Marriott® is one of the top hotel companies in the world. It has almost 8,000 properties across 30 brands in 139 territories. There is a high chance you use the company's services from time to time. The credit cards with Marriott allow you to earn bonus points easier, and you can later spend them on your stay. Yet, it can be quite difficult to choose the best option, and this is the reason you should get as much information on the cards as you can, and make an informed decision.
What is a Marriott® Credit Card?
The line of Marriott® credit cards is the collection of co-branded credit cards of Marriott International, a US-based company focused on hotels, and different US banks. The cards allow their users to earn rewards and bonuses related to Marriott, which they can later spend on the hotel services. The hotels participating in the Marriott program are The Ritz-Carlton®, Marriott, St. Regis®, Sheraton®, and Westin® and Renaissance Hotels®, and Residence Inn®.
Pros and cons of Marriott® Credit Cards
Pros
- There are many different options for earning Marriott Bonvoy bonus points. You can opt for several cards.
- Some cards give you a free night award that you can spend in one of the hotels.
- There are no foreign transaction fees when you use the cards to purchase something outside the US.
Cons
- Variable rate is a huge downside, as it can get higher as you use the cars, if the economics of the country is turbulent.
- High annual fee on some Marriott cards. It can go up to $690, and while there is a $0 annual fee credit card, it earns you fewer points.
Conclusion
Marriott® Credit Cards are good in case you use the services of hotels participating in the program and travel a lot. As there are several Marriott® credit cards you can opt for, you need to pay attention to their perks to compare them to get the most suitable card. Yet, keep in mind that all of the credit cards come with a variable interest rate (variable APR), and it is high.
The best Marriott® Credit Cards
There is a wide range of credit cards with differing terms, and the annual fee starts from $0 for Marriott Bonvoy Bold credit card, and goes up to $650 for Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express card.
The interest rate on all of the credit cards is variable, so it can change according to the Prime rate. It can both be lowered and raised.
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Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card. Credit card allows you to earn 6 Marriott Bonvoy points per 1 spent dollar spent on eligible categories of purchases in the hotels participating in the program. Two points can be earned on all other eligible purchases. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express card membership has an intro offer of 150,000 bonus points after you make $5,000 in purchases on the card within three months. There is an annual fee of $650. Annual percentage rate (APR) on the card is from 18.74% to 27.74% variable. The card will suit the loyal Marriott customers. There is additionally a free night and the Priority Pass Select membership.
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Marriott® Bonvoy Boundless. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless credit card earns Marriott Bonvoy points of up to 17x points per 1 spent dollar at more than 7,000 hotels participating in the program. On each dollar spent for the first $6,000 in combined purchases each year on gas stations, grocery stores, and dining, the card allows to earn 3x points. The annual fee is $95, and regular variable APR ranges from 18.24% to 25.24%. There is an intro offer of 100,000 bonus points after you spent $3,000 on the purchases in the first three months from the account opening. It is an entry-level card for travelers to start using Bonvoy programs. It's not enough to make use of all the perks Marriott has on its credit cards, but has a free night award on the card member's account anniversary year.
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Marriott Bonvoy Business card. You can earn Marriott Bonvoy points of 6x points at participating in Marriott Bonvoy program hotels, 4x points on purchases at restaurants worldwide, gas stations in the US, and wireless telephone services purchased from the US providers and on purchases for shipping. Two points can be earned on all the other eligible purchases. The annual fee is $125, while the variable APR varies from 18.74% to 27.74%. The intro offer is 100,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first three months' purchases. The card is the most suitable for small business owners using Marriott properties around the world. There is a free night each renewal month, 15 elite night credits, complementary automatic gold status, and no fees for foreign transactions.
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Marriott® Bonvoy Bold. Marriott Bonvoy Bold credit card earns up to 14x total points per 1 spent at more than 7,000 hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program. Two points per 1 spent dollar are earned on travel purchases, and 1x point is on all other eligible purchases. The annual fee on the card is $0, and the variable APR ranges from 18.24% to 25.24%. The intro offer allows to get 60,000 points after spending $2,000 in three months from account opening. The card is got to start earning Marriott points, and there is an option to advance to the elite status. There are 15 elite night credits per year to earn automatic silver elite status.
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Marriott Bonvoy Bevy. You will earn Marriott Bonvoy points of 6x points on purchases at participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program hotels, 4x points are earned on up to $15,000 in combined purchases at the US supermarkets and restaurants worldwide, and two points on all other eligible purchases. Annual fee is $250, and the variable APR is 18.74%-27.74%. The intro offer is 125,000 points after $4,000 spent within the first three months from the account opening. The card is good for mid-level users. It has an automatic Gold status and an elite night welcome bonus.
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Marriot Bonvoy Bountiful. This Marriott Bonvoy credit card earns 6x points on purchases at participating in Marriott Bonvoy program hotels, 4x points on up to $15,000 combined purchases at restaurants worldwide and supermarkets in the US, and two points on all other eligible purchases. Regular APR is 18.24% to 25.24% variable. The annual fee is $250. The intro offer is 125,000 points after $4,000 spent within the first three months from the account opening.
How to choose a Marriott® Credit Card?
To choose a suitable card membership for yourself can be an uneasy task, as there are many options to compare. You should first assess if the annual fee and interest rate are affordable for you. Even if the points you could earn will be lower, you still can save money on annual fee and enjoy your Marriot points. If you don't want to compare the cards with the fees, and the interest rate seems the same, you can try focusing on the following:
- The loyal and consistent customers of Marriott® can opt for Marriott® Bonvoy Boundless credit card. There is a free night award, and you can use it every year and the card will be already worth it. The stay at the Marriott hotels costs way more than the annual fee.
- If you are not a common customer of the hotels participating in Marriott® program, try Marriott Bonvoy Bold. Without paying an annual fee, you still earn Marriott Bonvoy points, but the bonus points will be lower.
- Marriott® Bonvoy Bevy American Express card and Marriott® Bonvoy Bountiful card can help you collect more bonus points at a higher annual fee. There is an automatic Gold elite status which gets you 1,000 points for each qualifying stay in hotels participating in Marriott program.
- Marriott® Bonvoy Brilliant American Express card is good for those spending more money and using the credit cards more often. It pays off in that case, and has a Platinum elite status for room upgrades, lounge access, free breakfast, late checkouts, and more.
- There are more Marriott® rewards card options, like Marriott® Rewards Premier Plus credit card, and you can look into them if you are not satisfied with the Marriott Bonvoy credit cards.
Applying for a Marriott® Credit Card
- First, you should at least have a Marriott Bonvoy member account. This is for you to use the company's services
- Pay attention to your credit history. You won't be eligible if you don't have a good or excellent credit. This means your FICO credit score should be 740 and higher.
- Other criteria for getting a card is your financial situation. The bank will review your age, credit account, income, and the relationship with the bank. In case you are a long-term customer of some of the banks that issue the cards, you are likely to be approved.
- Marriott cards allow you to have not just one, but up to five credit cards in 24 months. This works with Chase bank, and other banks can have a different policy. Anyway, you shouldn't open many credit card accounts.