Marriott Rewards Premier Plus Credit Card Review

Earn free Marriott hotel nights with the Marriott Rewards Premier Plus Credit Card.

Marriott Rewards Premier Plus Credit Card Review

Do you travel for pleasure or work and frequently stay at Marriot hotels? If so, you should be earning Marriott rewards each time you stay. If you’re not, you may want to consider getting the Marriott Rewards Premier Plus credit card. For anyone who hasn’t heard of the Marriott Visa, this is for you. This Marriott credit card can help you earn free hotel stays.

We’re going to talk about the pros and cons of the Marriott credit card. This will give you a good idea on whether the Marriott Rewards Premier Plus credit card is right for you.

Marriott Rewards Premier Plus Credit Card Pros and Benefits

1. Multiple Redemption Options

The Marriott Visa doesn’t skimp on the rewards redemption options for loyal customers. These redemption options are especially useful if you plan to travel a lot and stay in several hotels. You can redeem your points for hotel stays, airfare, upgrades, cruises, gift cards, merchandise, charity, and vacation packages. Further, your points will be there when you need them. You won’t have to worry about losing them either.

2. Points Don’t Expire

Unlike some credit cards, you won’t have to worry about your credit card points expiring with the Marriott credit card. Your points will stay in your account as long as you use it once every 24 months. This means that you can stack your travel rewards for longer hotel stays or more airplane flights. These perks can make traveling easier and more convenient for you.

3. Free Marriot Hotel Night

So you want to keep your Marriott Rewards Premier Plus credit card in good standing. You’ll earn a free night hotel stay each year. They’ll apply this free night on the anniversary of opening your card with them. This reward has a redemption level of up to 35,000 points. This means that you do want to double check how much your hotel costs in points before you book it.

4. Automatic Elite Sliver Status

You get a reward just for qualifying for the Marriott credit card. Cardholders will automatically get Elite Silver Status with their card. This status comes with several perks. These include more point-earning potential, redemption offers, and much more. You just have to quality and keep your card active in good standing.

5. Big Point Earning Potential

You won’t have a shortage of point earning potential with this card. Earn six times the points for every dollar you spend at over 6,700 participating Marriott hotels. Also, you’ll earn two times the points for every dollar spent everywhere else. Since the points are unlimited, you can quickly earn enough for a decent reward.

6. Don’t Need Points in Your Marriott Visa Account to Book Rooms

You can book a hotel with points that aren’t available in your account yet. Say you have 24,000 points coming, but you want to book months out. You can book the room, hold it with points, and earn points until the day you check in. As long as the points are there when you check in, you’ll be able to use them to pay.

7. Marriott Visa Bonus Offer

The Marriott Rewards Premier Plus credit card comes with a big credit card signup bonus offer. You have to spend $3,000 in the first three months to get it. If you do, you’ll earn 75,000 bonus points. You can then save or use these points any way you choose. Do you have a flight coming up? Upgrade it with your points. Maybe you want to redeem it as a gift card instead.

8. Elite Night Credits

In 2019, people with the Marriott credit card will be eligible for even more perks. You’ll get 15 Elite Night credits every calendar year. The best part is, you don’t have to do anything special to get these extra free nights. You just have to have the card in good standing and active. You can redeem them at 6,700 participating hotels.

9. Transfer Points

You’re not locked into using specific airlines or hotels with this card. You can transfer your points to over 40 participating airlines. Your points will transfer over at a three-to-one ratio. So this means that if you send 60,000 points, you’ll have 20,000 to spend at the participating airline. This is good for unexpected flights or last minute reservations.

Marriott Rewards Premier Plus Credit Card Cons

1. Free Night Restriction

You do get free nights just for having the Marriott Visa, but there are restrictions. First, the hotel has to have rooms available. Second, the room has to be a standard room. You can’t use your free night stays on anything but standard rooms. It’s still a free hotel stay though. You can compare this Marriott credit card with the IHG® Rewards Club Select Credit Card which offers similar rewards.

2. Rewards Limit

Your rewards are unlimited. However, not all hotels participate in the program. This means that you have to call ahead and ask or check online before you book. The last thing you want to do is get to the hotel and have to pay cash. There are 6,700 participating Marriott and SPG hotels to pick from though.

3. High Spending Rate

This card requires you to spend more to get the most out of your rewards. For example, you have to spend $3,000 in three months to get the Marriott Visa bonus. So for some people, this may be too much for them to justify.

4. Average Rewards Rate for this Marriott Credit Card

You can earn a lot of rewards with this card. However, it’s just an average rewards rate compared to other cards. So this means that you have to earn more to cover the costs of your hotels or airfare. When you compare it to other cards, it’s around the middle for earning potential.

5. Marriott Rewards Premier Plus credit card $95 Annual Fee

This card comes with an annual fee. This shouldn’t surprise you since this is a rewards card. You’ll pay $95 each year for an annual fee. This is high if you don’t plan on using your card that often. You’ll have to work hard to justify it if you don’t normally spend a lot. Consider travel cards without an annual fee.

Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Credit Card Bottom Line

Finally the Marriott Rewards Premier Plus credit card is a solid travel credit cards. If you stay at Marriot hotels, you can stack up points quickly. However, the annual fee may be too steep for the average spender. Further, take a look at your spending habits and see if this card lines up. If it does, you can start earning rewards and saving money on free nights.

Monica Kowollik

LEARN MORE:

Cash Back Credit Cards

Best
Credit Card Applications!