up to $1,000 per covered trip, with a $250 limit on jewelry and fur items.
• Trip delay reimbursement: All cards are covered by reimbursements up to $500 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.
• 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 up to $50,000 for each card. Item(s) must be purchased with your card and coverage lasts 90 days from the moment of purchase.
• Extended warranty: Adds an extra year to U.S. manufacturers' warranties of up to 3 years for Visa and 5 for Amex on items purchased with your card.
• 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 80,000 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 13 major airline and hotel rewards programs so that gives you some added flexibility whilst providing 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 best Marriott credit card welcome bonus is offered by the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card. It consists of 3 free nights for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. Each night is worth up to 50,000 points.

Besides this generous initial bonus, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless also offers extensive ongoing rewards: 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. It does come with a $95 annual fee, but its rewards more than make up for it.

Here are the Marriott credit card initial bonuses:

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card offers 3 free nights for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months.

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card offers 75,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months.

The Marriott Bonvoy Bold card offers 30,000 points for spending $1,000 in the first 3 months.

The Marriott Bonvoy Business Credit Card card offers 75,000 points for spending $3,000 in the first 3 months.

Keep in mind that in order to qualify for these initial bonuses, you cannot have or have had another Marriott credit card, or have received a bonus for one in the past 24 months.

You should get a Hilton credit card, rather than a Marriott credit card, but not just any will do. Out of all the Marriott and Hilton credit cards, the best offer is the Hilton Honors Aspire Credit Card because it gives a bonus of 150,000 points to new cardholders who spend $4,000 in the first 3 months, $250 in credits annually for incidental charges from airlines, and $250 annually for eligible Hilton Resorts purchases. Plus, signing up will get you a free weekend night at a Hilton property. You'll also get complimentary Diamond Status in the Hilton Honors loyalty program, which gives your 5th night free when you book with rewards points, free breakfast, executive lounge access, and more. The annual fee is $450.

Between these 2 massive hotel brands, there are 8 co-branded credit cards available: 4 for each hotel, and 5 total for consumers. They're all for good credit or better, but not all of them have the hefty annual fee of the Hilton Aspire Credit Card, and all offer different levels of hotel perks. Each brand has a card with no annual fee, too.

The Marriott Bonvoy Credit Card is the best of the Marriott cards because its sign-up bonus of 3 Free Nights after spending $3,000 in 3 months. Plus, you get a free night after each account anniversary. You'll also get Silver Elite status in the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program, which comes with late check-out, extra point-earning potential, and more. The annual fee is only $95.

If you're not keen on paying for your hotel loyalty, the Hilton Honors American Express card and the Marriott Bonvoy Bold card are these hotel brands' no-annual-fee options. Each gives complimentary Silver-level status in the corresponding loyalty program, and both give good signup bonuses and points-earning potential. The Hilton Honors Amex Card comes with the famed 5th Award Night Free perk, too.