New co branded credit card benefits made it easier to earn Marriott elite status.

It depends on how much you travel, but you can save a lot of money with elite status benefits. It's a good idea to open a credit card every year.

The Marriott Bonvoy program has more than 8,000 properties around the world. Three levels of elite status can be earned with a credit card.

  • ​​Silver Elite: 10 elite nights.
  • Gold Elite: 25 elite nights.
  • Platinum Elite: 50 elite nights.
  • Titanium Elite: 75 elite nights.
  • Ambassador Elite: 100 elite nights (plus $20,000 in annual qualifying spending).

Marriott elite status with credit cards can be earned all the way up to Titanium elite.

Earning Marriott elite qualifying nights

Marriott makes earning elite status easy with cobranded credit cards. THE POINTS GUY

The Marriott co branded cards give you 15 to 25 elite night credits per year.

Marriott relaxed its rules on double dipping elite nights in 2020. You can earn up to 25 nights from a personal card and up to 15 nights from a business card. 35 nights away from titanium elite status.

You can't receive nights from more than one personal card. You must be the primary cardholder on both cards to combine them.

You can earn elite nights with each Marriott co branded card.

The Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful, Ritz-Carlton, Marriott Bonvoy Premier, Marriott Bonvoy Premier Plus, Marriott Bonvoy Business Plus, and Marriott Bonvoy American Express cards have been collected by The Points Guy. The card issuer did not review or provide the card details on this page.

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Marriott Bonvoy is a credit card review.

Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite (worth $35)

It's worth around $35 if you get Silver Elite status with 10 elite nights.

The status tier is a part of the cards.

CardIssuerAnnual feeSpending threshold
Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card American Express.$95.Included.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit CardChase.$95.Included.
Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit CardChase.$0.Included.

There is a reason I have Marriott Bonvoy credit cards.

Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite (worth $800)

Marriott Gold Elite status is usually earned after 25 elite nights at Marriott hotels.

A welcome gift and 25% more points are included in the tier. Even if you aren't a frequent guest at Marriott properties, you can still get gold elite status.

Travelers can get Marriott Gold status with many credit cards.

CardIssuerAnnual feeSpending threshold
The Platinum Card® from American ExpressAmerican Express.$695.Included.
The Business Platinum Card® from American ExpressAmerican Express.$650.Included.
The Ritz-Carlton Rewards Credit CardChase.$450.Included.
The Marriott Bonvoy Business cardAmerican Express.$125.Included.
Marriott Bonvoy Premier Business Plus CardChase.$99.Included.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit CardChase.$95.Allows you to earn Gold Elite status when you spend $30,000 on purchases each account year.

There is a guide to elite status with Marriott andHilton.

Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite (worth $2,475)

Marriott Le Meridien Maldives. KATIE GENTER/THE POINTS GUY

You can get to Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite after 50 elite nights in the program.

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express is enough to get you Platinum Elite status. One can save money by taking advantage of elite perks such as annual Choice Benefits, enhanced room upgrades, a dedicated phone line and free breakfast at select properties.

If you hold a Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express card, you can earn Platinum Elite status by hitting spending thresholds.

CardIssuerAnnual feeSpending threshold
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express CardAmerican Express.$650.Included.
The Ritz-Carlton Rewards Credit CardChase.$450.Allows you to earn Gold Elite status when you spend $75,000 on purchases each account year.

I keep chasing Marriott Platinum status year after year.

Spending on the Bonvoy Boundless card

You can earn extra elite nights with your Bonvoy Boundless card. ISABELLE RAPHAEL/THE POINTS GUY

The Bonvoy Boundless card is one of the last ways to earn elite nights.

You can accumulate 1 elite qualification night for every $5,000 you spend. If you're close to your next status, it may help. If you have enough expenses, you can spend your way to Titanium Elite status if you need it.

You can earn Titanium Elite status by spending $175,000 on your Bonvoy Boundless card. If you have a lot of reimbursable business expenses or need to spend a lot of money on a credit card, it makes sense to spend a lot of money on a credit card.

Spending on the Boundless card costs a lot. 10,000 Marriott Bonvoy points can be earned for just $5,000. You would earn 10,000 Capital One miles if you put this spending on a Capital One Venture rewards credit card.

If you're close to the next elite status tier, you should only spend on your Boundless card. You could be giving up a lot of value if you don't.

One elite night credit per $3,000 spent is earned by the Marriott Bonvoy premier credit card.

There is a guide to Marriott Bonvoy.

Other ways to earn Marriott elite nights

Award nights count toward Marriott elite status. MARRIOTT

Award nights and free night awards count towards your qualification.

You can move closer to your desired elite status tier if you use the free night awards with many co branded credit cards. If you have a Marriott co branded credit card, you should be able to book hotel nights with points.

This should be included in your Marriott elite status qualification strategy. Three nights closer to your next Marriott elite status tier is what you can consider if you have three Marriott co branded credit cards.

The Hyatt Globalist to Best Western Gold is related.

Bottom line

It can be overwhelming at the beginning of the year when you don't have a single night in your account. It may be worth the investment of an annual fee to start with up to 40 elite nights in your account on New Year's Day, which could save you thousands of dollars each year.

Click here to find the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card's rates and fees. Click here to find the Marriott Bonvoy Business card's rates and fees. Click here to find the Marriot Bonvoy Bevy card's rates and fees.