Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card Review
The Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card from Chase is Marriott's newest co-branded Chase card. This new card joins an existing myriad of Marriott cards issued by Amex and Chase. The card is marketed for those looking to earn a lot of Bonvoy points through spend. But the $250 annual fee and limited benefits make it difficult to get excited about the card.
Current Welcome Offer
The Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card offers the opportunity to earn 85,000 Bonvoy points after spending $4,000 within the first 3 months. The card has a $250 annual fee, which is not waived in the first year.
Chase Application Terms
According to the terms and conditions, the welcome offer is not available to those who (i) you currently have or had any of the following cards within the last 30 days, (ii) you applied and were approved for any of the following cards within the last 90 days, or (ii) you received a new cardmember bonus or upgrade bonus for any of the following cards within the last 24 months: Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card, Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express, Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card, Starwood Preferred Guest Business Credit Card from American Express, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card, Starwood Preferred Guest American Express Luxury Card, or Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card.
Earning Structure
The Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card earns bonus points in the following categories:
- 6x on Marriott purchases
- 4x on up to $15,000 in combined purchases per calendar year at grocery stores and dining
- 2x on all other eligible purchases
Card Benefits
The Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card offers meager perks, despite its name. The card's benefits include:
- Complimentary Gold Elite status
- 15 elite nights toward status annually
- A free night award worth up to 50,000 points when you spend $15,000 on the card in a calendar year
- 1,000 Bonvoy bonus points with each qualifying stay
- No foreign transaction fees
ToP Analysis
The Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card‘s scarce benefits and current welcome offer hardly justify the $250 annual fee. For starters, 85,000 points from the welcome offer won't get you very much with Marriott these days. Award nights at Marriott's nicer brands regularly cost close to 100,000 points, in light of Marriott's switch to dynamic pricing and peak and off-peak pricing, and a widespread spike in award costs across the Bonvoy program.
For perks, the card's $250 annual fee doesn't even earn you an annual free night certificate! To earn a FNC, you have to spend $15,000 on the card. Assuming you were to even spend that much, the FNC is worth only up to 50,000 points. In contrast, the FNC you can earn by spending $15,000 on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card or the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card are valid at nearly every Hilton property around the globe. Spending $15,000 in return for a measly 50,000 Bonvoy points is not worth it. And that's without mentioning the opportunity cost. With $15,000 in spend, you could earn welcome offers on at least 3 other cards that would reward you with far more than 50,000 Bonvoy points.
Meanwhile, complimentary Gold Elite status isn't worth much. First, Marriott is not very generous with elite members. Also, Gold status with Marriott doesn't even get you any notable benefits, like free breakfast. Lastly, other cards like the Platinum Card from American Express and the Business Platinum Card from American Express offer complimentary Gold Elite status along with a real bounty of benefits.
The Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card‘s earning structure is also disappointing. Earning 4x Bonvoy points on dining and grocery stores is nothing to write home about. You can earn 4x at restaurants and US supermarkets with the American Express Gold Card, which earns Membership Rewards. As we all know, transferrable currencies like Amex MRs are way more valuable than hotel points. On top of that, the Bonvoy Bountiful's 4x is capped at just $15,000, compared to $25,000 at U.S. supermarkets (and uncapped for restaurants) for the Amex Gold.
ToP Thoughts
The new Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card is truly a headscratcher, to put it mildly. The $250 annual fee doesn't even earn you a free night certificate, which is one of the most popular benefits across most Marriott credit cards. The card's limited benefits fall short of justifying the annual fee. Meanwhile, the earning structure pales in comparison to other cards like the Amex Gold. Is there someone out there who could find value in Bonvoy Bountiful card? Sure. But we would rather spend our time thinking of other puns involving the card's name.
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