Updated: 2 days ago
Marriott is the largest hotel chain in the world, and one of the most recognizable names in travel. After its merger with Starwood a couple years ago, Marriott now has over 30 brands in its portfolio. These range from limited-service properties to luxury city hotels to overwater bungalows. The recently revamped Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program is at the heart of Marriott properties around the world. With options that cater to any traveler, it makes sense that you’d want to find the best Marriott credit card to earn points and other benefits.
Best Marriott Credit Card Offers of April 2020
Marriott Bonvoy credit cards are issued by both Chase and American Express, and there are four credit cards to choose from, including a business card option. That means there are a variety of Marriott credit card offers out there, as they offer the broadest selection of hotel credit cards of any major chain.
When it comes to credit card eligibility, Chase cards abide by the 5/24 rule, and American Express card introductory offers are once per lifetime. There are additional restrictions for the Marriott Bonvoy cards, as you’re limited to what cards and bonuses you can earn, even across issuers.
For the most part, we have seen Chase and American Express align introductory offers and many of the card perks. Where you’ll find the most differences is in the ongoing benefits and points earning structures, with typically better benefits or more lucrative opportunities from the higher annual fee Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card. But, any of the cards can be a good option depending on your circumstances. These offers change frequently, but OMAAT keeps this page updated as the deals and offers fluctuate. Here are the best Marriott credit card offers available today:
The Marriott Bonvoy™ American Express® Card (Canada)
Marriott points are very valuable as they can be used for hotels and/or airline transfers. This is a great way of earning miles with programs that you otherwise wouldn't be able to earn via credit card spend, such as Japan Airlines.
Current Offer
• New Marriott Bonvoy™* American Express® Cardmembers earn 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy™ points enough for 3 free nights at a Category 2 hotel after you charge $1,500 in purchases to your Card in your first three months of Cardmembership.*Offer subject to change at any time
• Earn 5 points for every dollar in eligible Card purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy™* properties
• Earn 2 points for every $1 in all other Card purchases
• Receive an Annual Free Night Award for up to 35,000 points at eligible hotels and resorts worldwide every year after your first anniversary
• No annual fee on Additional Cards
• Redeem points for free nights with no blackout dates at over 7,000 of the world’s most desired hotels
• Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status membership
• Receive 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy™American Express® Card. These can be used towards attaining the next level of Elite status in the Marriott Bonvoy program
• Enjoy an automatic upgrade to Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status when you reach $30,000 in purchases on the Card each year
• American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information click the Apply now link. Conditions apply
Marriott Bonvoy™ Business American Express® Card (Canada)
Marriott points are very valuable as they can be used for hotels and/or airline transfers. This is a great way of earning miles with programs that you otherwise wouldn't be able to earn via credit card spend, such as Japan Airlines.
Current Offer
• Earn 50,000 Welcome Bonus Marriott Bonvoy™ points after you charge $1,500 in purchases to your Card in your first three months of Cardmembership. Offer subject to change at any time.
• Receive an Annual Free Night Award automatically each year after your anniversary
• Enjoy an automatic upgrade to Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status when you reach $30,000 in purchases on your Card each year
• Receive 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card. These can be used towards attaining the next level of Elite status in the Marriott Bonvoy program.
• You can earn 3 points for every $1 in Card purchases on eligible gas, dining and travel
• Earn 5 points for every $1 in Card purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy properties. Earn 2 points for every $1 in purchases charged to the Card everywhere else
• Make the most of a suite of business management tools that give you more control over your business anytime and anywhere
• Redeem points for free nights with no blackout dates at over 7,000 of some of the world's most extraordinary hotels and resorts around the globe. Use your points for flights on some of the world's leading airlines
• American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information click the Apply now link. Conditions apply
As no-fee Marriott co-brand card, with no foreign transactions, this card is a nice alternative if you want to keep your Marriott points alive without having to worry about annual fees. The 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year qualifies you for Silver Elite status, and helps you achieve a higher level of status with Marriott.
Current Offer
Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after spending $1,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
Card Details
Earn 3X points for every $1 spent at 7,000+ hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy™ and 2X points on other travel purchases (from airfare to taxis and trains).
The way I view it, this is a card that’s worth holding onto for the anniversary free night certificate, valid at a hotel that retails for up to 35,000 Marriott points per night. That benefit alone should more than justify the annual fee.
Current Offer
Earn 75,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
Card Details
Earn 6X points for every $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy™ and 2X points on all other purchases.
How To Earn The Most Marriott Points
Marriott points are most commonly earned by staying at their properties around the world. Points are earned based on a multiplier on your room rate, and depending on the property, some incidental charges; ultimately, the more expensive your room, the more points you will earn. Now, not all Marriotts are created equal in terms of that multiplier! If you’re trying to decide between the Aloft and the Residence Inn two blocks away, the Aloft earns 10X points, while the Residence Inn only earns 5X points.
It’s worth mentioning that if you book your room anywhere other than directly with Marriott, you will typically forgo any points earning and elite benefits. Most corporate travel sites are exempt from this, but popular sites such as Hotels.com and Expedia are not. If these sites offer a better rate, you’ll have to do the math yourself to decide if a slightly cheaper rate is worth the trade-off of no points and benefits.
Whenever you’re booking a stay at a Marriott property, it’s good practice to check and see what ongoing promotions Bonvoy is offering. These often present an opportunity to quickly earn bonus points on top of what you would already earn for staying at a Marriott. In the past, these bonuses have included anything from double points on stays or a flat 1,000 bonus points per stay.
Another way to boost your Marriott point balance is to refer your friends to the program. Have a coworker who recently started traveling for business? Or a friend who just graduated college and is entering the workforce? Marriott encourages you to get them enrolled in the Bonvoy program (it’s free, don’t worry!). Your referral will earn 2,000 bonus points on their first five stays, and so will you! This is capped at 50,000 points per year (5 referrals maxing out their 5 stays).
Ironically, one of the best ways to earn the most Marriott points is not actually through using their co-branded cards or staying in their hotels. Marriott Bonvoy is transfer partners with both Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards, and each point currency transfers directly to Marriott Bonvoy at a 1:1 ratio. This makes these cards a great way to earn more Marriott points because they tend to have more rewarding bonus categories for spending than the traditional Marriott Bonvoy cards.
Depending on which Membership Rewards card you choose, you could earn up to:
- 5x Membership Rewards® on flights booked directly with airlines
- 5X Membership Rewards® on eligible hotels booked on amextravel.com
- 4X Membership Rewards® at restaurants worldwide
- 4X Membership Rewards® at U.S. supermarkets
- 4X Membership Rewards® for selected small business expenses
Meanwhile, depending on which Ultimate Rewards card you choose, you could earn up to:
- 3X Ultimate Rewards on all dining and travel
- 3X Ultimate Rewards for selected business expenses
No one card offers all of these earnings rates, but the portfolios mean it’s easy to choose a card that will allow you to earn the most on the purchases you’re already making. Just remember that most of the Marriott Bonvoy credit cards already offer 2x points on non-Marriott purchases, so you’ll want to make sure you’re earning at least that many points per dollar spent if you intend to transfer your rewards points to Marriott later on:
Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred at a 1:1 ratio to United, Hyatt, and many other programs. The card is also great for everyday spend given that it offers double points on dining and travel. This is probably the most-used card in my wallet. Current Offer The card has a great sign-up bonus, and on top of that has lots of perks that make it valuable long term. I value Ultimate Rewards points at ~1.7 cents each, so to me the 50,000 points are worth $850, and that's before factoring in the travel credit and other great perks. Current Offer Card Details If you make frequent transactions in a month the Amex EveryDay cards are a great option. In addition to accruing points in bonus categories, these cards offer an additional incentive based on how many times the card is used in a month. This can be quite lucrative, especially as these cards accrue Membership Rewards points. Membership Rewards points can be transferred to airline partners for the best value, or used to pay for all or part of your flight, prepaid hotel, vacation or cruise through amextravel.com. Current Offer Card Details If you make frequent transactions in a month the Amex EveryDay cards are a great option. In addition to accruing points in bonus categories, these cards offer an additional incentive based on how many times the card is used in a month. This can be quite lucrative, especially as these cards accrue Membership Rewards points. Membership Rewards points can be transferred to airline partners for the best value, or used to pay for all or part of your flight, prepaid hotel, vacation or cruise through amextravel.com. Current Offer Card Details
Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
3X points on travel immediately after earning your $300 travel credit. 3X points on dining at restaurants & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases. $0 foreign transaction fees.
Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card
Earn 20,000 Membership Rewards® points after you use your new Card to make $1,000 in purchases in your first 3 months.
3x points at US Supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases; 2x points at US gas stations; 1x points on other purchases. Use your Card 30 or more times on purchases in a billing period and earn 50% more points on those purchases less returns and credits.
Amex EveryDay® Credit Card
Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you use your new Card to make $1,000 in purchases in your first 3 months.
2x points at US supermarkets, on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1x); 1x points on other purchases. Use your Card 20 or more times on purchases in a billing period and earn 20% more points on those purchases less returns and credits.
Lastly, if you are planning a major trip or have been eyeing that dream redemption, and find yourself a bit short, it can occasionally make sense to outright purchase Marriott points.
Marriott Credit Card Benefits
The Marriott credit card portfolio still makes sense for many of us due to the ongoing benefits you can receive at actual Marriott properties. The credit card benefits coupled with the perks of being a Marriott Bonvoy rewards member can quickly add up, especially considering their global footprint. Here are some of the Marriott credit card benefits you won’t want to miss:
- Free Anniversary Night Award — All Marriott co-branded cards earn 1 Free Anniversary Night certificate each year. Depending on your card, these are valid at properties costing either up to 35,000 or up to 50,000 points per night. If you hold more than one card, you can stack this benefit.
- Earn Bonus Points on Marriott Purchases — Each of the Marriott credit cards earns bonus points for purchases made directly with Marriott. This can range from 3 points per dollar spent on the no-annual fee Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card, to 6 points per dollar spent on the other Bonvoy cards.
- Fifth Night Free — Plain and simple. If you are redeeming your points for four nights at a property, that fifth night is free! This can help bring the total cost of your stay down, so be sure to stretch that vacation one extra day if you can.
- Airline Transfer Partners — Marriott Bonvoy points are actually one of the major transferable point currencies!! Marriott partners with over 30 airlines, and allows you to transfer directly at anywhere from a 1:1 to a 3:1 ratio. Best of all, you can receive 5,000 bonus miles for every 60,000 points you transfer.
- Free Breakfast — While not as comprehensive of a benefit as what their competitors offer, Marriott does still offer free breakfast to all guests at properties such as Residence Inns & Elements. However, once you earn Platinum elite status and above, you’ll receive free breakfast at a wider range of properties including Renaissance & Sheraton properties.
- Shortcut to Elite Status — The annual fee cards offer the cardholder automatic Silver status (Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card, and Bonvoy Business) or Gold status (Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card). In addition, each card offers spending thresholds to jump up to the next tier in a calendar year. Finally, all the annual-fee cards give you 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year, which cannot be stacked if you hold multiple cards.
- Premium Benefits — The more premium Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card offers additional benefits to justify the higher annual fee, such as a $300 Marriott Bonvoy statement credit every year, Priority Pass Membership and a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit.
- Guaranteed Late Check-Out — Platinum, Titanium and Ambassador elite level guests receive guaranteed 4pm late check-out at all properties, except resorts. This can be pretty valuable, since it’s an extension of up to 5 hours past the published check-out time.
- Suite Night Awards — These are available to members as a Choice Benefit once qualifying for Platinum Elite (and again at Titanium Elite). SNAs are certificates for a one-night confirmable upgrade to a standard suite and/or premium room. These can be confirmed starting five days prior to your stay, rather than rolling the dice and hoping for an elite upgrade at check-in.
- RewardsPlus — Marriott has an exclusive relationship with United Airlines and their loyalty program, MileagePlus. Through this partnership, high-tier elites in each program can earn reciprocal benefits in each program. For example, Marriott Bonvoy Titanium members receive complimentary United MileagePlus Silver status.
- Your24 — This benefit is unique to those who hold top-tier Ambassador status, but it can be invaluable. Normal rooms at hotels across the world are booked with check-in late afternoon, check-out late morning. Your24 allows you the flexibility to choose the 24 hours of your stay. For example, if your flight lands in the morning, you could check in right at 9AM, and check out at 9AM the next morning.
- Ultimate Reservations Guarantee — If you hold at least Silver status (which comes with both the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card and Bonvoy Business), Marriott offers the Ultimate Reservations Guarantee. If you have a confirmed reservation, and the property is unable to honor your reservation at check-in, Marriott will not only pay for your accommodations that night at a nearby hotel, they’ll compensate you for the inconvenience. This compensation can be up to 90,000 Marriott points and/or $200 cash (depending on the brand and your elite status).
Which Marriott Credit Card Is Best For You?
In order to decide what Marriott Credit Card is best for you, you first need to decide your goal. Keep in mind that you don’t need to limit yourself to just one, as a combination of cards could be very lucrative in the long run. Despite only 3 co-branded cards, there are actually many more options available thanks to Marriott Bonvoy being transfer patterns with both Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards. . Both point currencies transfer directly to Marriott Bonvoy at a 1:1 ratio.
So, if your goal is for your credit card to help you earn or maintain elite status, you’ll want to consider any of the Bonvoy co-branded cards. Each of these grants the cardholder at minimum, Silver Status, which comes with many benefits when actually staying at Marriott properties. In addition, the Bonvoy Brilliant offers a route to spend your way to a higher elite tier.
If your goal is to have easy access to a free night certificate every year, that can often outweigh the cost of your card’s annual fee, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card is hard to beat.
On the other hand, if your goal is to earn the most Marriott points, you will want to look at any of the Amex Membership Rewards or Chase Ultimate Rewards earning cards.
So, which Marriott credit card is best for you?
Best for Casual Travelers (including earning free nights) |  Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card | Apply Now |
Best for No Annual Fee |  Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card | Apply Now |
Best for Elite Status |  Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card | Apply Now |
Best for Dining (Earn 4x points at restaurants worldwide) |  American Express® Gold Card | Apply Now |
Best for Business |  Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card | Apply Now |
Ultimately, it really all depends on your situation! The good news is that you don’t have to choose just one card for all time. There’s no reason you can’t apply for a couple of cards over time in order to maximize introductory offers, ongoing benefits, and points earning.
As a reminder, the eligibility requirements for each Marriott Bonvoy card are somewhat confusing due to the Marriott-Starwood merger, so be sure to review those before you apply.
