Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card Review
By Megg Mueller
Whether you've been bitten by the travel bug or just need to travel frequently for work, it's always nice to get something in return for the spending you do on the road. One way to do that is by using the Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card from Chase. This card can help you start stacking up reward points quickly and earn you rooms and flights for your travels -- all for a reasonable annual cost.
The initial perks
If you haven't previously had a Marriott Rewards you can currently earn some attractive perks for signing up, and after charging $1,000 in purchases on your new Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card in your first three months after opening the account you can get 50,000 bonus reward points. There is an introductory annual fee of $0 the first year, then $85.
The card offers some pretty quick ways to earn points, including earning five points for every $1 spent at any of the participating 3,800 Marriott properties and earning two points for every $1 spent on airline tickets directly purchased with the airline (no third-party vendors, such as Expedia) or at eligible restaurants and car rental companies. All other purchases earn one point for each dollar spent. The card also has no foreign transaction fee.
Seeking redemption
A standard reward night will cost you anywhere from 7,500 to 40,000 reward points, depending on the category of the property. (There are eight categories of properties.) A Category 1 hotel example would be the Fairfield Inn Sacramento Cal Expo, while the JW Marriott Chicago is a Category 7 property.
Points can also be used for purchases at Marriott properties, including room upgrades or golf packages. They can also be converted to airline miles or for making purchases through SkyMall.com, among other options.
Some fine print to note
A few things to keep in mind, night stay vouchers must be used within six months of being issued. The Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is a variable 15.99 percent for both purchases and balance transfers. Balance transfers will incur a fee of $5 or 3 percent, whichever is greater. Cash advances have a 19.24 percent variable APR and will incur a fee of $10 or 4 percent of the amount of each transaction, whichever is greater.
Whatever your reason for frequent travel, it never hurts to get a reward at the end of it. When used properly, the Marriott Rewards Premier Credit Card from Chase can help you do just that.
Megg Mueller is a journalist with almost two decades of experience. She has worked as a reporter and editor for the Reno Gazette-Journal and as an editor of health care and education manuals for Aspen Publishers, a subsidiary of Wolters Kluwer. She wrote a weekly column on the hotel industry during her tenure as assistant travel editor for USA TODAY.com. Mueller is the editor of a tourism-based website and also serves as a reporter for a weekly business newspaper.
