As expected, Chase has released a new consumer Marriott Bonvoy credit card with no annual fee.
The Offer
- Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from your account opening with your Marriott Bonvoy Bold credit card.
Card Details
- No annual fee
- No foreign transaction fee
- Receive 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year, qualifying you for Silver Elite status
- Card earns 3x points for every $1 spent at Marriott Bonvoy hotels
- Card earns 2x points for every $1 spent on other travel purchases (from airfare to taxis and trains)
- Card earns 1x point for every $1 you spend on all other purchases
- Points don’t expire as long as you make purchases on your credit card every 24 months
Card & Bonus Eligibility
Eligibility for this product: The product is not available to either:
- current cardmembers of the Marriott Bonvoy™ Premier credit card (also known as Marriott Rewards® Premier), Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ credit card (also known as Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus), Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ credit card, or
- previous cardmembers of the Marriott Bonvoy™ Premier credit card (also known as Marriott Rewards® Premier), Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ credit card (also known as Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus), or Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ credit card, who received a new cardmember bonus within the last 24 months.
If you are an existing Marriott Rewards Premier or Marriott Bonvoy™ Premier customer and would like this product, please call the number on the back of your card to see if you are eligible for a product change.
Eligibility for the new cardmember bonus: The bonus is not available to you if you:
- are a current cardmember, or were a previous cardmember within the last 30 days, of Marriott Bonvoy™American Express® Card (also known as The Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express);
- are a current or previous cardmember of either Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card (also known as The Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express) or Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card (also known as the Starwood Preferred Guest® American Express Luxury Card), and received a new cardmember bonus or upgrade bonus in the last 24 months; or
- applied and were approved for Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card (also known as The Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express) or Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™American Express® Card (also known as the Starwood Preferred Guest® American Express Luxury Card) within the last 90 days.
Our Verdict
We were waiting for the release of the no fee card to accompany the Bonvoy Boundless card which has a $95 annual fee. Not a bad bonus for a no fee card, though you may do better with the Boundless card than the Bold card since you’ll get a free night with that card. Regardless, a lot of us won’t be eligible due to 5/24. At the very least, the no fee Bold card is a nice downgrade option from the Boundless card since it gives the free elite night credits for no annual fee cost. Let us know your own thoughts in the comments below.
I downgraded to this a couple months ago since my annual fee was due. AF got refunded per normal Chase terms, but today I just noticed that I still have my anniversary free night in my account. Is that a mistake since I didn’t actually pay the annual fee or can I really use it?
That happens often with Chase hotel cards when either or cancel or convert after the night has posted. It is an unwritten rule to never cancel your chase hotel card until after the free night posted, the annual fee will be refunded and you will still get the last free night.
I have the Marriott premier card and the 25k certificate is perfectly useless in populated areas so I feel bonvoyed. However, I still won’t PC to this card.
Posted this over on Frequent Miler also:
I don’t think anyone can say for certain that the card is subject to 5/24. Remember when everyone thought that about the Marriott Business card that was going away? One DoC reader suggested it might not be, was lambasted, and then approved despite all the criticism (subsequently leading to many others over 5/24 getting approved before it was taken down). Obviously, there is a good chance it is subject to 5/24, but unless you have a inside source to confirm, I don’t think anyone can say for certain. It’s also very unlikely anyone over 5/24 is going to try for this card, save for the bravest and most curious points enthusiast.
This whole thing has become sooooo complicated…
There are what, a 5 or 6 (I’ve lost track) different flavors of Bonvoy cards, some issued by Chase, some by Amex. Each has different restrictions for both card eligibility, and bonus eligibility, based on what cards you have had in the past, and how long ago, and probably one or two other variables. You need an Excel spreadsheet to cross-reference these conditions and figure out if you can get the card or if you do you get the bonus, and which one may or may not be worth your time and trouble.
Does anybody know of an up-to-date, comprehensive summary of all this?
I currently have an old Amex SPG (personal) card. I previously (couple years ago) had an Amex SPG Business card. They’ve made it so complex that I have no idea what I could or should do…so I probably won’t do anything until my old Amex SPG (personal) card is up for the AF this fall, and at that point I might just give up and kill it.
Agreed. I’d like to see that spreadsheet. Can somebody make it, please?
If only there was some place where people would analyze the details of deals and post that info on the internet…
I found a fairly good, fairly comprehensive source for this info. Not in a single Excel spreadsheet, but the info is there and is easily accessible.
Look here:
https://frequentmiler.boardingarea.com/marriott-bonvoy-complete-guide/#creditcards
(Sorry for linking to a competing blog, Doc, but you guys are all in cahoots so I don’t think you’ll mind too much.)
So basically only good for downgrades. It’s good to have the option.
Interesting that they don’t exclude Ritz cardholders from obtaining the card or bonus. 🙂
They only exclude you if you have had an American Express Marriott card. Chase cards are fine. But then there is 5/24. THere are so many reasons I am excluded from this card.
It has no annual free night. A card to park if you want to take a break.
I wound rather pay $95 for a free night
Agreed. Considering I get $300 and up rooms with the free nights from the Marriott cards its a no brainer.
Well…
> I wound rather pay $95 for a free night
That would be a discounted night, not a “free” night. Might be a great deal, but it ain’t “free”.