Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card Rolls Out Cool 100K-Point Bonus

[Update: The offer mentioned below has expired. For current terms and conditions, please see card agreements.]

Eighty thousand points isn’t cool. You know what’s cool? A hundred thousand points.

That’s what the Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card, issued by Chase, is offering for a limited time after you spend $5,000 on the card in the first three months. And if you add an authorized user and swipe the card in that same period, you’ll score an additional 7,500 points.

As our review of the Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card notes, the card is ideal for fans of the hotel chain. Cardholders earn five points for every dollar spent at any of the more than 5,700 Marriott and Starwood properties worldwide, and points can easily be transferred between brands such as Ritz-Carlton, Renaissance, Sheraton and Westin.

As an added incentive to keep swiping the card, double points are awarded for purchases on airfare, rental cars and restaurants, and cardholders earn one point per dollar on everything else. The card also carries no foreign transaction fees, so it’s perfect for long stays abroad.

Other Noteworthy Perks

Cardholders also receive other perks. They earn 15 credits toward their next Elite membership level and one Elite credit for every $3,000 spent. Points won’t expire so long as they swipe the card at least once every two years, and each cardholder anniversary they receive a free night stay.

The card also features travel security features like trip delay reimbursement, trip cancellation insurance, purchase protection and lost luggage reimbursement.

Before You Apply

If the 100,000-point bonus has put the Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card on your radar, you’ll want to make sure you’ll actually use it. The card carries an $85 annual fee, and its variable APR is 16.49% to 23.49%, based on your creditworthiness. Some may find that rate a little too high, especially if they tend to carry a balance from month to month or have difficulty paying their bills off.

Before you apply, we advise checking your credit to make sure you’re likely to qualify. You can do that on Credit.com, where you’ll get two of your credit scores for free, with useful updates every two weeks. Checking your credit scores won’t hurt them one bit and is a great way to keep tabs on your finances.

Image: Alija