Anniversary Free Night Certificate
The annual free night certificate is easily one of the most valuable benefits of this card, and can easily make up for the card’s annual fee. Each year, on your account anniversary, you’ll receive a free night award worth up to 35,000 points.
You have 12 months from the date that your free night was issued to use it before it expires, so don’t forget about it. It’s not uncommon for 35,000 point Marriott properties to be priced anywhere from $200 to $300 a night, so paying the $95 annual fee in exchange for a free night in one of these hotels can get you exceptional value.
You can also add up to 15,000 Marriott Bonvoy points to the value of your certificate in order to redeem it at a more expensive property.
Silver Elite Status
While Silver Elite status may be the lowest status level in the Marriott Bonvoy program, it can still be a valuable perk if you didn’t have status with the chain otherwise. Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite comes with perks like:
- Priority late checkout, based on availability
- 10% bonus Marriott Bonvoy-point earnings on Marriott stays
- Access to exclusive phone lines for booking reservations
- Compensation if Marriott Bonvoy can’t honor your reservation
The most notable benefit here is the extra 10% in point earnings on your Marriott stays. It’s worth noting that this applies only to points earned through the hotel stay itself, not through the credit card.
This bonus amounts to a total of 17 Marriott Bonvoy points per $1 when you use your Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card at over 7,000 participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels.
The Marriott Boundless card also offers a fast track to Gold Elite status after spending $35,000 or more on the card each account anniversary year. Marriott Gold Elite status offers enhanced perks like a 25% point bonus, 2 p.m. late checkout (based on availability), and room upgrades.
15 Elite Night Credits
Speaking of elite status, Marriott Boundless cardholders automatically receive 15 nights of elite credit each year. Not to be confused with free night certificates, you cannot redeem these credits for award nights — they exclusively count towards your status. With that said, a 15-night jump towards the next status tier can be extremely beneficial.
Keep in mind that you’ll also earn 1 Elite Night Credit towards Elite Status for every $5,000 you spend.
For example, Gold Elite status and Platinum Elite status require 25 nights and 50 nights a year, respectively. That means, with your automatic 15 Elite Night Credits, you will only actually need to stay 10 nights each year to earn Gold Elite status, and 35 nights each year to earn Platinum Elite status.