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Marriott is the largest hotel company in the world, with nearly 8,000 properties across 30 brands in 139 countries and territories. Marriott includes familiar favorites like Fairfield Inn, Four Points by Sheraton, Residence Inn, and Aloft — but you can also redeem points for luxury stays at upscale brands such as St. Regis, Ritz-Carlton, and W Hotels.

If Marriott Bonvoy is your hotel program of choice, it can make sense to have a rewards credit card to enjoy perks like bonus points, complimentary elite status, free reward nights, elite night credits, and more.

Best Marriott Credit Cards

See our picks for the best credit cards »

Marriott credit cards are some of the best hotel credit cards for earning free nights and valuable hotel elite status. 

Here's an in-depth look at the Marriott credit cards that are currently available to new applicants.

We're focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won't be worth it if you're paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it's important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.

Compare the Best Marriott Credit Cards

 

Best Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards Frequently Asked Questions 

Are Marriott credit cards worth it?

Marriott credit cards are worth it even for those who stay at Marriott just a couple of times each year. Most cards come with a free night certificate and hotel elite status that can single-handedly offset the annual fee. That said, if you're not particularly loyal to Marriott or spread your travel among several brands, a travel credit card that earns transferable points is probably a better bet. You'll earn flexible rewards you can use for hotels, flights, and other travel, without being locked into a single loyalty program.

What credit score do you need for a Marriott credit card?

You'll typically need at least good credit to excellent credit to qualify for any of the Marriott credit cards, which means a FICO score of at least 670. 

Can you have more than one Marriott credit card?

You can have more than one Marriott credit card, but Marriott does have some complicated application rules.

For Chase-issued cards, the Chase 5/24 rule applies, which means you won't be approved if you've opened five or more cards (from any bank) in the past 24 months. And for Amex cards, you're not eligible if you've received the bonus on the exact same card before (the "once per lifetime rule"). 

In addition, each card has its own restrictions. Generally speaking, if you've recently opened or received a bonus on one Marriott card, you won't be able to open a different one for a specified amount of time. You can find the card's specific rules under "Offer and Benefits Terms" on the card application page.

For example, to be eligible for the bonus on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card, you can't have or have had that exact card (or the Starwood Preferred Guest® American Express Luxury Card review which is no longer available to new applicants). You also won't qualify for the bonus if:

  • You are a current cardmember, or were a previous cardmember within the last 30 days, of The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card from JPMorgan or J.P. Morgan Ritz-Carlton Rewards® Credit Card
  • You've opened the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card, Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card, or Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card in the last 90 days
  • In the last 24 months, you've received a new cardmember bonus offer or upgrade offer for the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card, Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card, or Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card

Do Marriott points expire?

Marriott points expire if your account doesn't have any qualifying activity in 24 months. But it's relatively easy to keep Marriott points from expiring — earning points from co-branded credit cards, stays, points transfers from flexible points programs, and converting points to miles can all reset the clock.

Marriott Credit Card Reviews

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card - Product Name Only

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card has several valuable benefits, including up to $300 in statement credits each year to use at restaurants worldwide (up to $25 a month), and an annual Free Night Award.

The Bonvoy Brilliant gets you a free night award each year for properties that cost up to 85,000 points.  The card also gets you complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite Status, and 25 annual Elite Night Credits. If you're hoping to earn lifetime elite status, these annual credits (and automatic Platinum status) can help you get there without relying completely on booking Marriott stays.

If you have other premium credit cards that also offer benefits like free Priority Pass airport lounge access** and a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card really only stands out for its high-end Marriott benefits. But if you frequently stay at Marriott hotels, you'll find those perks to be very useful for saving money and enjoying elite status perks.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex Card Review

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card - Product Name Only

If you want to book your next Marriott stay on points and enjoy a few extras but don't stay at Marriotts enough to warrant paying Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card a year for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card is a great option.

Cardholders receive a free night certificate, valid at hotels that cost 35,000 points or less, each year on their card anniversary — which can be worth much more than the card's Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card annual fee. 

The card offers low-level Silver status with Marriott, and if you spend $35,000 on the card in a calendar year, you'll be upgraded to Gold status. If you don't want to spend that much, you can also get Gold status as a complimentary benefit with the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ CardMarriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card, Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card, and Platinum Card® from American Express.**

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card Review

Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card - Product Name Only

If you travel for work and want to maximize your business purchases to earn Marriott points, the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card is a good option. It's currently offering Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card

It offers helpful perks like complimentary Gold elite status and an annual free night award valid at hotels that cost up to 35,000 points. It also earns 4 Marriott points per dollar on a handful of business spending categories, like U.S. shipping purchases. Plus, it now offers a 7% discount on standard rates for standard guest rooms at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels when you book directly through Marriott, so it could help you save money if you frequently book paid stays.

The Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex Card rewards high spenders with a second free night award each year after their account anniversary when they spend $60,000 or more in a calendar year. 

Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex Card Review

Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card - Product Name Only

The Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card has a decent list of benefits for a no-annual-fee credit card, so if you want to earn Marriott points without incurring a yearly cost, it's worth considering.

You'll also get perks like no foreign transaction fees, baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, trip delay reimbursement, purchase protection, and Visa Signature Concierge access.

Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card Review

Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card - Product Name Only

The new Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card offers bonus points on eligible hotel purchases and everyday spending categories, for a Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card annual fee.

It's currently offering a welcome bonus of Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card (worth about Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card - Featured Reward Value in stays). It also comes with complimentary Gold Elite status and 15 annual elite night credits. 

One of Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card's most notable perks is 1,000 bonus points for each qualifying stay when you pay with your card, which is a quick and easy way to rack up points. However, unlike similar Marriott Bonvoy cards, cardholders won't receive an automatic anniversary free night. Instead, you can earn a free night award worth up to 50,000 points after making $15,000 in purchases per year.

Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Credit Card Review

Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card - Product Name Only

The Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card offers similarrewards, bonuses, and Marriott Bonvoy perks as the Amex co-branded version (Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card) also for a Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card annual fee. 

This card offers Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card - Intro Bonus, worth about Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card - Featured Reward Value in travel according to Insider's valuations.

Cardholders earn 6x points on participating hotel purchases, as well as 4x points at global restaurants and U.S. supermarkets on up to $15,000 in combined spending per year (then 2x), and 2x points on all other eligible purchases).

Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful Card Review

The Platinum Card® from American Express - Product Name Only

The Platinum Card is a good option if you want to enjoy perks when you stay at Marriott hotels, but you aren't necessarily a Marriott loyalist. That's because it offers complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold status to cardholders — along with complimentary Hilton Honors elite status**. 

Marriott Bonvoy Gold status gets you benefits like room upgrades, late checkout, a 25% points bonus on paid stays, and a welcome gift.

Keep in mind that the Platinum Card is a premium card — with a $550 annual fee — so you'll want to make sure you'll take advantage of its many other valuable benefits before applying.

It's currently offering a sky-high welcome bonus of The Platinum Card® from American Express. Based on Insider's valuation of Amex points, that's worth around The Platinum Card® from American Express - Featured Reward Value in travel.

American Express Platinum Card Review

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Product Name Only

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is our top travel credit card recommendation because you can use the Ultimate Rewards points it earns to book travel with a great selection of Chase transfer partners — including Marriott Bonvoy.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers a solid bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. Insider pegs Chase points as worth 1.8 cents each, on average, making the bonus worth about Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Featured Reward Value in travel.  Because you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards® points to Marriott Bonvoy at a 1:1 ratio, you can consider this bonus as an equal number of Marriott points.

Overall, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a strong pick because it earns bonus points on a wide variety of travel and dining purchases, and it gets you valuable travel insurance, all for a reasonable annual fee of Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Review

Chase Sapphire Reserve® - Product Name Only

The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is definitely a premium option with a $550 annual fee — but if you want a travel card with all the bells and whistles, it's a top contender. It's currently offering Chase Sapphire Reserve®. That's worth around Chase Sapphire Reserve® in travel, based on Insider's valuation of Chase points.

The card's $300 in statement credits for travel effectively cuts the annual fee down to $250, and other benefits with Lyft, DoorDash, Gopuff, and Instacart can add extra value.

As with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, you can transfer the points you earn with the Chase Sapphire Reserve® to Marriott Bonvoy.

Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card Review

Why You Should Trust Us: How We Chose the Best Marriott Credit Cards

In this roundup, we've included more than just co-branded Marriott credit cards. That's because there are other credit cards that actually beat out Marriott cards as the better option for those who want to collect rewards and book free stays.

Personal Finance Insider's credit card writers and editors have examined all cards on the market to give Marriott fans the best possible options — those that provide concrete Marriott-specific perks, as well as other benefits that will upgrade the rest of your travels.

Read Insider's guide to how we rate and review credit cards for more about our methodology.

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