How to Get a Marriott Credit Card

Perhaps you’ve joined the Marriott Bonvoy hotel loyalty program and have a few Marriott stays booked on the calendar — or maybe this is the first time you’ve considered Marriott loyalty.

Getting a dedicated credit card can help you ramp up your rewards earning rates so you can earn free stays more quickly. But the road to getting a Marriott credit card isn’t all sparkles, upgrades and Marriott Bonvoy® points.

» Learn more: Things to know before getting a Marriott credit card

Here’s what you need to know to add a Marriott credit card to your lineup.

When it comes to co-branded credit cards, Marriott partners with two issuers: American Express and Chase. Each bank offers two Marriott credit cards to Bonvoy members, for a total of four credit cards available to consumers and small-business owners.

Here are some key differences:

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card

• Welcome offer: Earn 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.

• Earning rates: 6X at hotels in the Marriott Bonvoy program, 3X on dining at U.S. restaurants, 3X on airfare booked directly with airlines and 2X on all other purchases.

• Automatic elite status: Platinum Elite.

• Free nights: An 85,000-point free night certificate every year after your card renewal month.

• Foreign transaction fees: None.

• Annual fee: $650 (see rates and fees).

Other benefits: Up to $300 statement credit for eligible spending at restaurants worldwide, 25 elite night credits, Priority Pass Select membership (enrollment required), Global Entry or TSA PreCheck enrollment fee credit, and a $100 Marriott Bonvoy property credit for a two-night minimum stay at The Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis. Terms apply.

Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card

• Earn 3 Free Night Awards after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in eligible purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Each Free Night Award has a redemption level up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points, for a total potential value of up to 150,000 points, at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees. Terms apply.

• Earning rates: 6x at hotels in the Marriott Bonvoy program; 4x at U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations, U.S. shipping purchases and U.S. cell phone services; 2x on all other purchases.

• Automatic elite status: Gold Elite.

• Free night certificates: Beyond the welcome offer, cardholders automatically receive an annual free night certificate for redemption up to 35,000 points. Cardholders who spend $60,000 in a calendar year are eligible for a bonus free night certificate. Terms apply.

• Foreign transaction fees: None.

• Annual fee: $125 (see rates and fees).

• Other benefits: 15 elite night credits annually.

Terms apply.

Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card

• Welcome offer: Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

• Earning rates: 3x at hotels in the Marriott Bonvoy program, 2x on grocery stores, rideshare, select food delivery, select streaming, internet, cable and phone services and 1x on all other purchases.

• Automatic elite status: Silver Elite.

• Elite status with annual spend: None.

• Free night certificate: None.

• Foreign transaction fees: None.

• Annual fee: $0.

• Other benefits: 15 elite night credits annually.

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card

• Welcome offer: Our best points offer! Earn 125,000 Bonus Points after spending $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card!

• Earning rates: 17x at hotels in the Marriott Bonvoy program, 3X Bonvoy points per $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations and dining, and 2x on all other purchases.

• Automatic elite status: Silver Elite.

• Elite status with annual spend: 1 Elite Night Credit towards Elite Status for every $5,000 you spend. Gold Elite after $35,000.

• Free night certificate: Yes, one per year, limited to 35,000 points per night.

• Foreign transaction fees: None.

• Annual fee: $95.

• Other benefits: 15 elite credit nights annually.

Getting a brand-specific travel credit card can be a significant step towards determining your hotel rewards program loyalty. Before you make that decision and select a hotel credit card, ask yourself the following questions.

Which issuer meets your needs?

Before you apply for a Marriott rewards card, figure out which issuer suits your needs best — American Express or Chase — and whether you qualify for one of its credit cards. Keep in mind the unwritten 5/24 rule from Chase that limits the number of credit cards you can be approved for in any 24-month span (max five).

Also, consider which cards you’ve had in the past. For instance, American Express cardholders are only allowed to earn a welcome bonus on a specific card once in a lifetime. If you’ve already had the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card or the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card in the past, you might consider one of the Chase-issued options instead.

Do you want to pay an annual fee? How much?

Examine your recent travels to decide which card has an annual fee you can justify. We recommend thinking through which cards have a fee you’re comfortable paying (if any) that offer benefits you expect to use. The goal is to extract enough benefits from card membership to offset the fees.

Which card has bonus categories that overlap with your frequent expenses?

Consider each card’s bonus categories and whether your existing (or anticipated) spending patterns will result in a lot of Bonvoy points. If you rarely eat out, a card that offers extensive bonus points on dining might not be of use to you.

» Learn more: The complete guide to Marriott Bonvoy’s elite status levels

Is brand loyalty the right decision or should you opt for a more generic travel credit card?

While the ability to earn Bonvoy points at an accelerated rate can be attractive to some, it’s worth doing a gut-check about whether going “all-in” on a single hotel brand is the right choice for you.

A more generic travel credit card that isn’t tied to a specific brand, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card, could give you more flexibility in booking not just accommodations with points, but flights, too. If you anticipate traveling to destinations where Marriott properties are harder to come by, a card like this can come in handy.

» Learn more: The beginner’s guide to travel credit cards

If you currently don’t hold a Marriott card and haven’t applied for too many credit cards in the last 24 months, getting a Marriott credit card shouldn’t be too difficult. However, you need to be aware of some restrictions that can preclude you from obtaining a Marriott Bonvoy card.

Potential barriers include:

• The Chase 5/24 rule. As aforementioned, Chase bank’s unwritten 5/24 rule could prevent anyone from opening a new Chase credit card if they have opened five or more credit cards from any bank in the last 24 months. If your new card count is higher than that, Marriott cards issued by Chase won’t be a good fit right now.

• The AmEx once-per-lifetime rule. Though American Express is more lenient when it comes to your recent card counts, it’s stricter about earning multiple welcome offers on the same cards. If you’ve received a bonus on a specific AmEx card in the past, you can’t get another bonus on the same AmEx card again.

• Your credit score. What credit score is needed for a Marriott rewards card? Although card approvals are based on multiple factors and not a credit score alone, the recommended credit score needed for Marriott Bonvoy is in the good to excellent range (690 to 850). The higher the score, the better your approval odds will be. More on this below.

• Existing Marriott cards in your wallet. Several restrictions are in place for individuals who have recently added other Chase- or AmEx-issued Marriott cards to their wallet. For instance, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card from Chase isn’t available to current holders of the Marriott Bonvoy™ Premier Plus credit card (no longer available) or the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card. You’ll also be denied if you’ve received a sign-up bonus on any of these cards in the last 24 months. American Express has similar restrictions that vary by card type. In other words: It could be difficult to get approved (again) for a Marriott credit card if you already hold one.

There is not much variation in the recommended Marriott Bonvoy credit card credit score.

A credit score in or above the recommended range means you have a higher chance of approval, but doesn’t guarantee it.

• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card. You will need a Good to Excellent credit score rating of 690-850 to improve your chances of approval.

• Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card. Similarly, new applicants can increase their chances of approval by applying with a Good to Excellent credit score rating in the range of 690-850.

• Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card. A credit score of 690-850 is suggested for this card.

• Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card. Again, if your credit score is in the range of 690-850, you might have a higher chance of approval.

You can easily apply for the Marriott credit card of your choice by clicking the Apply Now button on each card's review page:

• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card.

• Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card.

• Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card.

• Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card.

The application process is fairly straightforward, and the application questions will differ depending on if you're applying for a personal card or a business credit card. For instance, American Express asks Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card applicants to provide the legal business name, the company Doing Business As name and the business’s physical address.

Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card applicants on the Chase website will need to provide information like name, mailing address, gross annual income and primary source of income.

Co-branded Marriott cards help accelerate the speed with which you earn rewards in the Marriott Bonvoy program. However, the ongoing perks, such as elite status, elite night credits and free night certificates are also worth considering.

Based on how often you stay at Marriott properties, pick a card that suits your needs best, and use it to keep earning rewards in between hotel stays.