Marriott Bonvoy Bold vs. Boundless: Which card is better?

Marriott offers five personal credit cards to new applicants, each with their own annual fee ranging from $0 to $650.

In short, there’s a card for everyone, whether you’re a die-hard Marriott fan or a casual traveler looking for free award nights.

Chase issues the two most affordable co-branded options currently open to new applicants: the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card (see rates and fees) and the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (see rates and fees).

Let’s break down the details of each card to help you decide which one best fits your strategy.

Table of Contents

Comparison between Marriott Bonvoy Bold and Marriott Bonvoy Boundless

Feature	Bold Marriott Bonvoy	Unlimited Marriott Bonvoy
Welcome bonus	Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.	Earn 125,000 bonus points and a free night’s reward (valued up to 50,000 points) after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. Certain hotels have resort rates.
Annual fee	$0	$95
Profit rates	Up to 14 points per dollar spent on eligible Marriott stays: Up to 10 points per dollar for being a Marriott Bonvoy member, 3 points per dollar as a Bonvoy Bold cardholder, and up to 1 point per dollar for Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status 2 points per dollar spent at grocery stores and on ride-sharing services, select grocery delivery, select streaming services, Internet, cable and phone 1 point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases	Up to 17 points per dollar on eligible Marriott stays: up to 10 points per dollar for being a Marriott Bonvoy member, 6 points per dollar for being a Bonvoy Boundless cardholder, and up to 1 point per dollar for Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status 3 points per dollar spent on the first $6,000 in combined purchases at gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants each year 2 points per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases
Marriott Bonvoy Benefits	Five elite night credits per year Complimentary Silver Elite Status	15 Elite night credits per year, automatically qualifying you for Silver Elite status Annual free night award (up to 35,000 points) One Elite night credit toward Elite status for every $5,000 you spend Path to Gold Elite status when you spend $35,000 or more on your card each calendar year
Other benefits	Baggage delay insurance Lost luggage refund Travel delay refund Purchase protection visa concierge No foreign transaction fees	Baggage delay insurance Lost luggage refund Travel delay refund Purchase protection visa concierge No foreign transaction fees

Welcome Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Bold vs. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless

He Unlimited currently offering 125,000 bonus points and a free night’s reward (valued up to 50,000 points) after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. Certain hotels have resort rates. This offer ends November 5th.

He Bold It currently offers 60,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. This offer ends November 5th.

THE TYPE OF THE POINTS

TPG October 2025 ratings set Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.7 cents each, which effectively makes the total bonus on Bold worth $420 and the total bonus on Boundless worth up to $1,225.

Since Chase issues both cards, it’s important to note that the rule 5/24 applies here. This means you probably won’t qualify for either card if you opened five or more credit cards (from any issuer) in the last two years.

Reward your inbox with TPG’s daily newsletter

Join over 700,000 readers to receive breaking news, in-depth guides, and exclusive offers from TPG experts.

Besides, Marriott Specific Eligibility Requirements They apply to products issued by Chase and American Express. Be sure to check your eligibility before applying.

Winner: Unlimited. Your welcome bonus is worth much more than the Bold.

Benefits of Marriott Bonvoy Bold vs. Marriott Bonvoy Unlimited

The free night certificate is the most notable difference between these two cards.

Every year, on the anniversary of your account, Unlimited Cardholders get a free night certificate worth up to 35,000 points, and can add up to an additional 15,000 points if the hotel costs more than that.

If you use this strategically, you can get a free night at a hotel that easily offsets the Annual fee of $95 each year.

Pool and exterior of the Westin Carlsbad Resort & Spa — THE WESTIN CARLSBAD RESORT & SPA/MARRIOTT

Meanwhile, Bold Cardholders do not receive a free night certificate but do not have to pay an annual fee.

Otherwise, the cards offer similar benefits. With any of the cards you will get automatic Silver Elite status and strong protections for travel and purchases from Chase. Plus, you won’t pay anything. foreign transaction fees with these cards when traveling abroad.

Winner: Unlimited. Most travelers will be able to get more than $95 value with the free night certificate.

Earn points with Marriott Bonvoy Bold vs. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless

Both cards feature comparable earning rates, although it’s nice that Boundless earns at least 2 points per dollar spent on every purchase, while Bold earns 1 point per dollar spent on non-bonus category purchases.

woman in the cafeteria — DEJAN_DUNDJERSKI/GETTY IMAGES

That said, outside of Marriott purchases, none of the cards offer truly exceptional earning rates and you can definitely find better options for daily expense.

Boundless earns more points on Marriott stays and offers bonus points on grocery and gas purchases (although there is a spending limit), while the Bold card offers bonus points on rideshares, which could be helpful if you use services like Uber or Lyft frequently.

Winner: Unlimited. Earn more points than Bold on most purchases.

Redeem points with Marriott Bonvoy Bold vs. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless

Both the Bold and the Unlimited earn Marriott Bonvoy points, so they offer the same redemption options.

The most obvious and valuable way to use your Bonvoy points is to redeem them for a stay at Marriott. To get the most value from your points, take advantage of the fifth night free benefitallowing you to book a five-night award stay for the cost of just four.

Additionally, you can use your points for gift cards and merchandise through the Marriott shopping portal, but we recommend avoiding this route to get the most value from your points.

TPG Credit Card Writer cris nelson He scored exceptional value on a recent stay at the AC Hotel Cape Town Waterfront, where he redeemed 136,000 points for a seven-night stay. You took advantage of the fifth night free benefit of this award to get a free night.

Winner: Tie. Both cards earn Marriott Bonvoy points and offer the same redemption options.

Transferring Points with Marriott Bonvoy Bold vs. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless

With any of the cards, you also have the option to transfer your Bonvoy points to one of almost 40 airline partner programsincluding Delta Sky Miles and United Mileage Plus.

Most airline transfers have a 3:1 ratio, so you will receive 1 airline mile for every 3 Marriott points transferred. Plus, when you transfer points to United MileagePlus, you’ll receive 10,000 bonus miles for every 60,000 points transferred.

United Polaris aircraft on runway — ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

This redemption generally does not produce However, it’s a good value for your points, so we recommend using it only if you need to top up your airline account balance.

Winner: Tie. Both cards have the same transfer partners.

Should you get the Marriott Bonvoy Bold or the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless?

If you know that you will take advantage of the annual free night certificate, the Unlimited It is the best option. You will also unlock higher win rates with this card. However, if you are looking for a more basic product and want to avoid an annual fee, the Bold It is the best option.

How to upgrade from Marriott Bonvoy Bold to Marriott Bonvoy Boundless

If you are not eligible for a new Bonvoy bonus or are older than 5/24, a product change may be your best option. Both Bonvoy Bold and Bonvoy Boundless are subject to Chase’s 5/24 rule and, more specifically, Marriott Bonvoy eligibility restrictions.

To request an upgrade (or downgrade), call the number on the back of your card. Just remember that doing so will mean you’ll lose your new card’s welcome bonus for the time being.

In a nutshell

Regardless of which card you choose, both Marriott cards are a great way to introduce yourself to the Bonvoy program and all of its redemption possibilities. You can’t go wrong with either as there are thousands of properties to choose from around the world.

For more information, check out our full reviews of the Marriott Bonvoy Unlimited Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Card in Bold.

Apply here: Marriott Bonvoy Unlimited Card
Apply here: Marriott Bonvoy Card in Bold

Source link