Finding the perfect travel credit card can be difficult depending on what you’re looking for. Of course, many frequent travelers design a credit card that doesn’t have high fees while allowing for extravagant rewards and benefits.
Fortunately, it’s possible to have your cake and eat it too with a travel credit card. This means applying for a travel credit card that has low fees and great rewards. The Marriott Bonvoy Bold credit card is an amazing option for travelers on a tight budget.
It offers similar rewards as other travel credit cards with a $0 annual fee. The Marriott Bonvoy credit card comes with a wide variety of attractive perks, but it’s not for everyone.
If you’re interested in learning more about this travel credit card, this Marriott Rewards credit card review will break down the information regarding its specifications, pros, and cons to help you ultimately make a wise decision.
Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card: Overview
As many travelers will know, the Marriott is one of the most well-known hotel chains in the world. The franchise has built a remarkable location for extravagant hotels.
As a result, the Marriott Bonvoy credit card provides amazing benefits cardholders can take advantage of, such as:
- A $0 annual fee
- A rewarding sign-up bonus
- Automatic elite status upon enrollment
- Decent ongoing rewards
Cardholders who want to receive a free night upon the anniversary of applying for this card will have to pay an annual fee. Nonetheless, this travel credit card is still a great option, even if you don’t plan on staying at the Marriott frequently throughout your travels.
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Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card Review: Quick Facts
There are various important considerations to be made aware of before applying for this travel credit card. Even though this option offers a $0 annual fee, you should still consult these quick facts before moving forward:
- If you spend at least $1,000 within three months of opening your account, you can earn an additional 30,000 rewards points.
- There isn’t an annual fee, which is great for frequent travelers on a budget.
- You can earn 3x Bonvoy rewards points for every $1 spent at more than 7,000 hotels partnered with the Marriott. Cardholders can also earn 2x Bonvoy rewards points for all other travel purchases, such as airfare.
- Members can earn 1x rewards points for $1 spent on all other purchases.
- Cardholders can qualify for a Silver Elite status and receive 15 night credits. Restrictions will.
- There aren’t any foreign transaction fees.
- You can earn unlimited rewards points and gain free night stays.
Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card: Specifications
There are four main categories to be mindful of if you’re considering applying for this travel credit card. These specifications include:
- Annual Fee: $0
- Regular APR: 15.99% – 22.99% APR Variable
- Introductory APR: None
- Credit Score: Excellent (690-850)
The Marriott Bonvoy credit card is one of the only travel credit cards that doesn’t charge an annual fee to cardholders. However, the $0 introductory APR is a bit of a disadvantage, especially since many other options do provide no interest for the first year of enrolling.
Another disadvantage could be that this credit card requires applicants to have an excellent credit score. For what it’s worth, you could qualify for a better travel credit card without a much lower credit score.
In addition, this credit card doesn’t have any foreign transaction fees. This means that you can use it anywhere across the world without any extra fees. The Marriott credit card is a basic travel credit card for travelers that want to minimize their expenses.
Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card Review: Who is This Card For?
Not everyone who travels frequently has the cash to pay exorbitant fees, even if the rewards and benefits are irresistible. If you find yourself in this situation, you may find that this credit card is a great option to consider.
Without an annual fee or foreign transaction fees, you’ll essentially pay nothing to own this credit card. The best part is that you can earn up to 3x reward points for all eligible travel purchases.
Many travel credit cards that don’t charge an annual fee usually carry small rewards rates. Thus, the Marriott Rewards credit card is a perfect option for people who want to earn massive rewards while traveling without paying high fees.
Now, there is one noticeable disadvantage that’s noteworthy to consider. This credit card doesn’t offer a free night stay on its anniversary. This is notable because other travel credit cards offer this benefit.
In fact, many people look forward to a free night at an extravagant hotel one year after enrolling for their credit card. Considering that similar credit cards offer this benefit and more, you may want to consider other options if this is a big deal for you.
Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card: Main Benefits
People considering this travel credit card will be amazed that they can take advantage of great rewards without paying an annual fee. Here are the top benefits of applying for this credit card:
No-Fee, Flexible Rewards:
Annual fees can sneak up on you in a hurry. Before you know it, these charges will show up on your credit card statement and won’t feel like you’re spending any money.
However, these costs can soon add up. This credit card’s $0 annual fee allows for a decent sign-up bonus you can redeem in a wide variety of ways. You can choose to redeem your points to access gift cards and merchandise, cruises, travel packages, hotel stays, and purchases.
While the redemption value of your points will value depending on what you choose, it’s still a great benefit to have.
Automatic Elite Status Upon Enrolling:
When you enroll for this credit card, you automatically receive elite status, giving you access to:
- Free Wi-Fi
- 10% bonus rewards points on all signature hotel purchases
- Reimbursement if the hotel can’t accommodate your reservation
- An elite reservation line
Normally, you would have to spend at least 10 stays at Marriott Bonvoy hotels to receive these kinds of benefits. However, this card automatically gifts up to 15 nights of credit.
This means all you need to do is spend 25 nights at Bonvoy properties to achieve Gold Elite status and take advantage of even more benefits and rewards. However, there are some important things to note here.
Cardholders that receive a 10% bonus can only this benefit to points earned during their stay instead of the points received on their credit card. For example, say that your Marriott hotel bill was $400 and you received 1,000 bonus points from your card and 2,000 additional base points.
In this case, the 10% bonus would only to the 2,000 additional base points you received. In total, you’ll receive $2,600 points.
Plenty of Insurance Benefits:
It’s actually very rare to find travel credit cards that offer insurance benefits with no annual fee. Here are all of the types of coverage you can expect to receive when applying for this credit card:
- Baggage Delay Insurance – You can receive up to $100 per passenger if your baggage was delayed up to six hours. This benefit can last for up to five days.
- Lost Luggage Reimbursement – You can earn up to $3,000 per passenger if you discover that your luggage has been damaged, lost, or stolen.
- Trip Delay Reimbursement – You can be reimbursed up to $500 per ticket if your flight is delayed for more than 12 hours and requires additional accommodations. The Marriott will even cover essential expenses, such as hotel and meal costs.
- Purchase Coverage – If any of your purchases are damaged or stolen, you are covered for up to 120 days ($50,000 per account and $500 per claim).
As you can see, this travel credit card provides significant protections in many worst case scenarios. As many frequent travelers know, this is ideal because many things can go wrong.
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Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card Review: Main Drawbacks
If you’re considering applying for this travel credit card, you may want to take a look at these glaring disadvantages first:
Limited Bonus Categories:
The Marriott Bonvoy credit card doesn’t offer many bonus categories to redeem your rewards points. Thus, if you want to actually redeem your rewards points in a meaningful way, you should consider other options.
Not a Versatile Credit Card:
This credit card is most beneficial when used at Marriott Bonvoy hotels. If you plan on staying elsewhere, you’re better off using versatile travel credit cards that don’t offer any restrictions.
Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card: The Final Verdict
The Marriott Bonvoy credit card is ideal for travelers who don’t want to pay high fees when earning rewards on travel purchases. Unlike other credit cards without an annual fee, cardholders can earn high rewards with secure protections.
The only downside is that you can’t receive a free night stay upon the anniversary of enrolling for the credit card, and rewards are exclusive for Marriott Bonvoy hotels.
