Marriott Bonvoy and Chase have announced minor changes to the no-annual-fee Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card, the entry-level cobranded card in the Marriott Bonvoy credit card family.
While there are some positive changes, not all of the changes are good. So, let’s take a closer look at this card refresh.
Marriott Bonvoy Bold changes
| Benefit | Change |
|---|---|
| Earning rates |
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| Elite status |
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| Payment option |
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Elevated welcome offer
Most card refreshes come with an elevated welcome bonus, and this one is no exception. In fact, it’s offering its best-ever bonus, making now a great time to apply.
New cardholders can earn 60,000 bonus points and a free night award (valued at up to 50,000 points) after spending $2,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Certain hotels have resort fees.
Based on TPG’s July 2024 valuations, this offer is worth up to $935 (if you use the free night award for the full 50,000 points).
This is an excellent offer considering the low minimum spending requirement.
What does this mean for existing cardholders?
The decrease in elite night credits by 66% from 15 to five is not positive, as it will make earning higher tiers of Marriott elite status harder. All of Marriott’s other credit cards come with at least 15 elite night credits yearly.
The card does continue to offer complimentary Silver Elite status, with simple benefits like priority late checkout and 10% bonus earnings on Marriott stays, but it won’t make a difference for most. (Previously, the 15 elite night credits were how cardholders achieved Silver Elite status; now, they get it as an ongoing perk of the card, even though they’ll only get five elite night credits moving forward.)
Many fellow Bonvoy members hold Marriott Gold Elite and Platinum Elite status, and that is where the benefits and perks really kick in.
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Before, cardholders only needed to stay 10 nights with the 15 elite night credits to reach Gold Elite status. Now, cardholders will need to stay 20 nights unless they hold another credit card like The Platinum Card® from American Express, which grants automatic Gold Elite status (enrollment required).
Additionally, cardholders will have access to a new Travel Now, Pay Later benefit. This allows cardholders to split up their purchase into equal monthly payments with no interest and no plan fees. This benefit is available on purchases between $100 and $5,000 made directly with an airline or at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy. This can be a great way to pay for a trip over time without incurring extra fees. It is important to note that access to the Travel Now, Pay Later benefit is not guaranteed.
The addition of 2 points per dollar spent at grocery stores and on ride-hailing services, select food delivery services, select streaming services and internet, cable and phone services is nice. However, there are far better cards to be spending on in these everyday spending categories that earn more valuable points, as the return on spending for these categories is only 1.7% based on our July 2024 valuations.
This card has also lost its bonus-earning category of 2 points per dollar spent on other (non-Marriott) travel purchases, which is a shame.
Bottom line
The changes to the Bonvoy Bold card are minor but still noticeable. While I am glad the card did not introduce an annual fee, some of the benefits removed will affect cardholders’ ability to reach higher tiers of Bonvoy status more quickly.
If you stay at Marriott properties semi-frequently and want a Bonvoy card to earn bonus points with no annual fee, now is a great time to take advantage of the best-ever welcome offer on this card. However, most travelers will get better value from a Marriott cobranded card with an annual fee.
To learn more about the card, read our full review of the Marriott Bonvoy Bold.
