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Chase and Marriott are out with a brand new, limited-time offer on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card – and it's a doozy.
You can now earn five Marriott free night certificates eligible for properties costing up to 50,000 points per night after spending $5,000 in the first three months of card membership. This limited-time offer is available until March 27, making now the perfect time to add this card to your wallet!
These free night certificates are yours to use for a full 12 months after you earn them – but you'll want to be sure to complete a stay in that span, otherwise, they'll be forfeited. You could use this bonus to lock in a five-night stay at the Le Meridien Maldives for next year, and that's just one example. Plus, since Marriott added the ability to “top off” free nights with points, you can even kick in up to 15,000 extra Bonvoy points per night to cover pricier properties.
This is easily one of the best offers we've seen on this card – or any Marriott card, period. And there's nothing in it for us if you apply: This is a publicly available offer you can get directly through Marriott and Chase.
Just remember:Credit cards are serious business. No matter how many free nights it gets you, it's not worth racking up thousands of dollars in credit card debt if you can't afford to pay off every dime immediately.
Read on for everything you need to know about the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card.
Learn more about the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card. (for full disclosure: this is not an affiliate link).
Full Benefits of the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card
Welcome Offer Bonus
New card members can now earn five free night certificates that can be used at Marriott properties costing up to 50,000 points per night when you spend $5,000 in the first three months of card membership. Each free night certificate is valid for 12 months from the date they are awarded. This limited-time offer ends March 27!
Earn 6x Points on Marriott Stays
Bonvoy Boundless cardholders earn 6x points per dollar spent at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy Program.
Additionally, you'll earn 11x points for Marriott Bonvoy stays by being a Sliver Elite status member (an automatic perk included with card membership). Put the two of these together and you'll be earning 17x points per dollar spent on eligible stays with Marriott when paying with this card.
Earn 3x Points on Gas, Groceries & Dining
Bonvoy Boundless cardholders also earn 3x points per dollar spent on the first $6,000 in combined purchases each year at grocery stores, gas stations, and on dining purchases.
You'll earn 2x points per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
An Annual Free Night Certificate
Each year on your account anniversary, you'll earn a free night certificate, valid for a one-night hotel stay at a property with a redemption value of up to 35,000 points.
You'll also have the ability to apply up to 15,000 additional Marriott Bonvoy points to book a property that costs as much as 50,000 points per night.
Just keep in mind you won't get this free night certificate until your second year of card membership.
Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite Status
Just for holding the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card, you will automatically receive Silver Elite Status each account anniversary year as a card member.
If you spend $35,000 on your card in a calendar year, you'll automatically be bumped up to Gold Elite Status for the remainder of that year and all of the following year, regardless of how many elite nights you've earned.
With Marriott's Silver Elite Status, you'll get a 10% boost to the points you earn for a paid stay and priority late checkout – which really just means they'll try their best.
Gold status, on the other hand, is where you can actually start expecting some additional perks. At this status level, you'll get a 25% bonus on points earned for your stay, an enhanced room upgrade (but again, don't count on it), a 2 p.m. late checkout, and a welcome gift of up to 500 points upon check-in.
15 Elite Night Credits
You get 15 elite night creditseach calendar year just for holding the card.Elite night credits are the metric Marriott uses to track your progress toward status. While you get automatic Silver Elite status just for holding the card, you'll need to rack up a certain number of elite nights to reach higher tiers of status.
Platinum status requires 50 nights and that's where the benefits are actually worth something. So with the 15 that come with the card, you'donlyneed to stay 35 nights in a Marriott to earn Platinum status.
Elevate Your Status
In addition to the 15 elite night credits and automatic Silver Elite Status that come with the card, you can also earn an additional elite night for every $5,000 you spend with your card. These additional elite nights for purchases, combined with nights stayed can help you reach the next level of status even quicker.
$95 Annual Fee
The card charges a $95 annual fee which isn't waived in your first year of card membership.
The card also waives foreign transaction fees.
Are You Eligible to Open the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card?
Since the Bonvoy Boundless Card is issued from Chase, it is subject to the Chase 5/24 Rule.
The Chase 5/24 rule is a hard-and-fast restriction rolled out years ago to limit card applicants from opening credit cards for the sole purpose of earning bonus rewards.If you've heard of the phrase “churning,” that's exactly what this rule is designed to crack down on.
Here's what it boils down to:
- If you have openedfive or more credit cards in the past 24 months from any bank credit card issuers(not just Chase cards), youwill not be approved for Chase credit cards, regardless of your credit score or history with Chase.
- The ruledoes notcount credit inquiries, but rather new cards you have applied for and been approved.
Additionally, per the offer terms and conditions, you will not be eligible for the card if you currently have any of the following cards – or have had them in the last 30 days:
- Marriott Bonvoy®American Express® Card
You also won't be eligible for the card if you applied and were approved for any of the following cards within the last 90 days or received a new cardmember bonus or upgrade bonus for any of the following cards within the last 24 months:
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant®American Express® Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Business®American Express® Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™American Express® Card
Here is a graphic that lays out the eligibility requirements for each of the Marriott Cards, including the Bonvoy Boundless:
Related reading: A Master Guide to Marriott Credit Card Eligibility
Why This Bonus Is Great
On the surface, this is a great offer. But just how good it is comes down to your plans for using the free nights.
The offer isn't without risk: If you don't complete your stay within 12 months of earning these free night certificates, they'll expire. If you don't use them, you'll lose them.
Banks love offers like these as they create breakage – they're counting on people not being able to use these free night certificates in time.
But if you can use the free night certificates within that 12-month timeframe, the value is undeniable. For example, you could use the five free night certificates to book a five-night stay at the Le Méridien Maldives – a property we stayed at last year and loved.
Spending five nights in the Maldives all from a single credit card welcome bonus is about as good as it gets.
Bottom Line
Chase and Marriott are out with a brand new, limited-time offer on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card.
New card members can now earn five free night certificates that can be used at Marriott properties costing up to 50,000 points per night after spending $5,000 in the first three months of card membership. Be sure to act fast if this card is on your radar – this limited-time offer is only here until March 27!
Learn More about the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card(for full disclosure: this is not an affiliate link).
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