There are currently six Marriott credit cards available for new applicants, and there are several cards that no longer accept new applications. Chase offers three Marriott credit cards that you can currently apply for, while American Express offers three others.
These cards are similar in some ways and different in others. If you’re considering applying for a Marriott credit card, you might be considering the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful® Credit Card or the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card. Both are offered by Chase and earn points and rewards with Marriott’s loyalty program, Marriott Bonvoy.
Which should you choose? Let’s look at the similarities and differences between Bountiful and Boundless cards to help you decide which option is better.
Information for the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful Credit Card has been independently collected by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
RELATED: 3 Reasons Why the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless is Worth the $95 Annual Fee
Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful Vs. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Comparison
| card | Bonvoy Bountiful | Bonvoy Boundless |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome bonus | Earn 85,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. | Earn three free night rewards (up to 50,000 points each) after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. |
| Annual fee | $250 | $95 |
| Point Valuation* | 0.85 cents per point | 0.85 cents per point |
| Structure of Awards |
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| Other benefits |
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| Travel security |
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*Point value is estimated value calculated by TPG as of December 2024 Evaluation and not the card issuer.
Bonvoy Bountiful Vs. Bonvoy Boundless Welcome Offer
New Bonvoy Bountiful cardholders can earn 85,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months. Based on TPG’s December 2024 Valuation, this bonus is worth $723.
Meanwhile, new Bonvoy Boundless cardholders can earn three free night awards (up to 50,000 points each) after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. Based on TPG’s valuation, this bonus is worth up to $1,275 — meaning this bonus could cover your annual fee costs for 13 years.
Winner: Bonvoy Boundless. Its welcome offer provides more than $500 in value.
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Related: Are You Eligible for the New Marriott Bonvoy Card? This chart tells you yes or no
Bonvoy Bountiful Vs. Bonvoy unlimited benefits
Both cards share many of the same benefits.
- Elite Night Credits are earned annually: You’ll start each year with 15 Elite Night Credits by holding any one of these cards. You need Elite Night Credits to earn Elite status with Marriott Bonvoy. For reference, you’ll need 50 elite nights per year to get there Platinum Elite status, where perks like free breakfast and suite upgrades kick in.
- Fifth-night-free benefit: When redeeming points for hotel stays with Marriott Bonvoy, you get a fifth night free. This means that a four- or five-night hotel stay will cost the same to redeem points. Please note that this benefit is only applicable on points redemption and is not applicable when paying cash or redeeming free night awards.
- Credit Card Issuer and Application Rules: Since both cards are issued by Chase, both are subject to Chase’s credit card application rules and restrictions. The most famous of these is the 5/24 rule, meaning you’ll be declined if you’ve opened five or more accounts with all credit card issuers in the past 24 months. Another rule is that you cannot be approved for more than two credit cards from Chase within 30 days.
- Access to Chase offers.
- Travel security: Both cards offer trip delay reimbursement, lost baggage reimbursement and baggage delay insurance.
- Purchase protection: Both cards offer purchase protection on items you pay for with your card, available for up to 120 days from the date of purchase but subject to limits on number of claims and per-claim value.
- A free year of DashPass from DoorDash when you register by January 31, 2025.
With Bonvoy Bountiful, cardholders receive:
- Automatic Gold Elite status
- An annual free night award of up to 50,000 points when you spend at least $15,000 on purchases in a calendar year; Some hotels have a resort fee
- 1,000 bonus points per stay at participating Marriott Bonvoy properties
With Bonvoy Boundless, cardholders receive:
- An annual free night award each year after your account anniversary is valid for a one-night hotel stay at a property with a redemption level of up to 35,000 points. Some hotels have a resort fee.
- Complimentary Silver Elite status with Marriott Bonvoy — offers benefits such as bonus points on stays, discounted member rates on hotel rooms and late checkout. In addition, Boundless cardholders receive an additional Elite night credit toward status for every $5,000 spent on the card and can achieve Gold Elite status after spending $35,000 on the card in a calendar year.
Winner: tie up While both cards share similar benefits, Bonvoy Bountiful has a higher Gold Elite status tier. The Boundless comes with an annual free night award every anniversary that you don’t have to spend anything to achieve, and a lower Silver Elite status tier with the ability to spend your way up to Gold Elite status.
Related: Marriott Elite Status: What It Is and How to Earn It
Bonvoy Bountiful Vs. Earn points on Bonvoy Boundless
With Bonvoy Bountiful, cardholders earn:
- 6 points per dollar spent on Marriott purchases
- 4 points per dollar spent on the first $15,000 per calendar year in combined purchases at At grocery stores and dining — including takeout and eligible delivery services (2 points per dollar thereafter)
- 2 points per dollar spent on all other purchases
These earnings rates represent a 5.1%, 3.4% and 1.7% return on costs, respectively, based on TPG’s December 2024 valuation.
With Bonvoy Boundless, cardholders earn:
- 6 points per dollar spent on Marriott purchases
- 3 points per dollar spent on the first $6,000 in combined purchases per calendar year at gas stations, grocery stores and dining (2 points per dollar thereafter)
- 2 points per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases
These earnings rates represent a 5.1%, 2.6% or 1.7% return on costs, respectively.
Winner: Bonvoy Bountiful, because it earns more in dining and grocery store expenses and comes with a higher spending limit.
Related: The Best Rewards Credit Cards for Every Bonus Category
Bonvoy Bountiful Vs. Points Redemption and Transfer on Bonvoy Boundless
Both cards earn Marriott Bonvoy points that can be redeemed for Marriott stays. December 2024 of TPG Valuation puts these points at 0.85 cents each. Unfortunately, Marriott no longer publishes award charts and uses dynamic pricing.
While the most obvious use of these points is for hotel stays with Marriott, there are other uses (although some are not very valuable), including transferring points to redeem for flights at more than 35 airline partners.
In most cases, transferring Bonvoy points to airline partners is not a good value because the transfer ratio is not favorable.
Chris Nelson, author of TPG Credit Cards, likes to redeem his Marriott Bonvoy points on luxury properties in Eastern Europe. He regularly stays at the Ritz-Carlton Budapest for 35,000 Bonvoy points per night.
Winner: tie because both cards have similar redemption and transfer options.
Related: Reward Traveler’s Guide to Marriott Bonvoy
Should I get Bonvoy Bountiful or Bonvoy Boundless?
Both cards have the same annual fee and earning rate on Marriott purchases. However, if you want a high-end status and higher earnings on groceries and meals, you should opt for Bonvoy Bountiful. If those things aren’t super important to you, Bonvoy Boundless will offer more value for its annual fee.
Related: How to use the Marriott Bonvoy 35,000-point certificate
How to switch from Bonvoy Bountiful to Bonvoy Boundless
If you want to change from one card to another you can. This is known as product modification. To do so, simply call the number on the back of your card, speak to an agent, and request a product change.
Related: 4 Considerations Before Changing a Product
The bottom line
Both the Bountiful and Boundless cards, which Chase issues, earn Marriott points. While some of their earning categories are similar, there are more differences than similarities between these cards. Which one is right for you will come down to which Bonvoy benefits are most important to you.
To learn more, see our full reviews Bonvoy Bountiful and Bonvoy Boundless.
Apply at: Marriott Bonvoy Boundless
Know more: Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful review