Marriott Bonvoy has a large and diverse credit card portfolio, with options issued by both Chase and Amex.
In particular, Marriott Bonvoy credit cards run the gamut from no-annual-fee cards to premium cards. But the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card is popular with many travelers since it sits right in the middle of the pack in terms of fees, perks and rewards.
If you're considering applying for the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless credit card, here are a couple of things worth noting including what credit score you need to get approved.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless overview
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card carries a modest annual fee of $95 a year.
It also currently has the best sign-up bonus we have seen of five Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first three months of card membership.
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card comes with automatic Marriott Silver elite status and 15 elite night credits a year to help you qualify for a higher tier. Plus, you'll get a free night certificate worth up to 35,000 points each year. TPG pegs this free night certificate at a value of $294, which more than makes up for the cost of the annual fee.
To learn more, check out our full Marriott Bonvoy Boundless credit card review.
What credit score do you need to get the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless credit card?
Consumers with good or excellent credit — or anyone with a FICO score of 670 or higher — are more likely to be approved. However, getting approved with a score outside this range is certainly possible.
Many other factors go into qualification beyond your credit score, including your income and the age of your credit accounts. Another significant factor often forgotten is your relationship with the bank.
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For example, if you've been a longtime Chase customer and have large balances in your banking accounts, reports suggest that you may have better approval odds — especially if you apply in a branch.
Related: What is a good credit score?
How many card accounts can I have open?
Like most Chase credit cards, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless is subject to the Chase 5/24 rule.
This rule means that if you've opened five or more credit cards in the last 24 months (across all issuers but excluding most business cards), Chase will automatically reject your application. While there's no hard limit on the total number of card accounts you can have open, if you've opened too many accounts in the last two years, it will work against you.
You'll also need to contend with a few Marriott-specific application restrictions before you can get approved for the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card. These rules center on whether you've recently had other Marriott cards issued by either Chase or Amex.
Specifically, you are not eligible to earn a sign-up bonus on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card if the following apply:
- You are a current or previous cardmember of either the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card or the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card and received a new cardmember bonus or upgrade bonus in the last 24 months.
- You applied, and American Express approved you for the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card or the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card within the last 90 days.
Related: Free nights and easy status: Here's why I have 3 Marriott Bonvoy credit cards
How to check your credit score
There are many ways to check your credit score for free. For example, some credit cards offer free access to your FICO score.
You can also easily open accounts on sites like Credit Karma or Credit Sesame. These sites are free and can help you keep even better track of your score and its factors.
Additionally, you can use these services to dispute any information on your score that isn't accurate or appears to be fraudulent.
TPG credit cards writer Emily Thompson uses Credit Karma and appreciates the regular, automatic updates when her score changes and alerts any time a new inquiry appears on her credit report.
Related: How to check your credit score for free
Factors that affect your credit score
Before you apply for any credit cards, it's essential to understand the factors that make up your credit score. After all, the mere act of applying for new lines of credit will change your score.
While the exact formula for calculating your credit score isn't public, FICO is transparent about what factors go into its calculation:
- Payment history: 35% of your FICO score is made up of your payment history. You can improve this part of your score by making payments on time. Recent and extended late payments will harm your credit score the most.
- Amounts owed (credit utilization): 30% of your FICO score consists of the relative size of your current debt. In particular, your credit utilization is the total of your debts divided by the total amount of credit that you've been extended across all accounts. Many people claim that it's best to keep your credit utilization below 20%, but it's not a magic number.
- Length of credit history: 15% of your score is based on the average length of all accounts on your credit history. This becomes a significant factor for those with a limited credit history, such as young adults, recent immigrants and anyone who has avoided credit. It can also be a factor for people who open and close accounts within a very short period.
- New credit: Your most recent accounts determine 10% of your credit score. Having recently opened too many accounts can hurt your score, as the scoring models may interpret this as a sign of possible financial distress. The number of recent credit inquiries also factors into this.
- Credit mix: 10% of your score is related to how many different types of credit accounts you have. While having a larger mix of types of loans is better than having fewer, don't take out unnecessary loans just to boost your credit score.
One crucial factor to consider is your average age of accounts. While a lengthier credit history will boost your score, many issuers focus on the one-year cutoff. Having an average age of accounts of more than a year can go a long way toward increasing your odds of approval. Still, you might have trouble getting approved with 11 months of credit history, even if your numerical credit score is excellent.
Finally, if you have any delinquencies or bankruptcies on your credit report, Chase might hesitate to approve you for a new line of credit even if your score is otherwise solid. It's important to remember that your credit profile is more than just a number. It's a collection of information given to the issuer to analyze your creditworthiness.
Related: 5 ways to use credit cards responsibly
What to do if you're rejected
One of the worst mistakes people make is giving up when they're rejected for a credit card.
If you receive a rejection letter, the first thing you should do is look at the reasons given for your rejection. By law, card issuers must send you a written or electronic communication explaining what factors prevented you from being approved.
Once you've figured out why you've been rejected, call Chase's reconsideration line. Tell the person on the phone that you recently applied for a Chase credit card and were surprised to see that your application was rejected; ask to speak with someone about getting that decision reconsidered.
From there, it's up to you to build a case and convince the Chase agent on the phone why you deserve the credit card.
If you were rejected for too short of a credit history, you could point to your stellar record of on-time payments. If you were rejected for missed payments, you could explain that those were a long time ago and your record since then has been perfect. Of course, there's no guarantee that this will work, but I've had about a third of my rejections reversed on reconsideration.
At the end of the day, it's worth spending 15 minutes on the phone if it might help you get the card you want.
Related: Are there any long-term problems if you get declined for a credit card — and what you can do about it?
Bottom line
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card is appealing because of the annual free night certificate and Marriott elite status shortcuts it offers, all with an annual fee under $100.
While you don't need perfect credit to get the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card, you typically need a good score of at least 670. But, when it comes to applying for Marriott credit cards, you often need to be more worried about the issuer-specific application restrictions than about having a high enough credit score.
Apply here: Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
