Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card Review

The Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card is an entry-level card option for travelers loyal to the Marriott brand. As a cardholder, you'll earn rewards on purchases made at Marriott Bonvoy hotels as well as other qualifying travel purchases. Plus, this card charges no annual fee while offering zero foreign transaction fees and 15 elite night credits each year. Continue below for a breakdown of the card's features and benefits.

Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card: Solid Value for Entry-Level Bonvoy Loyalists

The Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card is a great choice for travelers who are loyal to the Bonvoy chain but don't spend enough — or stay at Marriott properties often enough— to justify getting one of the Marriott cards with an annual fee. With the Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card, you'll still have the ability to earn Bonvoy points, but you'll miss out on some of the perks of the more expensive Bonvoy cards. However, this is an ideal card if you're mainly looking to earn points.

Marriott Bonvoy guides

Accelerated points on travel expenses

The main benefit of the Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card is that it earns Bonvoy points on all of your purchases. With the card, you'll earn 3 points per dollar spent on purchases made at Bonvoy hotels, 2 points per dollar spent on travel purchases (a broad category that includes airfare, taxis, trains and more) and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. You can redeem the Bonvoy points you earn for room upgrades, hotel night stays and other perks.

No annual fee

What sets the Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card apart from other Bonvoy options is that it doesn't charge an annual fee. In contrast, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card charges a $95 annual fee and the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card charges a $450 annual fee (). These cards earn more points per dollar on purchases at Bonvoy hotels, but they're only worth it for higher spenders. If you're a moderate spender (i.e., under $1,500 per month in spending) or new to the world of travel rewards, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card is a great choice.

No foreign transaction fees

Most credit cards without an annual fee charge foreign transaction fees on overseas purchases. However, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card is unique in that it doesn't charge an annual fee or any foreign transaction fees. As such, this is also a great entry-level travel credit card, even without the free hotel night benefit of other Marriott cards. For most people, the zero foreign transaction fees alone will make this card a solid companion on any international trip.

Solid welcome bonus for a no-fee card

The current welcome bonus on the Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card is excellent for a no-fee card: you'll earn 50,000 points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening. As you can see in the chart below, this is enough to get you one standard night at a Category 6 Marriott Bonvoy property like the Ritz-Carlton in Atlanta (or, depending on your travel style, multiple nights at a lower-level property such as a Fairfield Inn or TownePlace Suites).

Note that you won't be eligible for the welcome bonus on this card if you currently hold the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card or the Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express, or if you've received the welcome bonus on the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card, Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card or Starwood Preferred Guest® American Express Luxury Card in the past 24 months.

ValuePenguin's verdict: Good card for entry-level Marriott loyalists

In general, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card is a great card for people who stay at Marriott properties a few times a year and are moderate spenders. While you won't get statement credit or complimentary elite status with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card, you'll be able to earn Bonvoy points on your everyday purchases and work your way toward redeeming them for a free hotel night or room upgrade. In addition, you'll benefit from 15 elite night credits toward status each year.

See reviews for other Marriott cards

Alternatives to the Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card

The Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card may not be right for you if you're looking for a card that gives you a free hotel night — or if you don't want to earn points that can only be redeemed in one place. Below, we've put together a few other cards to consider.

Earn points that can be transferred to Bonvoy

With the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, you'll earn Chase Ultimate Rewards® points that can be transferred to a variety of travel partners, among which is Marriott Bonvoy. If you like staying at a variety of hotel chains and don't want to be locked into one loyalty program's rewards system, then this is a good choice for you. The card earns 2 points per dollar spent on travel and dining purchases and 1 point per dollar spent on everything else.

Transferable points on dining and grocery shopping

Like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card above, the American Express® Gold Card also earns points that can be transferred to Marriott. As a card in the American Express Membership Rewards® program, the American Express® Gold Card earns points that can be transferred to a host of hotel and airline providers. Plus, the American Express® Gold Card earns 4 points per dollar spent on dining and at supermarkets, 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked with airlines or on amextravel.com and 1 point per dollar spent on everything else.