Card guide · Marriott Bonvoy points
Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless
Card guide overview
The best entry-level Marriott card—a free night award every year for $95.
Key card attributes
| Issuing bank | Reward currency | Currency type | Network | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase | Marriott Bonvoy points | Hotel loyalty points | Visa | $95 |
Closest alternatives
- Chase Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful
- Amex Marriott Bonvoy Bevy
- Chase World of Hyatt
- Chase IHG Premier
- Amex Hilton Honors Surpass
At a glance
The card in three decisions.
The Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless is the best entry-level Marriott card and one of the strongest $95 hotel cards on the market. It earns 6X at Marriott (up to 17X total with member and Silver bonuses), 2X everywhere else, and delivers an annual Free Night Award each account anniversary. That free night alone can be worth $150–$300 at mid-tier Marriott properties—well above the $95 annual fee.
The current offer is a limited-time elevated package: 125,000 bonus points plus a Free Night Award (up to 50K points) after just $3,000 in spend, plus up to $100 in semi-annual airline credits through June 2027. This is one of the strongest Marriott card offers available and makes the Boundless the clear choice over the $250 Bevy or Bountiful for most people. The tradeoff is 2X everywhere vs. 4X on dining and groceries—but at $155 more per year, that is an easy trade.
Best fit
Anyone who wants a Marriott free night at the lowest possible fee
The annual free night award can outweigh the $95 fee when you use it for an eligible Marriott stay.
Current timing
125K + Free Night is a limited-time elevated offer
At $3,000 spend with a free night included, this is one of the strongest Marriott card offers available. Through June 30, 2027.
Main watchout
2X everywhere is the floor—no dining or grocery multipliers
If you want 4X on dining and groceries, the $250 Bevy or Bountiful add that. But at $155 more per year, those cards need to earn their keep.
Current & historical offer
125K + Free Night is a strong limited-time elevated offer.
We compare public points offers with public points offers. Referral, branch and targeted offers are outside this ladder. Free Night Awards (FNA) are listed separately from points since their value depends on the property redeemed.
Timing assessment
This is one of the strongest Boundless offers—worth applying now.
125K points + a Free Night Award for $3,000 spend is excellent value. The $100 airline credit sweetens the deal. The standard offer is typically 75K with no free night—this is meaningfully better.
Why someone may still wait
The 5-free-night offer is the only thing higher—and it is extremely rare.
If a 5-FNA offer returns, it would be the best Boundless offer ever. But that has been a very infrequent promotion. The current 125K + FNA is likely the best realistic offer you will see.
Card benefits
The free night award and 15 elite nights punch above the $95 fee.
The tiers are a Points Brief editorial assessment of decision importance and rarity among comparable entry-level hotel cards—not labels supplied by Chase or Marriott.
Tier 1 · Rare differentiators
Benefits that set the Boundless apart from other entry-level hotel cards.
Annual Free Night Award
Every account anniversary, receive a Free Night Award valid for one night at a property with a redemption level up to 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. This single benefit can be worth $150–$300—well above the $95 annual fee.
- Award posts each account anniversary and must be used within one year.
- Valid at properties with redemption up to 35,000 points per night. It can be topped up with up to 15,000 additional points.
- Certain hotels have resort fees.
Know the limits: 35K covers most Courtyard, Fairfield and SpringHill Suites properties, plus some full-service Marriotts at off-peak pricing. Higher-end properties require top-up points or are out of range. The welcome-offer free night is 50K; the annual award is 35K.
Airline credits (limited-time through June 2027)
Up to $100 in statement credits on direct airline purchases: $50 after spending $250 between June 4–December 31, 2026, and another $50 after $250 between January 1–June 30, 2027.
- Credits apply to purchases made directly with airlines—not third-party bookings.
- Each $50 credit requires $250 in qualifying semi-annual spend.
- This is a temporary cardmember offer, not a permanent benefit.
Know the limits: This limited-time promotion ends June 30, 2027. Count it as a welcome-offer sweetener, not a recurring keeper benefit.
Tier 2 · Strong, but available on some peers
Meaningful value with visible restrictions.
15 Elite Night Credits
Receive 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy Elite status. Stacks with nights from paid stays.
Combined with a Marriott business card (15 more), you get 30 nights from cards alone—only 20 actual nights to Gold and 35 to Platinum. This is the same elite night count as the $250 Bevy and Bountiful.
Silver Automatic Silver Elite status
Complimentary Marriott Silver Elite status with a 10% points bonus on stays, priority late checkout and free in-room internet.
Silver is entry-level—the 10% bonus is modest and late checkout is priority, not guaranteed. Gold status adds a 25% bonus and 2 p.m. checkout, but no breakfast or lounge access.
Tier 3 · Expected card basics
Standard Chase and Visa protections.
No foreign transaction fees Travel baseline
No issuer foreign-transaction fee on purchases made abroad. Standard among travel and hotel cards.
Points don't expire Card baseline
Points remain active as long as you make a purchase on the card every 24 months.
Trip cancellation and interruption Visa Signature
Coverage for eligible prepaid travel interrupted or cancelled for covered reasons. Guide to Benefits controls.
Baggage delay and loss protection Visa Signature
Coverage for eligible delayed or lost baggage on covered trips. Trigger amounts and documentation requirements apply.
Purchase protection and extended warranty Visa Signature
Eligible purchases receive time-limited damage/theft protection and warranty extension. Terms apply.
Refer-a-friend bonuses Chase program
Earn bonus points for each approved referral for any Marriott Bonvoy card. Terms apply.
Comparison method: Entry-level hotel co-branded cards including Chase IHG Premier ($99), Chase World of Hyatt ($95), Amex Hilton Surpass ($150) and Amex Marriott Bevy ($250); official public pages reviewed in July 2026.
Earning rates
6X at Marriott does the work; 2X everywhere is the floor.
Rates shown are total Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar on eligible purchases. Merchant coding and Chase’s current terms control.
Marriott Bonvoy hotels
At participating Marriott properties booked directly. Stacks with 10X base Bonvoy points and a 1X Silver Elite bonus for up to 17X total. Bevy and Bountiful reach up to 18.5X with Gold Elite status.
All other eligible purchases
Two points per dollar on everything else—no caps, no categories. Simpler than the Bevy or Bountiful but lacks their 4X dining and grocery rate.
Value context: Marriott Bonvoy points are estimated at ~0.7–0.8 cents each. The annual free night award is the primary keeper value—earning is secondary. At $95, this card does not need high earning rates to justify its fee; the free night does that on its own.
Marriott Bonvoy program
The broadest global footprint among major hotel chains.
Marriott Bonvoy points are hotel-loyalty points rather than flexible bank points. They can be redeemed for free nights at 30+ brands across 8,500+ properties worldwide. Airline transfers are possible, but often at weaker value. Redemption value varies by property, date and room type under Marriott’s dynamic pricing.
Key benefit
5thnight free on award stays
Book four consecutive award nights and the fifth night is free.
This is a Marriott Bonvoy program benefit available when you redeem points for standard awards—including cardholders. It effectively boosts your points by 20% on longer stays. Elite Night Credits from this card stack with nights earned from stays toward Platinum status at 50 nights, which unlocks free breakfast, lounge access and 4 p.m. late checkout.
Silver Elite status perks
What complimentary Silver status gets you.
- 10% points bonus on stays
- Priority late checkout
- Free in-room internet
- Dedicated reservation line
Free Night Award sweet spots (35K)
Properties where the annual certificate works well.
- Courtyard by Marriott
- Fairfield Inn & Suites
- SpringHill Suites
- Four Points by Sheraton
- Marriott (off-peak dates)
- AC Hotels (standard dates)
15 elite nights toward status
Stack with other cards for faster elite qualification.
- Boundless: 15 elite nights
- Marriott Biz: 15 elite nights
- Total from cards: 30 nights
- Only 20 actual nights to Gold
- Only 35 to Platinum
Popular Marriott brands
Where your points, free night and Silver status work.
- The Ritz-Carlton
- JW Marriott
- Westin
- Sheraton
- Marriott
- Courtyard
- Fairfield Inn
- SpringHill Suites
Sources and methodology
Sources for this page
- Last checked: July 20, 2026
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