Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card Review [2024]: High Cost, Low Benefits

The Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card is a card from Chase and Marriott that offers Marriott enthusiasts opportunities to earn points and elite status perks. The Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful has a $250 annual fee and provides a few benefits, such as Gold Elite status and 15 Elite Night Credits.

But you don’t get a Free Night Award each year unless you spend $15,000, which generally makes this card a bit underwhelming. Check out our Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful Card review to see details about this Marriott Bonvoy credit card.

Valuable Bonus Offer and Gold Elite Status

Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card

4.5

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card

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Current Offer

Earn 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points after spending $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months

Annual Fee

$250

Rewards Rate

18.5X points on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program (when coupled with your complimentary Marriott Bonvoy membership and Gold Elite status); 4X points on grocery stores and dining (up to $15,000 in combined purchases each year, then 2X points); and 2X points on all other eligible purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• Earn 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points after spending $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months
• Automatic Gold Elite Status
• up to 18.5X points at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program
• No foreign transaction fees

Drawbacks

• Annual fee is high for a card with limited premium perks
• Annual Free Night Award is not automatic and requires a sizable minimum spend

Card Details

• Earn 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points after spending $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months
• 18.5X points on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program (when coupled with your complimentary Marriott Bonvoy membership and Gold Elite status); 4X points on grocery stores and dining (up to $15,000 in combined purchases each year, then 2X points); and 2X points on all other eligible purchases

Who should get the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful card?

The Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful card makes sense if you’re a frequent Marriott traveler and plan on spending $15,000 in a calendar year for the Free Night Award. It also makes sense if you want Gold Elite status benefits and the 15 Elite Night Credits to help you reach Platinum Elite status.

But for most travelers, including Marriott enthusiasts, the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful likely doesn’t make sense. The spending requirement for the Free Night Award is steep and might not be attainable for most people. Also, Gold Elite status doesn’t offer the best benefits for Marriott travelers.

This mid-tier hotel credit card doesn’t seem to have enough good benefits to warrant a $250 annual fee. If you want benefits that align more with the annual fee on a Marriott credit card, consider the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card.

Card basics

Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful benefits and perks

• Generous welcome offer: Earn 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points after spending $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months.
• Valuable rewards: Earn 18.5X points on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program (when coupled with your complimentary Marriott Bonvoy membership and Gold Elite status); 4X points on grocery stores and dining (up to $15,000 in combined purchases each year, then 2X points); and 2X points on all other eligible purchases.
• Extra points per stay: Receive a maximum of 1,000 bonus points per eligible stay at Marriott hotels. At least one paid night is required for an “eligible stay.” You must also purchase directly with Marriott, so third-party bookings don’t count.
• Complimentary Gold Elite status: Receive automatic Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status as a Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful cardholder. Gold Elite benefits include a 25% points bonus, late checkout, and room upgrades (when available).
• Elite Night Credits: Receive 15 Elite Night Credits annually to help earn Platinum Elite status, which requires 50 qualifying nights.
• Free Night Award: Receive a Free Night Award worth up to 50,000 points after spending $15,000 on your card in a calendar year.
• No foreign transaction fees: The Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful has no foreign transaction fees for purchases made abroad.
• Purchase protection: Covers eligible new purchases against damage or theft for up to $500 per claim and up to $50,000 per account.
• Extended warranty protection: Receive an additional year of warranty protection on eligible purchases with manufacturer’s warranties of three years or less.
• Auto rental collision damage waiver: Receive secondary coverage for theft and collision damage for eligible car rentals.
• Baggage delay insurance: Receive up to $100 a day for five days to make essential purchases (e.g., toiletries and clothing) for eligible baggage delays of more than six hours.
• Lost luggage reimbursement: Receive up to $3,000 per eligible passenger for baggage that is lost or damaged.
• Trip delay reimbursement: Receive up to $500 per eligible ticket for travel delays of more than 12 hours or delays that require an overnight stay.
• Visa Signature Concierge: Access 24/7 concierge services for help with travel needs that could include such things as making dinner reservations or booking sporting event tickets.
• Travel and emergency assistance services: Access emergency services for help finding local medical, legal, and other assistance while traveling.
• DashPass benefits: Receive a complimentary year of DashPass from DoorDash. This gives you $0 delivery fees and lower service fees on eligible DoorDash orders. Activate this benefit by Dec. 31, 2024.

Drawbacks to the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful

• Free Night Award spending requirement: You have to spend $15,000 in a calendar year to receive a Free Night Award on this credit card. That’s a high spending threshold for a benefit that’s typically easier to obtain. Check out our list of hotel credit cards with free nights to see multiple cards that don’t have this spending requirement.
• $250 annual fee: The Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful has a high $250 annual fee and its benefits don’t easily offset this cost. Having to spend $15,000 for a Free Night Award isn’t a great benefit and receiving Gold Elite status likely isn’t worth paying $250.
• Chase 5/24 slot: The Chase 5/24 rule basically means Chase won’t approve any new card applications if you’ve opened five or more personal credit cards from any card issuer in the past 24 months. Knowing this rule, it’s likely not worth signing up for the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful and taking up a 5/24 slot because there are better credit cards available. Check out our list of the best travel credit cards to see our recommendations.

Earning & redeeming Marriott Bonvoy points

Potential earnings in years one and two

Here's a look at how your points can add up with the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful. To calculate these values, we used a point valuation of 0.84 cents per point.

Remember, this is an estimation. The actual value will be determined by how much you spend and in which categories you spend.

Year one earnings: $1,283.84

Year two earnings: $569.84

These values are based on the FinanceBuzz Credit Card Rewards Valuation Model, which looks at points earned via spending, the sign-up bonus, and the annual fee.

Note that you might get more value from this card depending on whether you use its benefits. This could include earning the annual Free Night Award worth up to 50,000 points, having travel and purchase protections, and using the automatic Gold Elite status.

Best ways to earn

The best way to earn points with the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful is to use it as much as possible, especially in its bonus categories. However, the best earning rate comes from purchases made at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program. This category offers up to 18.5X points if you are a Marriott Bonvoy member with Gold Elite status. 

You likely don’t want to use the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful for its other bonus categories if you have access to credit cards with better earning rates. Marriott Bonvoy points aren’t typically as valuable as other rewards currencies, and earning 2X or 4X points on all other eligible purchases isn’t the best way to maximize your earning potential.

For example, you could get more bang for your buck on supermarkets with a card such as the Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express. And the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card likely makes more sense for dining expenses.

Maximizing your redemptions

Here are some of your options for redeeming Marriott Bonvoy points:

• Stays at Marriott properties
• Transfers to travel partners
• Travel portal redemptions
• Cruises
• Online shopping
• Experiences
• Charitable contributions

Your best bet for getting value from your points is typically to use them for Marriott stays. Other options often give you less redemption value. However, you might find it useful to use Marriott points in a certain way if you have plenty of points and don’t necessarily need more award hotel stays at Marriott properties.

Marriott Bonvoy transfer partners

Marriott Bonvoy lets you transfer points to loads of travel partners, including airlines and the InterMiles rewards program:

You can transfer Marriott points to most loyalty programs associated with these airlines at a 3-to-1 ratio. This means 3,000 Marriott points would equal 1,000 points or miles in most transfer scenarios.

It’s typically not worth using these travel partners because of how many Marriott points you need for each transfer. But it might be worth it if you need to add a few thousand points to another account or you simply have loads of Marriott points you don’t need.

Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful FAQs

Other cards to consider

If the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful Card doesn’t make sense for you, compare credit cards and credit card offers to find a better fit. Here are a few of our recommendations:

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is an excellent credit card for travelers. It has a $395 annual fee, but you receive $300 in annual travel credits and 10,000 miles each account anniversary, which can immediately offset the annual cost. On top of that, you also get airport lounge access, Hertz President’s Circle elite status, and up to $100 credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.

Learn more in our Capital One Venture X review.

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless has a lower $95 annual fee compared with the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful’s $250 annual fee. And you don’t have to spend $15,000 for a Free Night Award. All Marriott Bonvoy Boundless cardmembers receive an annual Free Night Award worth up to 35,000 points and automatic Silver Elite status.

Check out our Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card review.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant has a steep $650 annual fee (terms apply), but it could still be worth it for frequent Marriott travelers. You get up to $300 in dining statement credits each year (up to $25 dining credit per month), an annual free night certificate worth up to 85,000 points, Priority Pass lounge access, and complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status. Select benefits require enrollment.

Read our Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card review.

Valuable Bonus Offer and Gold Elite Status

Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card

4.5

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card

4.5

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Why We Like It

Earn 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points after spending $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months

See how these cards compare:

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

• Welcome bonus: Earn 75,000 miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
• $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel
• 10,000-mile annual anniversary bonus
• Up to 10 miles per dollar
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application fee credit
• Access to Capital One and Priority Pass lounges
• 19.99% - 29.99% (variable) purchase APR
• Rates and fees

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card

• Earn 3 Free Night Awards after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening (each night valued up to 50,000 points)
• up to 17X points at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy
• 3X points at grocery stores, gas stations, and dining on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year
• One free night each year at account anniversary
• No foreign transaction fee

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card

• Earn 185,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after spending $6,000 in purchases in the first 6 months
• Automatic Platinum Elite Status. Enrollment required.
• 6X points at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program
• No foreign transaction fees
• $650 annual fee. Terms apply.
• See rates and fees | Terms Apply