Chase Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful Credit Card [Updated 2023.6: 85,000 Welcome Bonus; $250 Annual Fee]

Chase Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful Credit Card Review

Highlights

• High-spending bonus: Spend $15,000 each year and get one 50,000-point Free Night certificate (Guide to using Marriott Free Night certificates)
• Marriott elite benefit: Automatic Gold status just for holding the card
• Stay bonus: Automatically earn 1,000 Marriott points on each stay
• 15 Elite Nights: Automatically receive 15 Elite Nights each year, which can help you qualify for higher Marriott elite status. Elite Nights from personal cards do not stack, but they can stack with a business card.

About the Points System

• Point value: Average value is 0.8 c/p, 100 Marriott points = $0.80 (Point value and analysis)
• Hotel redemptions: Marriott points can be redeemed for stays at Marriott hotels, Ritz-Carlton, and hotels that were previously part of SPG. Marriott now uses dynamic pricing, so the number of points required depends on the room rate. You can also redeem using cash+points. All-points bookings qualify for a stay 5, pay for 4 offer.
• Point transfers: Marriott points can be transferred to the following airline miles at a 3:1 ratio, with an additional 10% bonus when transferring to UA. In addition, every 60,000 points transferred earns an extra 5,000-mile bonus, which means a maximum transfer ratio of 3:1.25 for miles (eligible miles only). Air Canada Aeroplan (AC) miles (domestic U.S. flights, one-way economy tickets between the U.S. and China, emergency flights, and infant tickets on two-cabin itineraries); Alaska Airlines (AS) miles (domestic U.S. flights, U.S.-China flights, U.S.-China two-cabin itineraries, free one-way Stop Over); ANA miles (U.S.-China flights, round-trip economy for just 60,000, business class for 95,000); AA miles (U.S.-China CX and JL two-cabin itineraries, no fuel surcharges); BA miles (domestic U.S. flights and short nonstop flights between China and Japan, very low change/cancellation fees, emergency tickets); Delta miles (domestic U.S. flights, U.S.-China flights, can be redeemed at 1 c/p); UA miles (U.S.-China economy, domestic U.S.)
• Point characteristics: Points can be transferred between different accounts, with an annual limit of 100,000 points. When booking rooms, you can combine your family members' points with no limit. Points expire after 24 months with no activity.
• My quick take: Marriott inherited SPG's extremely strong flexibility and can be transferred to many very useful airline miles, with pretty good transfer ratios as well. Point value for hotel redemptions is not as high as Hyatt points, but it is still decent. The ability to pool points for the whole family is also a big plus.
• Detailed analysis: Marriott points guide

My Take

A card with a $250 annual fee that doesn't even offer a Free Night certificate? I'm speechless. Why not consider the $95 annual fee Chase Marriott Boundless instead, which gives you a free night just for holding the card.

Marriott has co-branded credit cards from both AMEX and Chase. You can read the article below to choose the one that fits you best.

• How Should You Choose Among the 8 Marriott Co-Branded Credit Cards?

Application

• If you currently have this card, or have had the Bountiful card within the past 24 months, you will not be eligible to apply for this card.
• If any of the following three conditions apply, you will not be eligible for the welcome bonus: (1) you had one of these cards within the past 30 days; (2) you were approved for one of these cards within the past 90 days; or (3) you received a welcome bonus or upgrade bonus on one of these cards within the past 24 months. These cards include the old and new Chase Marriott Boundless, Chase Marriott Bold, the AMEX SPG business and personal cards, and the premium AMEX Marriott Brilliant card.
• Since this is a co-branded Marriott hotel credit card, if you already have a Marriott account, you can enter it when applying. If you have not registered for a Marriott account before, you can sign up through our link to get extra rewards on paid stays (there is no bonus for registering directly on Marriott's website): Marriott account referral registration link (Within one year after registering, each paid stay earns an extra 2,000 points. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email and a rewards number. You will then receive a welcome email 48 hours later, after which you can register for an online account.)

Chase Credit Card Application Guide

• Chase application status check link (login required). Or call: 888-338-2586
• The 5/24 rule: if you have opened more than 5 new cards in the past 2 years (including cards from other banks), you will not be approved for a new Chase card
• You can be approved for at most two Chase credit cards within every 30 days
• If you have received the welcome bonus on this card within the past 24 months (48 months for the Sapphire family), your application will be automatically denied
• You can call the reconsideration line (800-453-9719) to expedite card approval or request a review of a denied application.
• Having a Chase Checking account can help with getting approved for a credit card
• More on applying for Chase credit cards

Application Link: