Marriott Bonvoy Bold vs. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless: Which beginner Marriott card is best for you?

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June 26, 2025

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10 min read

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Quick summary

Marriott offers five personal credit cards to new applicants, with annual fees ranging from none to a whopping $650 per year.

In short, there's a card for everyone, whether you're a die-hard Marriott fan or an occasional traveler looking for free award nights.

Chase issues the two most affordable cobranded options currently open to new applicants: the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card (see rates and fees) and the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (see rates and fees). Both come with valuable welcome bonuses.

Let's break down the card details to help you decide which fits your strategy better.

Marriott Bonvoy Bold vs. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless comparison

Feature	Marriott Bonvoy Bold	Marriott Bonvoy Boundless
Welcome bonus	Earn 60,000 bonus points plus one free night award (valued at up to 50,000 points) after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. (Certain hotels have resort fees.)	Earn five free nights (each night valued at up to 50,000 points) after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. (Certain hotels have resort fees.)
Annual fee	$0	$95
Earning rates	3 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program 2 points per dollar spent at grocery stores and on ride-hailing, select food delivery, select streaming, internet, cable and phone services 1 point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases	6 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program 3 points per dollar spent on the first $6,000 in combined gas station, grocery store and dining purchases each year 2 points per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases
Marriott Bonvoy perks	Five elite night credits annually Complimentary Silver Elite status	15 elite night credits annually, automatically qualifying you for Silver Elite status Annual free night award (up to 35,000 points) One elite night credit toward elite status for every $5,000 you spend Path to Gold Elite status when you spend $35,000 or more on your card each calendar year
Other perks	Baggage delay insurance Lost luggage reimbursement Trip delay reimbursement Purchase protection Visa Concierge No foreign transaction fees	Baggage delay insurance Lost luggage reimbursement Trip delay reimbursement Purchase protection Visa Concierge No foreign transaction fees

Marriott Bonvoy Bold vs. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless welcome bonus

The Boundless is currently offering five free nights (each night valued at up to 50,000 points) after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. (Certain hotels have resort fees.)

The Bold is currently offering 60,000 bonus points plus one free night award (valued at up to 50,000 points) after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. (Certain hotels have resort fees.)

TPG's June 2025 valuations peg Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.7 cents each, effectively making the total bonus on the Bold worth up to $770 and the total bonus on the Boundless worth up to $1,750.

Since Chase issues both cards, it's important to note that the 5/24 rule applies here. This means you likely won't qualify for either card if you've opened five or more credit cards (from any issuer) in the past two years.

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In addition, Marriott-specific eligibility requirements apply to products issued by Chase and American Express. Be sure to verify your eligibility before applying.

Winner: Boundless. Its sign-up bonus is worth significantly more than the Bold.

Marriott Bonvoy Bold vs. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless benefits

The free night certificate is the most notable difference between these cards' perks.

Each year on your account anniversary, Boundless cardholders get a free night certificate worth up to 35,000 points — and you can add up to 15,000 extra points if the hotel costs more than that.

If you use this strategically, you can score a free night at a hotel that easily makes up for the $95 annual fee each year.

The Westin Carlsbad Resort & Spa pool and exterior — THE WESTIN CARLSBAD RESORT & SPA/MARRIOTT

Meanwhile, Bold cardholders do not receive a free night certificate but don't have to pay an annual fee.

Otherwise, the cards offer similar perks. With either card, you'll get automatic Silver Elite status and strong travel and purchase protections from Chase. Plus, you won't pay any foreign transaction fees with these cards when traveling abroad.

Winner: Boundless. Most travelers will be able to get more than $95 value from the free night certificate.

Earning points with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold vs. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless

With the Boundless, you'll earn:

6 points per dollar spent at Bonvoy properties (You'll earn up to 17 points per dollar on eligible Marriott stays: up to 10 points from being a Bonvoy member, 6 points from this card and 10% bonus points from the Silver elite status the card provides for a total 11.9% return on spending based on TPG's June 2025 valuations)
3 points per dollar spent on the first $6,000 in combined purchases at gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants (2.1% return)
2 points per dollar spent on all other purchases (1.4% return)

Woman paying for coffee — DEJAN_DUNDJERSKI/GETTY IMAGES

The Bold, meanwhile, earns:

3 points per dollar spent at Bonvoy properties (You'll earn up to 14 points per dollar on eligible Marriott stays: up to 10 points from being a Bonvoy member, 3 points from this card and 10% bonus points from the Silver elite status the card provides for a total 9.8% return on spending based on TPG's June 2025 valuations)
2 points per dollar spent at grocery stores and on ride-hailing, select food delivery, select streaming, internet, cable and phone services (1.4% return)
1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases (0.7% return)

Neither card offers outstanding earning rates, and you can definitely find better options for everyday spending. However, the Boundless earns more points on Marriott stays and gives extra points for groceries and gas — though there's a spending cap. The Bold card, on the other hand, offers bonus points on ride-hailing, which could be useful if you use services like Uber or Lyft often.

Winner: Boundless. It earns more points than the Bold on most purchases.

Related: Best hotel credit cards

Redeeming points with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold vs. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless

Both the Bold and the Boundless 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 Marriott stay. To get the most value from your points, take advantage of the fifth-night-free perk, which allows you to book an award stay of five nights for the cost of just four.

Additionally, you can use your points for gift cards and merchandise through Marriott's shopping portal, but again, we recommend avoiding this route to get maximum value from your points.

TPG credit cards writer Chris Nelson gets the most value from his Marriott Bonvoy points by booking luxury hotels in Europe and Asia, such as The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna and the JW Marriott Beijing Central. He also takes advantage of the fifth-night-free perk on award stays.

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

Transferring points with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold vs. the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless

With either card, you also have the option to transfer your Bonvoy points to one of nearly 40 partner airline programs, including Delta SkyMiles and United MileagePlus .

Most transfers to airlines are at a 3:1 ratio, so you'll receive 1 airline mile for every 3 Marriott points transferred. Additionally, when you transfer points to United MileagePlus, you will receive 10,000 bonus miles for every 60,000 points transferred.

United planes on runway — ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

This redemption generally doesn't yield a good value for your points, though, so we recommend using it only if you need to top off your airline account balance or if the airline is a transfer partner of any credit card loyalty programs like Copa Airlines.

Winner: Tie. Both cards have the same transfer partners.

Should I get the Marriott Bonvoy Bold or the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless?

If you can use the annual free night certificate, the Boundless is the best option for you. You'll also unlock higher earn rates with the Boundless. However, if you want to avoid an annual fee, the Bold is the better option for you.

How to upgrade from the Marriott Bonvoy Bold to the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless

If you aren't eligible for a new Bonvoy bonus or are over 5/24, a product change may be your best option. Both the Bonvoy Bold and the Bonvoy Boundless are subject to Chase's 5/24 rule and, more specifically, Marriott Bonvoy eligibility restrictions.

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

Bottom line

Regardless of the card you choose, both Marriott cards are a great way to introduce yourself to the Bonvoy program and all its redemption possibilities. You can't go wrong with either, as there are thousands of properties to choose from worldwide.

So long as you can take advantage of that free night certificate each year, Boundless provides a better value proposition for most travelers. Otherwise, the Bold is a solid choice for those who want to enhance their Marriott experience (and unlock solid travel protections) for no annual fee.

To learn more, check out our full reviews of the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Card.

Apply here: Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card
Apply here: Marriott Bonvoy Bold Card

Featured image by ANDRESWD/GETTY IMAGES

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.