Marriott credit cards compared
Card selection and 30/90/24 eligibility rules
Explore 5 Marriott co-branded cards from Chase and American Express: a 0-annual-fee entry card, a 35K free-night certificate option, and a premium card with Platinum status and an 85K certificate. Use the 30/90/24 cross-issuer checker to identify listed welcome-offer restrictions.
PORTFOLIO OVERVIEW
Highlights of 5 Marriott cards
Swipe or select a card to explore welcome offers, status benefits, and annual-fee value illustrations.
HEAD-TO-HEAD SPECIFICATIONS
Compare all five Marriott cards
Compare annual fees, welcome offers, free-night awards, status and everyday earning across all 5 personal Marriott cards from Chase and Amex.
| Feature | Chase Bold ($0 no annual fee) | Chase Boundless ($95 value option) | Chase Bountiful ($250 mid-tier) | Amex Bevy ($250 mid-tier) | Amex Brilliant ($650 premium Platinum) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issuer | Chase | Chase | Chase | American Express | American Express |
| Annual fee | $0 | $95 (35K certificate at renewal) | $250 | $250 | $650 ($300 dining credit) |
| Welcome-offer snapshot | 45,000 points | 3 free-night awards (up to 50K each) + $100 airline credit | 85,000 points | 125,000 points + $150 statement credit | 150,000 points + $250 statement credit |
| Welcome-offer spending requirement | Spend $1,000 in the first 3 months | Spend $3,000 in the first 3 months | Spend $4,000 in the first 3 months | Spend $5,000 in the first 6 months | Spend $6,000 in the first 6 months |
| Complimentary status | Silver Elite status | Silver Elite status | Gold Elite status | Gold Elite status | Platinum Elite status |
| Breakfast-for-two benefit | None | None (requires Platinum) | None (Gold does not include breakfast) | None (Gold does not include breakfast) | Complimentary breakfast for two + lounge access (at participating brands) |
| Annual Free Night Award (FNA) | No annual free-night award | 1 renewal certificate from the second year: 35K (account conditions apply) (add up to 25K points for a redemption up to 60K) | Spend $15,000 in a calendar year for 1 certificate: 50K | Spend $15,000 in a calendar year for 1 certificate: 50K | 1 annual certificate after renewal: 85K (account conditions apply) (add up to 25K points for a redemption up to 110K) |
| Annual statement credits | None | Welcome offer includes up to $100 in airline credits | None | None | Up to $300 in annual worldwide dining credits ($25 automatic monthly credit) |
| Marriott hotel earning rate | 3X points | 6X points | 6X points | 6X points | 6X points |
| Dining / supermarket bonus rates | Supermarkets / delivery 2X | Supermarkets / gas / dining 3X (first $6,000 combined per rewards year) | Dining / supermarkets 4X (first $15,000 combined per rewards year) | Worldwide dining / U.S. supermarkets 4X (first $15,000 in combined calendar-year spending) | Worldwide dining / direct airline bookings 3X (no spending cap) |
| Annual elite night credits (ENC) | 5 elite night credits | 15 elite night credits (1 more night per $5k spent) | 15 elite night credits | 15 elite night credits | 25 elite night credits |
| Product-change options | Ask about product-change eligibility after 1 year | Ask about a Ritz-Carlton product change after 1 year (not guaranteed) | Ask about a Ritz-Carlton product change after 1 year | None (Amex card) | Top-tier card; no higher tier listed |
| Foreign transaction fee (FTF) | 0% (no fee) | 0% (no fee) | 0% (no fee) | 0% (no fee) | 0% (no fee) |
| Credit-score reference (editorial estimates, not issuer thresholds) | Good – Exc. (670+) | Good – Exc. (690+) | Good – Exc. (690+) | Established (700+) | Excellent (720+) |
ELIGIBILITY ARCHITECTURE
Understanding Marriott's cross-issuer 30 / 90 / 24 welcome-offer rules
Marriott's acquisition of Starwood's SPG program left cards with two issuers and overlapping restrictions. Understand the 3 separate timing checks before considering a welcome offer.
30-day cardholding check
For cards on the specified exclusion list, applicants who currently hold or held the card within the past 30 days are excluded from the target card's welcome offer. This does not mean closing every Marriott card and waiting 30 days. For example, Brilliant's listed exclusion concerns Ritz-Carlton, not Boundless.
90-day acquisition check
For specified cards, applicants who applied and were approved within the past 90 days are excluded from the target card's welcome offer. This 90-day clock is independent of receiving a bonus, even if no purchases have been made and no bonus received.
24-month bonus receipt check
For specified cards, applicants who received a welcome or upgrade bonus within the past 24 months are excluded from the target card's welcome offer. The clock starts when the bonus posts to the Marriott account—not the account-opening date or the date the spending requirement is met.
Cross-issuer welcome-offer matrix (published terms reviewed 2026/09/15)
Find your existing card on the left and target card above. This matrix does not cover every legacy product or product change; check official terms for those histories. It is not an approval or bonus guarantee.
| Card held / bonus previously received | Target: Chase Bold | Target: Chase Boundless | Target: Chase Bountiful | Target: Amex Bevy | Target: Amex Brilliant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Bold | 30 / 24 restriction | 30 / 24 restriction | No listed cross-card restriction | 30 / 90 / 24 restriction | 90 / 24 restriction |
| Chase Boundless | 30 / 24 restriction | 30 / 24 restriction | No listed cross-card restriction | 30 / 90 / 24 restriction | 90 / 24 restriction |
| Chase Bountiful | No listed cross-card restriction | No listed cross-card restriction | 30 / 24 restriction | 30 / 90 / 24 restriction | 90 / 24 restriction |
| The Ritz-Carlton Card | No listed cross-card restriction | No listed cross-card restriction | No listed cross-card restriction | 30-day cardholding restriction | 30-day cardholding restriction |
| Amex Bevy | 90 / 24 restriction | 90 / 24 restriction | 30 / 90 / 24 restriction | Once-per-lifetime restriction | No listed cross-card restriction |
| Amex Brilliant | 90 / 24 restriction | 90 / 24 restriction | 30 / 90 / 24 restriction | Card-family restriction | Once-per-lifetime restriction |
| Amex Marriott Business | 90 / 24 restriction | 90 / 24 restriction | 30 / 90 / 24 restriction | No listed cross-card restriction | No listed cross-card restriction |
4 common Marriott application pitfalls
The 30-day exclusion list depends on the target card
Do not assume every Marriott account must be closed. Brilliant's cross-issuer 30-day exclusion is Ritz-Carlton, not Boundless. Boundless still requires checking acquisition within 90 days and bonus receipt within 24 months. Meeting those checks does not guarantee other eligibility or credit approval.
Amex family rules are not a 24-month cooldown
Bevy's published terms state that previous holders of Bevy, Brilliant or their earlier versions may be ineligible for the welcome offer. Brilliant has its own current/legacy-product holding terms. Neither guaranteed eligibility after 24 months nor permanent ineligibility should be assumed. Application order does not guarantee two bonuses.
Chase 5/24 and credit approval are separate checks
Opening 5 or more personal cards in the past 24 months may affect approval under the Chase policy commonly called 5/24. This is separate from Marriott's 24-month bonus restrictions. Being below 5 cards does not guarantee approval; full credit review still applies.
Count 24 months from bonus posting, not account opening
Closing an account does not erase bonus history. For a bonus received on May 10, 2025, conservatively wait until May 11, 2027 or later before reassessing eligibility. Cross-issuer terms can include upgrade bonuses; Chase same-group/same-card restrictions follow their stated new-card bonus terms and must be checked separately.
Brilliant first, then reassess Boundless after 91 days: timing conditions
This is only a scenario based on published terms, not a guarantee of approval or two bonuses. The 90-day acquisition and 24-month bonus clocks are separate. Other card history, current application terms and anti-abuse provisions also apply:
Apply for Brilliant and receive approval
Record the approval date, welcome-spending deadline and whether a bonus has posted. Holding a card for less than half a year does not mean no bonus has been received.
Check that more than 90 days have passed
Even on day 91, a relevant new-card or upgrade bonus posted in the past 24 months still triggers the restriction. Not receiving a bonus does not replace other eligibility checks.
Reassess Chase Boundless
Holding Brilliant is not itself a listed 30-day exclusion for Boundless. Check all other history and current terms; being below 5/24 does not guarantee Chase approval.
Check each spending deadline and risk
Each card has its own spending deadline; 6 months is not a fixed 180 days. Plan only affordable ordinary spending. Issuers may cancel or reclaim bonuses under anti-abuse terms; two bonuses or indefinite cardholding cannot be promised.
INTERACTIVE CONFLICT CALCULATOR
Marriott welcome-offer conflict checker
Select cards you currently or previously held, then enter cardholding, acquisition and bonus timing. This tool checks only listed conflicts with published terms, not approval or bonus eligibility. Choices are processed on this page only, without storage or transmission.
The checker has not started. Enable JavaScript or reload this page. No result has been calculated; use the rules matrix above as a reading reference.
Select cards you hold or previously held, including closed accounts:
Cardholding and bonus history
Cardholding duration does not replace bonus posting dates. Keep “Unknown” if unsure. Enter the last acquisition timing even for closed accounts. The 90-day and 24-month boundary dates are conservatively included in the waiting period.
Select a card above to show its timing fields.
Listed welcome-offer conflicts for each Marriott card:
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Marriott card and application FAQs
Gold includes 25% bonus points, upgrades subject to availability and late checkout up to 2 p.m.; it does not include Platinum-level breakfast or lounge benefits. Platinum includes 50% bonus points, upgrades including select suites subject to availability, and breakfast/lounge benefits under participating-brand and property rules. Ritz-Carlton, EDITION and certain other brands do not offer the standard Platinum complimentary breakfast. The 4 p.m. checkout benefit has availability conditions or exceptions at resorts, convention hotels, Design Hotels and other properties; it is not guaranteed at every hotel.
Start with annual fees and your actual stays: Boundless has a $95 annual fee and a 35K renewal certificate; Brilliant has a $650 annual fee, Platinum status and an 85K renewal certificate. Conditions apply. Brilliant history may affect future Bevy welcome-offer eligibility, but applying for Bevy first does not guarantee approval or bonuses on both cards. Ask Chase separately about available product changes; these are not guaranteed benefits.
Two timing checks apply: the last Boundless welcome or upgrade bonus must have been received more than 24 months ago, measured from actual posting, and the Boundless application and approval must have occurred more than 90 days ago. In the guide's source terms, Brilliant's 30-day cardholding exclusion lists Ritz-Carlton, so holding Boundless itself does not trigger that exclusion. Closing Boundless solely for this check is unnecessary; Bevy has different 30-day terms. Check current issuer terms and all other eligibility requirements.
The source terms allow a top-up of up to 25,000 points per certificate: a Boundless 35K certificate can cover up to 60,000 points; a Bountiful/Bevy 50K certificate up to 75,000 points; and a Brilliant 85K certificate up to 110,000 points. Redemption depends on standard-room award availability and the nightly points price, not a guarantee of a particular hotel. Certificate expiry and possible additional resort fees still apply.
No. Multiple personal co-branded cards contribute only the highest personal-card annual elite night credit amount. For example, Boundless (15 nights) plus Brilliant (25 nights) contributes 25, not both. Personal and business card credits can be combined under applicable terms. Brilliant's 25 nights plus Amex Marriott Bonvoy Business's 15 can total 40 elite night credits, subject to each card's posting rules—not guaranteed on January 1. That leaves 10 nights to the 50-night Platinum threshold.
The Ritz-Carlton Card is not open to public new applications in the source snapshot. Chase Marriott cardholders can ask customer service about a product change. Holding a card for a year and having a sufficient limit (Visa Infinite commonly involves $10,000) does not guarantee an option; Chase's then-current eligibility and terms control. The existing card's $450 annual fee, 85K renewal certificate and up to $300 in eligible airline incidental credits carry conditions. Participating Priority Pass lounges allow up to two complimentary guests, with additional guests at $27 per person per visit—not unlimited free guests. Capacity and individual lounge rules apply.
This is a possible scenario inferred from published timing terms, not a guaranteed strategy or promise of two bonuses. Boundless separately checks approval within 90 days and new-card/upgrade bonuses within 24 months on specified Amex cards; cardholding duration alone is not enough. If a bonus has posted, reaching day 91 does not remove the 24-month restriction. Check all other history, current terms, Chase credit review and each card's spending deadline. Issuers can cancel or reclaim bonuses under anti-abuse provisions.