Marriott offers several credit cards that can get you free nights and elite status - here's everything you need to know to find the best one for you

Shayanne Gal/Business Insider

The best Marriott Bonvoy credit cards available in 2020:

• Best for occasional Marriott guests: Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card
• Best for luxury benefits: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card
• If you want multiple options for redeeming your points: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve
• Best for small-business travelers: Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card
• No annual fee: Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card

Marriott is the largest hotel company in the world, with more than 7,000 properties around the world. Thanks to its merger with Starwood a few years back, it's now easier than ever to find a hotel where you can redeem Marriott points, no matter where you're traveling.

If Marriott Bonvoy is your hotel program of choice, it could make sense to have a co-branded Marriott card to enjoy perks like bonus points, complimentary elite status, free reward nights, and more. Here's a guide to all the Marriott credit cards available now, so you can find the best one for you no matter how often you travel.

Limited-time offer: The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card is currently offering a welcome bonus of 100,000 Marriott points to new cardholders who spend $5,000 in the first three months. This is the highest welcome offer among all Marriott credit cards.

Earn 100,000 points: Click here to learn more about the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card »

Keep in mind that we're focusing on the rewards and perks that make these credit cards great options, not things like interest rates and late fees, which will far outweigh the value of any points or miles. It's important to practice financial discipline when using credit cards by paying your balances in full each month, making payments on time, and only spending what you can afford to pay back.

How to find the best Marriott credit card for you

If you think a rewards credit card with Marriott benefits might make sense given your travel plans, you'll want to find the option that best suits your needs. There are Marriott co-branded cards at various price points, from a no-annual-fee option to a $450-a-year premium card with annual statement credits.

Here's an in-depth look at the Marriott credit cards that are currently available to new applicants.

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card

Who it's for: Occasional Marriott guests who want benefits like complimentary status and an annual free night

Annual fee: $95

Welcome bonus: 100,000 Marriott points after you spend $5,000 in the first three months

Points earning: 6x points at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, 2x points on everything else

Top benefits: Complimentary Silver elite status with Marriott, free night award each year after your account anniversary for participating Marriott properties that cost up to 35,000 points, 15 elite night credits each year, no foreign transaction fees

If you want to book your next Marriott stay on points and enjoy a few extras but don't stay at Marriotts enough to warrant paying $450 a year for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex, the Mariott Bonvoy Boundless card is a great option. Now is an especially good time to consider this card, as it's offering a limited-time welcome bonus of 100,000 points after you spend $5,000 in the first three months.

The card offers low-level Silver status with Marriott, and if you spend $35,000 on the card in a calendar year, you'll be upgraded to Gold status. (You can also get Gold status as a complimentary benefit with the Bonvoy Brilliant card and the Platinum Card® from American Express.)

Earn 100,000 Marriott points: Click here to learn more about the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card »

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card

Who it's for: Frequent Marriott guests who want extra perks like annual statement credits and airport lounge access

Annual fee: $450

Welcome bonus: 75,000 Marriott points after you spend $3,000 in the first three months

Points earning: 6x points at participating Marriott Bonvoy properties, 3x points at US restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines, 2x points on everything else

Top benefits: Complimentary Gold elite status with Marriott, free night award each year after your account anniversary for participating Marriott properties that cost up to 50,000 points, up to $300 in statement credits each year of cardmembership for eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership, up to $100 in statement credits to cover the Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee

If you know you'll spend at least $300 with Marriott each year, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card could be worth a look. It offers up to $300 in statement credits each year to use at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels - and this applies to room rates as well as incidentals like room service. This can effectively reduce the annual fee to $150, and keep in mind that this card gets you a free night award each year for properties that cost up to 50,000 points - this can easily get you more than $150 in value.

If you have other premium-level credit cards that offer benefits like Priority Pass airport lounge access and a Global Entry application fee credit, the Bonvoy Brilliant really only stands out for its high-end Marriott benefits. But if you frequently stay at Marriott hotels, you'll find those perks to be very useful for saving money and enjoying elite status benefits.

Click here to learn more about the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card »

Chase Sapphire Preferred

Who it's for: Travelers who want to earn points they can use for Marriott stays, as well as for award flights with airline programs

Annual fee: $95

Welcome bonus: 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $5,000 in the first three months

Points earning: 2x points on travel and dining purchases, 5x points on Lyft rides, 1 point per dollar on everything else

Top benefits: Beyond offering a great sign-up bonus and bonus points in broad categories, the Chase Sapphire Preferred boasts primary car rental insurance and trip delay protection

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is our top card recommendation for earning travel rewards, because the Ultimate Rewards points it earns can be used to book travel with a great selection of partners - including Marriott Bonvoy. You can transfer Chase "UR" points to Marriott Bonvoy at a 1:1 ratio - so the 60,000-point welcome bonus is equal to 60,000 Marriott points.

Overall, the Sapphire Preferred is a strong pick because it earns double points on a wide variety of travel and dining purchases, and it gets you valuable travel coverage, all for a reasonable annual fee.

Click here to learn more about the Chase Sapphire Preferred »

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Who it's for: Travelers who aren't loyal to Marriott but want a premium card with annual statement credits and strong rewards

Annual fee: $550

Welcome bonus: 50,000 points after you spend $4,000 in the first three months

Points earning: 3x points on travel and dining, 10x points on Lyft rides, 1 point per dollar on everything else

Top benefits: Up to $300 in statement credits each year for travel purchases, up to $120 in statement credits for DoorDash purchases (up to $60 in 2020, and up to $60 in 2021), a year of complimentary Lyft Pink membership, primary car rental insurance, travel coverage, Priority Pass Select membership, up to $100 in statement credits to cover the application fee for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck

The Chase Sapphire Reserve is definitely a premium option - especially now that its annual fee has increased by $100 to $550 - but if you want a travel card with all the bells and whistles, it's a top contender. The $300 in statement credits for travel effectively cuts the annual fee down to $250, and other benefits with DoorDash and Lyft can add extra value. As with the Chase Sapphire Preferred, the points you earn with the Sapphire Reserve can be transferred to Marriott.

Click here to learn more about the Chase Sapphire Reserve »

Crystal Cox/Business Insider

Marriott Bonvoy Business card

Who it's for: Business travelers who prefer Marriotts

Annual fee: $125

Welcome bonus: 75,000 Marriott points after you spend $3,000 in the first three months

Points earning: 6x points at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, 4x points at US restaurants, at US gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from US service providers, and on US purchases for shipping, 2x points on everything else

Top benefits: Complimentary Silver elite status with Marriott, a free night award each year after your account anniversary for participating Marriott hotels that cost up to 35,000 points

If you travel for work and want to maximize your business purchases to earn Marriott points, the Marriott Bonvoy Business card from Amex is a good option. Not only does it offer helpful perks like complimentary Silver status and a free night award, but it also earns 4 Marriott points per dollar on a handful of business spending categories, like US shipping purchases.

The Marriott Bonvoy Business card rewards high spenders with a second free night award each year after their account anniversary when they spend $60,000 or more in a calendar year. There's also the opportunity to spend your way to Gold status - you'll get the bump after spending at least $35,000 in purchases in a calendar year.

Click here to learn more about the Marriott Bonvoy Business card »

Marriott Bonvoy Bold card

Who it's for: Marriott guests who want to earn points toward award stays without paying an annual fee

Annual fee: $0

Welcome bonus: 50,000 points after you spend $2,000 in the first three months

Points earning: 3x points at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, 2x points on other travel purchases, 1 point per dollar on everything else

Top benefits: 15 elite night credits (enough to qualify for Marriott Silver status), no foreign transaction fees

The Marriott Bonvoy Bold has a fairly short list of benefits, but if you want to earn Marriott points without paying an annual fee, it's a solid option. The welcome bonus of 50,000 points can get you one or more award nights, and the 15 elite night credits you get each year are enough to qualify for Marriott Silver elite status.

Click here to learn more about the Marriott Bonvoy Bold card »

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Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.

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