Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card Review
By: Tracy Brackman
Updated on: Jul 19, 2019
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This article was last updated Jul 19, 2019, but some terms and conditions may have changed or are no longer available. For the most accurate and up to date information please consult the terms and conditions found on the issuer website.
The information related to the Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Card, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card, and the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card has been collected by CompareCards and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication.
Marriott Bonvoy™ loyalists can now enjoy the perks that come with owning a Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Card — without paying an annual fee.
As the latest addition to the Marriott Bonvoy credit card portfolio, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Card lets cardholders earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Plus, cardholders earn 3x points for every $1 spent at 6,900+ participating marriott bonvoy hotels, 2x points on travel purchases (from airfare to taxis and trains), and 1x point on all other purchases.
While the welcome bonus and rewards rate for the Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Card are generous, if your main goal is to earn a large influx of rewards in a short period of time, there are other Bonvoy cards to consider — just keep in mind that those cards come at a price. For example, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card lets cardholders earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. But it charges a $95 annual fee. Another card, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card, lets cardholders earn 75,000 bonus marriott bonvoy points after you use your new card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. However, the card charges a $450 annual fee.
That said, the no-fee Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Card offers a great opportunity to take advantage of Marriott Bonvoy perks without paying a fee each year of card membership.
Read on to learn more about the Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Card’s benefits and drawbacks, as well as how it compares to the Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card.
Where the Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Card stands out
Welcome bonus. Earn 50,000 Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Generous rewards rate. Earn 3X points for every $1 spent at 6,900+ participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, 2X points on travel purchases (from airfare to taxis and trains), and 1X point on all other purchases.
Elite night credits. Get 15 elite night credits — which qualify you for Silver Elite status — each calendar year.
$0 annual fee. You will not be charged an annual fee to use the Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Card.
Additional Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Card benefits
- Baggage delay insurance
- Lost luggage reimbursement
- Trip Delay reimbursement
- Purchase protection
- Visa Signature® Concierge Service 24/7
- $0 foreign exchange fee
Where the Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Card falls short
Lower rewards rate than other Marriott Bonvoy cards. While the Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Card offers a generous rewards rate for a $0 annual fee card, the rate is lower than the other Marriott Bonvoy cards.
For example, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card card lets cardholders earn 6x points for every $1 spent at over 6,900 participating marriott bonvoy hotels and 2x points on all other purchases. The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card lets cardholders Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy points on eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, 3X Marriott Bonvoy points at U.S. restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines, and 2X on all other eligible purchases.
No free night award. The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card both offer a free night award each year after your account anniversary, valid for a one night hotel stay at a property (with a redemption level up to 35,000 points for the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card and up to 50,000 points for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card). The Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Card, however, does not offer a free night award.
Compare it with the Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card
If you don’t frequently stay at Marriott properties, you may want to consider a rewards card that lets you earn bonus points or miles at a variety of locations, such as the Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card. Similar to the Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Card, the Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card offers a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles once you spend $3,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $500 in travel. However, the Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card also offers 2 miles per dollar on every purchase and also charges an annual fee after that first year.
See how the cards compare side by side in the table below.
| Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Card | Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card | |
| Annual fee | $0 | $0 intro for first year; $95 after that |
| Intro APR on purchases | NA | N/A |
| Intro APR on balance transfers | NA | N/A |
| Regular purchase APR | 18.24% - 25.24% Variable | 17.99% - 25.24% (Variable) |
| Rewards | Earn 3X points for every $1 spent at 6,900+ participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, 2X points on travel purchases (from airfare to taxis and trains), and 1X point on all other purchases | 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day |
| Welcome bonus | Earn 50,000 Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. | One-time bonus of 50,000 miles once you spend $3,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $500 in travel |
| Foreign transaction fee | None | None |
In addition to earning 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day, Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card members can earn bonus miles on hotels stays booked through hotels.com for a limited time. The card offers unlimited 10 miles per dollar on eligible bookings at hotels.com/venture through Jan. 31, 2020 — a great perk if you’re not loyal to one particular hotel brand. Keep in mind, though, that the Venture card charges an annual fee after the first year. The Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Card, on the other hand, always offers a $0 annual fee. However, you can also use Capital One miles for travel expenses other than hotels, such as airfare.
The bottom line
When choosing the right hotel rewards card, you should consider what’s most important to you. If you’re a Marriott Bonvoy loyalist who doesn’t want to pay an annual fee every year, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Card is a good choice. But if you want to earn a larger welcome bonus and more points on your hotel stays, a Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card or Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card would be a better pick — as long as you don’t mind paying an annual fee. Or, if you’re not loyal to one particular hotel rewards program and want to earn a generous rewards at a variety of hotels or for other travel expenses, the Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card will be your best bet.
Check out our Marriott Bonvoy Cheat Sheet: Get the Most Out of Your Point.
