Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful vs. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless: Credit card conflict

There are currently six Marriott credit cards available to new applicants and several cards that are no longer accepting new applications. Chase offers three Marriott credit cards you can apply for right now, while American Express offers three more.

These cards are similar in some ways and different in others. If you’re thinking about applying for a Marriott credit card, you’re probably thinking about the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful® Credit Card or the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card. Both are offered to Chase and earn points and rewards through Marriott’s loyalty program, Marriott Bonvoy.

Which should you choose? Let’s look at the similarities and differences between Bountiful and Boundless cards to help you decide which is the better option.

Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful Credit Card information is independently collected by The Points Guy. The card information on this page has not been updated 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 Unlimited comparisons

*Point value is an approximate value calculated by TPG December 2024 rates and not by the card issuer.

Bonvoy Bountiful vs. Bonvoy Boundless welcome offer

New Bonvoy Bountiful cardholders can earn 85,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first three months. Based on TPG estimates for December 2024, this bonus is worth $723.

Meanwhile, new Bonvoy Boundless cardholders can earn three free nightly rewards (up to 50,000 points each) after spending $3,000 in purchases in the first three months from account opening. Based on TPG estimates, this bonus is worth up to $1,275 — meaning this bonus could cover your annual expenses for 13 years.

Winner: Bonvoy Boundless. Its welcome offer offers over $500 more in value.

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Related: Are you eligible for the new Marriott Bonvoy card? This chart tells you yes or no

Benefits of Bonvoy Bountiful vs. Bonvoy Boundless

Both cards have many of the same benefits.

• Elite night credits are earned annually: You will start each year with 15 special night credits by holding one of these cards. Elite night credits are what you need to get top status with Marriott Bonvoy. For reference, you’ll need 50 special nights a year to reach Platinum Elite status, where perks like free breakfast and suite upgrades kick in.
• Free fifth night bonus: If you use points for a hotel stay with Marriott Bonvoy, you will get the fifth night free. This means that redeeming points for a four or five night hotel stay will cost the same. Please note that this benefit only applies to redemption of points and does not apply when paying cash or redeeming free night awards.
• Credit card issuer and application rules: Since both cards are issued by Chase, both are subject to Chase’s credit card application rules and restrictions. The most popular of these is the 5/24 rule, which means you’ll likely be denied if you’ve opened five or more accounts in the past 24 months with all credit card issuers. Another rule is that you probably won’t be approved for more than two credit cards from Chase within 30 days.
• Access to Chase Offers.
• Travel protections: Both cards offer travel delay reimbursement, lost baggage reimbursement and baggage delay insurance.
• Purchase protection: Both cards offer protection for the purchase of items you have paid for with your card, available for 120 days from the date of purchase but subject to limits on the number of claims and limits on the amount of each claim.
• One year of DashPass benefits from DoorDash if you sign up by Jan. 31, 2025.

With Bonvoy Bountiful, cardholders get:

• Default Gold Elite status
• An annual free night award worth 50,000 points when you spend at least $15,000 in purchases in a calendar year; some hotels have resort fees
• 1,000 bonus points per stay at eligible Marriott Bonvoy properties

With Bonvoy Boundless, cardholders get:

• A free annual reward every year after you celebrate your account, valid for a one-night hotel stay at a property with a redemption rate of up to 35,000 points. Some hotels have resort fees.
• Silver Elite status with Marriott Bonvoy — offers benefits such as bonus points on stays, member discount rates on hotel rooms and late check-out. Additionally, Boundless cardholders earn additional elite night credit toward status for every $5,000 spent on the card and can reach Gold Elite status after spending $35,000 on the card in a calendar year.

Winner: Type. While both cards share similar benefits, Bonvoy Bountiful has a higher Gold Elite status. Boundless comes with an annual free night award every year that you don’t have to spend anything to access and a Silver Elite tier with the ability to work your way to Gold Elite status.

Related: Marriott elite status: What it is and how to get it

Earn points in Bonvoy Bountiful vs. Bonvoy Boundless

With Bonvoy Bountiful, cardholders get:

• 6 points per dollar spent on Marriott purchases
• 4 points per dollar spent on the first $15,000 in a calendar year on combined purchases at grocery and dining stores – including checkout and eligible delivery services (then 2 points per dollar)
• 2 points per dollar spent on all other purchases

These lead rates represent a 5.1%, 3.4% and 1.7% return on spend, respectively, based on TPG’s December 2024 estimates.

With Bonvoy Boundless, cardholders get:

• 6 points per dollar spent on Marriott purchases
• 3 points per dollar spent on the first $6,000 spent on combined purchases in a calendar year at gas stations, grocery stores and dining (then 2 points per dollar)
• 2 points per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases

These lead rates represent a 5.1%, 2.6% or 1.7% return on investment, respectively.

Winner: Bonvoy Bountiful, as it earns a lot in food and grocery use and comes with a large spending amount.

Related: The best credit card rewards in every bonus category

Redeems and transfers points to Bonvoy Bountiful vs. Bonvoy Boundless

Both cards that earn Marriott Bonvoy points can be used for Marriott stays. TPG’s December 2024 estimates put these points at 0.85 cents each. Unfortunately, Marriott no longer publishes an award chart and uses dynamic rates.

While the most obvious use for these points is hotel stays with Marriott, there are other uses (albeit some less useful), including transferring points to more than 35 airline partners to redeem on flights.

In most cases, transferring Bonvoy points to partner airlines is not a good value as the transfer ratio is poor.

TPG credit card writer Chris Nelson likes to redeem his Marriott Bonvoy points for luxury resorts in Eastern Europe. She usually stays at the Ritz-Carlton Budapest for 35,000 Bonvoy points per night.

Winner: It’s a tie as both cards have the same redemption and transfer options.

Related: The award traveler’s guide to Marriott Bonvoy

Should I get Bonvoy Bountiful or Bonvoy Boundless?

Both cards have annual fees and the same earning rate on Marriott purchases. However, if you are looking for high quality and high value grocery and food, you should choose Bonvoy Bountiful. If those things aren’t important to you, Bonvoy Boundless will offer a higher annual fee.

Related: How to redeem a Marriott Bonvoy 35,000-point certificate

How to switch from Bonvoy Bountiful to Bonvoy Boundless

If you want to switch from one card to another you can. This is known as product change. To do so, simply call the number on the back of your card, speak to an agent and request a product replacement.

Related: 4 considerations before making a product change

Bottom line

Both the Bountiful and Boundless cards, issued by Chase, earn Marriott points. Although some of their pay categories are similar, there are more differences than similarities between these cards. The best fit for you will come down to which Bonvoy benefits are most important to you.

To learn more, check out our full Bonvoy Bountiful and Bonvoy Boundless reviews.

Apply here: Marriott Bonvoy Boundless
Read more: Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful review