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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 Sheraton, Westin, and Residence Inn — 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.
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.
Compare the Best Marriott Credit Cards
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.
The Best Marriott Credit Cards in 2023
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card – Product Name Only : Best for luxury benefits during Marriott staysMarriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card – Product Name Only : Best for occasional Marriott guestsMarriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card – Product Name Only : Best for business travelers who prefer MarriottMarriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card – Product Name Only : Best Marriott card with no annual feeMarriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card – Product Name Only : Best Amex card for earning Marriott Bonvoy points fastMarriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card – Product Name Only : Best Chase card for earning Marriott Bonvoy points fastThe Platinum Card® from American Express – Product Name Only : Best for elite statusChase Sapphire Preferred® Card – Product Name Only : Best for travelers who also like to stay at other hotelsChase Sapphire Reserve® – Product Name Only : Best for travelers who also like to stay at other hotels and want premium benefits
Methodology: 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 — and take a look at our editorial standards page for more information about how we rate and review personal finance products.
Best Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards Frequently Asked Questions
Are Marriott credit cards worth it?
If you like staying at Marriott Bonvoy brands and enjoy redeeming points for free stays, it’s definitely worth considering opening a Marriott credit card. Frequent Marriott guests can earn a lot of bonus points using a card to pay for stays, and if the card you open comes with elite status, you can get extra perks.
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?
As with many lucrative travel rewards cards, 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.
Read Insider’s guides to improving your credit score and using credit cards to boost your score if you’re new to credit or haven’t quite reached a good score yet.
Can you have more than one Marriott credit card?
The application restrictions around Marriott co-branded cards are a little tricky to navigate because the cards are issued by both Chase and Amex.
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
- 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 , orMarriott 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 , orMarriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card
Do Marriott points expire?
Marriott points will expire if your account doesn’t have any qualifying activity in 24 months.
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.
Best for Luxury Benefits at Marriott Hotels
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card – Product Name Only
If you know you’ll spend at least $300 on dining each year, the
This can effectively reduce the
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 Amex Card Review
Best for Occasional Marriott Guests
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
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
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 Boundless Credit Card Review
Best for Business Travelers Who Prefer Marriott
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
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 Review
Best Marriott Card With No Annual Fee
Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card – Product Name Only
The
Until April 6, 2023, there’s an increased welcome bonus offer of
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
Best Amex Card for Earning Marriott Bonvoy Points Fast
Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card – Product Name Only
The new
It’s currently offering
One of
Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Credit Card Review
Best Chase Card for Earning Marriott Bonvoy Points Fast
Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card – Product Name Only
The
This card offers
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
Best for Elite Status
The Platinum Card® from American Express – Product Name Only
The
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
It’s currently offering a sky-high welcome bonus of
American Express Platinum Card Review
Best for Travelers Who Also Like to Stay at Other Hotels
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card – Product Name Only
The
Right now, the
Overall, the
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Review
Best for Travelers Who Also Like to Stay at Other Hotels and Want Premium Benefits
The
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. During the pandemic, Chase introduced a program called Pay Yourself Back through which you can use points for everyday purchases in popular categories, and with the
As with the
Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card Review