[ANALYSIS] Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Visa Card
The Chase Marriott Rewards Premier Visa Card allows you to earn Marriott Rewards points. The Marriott hotel chain includes: Marriott Hotels and Resorts, JW Marriott Hotels and Resorts, Renaissance Hotels and Resorts, Fairfield Inn, Courtyard, Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites, Springhill Suites and Marriott Vacation Club resorts.
The highlights of this credit card are as follows:
- $120 annual fee (waived the first year)
- No charge for additional cardholders
- Earn 30,000 points after your first purchase
- Earn 5 points for every $1 spent at Marriott hotels
- Earn 2 points for every $1 spent on airline tickets, car rental agencies and restaurants
- Earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all other purchases
- Earn 1 Free Night Stay at a Category 1-4 location after account approval
- Earn 15 nights credit every year
- Receive 1 anniversary bonus free night stay at a Category 1-5 hotel every year
- No foreign transaction fees
There are so many perks to be had on this credit card. Waiving the annual fee makes this credit card a no-brainer for anyone who qualifies for the card. Even if you do not stay at Marriott hotels, you can still use the 30,000 points on many other items. What I find very attractive is the 5 points per $1 spent at Marriott hotels sand the 2 points for every $1 spent on certain categories, restaurants is the one that jumps out. No foreign transaction fees makes this an easy choice for frequent travelers. Earning the additional 15 nights credit on the first year towards Marriott Rewards Elite status is just icing on the cake.
I have seen a 50,000 sign up promotion frequently, so if you can wait, I would watch for that. The reason is because you can only earn the sign up bonus once, so there is no opportunity to churn this credit card. Therefore, I am going to provide an analysis on whether it is worth it to retain this credit card beyond the first year, when you start paying the $120 annual fee.
The value of the $120 is the anniversary free night stay at a Category 1-5 hotel every year. If you end up booking a category 5 hotel, it will easily be worth the $120 annual fee. If you can take advantage of this free night every year of having this credit card, then it will be worth keeping this card beyond the first year.