Both American Express and Chase issue co-branded Marriott cards, which means there are quite a few options to choose from. That’s a good thing, but it also makes things confusing. I want to cut through that and tell you which cards I think are actually worth having, and why.
I should also address something upfront: Marriott Bonvoy is a transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Bilt. Some people wonder whether it’s better to just earn one of those flexible currencies and transfer into Bonvoy when needed. I’ll cover that too, because I think the answer is more nuanced than it might seem.
I personally value Bonvoy points at ~0.7 cents each, and that’s the lens through which I’ll be evaluating everything here.
Compare credit cards for Marriott hotels
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Earn 100,000 bonus points
- 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct
- 3x points on Dining
- $300 Annual Travel Credit
Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠, including The Edit℠ and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
- Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Get $3,000 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.
- Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠, including The Edit℠ and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
- $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests. Plus, up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck® every 4 years
- Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
- Get complimentary subscriptions to Apple TV and Apple Music for a minimum of one year when activated by June 22, 2027, a value of $288 annually.
- Member FDIC
Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Earn 75,000 bonus points
- 5x total points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3x points on dining
- 2x points on travel purchases
- 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3x on dining
- 3x on vacation homes
- 3x on gas & EV charging
- 3x on top streaming services
- 3x on online groceries (excluding Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs)
- 2x on all other travel purchases
- 1x on all other purchases
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, 3x on vacation homes, 3x on gas & EV charging, 3x on top streaming services and online groceries (excluding Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs), 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $100 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Emergency Evacuation and Transportation and more
- Get a year of complimentary Apple TV when activated by December 31, 2026 - a value of $156.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for 12 months when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Receive one statement credit of up to $120 every four years as reimbursement for the application fee charged to your card for a Global Entry, TSA Precheck® or NEXUS application.
- Transfer points to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Member FDIC
Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card
Limited Time: 100,000 Bonus Points and 1 Free Night Award. Offer ends 11/4/26.
- Earn 6x points at Marriott
- Free Night Award Annually
- 15 Elite Nights Towards Status Annually
6x points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping.
2x points on all other eligible purchases.
Learn more from these OMAAT posts:
- Limited Time Offer: Earn 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy® Bonus Points and 1 Free Night Award after you spend $8,000 in purchases on the Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership. The Free Night Award has a redemption level up to 50,000 points at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Resort fees and terms apply. Offer ends 11/4/26.
- Receive a 7% discount on eligible bookings as a benefit of being both a Marriott Bonvoy® member & a Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card Member when you book directly with Marriott through an eligible channel for a participating property under the Amex Business Card Rate.
- 6x points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
- 4x points for purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping.
- 2x points on all other eligible purchases.
- Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Plus, earn an additional Free Night Award after you spend $60K in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Enjoy Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy® Gold Elite Status with your Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card.
- Terms apply.
Limited Time Offer: Earn 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy® Bonus Points and 1 Free Night Award after you spend $8,000 in purchases on the Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership. The Free Night Award has a redemption level up to 50,000 points at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Resort fees and terms apply. Offer ends 11/4/26.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
Earn 3 Free Night Awards
- Earn 6x points at Marriott
- Free Night Award Annually
- 15 Elite Nights Towards Status Annually
Earn up to 17X total points per $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Card.
Earn 3X points per $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining.
2X points for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
- Earn 3 Free Night Awards (valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $3,000 on qualifying purchases in the first 3 months spending $3,000 on eligible purchases within 3 months of account opening.
- Special Offer through 6/30/2027: Get up to $100 in statement credits after spending $500 on eligible airline purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually.
- Earn 3X points per $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases annually on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining.
- Earn 1 Elite Night Credit towards Elite Status for every $5,000 you spend.
- 1 Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary.
- Earn up to 17X total points per $1 spent at thousands of hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Card.
- Receive 15 Elite Night Credits annually, automatic Silver Elite status, and path to Gold Status when you spend $35,000 on purchases each calendar year.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Your points don't expire as long as you make purchases on your card every 24 months.
- Member FDIC
Earn 3 Free Night Awards (valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $3,000 on qualifying purchases in the first 3 months spending $3,000 on eligible purchases within 3 months of account opening.
Special Offer through 6/30/2027: Get up to $100 in statement credits after spending $500 on eligible airline purchases. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually.
Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card
Earn 45,000 Bonus Points
- Earn 3x points at Marriott
- Complimentary Silver Elite Status
- 5 Elite Nights Towards Status Annually
Earn up to 14X total points per $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Card.
2X points for every $1 spent on other travel purchases (from airfare to taxis and trains).
1X point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
- Earn 45,000 Bonus Points after qualifying purchases.
- Pay no annual fee with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card from Chase®!
- Earn up to 14X total points per $1 spent at thousands of hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Card.
- Earn 2X points for every $1 spent at grocery stores, rideshare, select food delivery, select streaming, and internet, cable, and phone services.
- 1X point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
- Travel now, pay later - Break up purchases into equal monthly payments with no interest plus no plan fees on qualifying travel purchases. Terms apply.
- Pay Yourself Back® - Redeem Marriott Bonvoy® points for a statement credit to cover qualifying travel purchases made directly with airlines or at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy, up to $750 total in redemptions per year.
- Member FDIC
Earn 45,000 Bonus Points after spending $1,000 on eligible purchases within 3 months of account opening with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card!
Bilt Palladium Card
50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status offer
- 2X points on everyday purchases
- Earn up to 1.25X points on rent and mortgage payments
- $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit
Earn up to 1.25X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, and 2X points on everyday spend.
Learn more from these OMAAT posts:
- Earn up to 1.25X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee.
- 2X points on everyday spend
- $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
- $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
- Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days + $300 of Bilt Cash.
- Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
- Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.
- Earn additional points through Bilt Neighborhood Benefits™ when you use your card at Bilt's network of 50,000+ merchant partners.
Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days + $300 of Bilt Cash. Up to $100 of Bilt Cash earned rolls over to the next year.
Marriott credit cards overview
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card has a high annual fee, and I can understand how on the surface some people might say “well, I don’t want to pay that much for a card if I don’t have to.” I totally get it, but I personally have this card, and I think it’s worth every dollar.
The card earns 6x Bonvoy points at Marriott properties, 3x on flights booked directly with airlines and at U.S. restaurants, and 2x on everything else. I wouldn’t use this as my primary card for everyday spending, but the 6x at Marriott is worth putting hotel stays on.
In terms of ongoing perks, there are a few that really make this card shine. First, there’s up to $300 in annual restaurant credits, offered as $25 per month at eligible restaurants worldwide. This should be easy to use. My personal strategy is to load $25 into my Starbucks account at the beginning of each month, and that takes care of it automatically. That alone offsets nearly half the annual fee.
Then there’s the annual free night award, valid at properties costing up to 85,000 Bonvoy points. You can also top it off with up to 25,000 additional points, meaning you can use it at a property costing up to 110,000 points. I used one of my last certificates at the Ritz-Carlton Kyoto, which was charging 100,000 points for the night I wanted. The room would have cost over $2,000 in cash. Between the $300 dining credit and the free night, I’m already breaking even on the card before I even get to the other perks.
And the single greatest benefit of the card is automatic Marriott Bonvoy® Platinum Elite Status for as long as you’re a cardmember. Platinum ordinarily requires 50 elite nights per year. Getting it handed to you just for having the card is incredible.
Link: Learn more about the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card is the mid-range personal card issued by Chase, and I think it’s the better of the two Chase Marriott cards. It has a $95 annual fee, and the incremental benefits over the no-annual-fee Bold Card more than justify the cost.
The card earns 6x Bonvoy points at Marriott hotels, 3x on dining, gas stations, and grocery stores (on the first $6,000 in combined purchases per calendar year), and 2x on everything else. I wouldn’t use this as my primary card for everyday spending, but the return on spending is pretty good compared to what you’ll find on most co-branded hotel cards.
The real perk that makes this card worthwhile is the annual free night award on your account anniversary, valid at a property costing up to 35,000 Bonvoy points. You can also top it off with up to 25,000 additional points to stay somewhere costing up to 60,000 points. I’ve consistently redeemed mine at hotels that would cost $250 or more per night, which more than covers the $95 annual fee on its own. That’s the reason to have this card.
On the status side, you get 15 elite nights toward Bonvoy status annually just for having the card, plus complimentary Silver Elite status. You can earn Marriott Bonvoy® Gold Elite Status if you spend $35,000 on the card in a year, though I don’t consider that a particularly meaningful benefit since Gold’s perks are fairly limited. The card also comes with premium internet at Marriott properties, trip delay reimbursement, lost luggage coverage, and no foreign transaction fees.
Link: Learn more about the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card
The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Card is the card I’m least enthusiastic about in the personal Marriott lineup. If you ask me, this is the weakest card in the portfolio in terms of value.
The card earns 6x points at Marriott properties, 4x points on up to $15,000 in combined purchases per calendar year at restaurants globally and at U.S. supermarkets, and 2x on all other eligible purchases. There’s also a unique perk of 1,000 bonus points per paid eligible stay, which based on my valuation works out to about $7 per stay. For very frequent Marriott guests, that can add up.
Unfortunately, the card doesn’t offer a free night award just for being a cardmember. Instead, you can earn a free night valid at a property costing up to 50,000 points only after you spend $15,000 on the card in a calendar year. That’s a disappointing aspect of the card, and a meaningful limitation compared to other Marriott cards that give you the certificate automatically. You also get complimentary Gold Elite status and 15 elite nights toward status annually, but don’t get too excited about Gold status; the perks are fairly limited.
Link: Apply for now the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card
Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card
The Marriott Bonvoy Bold Card has no annual fee, and it’s worth calling out that a no-annual-fee card offering 5 elite nights toward status annually is a pretty awesome opportunity. That’s impressive for a card that costs you nothing to hold.
The card earns 3x Bonvoy points at Marriott hotels, 2x on grocery stores, rideshare, select food delivery, streaming, and internet and phone services, and 1x on everything else. It also has no foreign transaction fees. The earning structure isn’t going to blow anyone away, but for a no-fee card, it’s reasonable.
On the status side, you get complimentary Marriott Bonvoy® Silver Elite Status and 5 elite nights toward Bonvoy status annually. Silver isn’t the most exciting status in the world, but the elite nights are a nice perk to have at no cost.
Business card for Marriott Bonvoy
There’s only one Marriott business card open to new applicants, and if you’re serious about earning elite status, it’s a card you’re going to want to have. The reason comes down to one thing: elite nights.
Link: Learn more about the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Card
Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card
The Marriott Bonvoy Business Card is worth having. The card earns 6x Bonvoy points at Marriott hotels globally, 4x at restaurants worldwide, U.S. gas stations, wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. providers, and U.S. shipping purchases, and 2x on all other eligible purchases. There’s no foreign transaction fee. The 4x categories are genuinely useful for business spending, though I wouldn’t rely on this as my only business card.
The ongoing perks are where this card earns its keep. You get an annual free night award on your account anniversary, valid at a property costing up to 35,000 points, with the option to top off with up to 25,000 additional points. There’s also complimentary Gold Elite status, which is better than nothing, and a 7% Marriott room rate discount. I wouldn’t get too excited about that last one, since it’s off the standard flexible rate, and you’ll often find cheaper rates through advance purchase or other methods.
The most important perk is the 15 elite nights toward Bonvoy status annually. Here’s the key thing: you can earn elite nights from both a personal and a business Marriott card. So if you have the Brilliant Card (25 nights) plus this Business Card (15 nights), that’s 40 elite nights per year from cards alone. Platinum Elite requires 50 nights, meaning you’d only need 10 more qualifying stay nights. For someone who travels even occasionally for work, that’s very realistic. It’s also worth noting that the elite nights earned through the card count toward lifetime elite status.
Link: Learn more about the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card
What to consider before getting a Marriott card
How often do you stay at Marriott properties?
This is the first question to ask yourself. The co-branded cards are most valuable for people who actually stay at Marriott properties with some regularity. Marriott’s portfolio is enormous, covering everything from Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis to Westin, Sheraton, and Courtyard, so the odds are good that you’ll find redemption options that appeal to you. But if you’re indifferent about where you stay, a more flexible card might serve you better.
The free night certificate is the key number
For most people, the most important thing to evaluate on any Marriott card is the annual free night certificate. I’ve consistently redeemed mine at hotels costing $250 or more per night, which is more than double the Boundless Card’s $95 fee. The Brilliant Card’s 85,000-point certificate is even more valuable. I used one at the Ritz-Carlton Kyoto when the property was charging over $2,000 per night. Not everyone will get that kind of value, but it gives you a sense of what’s possible.
Are you going for elite status?
If you want Platinum Elite status, credit cards are your best friend. Platinum requires 50 nights, but with the right card combination you can get a big head start. The Boundless and Business Cards each give you 15 elite nights annually. The Brilliant Card gives you 25. And importantly, you can stack personal and business card nights. So if you have the Brilliant plus the Business Card, you’re starting each year with 40 elite nights already credited. That means you’d only need 10 more qualifying stay nights to hit Platinum. I find this to be one of the most compelling reasons to hold multiple Marriott cards.
Consider stacking a personal and business card
My ideal setup is the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card paired with the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card. Together, you get 40 elite nights toward status, two annual free night certificates, automatic Platinum Elite status, a $300 dining credit, and Priority Pass lounge access. The math works out well, and I think these two cards are excellent complements to each other.
Should you use transfer partners instead?
Marriott Bonvoy is a transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Bilt. Some people wonder if they should skip the co-branded Marriott cards entirely and just transfer points from those programs when they want a hotel stay. Let me share my thinking on each.
American Express Membership Rewards
Amex Membership Rewards transfers to Marriott Bonvoy at a 1:1 ratio. But in general, I’d avoid transferring Membership Rewards to hotel programs like Marriott. The conversion results in hotel points worth significantly less per Membership Rewards point than what you’d get by transferring to an airline program. I value Membership Rewards points at around 1.7 cents each for premium air travel. Bonvoy points, by contrast, I value at ~0.7 cents each. That’s a big drop. You’re giving up a lot of value every time you make that transfer.
The smarter move is to earn Bonvoy points directly through co-branded Marriott cards and hotel stays, and save your Membership Rewards for air redemptions where you can really get outsized value.
Personal card recommendation: If you’re in the Amex ecosystem and want Bonvoy points, get the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card. It’s the most lucrative Amex-issued Marriott card. Don’t transfer Membership Rewards to Bonvoy. Earn Bonvoy points the right way.
Chase Ultimate Rewards
The same basic logic applies here. Chase Ultimate Rewards transfers to Bonvoy at 1:1, but that’s usually not how I’d recommend using them. Ultimate Rewards are better deployed through World of Hyatt, air partners, or through the Chase Travel™ portal at elevated redemption rates, especially with the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
That said, if you’re a Chase cardmember who doesn’t have a strong use case for Hyatt or any particular airline, and there’s a specific Marriott stay where the math works, a transfer could make sense. Just make sure you check the numbers against the cash cost first.
Personal card recommendation: For Chase cardholders who want to earn Bonvoy points, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card is the right call.
Bilt Rewards
Bilt is the most interesting of the three when it comes to Marriott. Unlike Amex and Chase, Bilt transfers to Bonvoy at a better-than-standard ratio: you get a bonus of 5,000 Bonvoy points for every 20,000 Bilt points transferred, which works out to an effective 1:1.25 ratio in the right increments. That’s the best transfer ratio into Bonvoy from any transferable currency. Without the bonus, transfers follow a 1:1 ratio.
Bilt is also unique because its primary earn mechanism, earning points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fees, doesn’t compete with your other cards. So Bilt points can accumulate alongside your Marriott card spending rather than instead of it. There are also periodic Rent Day transfer bonuses that can push the value even higher.
Even so, I’d say World of Hyatt is the more exciting hotel transfer partner for Bilt, given all the great uses of Hyatt points and the fact that it’s otherwise only a Chase transfer partner. For most people, Bonvoy transfers from Bilt are probably best treated as opportunistic rather than a core strategy.
Personal card recommendation: The Bilt Palladium Card is the most rewarding option in the portfolio, earning 2x points on all eligible spending plus the option to choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash for housing payments (Up to $100 of Bilt Cash earned rolls over to the next year). But I’d think of Bilt and Marriott as complementary, not competitive. Use co-branded Marriott cards to build your Bonvoy balance directly, and treat Bilt as a way to top things off when there’s a transfer bonus worth taking advantage of.
Link: Apply for a Bilt credit card (Rates & Fees)
The case for co-branded cards
Here’s my bottom line on the transfer partner question: no transferable points program can replicate what the co-branded Marriott cards offer for status. The 15 to 25 elite nights annually, automatic complimentary status, and the ability to stack personal and business card credits make a real difference if you care about Platinum Elite and the perks that come with it. Transferring points periodically from Amex or Chase won’t get you there. The co-branded cards are the better starting point for anyone who’s genuinely in the Bonvoy ecosystem.
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