
If you're a fan of Marriott's Bonvoy rewards program, you'll want to know about the secret credit cards that offer exclusive perks.
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card offers a 100,000-point bonus after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. This card also provides 6x points at participating Marriott hotels.
With the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card, you can earn a 75,000-point bonus after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. This card also offers a $300 statement credit after making a purchase on Amazon in the first 6 months.
What Are Secret Credit Cards?
Secret credit cards are also known as store credit cards or retail credit cards.
They often have lower credit limits compared to regular credit cards.
These cards are usually only accepted at specific stores or online marketplaces.
Some examples of secret credit cards include the Target RedCard and the Walmart Credit Card.
They may offer special discounts or rewards for cardholders who make purchases at their affiliated stores.
Rewards can include discounts on purchases, free shipping, or cashback rewards.
Some secret credit cards have no annual fee or have lower interest rates than regular credit cards.
These cards can be a good option for people who frequently shop at a particular store and want to save money.
Rewards Programs and Secret Credit Cards
Some secret credit cards offer exclusive rewards programs that can earn you more points or cash back than regular credit cards.
The Citi Premier Card offers 3X points on travel, including gas stations, which can be redeemed for flights, hotels, or other travel expenses.
You can earn up to 60,000 points with the Citi Premier Card after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months.
The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card offers unlimited 4% cash back on dining and 4% cash back on popular streaming services.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card offers 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months, which can be redeemed for travel or other rewards.
Some secret credit cards also offer sign-up bonuses that can be redeemed for cash, gift cards, or other rewards.
American Express Marriott Bonvoy
The American Express Marriott Bonvoy card is an excellent choice for anyone looking to earn rewards. It offers a free night certificate worth the $95 USD cost of admission, making it a great value for the price.
To get your hands on this card, you'll need to apply for and receive a higher-tier American Express Bonvoy co-branded credit card, such as the American Express Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card. This card often has a higher welcome bonus and offers complimentary Platinum Elite status.
The American Express Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card has a monthly $25 USD restaurant credit, which can be used in Canada, and a premium annual fee of $650 USD. After holding one of these eligible credit cards for a year, you can downgrade to the American Express Marriott Bonvoy card and receive a new one in the mail.
Why Not Available for New Sign-Ups
These "secret" credit cards, like the Marriott Bonvoy co-branded cards, are only available to existing cardholders who know about them.
The card issuers have decided to limit access to these cards, making them unavailable for direct application by new cardholders.
This means they're not listed on credit card comparison tools, like our US credit card comparison tool.
The reason for this change is unclear, but it's likely due to various factors that aren't publicly known.
As a result, new cardholders can't get these cards by directly applying for them.
However, existing cardholders can still tap into these benefits by upgrading or downgrading select other Marriott Bonvoy co-branded credit cards.
Obtaining American Express Marriott Bonvoy Membership
The American Express Marriott Bonvoy card is not available to new clients, but you can still get it by applying for a higher-tier co-branded credit card.
To get the American Express Marriott Bonvoy card, you need to apply for and receive a higher-tier American Express Bonvoy co-branded credit card, such as the American Express Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card or the American Express Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card.
I personally recommend the American Express Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card because it often has a higher welcome bonus and offers complimentary Platinum Elite status, even with a higher premium annual fee of $650 USD.
The card also has a monthly $25 USD restaurant credit, which can be used in Canada.
You can downgrade to the American Express Marriott Bonvoy card after holding a higher-tier card for one calendar year and the renewal annual fee posts.
To downgrade, simply call or live chat with American Express and ask them to downgrade your card.
They'll mail you a new card and may even prorate your annual fee based on how long you held the previous version, although this is not guaranteed.
The annual free night certificate will be tied to when you chose to downgrade the card, rather than the original date of applying for its higher-tier cousin.
Sources
- https://timothynoah.substack.com/p/the-secret-credit-card-thats-only
- https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/04/opinion/credit-card-rewards-points-poor-interchange-fees.html
- https://www.npr.org/2023/03/09/1162380399/the-dirty-secret-to-credit-card-rewards
- https://frugalflyer.ca/blog/how-to-get-secret-marriott-bonvoy-credit-cards-us/
- https://www.crown.org/all-resources/ask-chuck-overcoming-financial-infidelity-and-secret-credit-card-debt/
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