Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card overview
The Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card is Marriott’s entry-level personal cobranded credit card. This no-annual-fee card offers a way to start earning Marriott Bonvoy points and even gives cardholders a jump-start on achieving elite status. However, it has a tough time competing with Marriott’s other cards when it comes to earning rates and ongoing perks such as reward night certificates. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐
*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
The Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card is a no-annual-fee card in the Marriott Bonvoy family. As they say, you get what you pay for, and that’s true regarding credit cards, too. Consequently, the Bonvoy Bold sacrifices some earning potential and popular benefits to compensate for the lack of an annual fee compared to its higher-priced counterparts.
Still, this can be a great option for someone just getting into the travel game who wants to reap the benefits of Marriott Silver Elite status during hotel stays.
Right now, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold is offering a sign-up bonus of 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in your first six months from account opening. Plus, you can earn another 50,000 bonus points after staying 6 paid nights in eligible Marriott Bonvoy properties through Jan. 31, 2024. Offer ends Aug. 10.
Here’s what else you need to know about the card if you are interested in applying.
Marriott Bonvoy Bold welcome offer
New cardholders can earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in their first six months from account opening. Plus, they can earn another 50,000 bonus points after staying 6 paid nights in eligible Marriott Bonvoy properties through Jan. 31, 2024. Offer ends Aug. 10.
TPG currently values those 100,000 total points at $840, which is a very solid bonus for a no-annual-fee card.
Since this is a Chase card, you’ll need to be within Chase’s 5/24 rule to be eligible. But this isn’t the only potential roadblock for new cardholders. Marriott cobranded cards have eligibility requirements that are notoriously confusing, and the Marriott Bonvoy Bold falls under them as well. Before applying, check to make sure you’ll be eligible.
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Related: Are you eligible for a new Marriott Bonvoy card?
Earning points on the Mariott Bonvoy Bold
The Marriott Bonvoy Bold earns 3 points per dollar on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program. It also earns 2 points per dollar on general travel purchases and 1 point per dollar on other purchases.
Remember that the 3 points per dollar you earn on Marriott hotel stays is in addition to the points you earn through the Bonvoy program itself. Between the 10 base points you earn and the extra 10% you earn from Silver Elite status, you’re earning up to 14 total points per dollar on eligible Bonvoy hotel stays with the Bonvoy Bold card.
It’s worth mentioning that these earning rates don’t compare favorably to any of the other Marriott Bonvoy credit cards, all of which offer 2 points per dollar on everyday spending and 6 points per dollar at Marriott hotels (and some have a few other bonus categories).
If you have a general travel credit card, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, you’ll be better off using one of those cards for broader travel purchases.
Redeeming points on the Marriott Bonvoy Bold
As with all Bonvoy credit cards, you’ll usually get the most value from your points when you use them for award-night stays at eligible Bonvoy hotels.
A nice benefit to redeeming Marriott points for award-night stays is that you’ll get a fifth night free at eligible properties, giving you the opportunity to save 20% on five-night stays.
Beginners who may not have massive points balances for redemptions can also take advantage of Marriott’s Cash + Points redemption options, where you can use points to pay for part of your hotel stay and use cash for the rest.
Finally, you can transfer your Marriott points to an impressive list of more than 35 airline partners at a 3:1 ratio. This is rarely the best redemption option, but it is an opportunity to top off miles balances with airline programs that have no other transfer partners, such as Asiana Club and Korean Air SkyPass. Plus, when you transfer 60,000 points at a time, you get a 5,000-mile bonus with most partners, winding up with 25,000 miles rather than just 20,000.
Marriott Bonvoy Bold benefits
The 15 elite night credits that come with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold are enough to confer automatic Silver Elite status. This level comes with a 10% points bonus on stays, priority late checkout, free in-room Wi-Fi and a reservation guarantee. These night credits can also help boost your progress to a higher level of status.
The Bold also comes with the following benefits:
- Baggage delay insurance: You can get reimbursed up to $100 daily for up to five days for essential purchases made because of a baggage delay over six hours.
- Lost luggage reimbursement: You’re covered up to $3,000 per passenger if you or an immediate family member check or carry on luggage that is damaged or lost by the carrier.
- Trip delay reimbursement: If your flight is delayed more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay, you’ll be covered up to $500 per ticket for unreimbursed expenses, such as meals and hotel costs.
- Purchase protection: This covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft (up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account).
- Visa concierge: Visa Signature Concierge Service is available 24 hours a day to help you book entertainment tickets, make dinner reservations and more.
It’s rare to find no-annual-fee credit cards offering baggage and trip delay coverage, making the Marriott Bonvoy Bold more attractive if you plan to use it to pay for travel.
Related: Marriott Bonvoy Bold vs. Hilton Honors American Express
Which cards compete with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold?
If you want more Marriott Bonvoy perks or prefer a different type of rewards, you may want to choose one of these cards instead.
For additional options, see our list of best Marriott Bonvoy credit cards and best hotel credit cards.
Related: Marriott Bonvoy Bold vs. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless
Is the Marriott Bonvoy Bold worth it?
Since there’s no annual fee to justify, beginners will likely find enough value in the Bonvoy Bold’s welcome bonus and automatic Silver Elite status to make the card worth getting. However, anyone who stays at Marriott properties regularly and is willing to pay an annual fee is better off using their Chase 5/24 slots for other cards with more valuable benefits.
Related: The best ways to use your Chase 5/24 slots
Bottom line
While the Marriott Bonvoy Bold offers some decent value for beginners, you’ll likely get more value from other travel credit card options, especially when you look at the full lineup of Marriott Bonvoy cards. The rewards rates and additional perks these other cards offer more than make up for their annual fees. However, true beginners (and maybe those against adding another annual fee to their wallets) could find solid value in the Bonvoy Bold.
Apply for the Marriott Bonvoy Bold and earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in your first six months from account opening. Plus, earn another 50,000 bonus points after staying 6 paid nights in eligible Mariott Bonvoy properties through Jan. 31, 2024. Offer ends Aug. 10.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Amex Card, click here.
Additional reporting by Emily Thompson, Ryan Wilcox and Christina Ly.
