Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful vs. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless: Credit Card Showdown
There are currently six Marriott credit cards available to new applicants, and several cards are no longer accepting new applications. Chase offers three Marriott credit cards you can currently apply for, while American Express offers three more.
These cards are similar in some ways, but different in others. If you’re considering applying for a Marriott credit card, you might consider the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful® Credit Card or the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card. Both are offered by Chase Bank and earn points and rewards through Marriott’s loyalty program, Marriott Bonvoy.
Which one should you choose? Let’s look at the similarities and differences between “Bountiful” and “Boundless” cards to help you decide which option is better.
Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful Credit Card information is independently collected by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Related: 3 reasons why Marriott Bonvoy Boundless is worth the $95 annual fee
Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful vs Marriott Bonvoy Boundless comparison
| card | Enjoy a rich travel experience | Travel Bonvoy Unbounded |
|---|---|---|
| welcome bonus | Earn 85,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first three months of account opening. | Earn three free night awards (up to 50,000 points each) when you spend $3,000 in the first three months after account opening. |
| annual fee | $250 | $95 |
| Point valuation* | 0.85 cents per point | 0.85 cents per point |
| reward structure |
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| Other benefits |
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| travel protection |
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*Points value is an estimate based on TPG’s December 2024 valuation and not the card issuer’s calculations.
Bonvoy Bountiful and Bonvoy Boundless Welcome Offer
New Bonvoy Bountiful cardholders can earn 85,000 bonus points when they spend $4,000 in purchases within the first three months. The bonus is worth $723, based on TPG’s December 2024 valuation.
Meanwhile, new Bonvoy Boundless cardholders can receive three free night awards (up to 50,000 points each) when they spend $3,000 in purchases within the first three months of account opening. According to TPG’s valuation, the bonus is worth up to $1,275, which means the bonus could cover your annual fee costs for 13 years.
winner: Bangwo has no boundaries. Its welcome offer provides over $500 in additional value.
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Related: Are you eligible for the new Marriott Bonvoy card? This chart tells you yes or no
Comparison of Bonvoy Bountiful and Bonvoy Boundless benefits
These two cards have many similar benefits.
- Elite Stay Points received each year: With any of these cards, you’ll earn 15 Elite Night points each year. You need elite night points to earn elite status with Marriott Bonvoy. For reference, you need 50 elite nights per year to reach Platinum Elite status and enjoy perks like free breakfast and suite upgrades.
- Fifth night free offer: When you redeem your Marriott Bonvoy points for hotel stays, you’ll get your fifth night free. This means it costs the same to redeem points for a four- or five-night hotel stay. Please note that this offer is valid for points redemption only and does not apply to cash payments or the use of free night awards.
- Credit card issuers and application rules: Since both cards are issued by Chase, they are subject to Chase’s credit card application rules and restrictions. The most famous of these is the 5/24 rule, which means that if you opened 5 or more accounts with all credit card issuers in the past 24 months, you may be declined. Another rule is that you may not get approved for more than two Chase credit cards in a 30-day period.
- Get Chase offers.
- travel protection: Both cards provide trip delay reimbursement, baggage loss reimbursement and baggage delay insurance.
- Purchase protection: Both cards offer purchase protection for items you pay for with the card, valid for up to 120 days from the date of purchase, subject to limits on the number of claims and the value of each claim.
- Sign up before January 31, 2025 and get a free year of DoorDash DashPass.
Through Bonvoy Bountiful, cardholders can get:
- Automatically become a Gold Elite member
- Annual free night award worth up to 50,000 points when you spend at least $15,000 in a calendar year; some hotels charge a resort fee
- Earn 1,000 bonus points per stay at eligible Marriott Bonvoy hotels
With Bonvoy Boundless, cardholders receive:
- Receive an annual free night award each year after your account anniversary, valid for one night at a hotel, up to a redemption level of 35,000 points. Some hotels charge a resort fee.
- Complimentary Silver Elite membership in Marriott Bonvoy — offers perks such as hotel bonus points, member discounts on hotel rooms and late checkout. In addition, Boundless cardholders earn additional Elite Night Points for every $5,000 spent on the card and can achieve Gold Elite status after spending $35,000 on the card in a calendar year.
winner: tie. Although both cards have similar benefits, Bonvoy Bountiful has a higher Gold Elite level. The Boundless offers an annual free night award every anniversary, which you can earn at no cost to you, and also enjoys the lower Elite Silver tier, which can be upgraded to Elite Gold by spending money.
RELATED: Marriott Elite Status: What It Is and How to Get It
Earn points on Bonvoy Bountiful and Bonvoy Boundless
Through Bonvoy Bountiful, cardholders can get:
- Earn 6 points for every $1 spent on Marriott hotel purchases
- Earn 4 points per dollar on the first $15,000 in combined grocery and dining purchases each calendar year, including takeout and eligible delivery services (2 points per dollar thereafter)
- Earn 2 points per $1 spent on all other purchases
Based on TPG’s December 2024 valuation, these yields represent returns on expenses of 5.1%, 3.4%, and 1.7%, respectively.
Through Bonvoy Boundless, cardholders can get:
- Earn 6 points for every $1 spent on Marriott hotel purchases
- Earn 3 points per dollar on your first $6,000 in combined purchases at gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants each calendar year (2 points per dollar thereafter)
- Earn 2 points per $1 spent on all other qualifying purchases
These yields represent a return on spending of 5.1%, 2.6%, or 1.7%, respectively.
winner: Bonvoy Bountiful because it earns more on dining and grocery store spending and has a higher spending cap.
Related: The Best Rewards Credit Cards for Every Bonus Category
Points redemption and transfer for Bonvoy Bountiful and Bonvoy Boundless
Both cards earn Marriott Bonvoy points, which can be redeemed for Marriott stays. TPG’s December 2024 valuation puts those points at 0.85 cents per share. Unfortunately, Marriott no longer publishes rewards charts and uses dynamic pricing.
While the most obvious use for these points is to stay at a Marriott hotel, there are other uses (albeit some that aren’t as valuable), including transferring points to more than 35 airline partners for redemption on flights.
In most cases, it is not cost-effective to transfer Bonvoy points to airline partners because the transfer rates are not ideal.
TPG credit card writer Chris Nelson loves redeeming Marriott Bonvoy points for luxury hotels in Eastern Europe. He usually stays at the Ritz-Carlton in Budapest for 35,000 Bonvoy points per night.
winner: A tie because both cards have the same redemption and transfer options.
Related: Marriott Bonvoy Rewards Traveler’s Guide
Should I buy Bonvoy Bountiful or Bonvoy Boundless?
Both cards have annual fees and Marriott earns the same rate on purchases. However, if you want a higher level of elite status and higher grocery and dining income, you should choose Bonvoy Bountiful. If these things aren’t super important to you, Bonvoy Boundless’ annual fee will provide more value.
RELATED: How to Use Marriott Bonvoy 35,000 Points Gift Certificate
How to switch from Bonvoy Bountiful to Bonvoy Boundless
If you want to change from one card to another, you can. This is called a product change. To do this, simply call the number on the back of the card, contact the agent and request a replacement product.
Related: 4 Things to Consider Before Making Product Changes
bottom line
Marriott points can be earned on both the Bountiful and Boundless cards issued by Chase. While some of their income categories are similar, these cards have more differences than similarities. Which one is better for you depends on which Bonvoy benefits are most important to you.
To learn more, see our full reviews of Bonvoy Bountiful and Bonvoy Boundless.
Apply here: Marriott Bonvoy Unbounded
Learn more: Marriott Bonvoy Rich Reviews
