Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless earns its keep well beyond the welcome offer. You get automatic Silver Elite status the moment you're approved, no nights required, and then a Free Night Award every year after your account anniversary, good for a one-night stay at a property up to 35,000 points. Between the modest annual fee and that certificate, the math tends to work out in your favor for most Marriott stays, especially paired with the 5th night free benefit on award bookings.

The path to Gold Elite is built in too: you'll earn 15 Elite Night Credits automatically each year, plus 1 more for every $5,000 you spend, and hitting $35,000 in spend gets you the rest of the way toward Gold. It's a slower climb than staying 25 nights in person, but it's a real path if status matters to your family's trips.

One thing worth flagging before you apply: this bonus isn't available if you've earned a welcome bonus on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® or Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Cards in the past 24 months, so timing matters if you're planning to churn through the Marriott lineup. And since this is a personal Chase card, it both requires you to be under 5/24 to get approved and will use up one of your five slots once you are.

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless has shifted its welcome offer structure over time — it's previously been a flat points bonus paired with a single Free Night Award, and it's now 4 separate Free Night Awards after the same spend requirement. Offer structures change, so check the current Welcome Offer above before applying.