Marriott Bonvoy Bold vs. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless: Which Beginner Marriott Card Is Best For You?

Marriott offers five personal credit cards for new subscribers, with annual fees ranging from nothing to over $600 per year.

In short, yes a card for every traveler, whether you’re a die-hard Marriott fan or an occasional traveler looking for free bonus nights.

Chase released two of the most affordable co-branding options that are currently open to new subscribers: Marriott Bonvoy Bold . Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card.

And right now, both cards come with a great limited-time welcome bonus.

Let’s break down which card suits you better card strategy.

Compare Marriott Bonvoy Bold Card with Marriott Bonvoy Boundless

Feature	The bold Marriott Bonvoy	Boundless Marriott Bonvoy
sign up bonus	Earn up to 100,000 bonus points: 50,000 points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first six months of account opening and an additional 50,000 points after you stay 6 qualifying nights at Bonvoy hotels until ends January 31, 2024. Offer ends on August 10.	Earn up to 125,000 bonus points: 75,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first six months of account opening and an additional 50,000 after you stay 6 nights of qualifying fees at Bonvoy hotels for through January 31, 2024. Offer ends on August 10.
Annual fee	$0	$95
income rate	3 points per dollar on qualifying purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels 2 points per dollar when traveling 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases	6 points per dollar on qualifying purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels 3 points for every dollar on the first $6,000 spent combined on gas stations, groceries, and dining out each year 2 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases
Marriott’s privileges	Automatic Silver Elite status (with 15 annual elite night credits)	Automatic Silver Elite status (with 15 annual elite night credits) Annual free night award (valid for hotels costing up to 35,000 points) Earn a credit towards elite status for every $5,000 you spend Path to Gold status by spending $35,000 or more on your card annually
other perks	Luggage delay insurance Refund of lost baggage Late flight refund purchase protection Visa service There are no foreign transaction fees.	Luggage delay insurance Refund of lost baggage Late flight refund purchase protection Visa service No foreign transaction fees

Related: Is it reasonable to hold multiple Marriott Bonvoy credit cards?

• The bold Marriott Bonvoy: Earn up to 100,000 bonus points: 50,000 points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first six months of account opening and an additional 50,000 points after you stay 6 qualifying nights at Bonvoy hotels until ends January 31, 2024. Offer ends on August 10.
• Boundless Marriott Bonvoy: Earn up to 125,000 bonus points: 75,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first six months of account opening and an additional 50,000 after you stay 6 nights of qualifying fees at Bonvoy hotels for through January 31, 2024. Offer ends on August 10.

TPG . value Marriott Bonvoy scores at 0.84 cents each, effectively making bonuses on the Bold up to $840 and on Boundless up to $1,050.

Since Chase issues both cards, it’s important to note that 24/5 rule apply here. This means you may not be eligible for either card if you’ve opened five or more credit cards (from any issuer) in the past 24 months.

In addition, there are Marriott specific eligibility requirements includes products issued by both Chase and American Express. Be sure to verify your eligibility before applying.

Winner: boundless. Its signup bonus is worth $210 more than Bold, but you need to spend triple the amount to get the bonus points.

Related: Best time to apply for these Chase cards, based on offer history

Boundless Bonvoy cardholders receive a free night certificate worth up to 35,000 points — plus ability to use up to 15,000 extra points to cover the difference between the 35,000 point threshold and the price of your stay. If used strategically, you can score a free night at a hotel that easily makes up for the cost. $95 annual fee per year.

Bold Bonvoy meanwhile, cardholders don’t get a free night certificate but don’t have to pay an annual fee either.

The cards, on the other hand, offer similar perks. With either card you will get automatic Silver Elite status and strong travel and purchase protections from Chase. In addition, you will not have to pay any foreign transaction fees with these cards when traveling internationally.

Winner: boundless. Free night certificates can be worth up to $294, according to TPG . valuationeasily justify the card’s $95 annual fee.

Related: 7 great uses of Marriott’s free night certificate

with Boundless Bonvoy, you’ll earn 6 points per dollar at Bonvoy properties, 3 points per dollar on your first $6,000 aggregate purchase at gas stations, grocery stores, and restaurants. You will earn 2 points for every dollar on all other purchases.

The Bold Bonvoymeanwhile, earn 3 points per dollar at Bonvoy facilities, 2 points per dollar on travel purchases and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.

Winner: Boundless Bonvoy. It earns at least twice as many points as Bold does on all purchases (except travel, which they earn the same.)

both Bold Bonvoy and Boundless Bonvoy earn Marriott Bonvoy points, so they offer the same redemption options.

The most obvious and valuable way to use your Bonvoy points is to redeem them for a stay at Marriott. To get the most value out of your points, take advantage of Thursday night free privilegeallows you to book a five-night bonus stay for just four nights.

You also have the option to transfer your points to one of 40 partner airlines programs, including United MileagePlus And Delta SkyMiles. However, this redemption usually won’t give good value to your points, so we recommend using this option only if you need to top up your airline account balance.

Alternatively, you can use your points for gift cards and merchandise through the Marriott shopping portal, but again, we recommend avoiding this route to get the most value out of your points. me.

Credit card senior editor Matt Moffitt gets the most value from his Marriott Bonvoy points by redeeming them for stays at Marriott’s premium properties like St. Regis and The Ritz-Carlton. He usually avoids transferring his Bonvoy points to partner airlines, because most transfers take at least 48 hours to complete.

Winner: Tie. Both cards earn Marriott Bonvoy points and offer the same redemption options.

Related: How to redeem points with Marriott Bonvoy

If you can use the annual free night certificate, Boundless Marriott Bonvoy is the best choice for you. You will also unlock higher monetization rates with Boundless. However, if you want to avoid the annual fee, The bold Marriott Bonvoy is the better choice for you.

Related: Best Marriott credit cards

If you’re not eligible for the new Bonvoy bonus or it’s past 24/5, a product change may be your best bet. both Bold Bonvoy and Boundless Bonvoy experience Chase’s 5/24 Rule as well as more specific Marriott Bonvoy Eligibility limitations.

To request an upgrade (or downgrade), call the number on the back of your card. Just remember that doing so means you will lose your new card’s welcome bonus for the time being.

Related: The Ultimate Guide to Credit Card Upgrades

For more details, check out our Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card full review and Marriott Bonvoy Bold Card.

Official app link: Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card
Official app link: Marriott Bonvoy Bold Card

Additional reporting by Ryan Wilcox and Stella Shon.