Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card vs Marriott Bonvoy Boundless®
Side-by-side comparison
| Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card | Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $250 | $95 |
| Welcome offer | 135,000 points | |
| Dining | 4x | 3x |
| Groceries | 4x | 3x |
| Gas | 2x | 3x |
| Travel | 2x | 1x |
| Streaming | 2x | 1x |
| Everything else | 2x | 2x |
| Est. yearly rewards* | $763 | $671 |
| Points type | Locked to Marriott Bonvoy | Locked to Marriott Bonvoy |
| Network | Amex | Visa |
*Estimated yearly rewards on typical household spending, every point valued at a flat 1 cent. Verified August 2026. See your own numbers in the calculator.
Welcome bonus and value over time
| Over time | Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card | Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome bonus | 135,000 points | 125,000 points + 1 Free Night Award (up to 50,000 pts) |
| To earn it | $7,000 in 6 months | $3,000 in 3 months |
| Est. first-year value* | $1,863 | $2,326 |
| Est. ongoing value / yr* | $513 | $576 |
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® wins on both fronts: it comes out ahead in year one on the welcome offer and stays ahead every year after. Short term or long, it is the stronger pick on the numbers.
*First-year value counts the welcome bonus, estimated rewards, and annual credits, minus the annual fee; ongoing value is a typical year after. Every point at a flat 1 cent.
Perks, credits, and redemptions
| Perks | Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card | Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® |
|---|---|---|
| Lounge access | None | None |
| Annual credits | None | None |
| Points & redemptions | Locked to a single program | Locked to a single program |
The two are closely matched on perks and redemptions, so the welcome offer and everyday earning above are what should decide it.
Transfer partners and point value
Neither card earns transferable points, so redemptions are cash-back or fixed portal value on both, roughly a cent per point. There is no airline or hotel transfer angle to separate them.
Both are Marriott co-brands, but they’re built differently: the Boundless is a classic hotel loyalty card anchored by an annual free night, while the Bevy trades that free night for higher earning and a bigger welcome bonus.
The Boundless’s whole value proposition is the recurring free night that tends to outvalue its low fee. The Bevy earns more on both Marriott stays and everyday food, and gives Gold status, but with no annual free night, its $250 fee leans on earning alone. That missing free night is the crux.
Pros and cons
- 6x at Marriott and 4x on dining and U.S. supermarkets
- Marriott Gold status, a step above the Boundless’s Silver
- A large welcome bonus
- The better everyday earner of the two
- No annual free night, unusual for a hotel card, which hurts long-term value
- $250 fee, harder to justify without a recurring free night
- Points locked to Marriott
- Value is front-loaded in the welcome bonus
- A 35,000-point annual free night, often worth more than the $95 fee
- 3x at Marriott, groceries, gas, and dining
- Marriott Silver status plus 15 elite night credits
- A low fee that the free night alone tends to cover
- Only Silver status vs the Bevy’s Gold
- Lower earning than the Bevy
- Points locked to Marriott
Where each one wins
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Annual free night | Boundless | A recurring 35k free night the Bevy lacks entirely. |
| Earning | Bevy | 6x Marriott and 4x food vs the Boundless’s 3x. |
| Elite status | Bevy | Gold vs the Boundless’s Silver. |
| Annual fee | Boundless | $95 vs $250. |
| Long-term value | Boundless | The free night keeps it worth holding every year. |
The verdict
For most people, the Boundless is the better long-term hold, and it’s mostly about the free night. A 35,000-point free night reliably outvalues the $95 fee year after year, which makes the Boundless one of the easiest hotel cards to keep in profit. The Bevy’s higher earning is nice, but without a recurring free night, its $250 fee has to be earned entirely through spending.
The Bevy makes sense in two cases: you want its large welcome bonus and higher earning in the first year, or you’re a Marriott regular who values Gold status and will out-earn the free-night gap through heavy dining and Marriott spend. For a big spender chasing the bonus, it can win short-term. But as a keeper, the Boundless’s free night gives it staying power the Bevy lacks, which is why many downgrade a Bevy to a Boundless after year one.