After having updated my review of the Marriott Bonvoy Bold card, it’s time to update the paid version of the card: the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless (spoiler: all the cards begin with B except The Ritz Carlton Card). This card comes with a relatively low annual fee of $95, which is $95 more than the Bold card. The question is, therefore, does this card offer more than $95 of additional value over the Bold card? Let’s explore.
This blog is for entertainment purposes only and is not financial advice. I provide the information here just to give readers a vague idea if the rewards offered by the card might make sense for them to consider the card. The information on this page has been collected independently, and all information should be confirmed with the card company before applying.
Welcome offer
The Bonvoy Boundless Card currently has a welcome offer of 4 Free Night Awards (worth 50 000 points each) after spending $4 000 in 4 months. This welcome offer is the equivalent of 200 000 Marriott points (but less flexible). These points have a value of around $1 400 ($370/night). For me, given that I don’t usually stay in hotel rooms that cost $370+ per night, the Free Night Awards are less valuable than 200 000 Marriott points would be, so I’d actually peg this welcome offer at more like $800 – $1200 in value for me.
Earnings
The Bonvoy Boundless card has a three-tiered earning structure like the other Marriott cards (such as the Bold Card and The Ritz-Carlton Card) and earns Marriott Bonvoy award points. Marriott Bonvoy points are worth around 0.7 ¢/point on average, which is a bit lower than before because Marriott has transitioned to dynamic pricing. The card earns 6 points/$ on Marriott hotel stays (4.2%); 3 points/$ on up to $6 000 of spending at grocery stores, at gas stations, and on dining (2.1%), as well as 2 points/$ (1.4%) on everything else. The 3 points/$ category was added at the beginning of this year and is a welcome addition; however, it’s not the most exciting bonus amount or category, especially since it caps out at $500/month.
These earning rates are not amazing for a card with a $95 annual, but they are workable if you can get good value out of Marriott points.
How to use the points
The main use for Marriott points is to use them for stays at Marriott hotels, as you’d expect. With Marriott’s dynamic pricing, the points are really only worth around 0.7 ¢/point on average, but sometimes you can find a good deal on a premium hotel and get better value.
Marriott points can also be transferred to >40 airline partners, which is quite impressive. The points transfer, in most cases, at a rate of 3 Marriott points to 1 airline mile. Marriott also gives a 5 000-mile bonus if 60 000 Marriott points are transferred (for a rate of 2.4:1), which can make sense in certain scenarios. The potential flexibility of Marriott points is one of the reasons I actively collect Marriott Points. Ironically, with Marriott having removed their award chart and having switched to dynamic pricing, transferring points to miles may be a more attractive option in some scenarios.
Benefits
The main reason to pay the $95 fee for this card is to get the yearly free night award, which can be used to pay for a night up to 35 000 points (~$245) for free. This free night award can be topped off with up to 25 000 additional points to pay for a night up to 60 000 points.
Like all (paid) Marriott credit cards, the card provides 15 elite night credits, which count towards earning both yearly and lifetime status. You can earn additional elite night credits at a rate of 1 credit per $5 000 spent on the card. Holding the Bonvoy Boundless Card guarantees you Marriott Silver status (which is redundant with the elite night credits anyway…), which doesn’t have a lot of benefits, but that’s to be expected with entry-level status. With Silver status, you’d actually earn a total of 17 points/$ on the Marriott room rate between the card and the Silver status bonus. You can also upgrade to Gold status by spending $35 000 on this card in a calendar year, but I would not specifically recommend this as a goal. It’s also worth noting that at $35 000 of spending that you should be at at least 23 elite nights anyway (15 from the card + 7 from spending + 1 from the free night award), so it’s basically just rounding you up from 23 to 25. That’s even less “generous” than it seems at first glance…
Through the end of 2026, you can also get up to $50 each half of the year by spending $250 on airfare directly with airlines. The card comes with some additional travel perks, such as primary rental car insurance coverages and trip/purchase protection.
Examples of using the card
Spend per month
These examples assume all your hotel stays are at Marriotts and exclude any credits that come with the card (in this case the $50 per $250 on airfare). The examples also take into account the $6 000/year ($500/month on average) 3x points categories.
| Example A | Example B | Example C | Example D | |||||
| Groceries (3x/2x*) | $300 | 600 | $200 | 600 | $600 | 1 200 | $400 | 1 200 |
| Gas (3x/2x*) | $0 | 0 | $100 | 200 | $200 | 600 | $100 | 300 |
| Airfare (2x) | $700 | 1 400 | $200 | 400 | $0 | 0 | $400 | 800 |
| Hotels (6x or 2x) | $1 000 | 6 000 | $200 | 1 200 | $0 | 0 | $300 | 1 800 |
| Gen Travel (2x) | $400 | 800 | $0 | 0 | $300 | 600 | $100 | 200 |
| Dining (3x/2x*) | $600 | 1 700 | $300 | 900 | $300 | 900 | $0 | 0 |
| General (2x) | $1 000 | 2 000 | $500 | 1 000 | $500 | 1 000 | $400 | 800 |
| Total | $4 000 | 12 500 | $1 500 | 4 300 | $1 700 | 4 300 | $1 700 | 5 100 |
| Average points/$ | 3.13 | 2.53 | 2.53 | 3 |
The Bonvoy Boundless’ bonus categories are not particularly broad, but a 2x points (1.4%) on general spending without a foreign transaction fee is not a bad deal. It’s comparable to other cards like the Amex Gold and Chase Sapphire Preferred, which earn 1x point on general spending. There is an argument to be made that 2x points (even though potentially worth slightly less) is better than 1x point because there is potentially a higher upside in the case of a better-than-average redemption option being available.
The best points values come from spending at Marriott Hotels, which is to be expected from a co-branded Marriott credit card. As a result, the average points earned is broad, compared to a simpler and more general card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred, but the new 3x points category helps balance out the ranges somewhat. The range is 2.53 – 3.13 points/$, which is worth 1.8 – 2.2 ¢/$, given the average valuation of 0.7 ¢/point for Marriott Bonvoy points. It’s worth noting that there’s something to be said for cashback cards here– they’re not prone to losing rewards value due to points devaluations. But I guess cashback isn’t immune to inflation either.
Specific examples
These examples include the fact that the Bonvoy Boundless Card gives free Marriott Silver Status.
| Card | American Airlines Economy Class ($750) (% return) | Marriott Hotel night ($230/night) | Points values (AA/Hotel) |
| No rewards card | 3 500 AA miles (7%) | 2 000 MP (6.1%) | $52.50 / $14.00 |
| General 2% cashback card | 3 500 AA miles + $15 (9%) | 2 000 MP + $4.60 (8.1%) | $67.50 / $18.60 |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred | 3 500 AA miles + 1 500 UR points (10%) | 2 000 MP + 460 UR points (9.1%) | $75.00 / $20.90 |
| Marriott Bonvoy Boundless | 3 500 AA miles + 750 Marriott points (7.7%) | 3 580 Marriott points (10.9%) | $58.00 / $25.06 |
Is this credit card right for you?
If you stay at Marriott properties with enough frequency to be considering picking up a credit card with them, then I’d say yes this card is worth considering. I’m strongly of the opinion that this card is worth paying $95 for over the Bonvoy Bold card. It’s really not very hard to find a use case for the 35 000 certificate that will save you at least $95. Everything beyond that is just a bonus, and the points earnings are way better than the Bold Card. That being said, there are definitely other cards that are better for putting large amounts of spending on because they offer both better points earnings and a better spend goal offer than just Marriott Gold Status.
The bigger question, in my opinion, is if this card is the best Marriott card for you when compared to the 5 (Bevy, Bountiful, Brilliant, Business, and The Ritz Carlton Card; Five!) more expensive Marriott cards they offer. Stay tuned for the rest of them!
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