10xTravel is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. This site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. All values of Membership Rewards are assigned based on the assumption, experience and opinions of the 10xTravel team and represent an estimate and not an actual value of points. Estimated value is not a fixed value and may not be the typical value enjoyed by card members.
Marriott has made a notable change to its Free Night Certificate (FNC) program. As of 2026, cardholders can now “top off” their Free Night Certificates with up to 25,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, up from the previous limit of 15,000 points. This means if a hotel costs more points than your certificate covers, you can now bridge a larger gap using points from your account. Free Night Certificates are earned through Marriott Bonvoy credit cards, spend on certain Marriott cards and as a 75-night choice benefit. They are capped at 35k, 40k, 50k and 85k points per night on their own. The most common cert is the 35k cert earned annually from Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card. We’ve also occasionally seen elevated offers on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card from Chase for 50k certs.
This change opens the door to a wider range of hotel options. Before this update, the top-off cap of 15,000 points meant your certificate could only stretch but at far to cover hotels. Now, with the 25,000-point top-off, you can reach properties priced at 75,000 points per night if you take advantage of the current elevated offer.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
Earn up to 4 Free Night Awards
(each night valued up to 50,000 points)
after qualifying purchases.
Annual Fee: $95
Our Take
This is a genuinely good move by Marriott, and it is one of the more useful updates the Bonvoy program has made in recent memory. Free Night Certificates have always been one of the strongest reasons to hold a Marriott Bonvoy credit card, and increasing the top-off limit makes them even more valuable. If you have been sitting on points and certificates without a clear redemption plan, now is a great time to look at hotels in that 50,000 to 75,000 point range and see what becomes available to you.
Our recommendation is to take a close look at your current Bonvoy certificate balance and match it against hotels you actually want to stay at. The sweet spot here is using a certificate plus a reasonable points top-off to book a hotel that would otherwise cost you significantly more cash. This update rewards people who already hold Bonvoy cards and have been building up a points balance. If you are not yet earning Marriott Bonvoy points through a co-branded credit card, this change is one more reason to consider adding one to your wallet.
New to the world of points and miles? The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is the best card to start with.
With a bonus of 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. , 5x points on travel booked through the Chase TravelSM Portal and 3x points on restaurants, streaming services, and online groceries (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs), this card truly cannot be beat for getting started!
Editors Note: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
10xTravel is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com. This site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. All values of Membership Rewards are assigned based on the assumption, experience and opinions of the 10xTravel team and represent an estimate and not an actual value of points. Estimated value is not a fixed value and may not be the typical value enjoyed by card members.
Editors Note: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
bonus cash back
after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
to use on Capital One Travel
in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel
bonus points
after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Membership Rewards® Points
after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
