Final week: How you can earn Marriott Platinum status with a credit card bonus
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Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here – Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card
Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with the most current offers.
While you may not be traveling right now, that doesn’t mean you can’t use this time to rack up points and miles for when you book your next getaway.
And for a limited time through Jan. 13, 2021, you could also earn a higher-level elite status: Marriott Bonvoy Platinum status for a full year. In fact, this is the first time ever that Platinum status has been offered as part of the welcome bonuses.
Let’s take a closer look at this offer and others across popular Bonvoy credit cards: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card, Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card and Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card.
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Marriott card welcome offers
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card
Annual fee: $450 (see rates and fees)
Limited-time welcome offer: Earn up to 125,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. Earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 in purchases on your new card in your first three months. Plus, earn an additional 25,000 bonus points after your first anniversary of card membership (offer expires Jan.13, 2021). Receive complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Platinum elite status for one year, between Feb. 1, 2021, and Jan. 31, 2022.
Is it worth it: This offer is worth up to $1,000, according to TPG valuations. That’s a pretty penny, and much higher than the standard 75k-offer the card came with previously. If you’re normally a frequent traveler loyal to Marriott, this is a great card to add to your wallet. You’re getting a sizable list of perks, including complimentary Platinum Elite status with your card for the 2021 status year (then automatic Marriott Gold status thereafter), an annual free night award (worth up to 50,000 points), up to $300 in annual statement credits for eligible Marriott purchases, Priority Pass lounge access, 15 elite-qualifying-night credits per year and so much more.
Notable Platinum status perks include:
- 50% point bonus
- Priority late checkout at 4:00 P.M (except for some resorts)
- Elite phone line
- Complimentary enhanced internet
- Upgrades to enhanced rooms, including suites
- Welcome gift, with breakfast as a choice at many brands
- Executive lounge access (JW Marriott, Marriott, Delta Hotels (not resorts), Autograph Collection, Renaissance, Sheraton, Le Meridien and Westin)
Check out our full card review.
APPLY HERE: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card
Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card
Annual fee: $125 (see rates and fees).
Welcome Offer: 75,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points after you use your new card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first three months.
Is it worth it: If you qualify for a small business credit card, this current offer has the potential to be quite lucrative. The 75,000 Marriott Bonvoy points alone is a solid offer worth $600, according to TPG valuation. The card itself also comes with 15 elite night credits annually (which can be stacked with a Marriott Bonvoy consumer card) and a free-night award annually. A second night can be earned after eligible spending.
Check out our full card review.
APPLY HERE: Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card
Annual fee: $95
Sign-up bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Is it worth it: While not as high as the previous offer for five free nights for hotels costing up to 50,000 points, this is still a solid bonus for a mid-tier hotel card.
Of course, you also get 15 elite night credits, which gives you automatic Silver Elite status. There’s also a pathway to upgrade to Gold Elite status by spending $35,000 on the card each year. You can also double up on elite night credits (30 elite nights) if you hold a Marriott Bonvoy business credit card.
Check out our full card review.
APPLY HERE: Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card
Related: Best ways to redeem Marriott Bonvoy free nights
Can you apply for more than one Marriott card offer?
You can have more than one open Marriott card — some people in the TPG office have two or three. However, that was admittedly easier to do back when there were more available cards, including some legacy Starwood Preferred Guest card products.
Now, with only four total Marriott cards currently available for new applicants, there are a fair number of restrictions on who can earn the sign-up bonuses across the available cards — especially since you’re working across two different issuers with Amex and Chase.
To give a specific example, if you have the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card for your small-business spending needs but decide you wanted to jump on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card for its welcome offer and perks, you could theoretically have both of those cards and their bonuses.
Note that these restrictions are all in addition to Chase’s 5/24 rule (which applies to the Bonvoy Boundless and Bonvoy Bold cards) and Amex’s one-bonus-per-lifetime rule (which applies to the Bonvoy Brilliant and the Bonvoy Business cards). You’ll want to make sure you’re eligible for these offers before applying.
Related: How to determine if you’re eligible for a Marriott Bonvoy card sign-up bonus
Bottom line
For those who are using this time to rack up valuable travel rewards and solidify their credit card strategy, these new offers across Marriott Bonvoy cards are worth a look.
Marriott cards already hold slots in our top hotel credit cards list. Add in the current bonuses — including the potential for Platinum status — and you’ve got a list of compelling reasons to consider any of these cards.
Related: The award traveler’s guide to Marriott Bonvoy
Featured image by John Gribben for The Points Guy
Additional reporting by Madison Blancaflor and Ethan Steinberg.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business card, click here.
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The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card offers a lot of the same benefits and a great sign-up bonus. If you're looking to jump start your Bonvoy rewards earning, this card is a good option.
- Earn 75,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- 1 Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points)
- Earn 6X Bonvoy points per $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy™.
- 2X Bonvoy points for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
- Automatic Silver Elite Status each account anniversary year. Path to Gold Status when you spend $35,000 on purchases each account year.
- 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year.
- No foreign transaction fees.
Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.