The Ritz-Carlton card is unusual because you can’t just directly apply for one. The only way to get it, as far as I know, is to product change from an eligible Chase card, and that can only happen after 12 months of card ownership, and a $10,000 credit limit. So, if you don’t have an eligible Chase card today, you are looking at a 12 month journey–and a $450 annual fee after you’re done. Is it worth it?
In this review, I’ll talk about the features of the card, whether it is worth it (for me), and what your alternatives are for Marriott co-branded Credit Cards. Since Take Risks Be Happy reviews travel and money saving tips, we’ll also heavily lean into the travel and card benefits to see whether it is worth it beyond the “prestige” of having a black metal credit card that says Ritz-Carlton. While I do have a Phd in Finance, this article, like all of our content, is not financial advice!
This review is unsponsored, unpaid, and reflects my own actual experience with this card and Marriott. Let’s dive in.
The short version
The Ritz-Carlton Card currently has a $450 annual fee, but comes with:
- an annual Marriott free-night certificate worth 85,000 points; (very valuable especially in Asia)
- up to $300 per calendar year in airline incidental credits;
- Priority Pass Select;
- access to Chase Sapphire Lounges; (nice extra)
- lounge access for authorized users; (unusual and important benefit)
- no fee for authorized users
- three Ritz-Carlton Club Level upgrade certificates each year; (potentially huge if you’re staying at RC anyway)
- automatic Marriott Bonvoy Gold status; (not that useful)
- 15 Marriott elite-night credits each year;
- a $100 property credit on certain paid Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis stays of two nights or longer;
- a Global Entry credit;
- and some unusually good travel insurance and Visa Infinite benefits.
It earns 6 Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar at Marriott properties, 3 points per dollar on dining, rental cars and qualifying airline purchases, and 2 points per dollar on everything else.
Is the card a good deal for frequent travelers?
For most travelers, the real cost of the card is effectively $150 for an 85k certificate, since it’s not that hard to get $300 in airline incidentals reimbursed. And $150 for an 85,000 point certificate is a great deal, since you can get $500-$800 of value from such a certificate by staying somewhere like the Ritz-Carlton Bali, or St. Regis Bali, especially if you add a few thousands more points on top.
If you stay at Ritz Carlton’s often, however, this card easily pays for itself with the $100 property credit and the club level upgrade certificates, which transform this card from an effective $150 for an 85k certificate play into a “this card saves me money” play. Of course, if you’re wealthy and often staying at Ritz-Carltons, you could also be choosing other hotels, and so of course, to Marriott and Chase, they are happy to encourage your loyalty to the brand.
My actual upgrade process
As mentioned, the Ritz-Carlton card is not something you apply for directly. You have to product change. Since I am not super rich but have overall pretty good credit, my Ritz-Carlton Card acquisition went like this:
I called Chase and asked whether I could product-change my Marriott Bonvoy card, which I’d had for years, to the Ritz-Carlton Card. The agent was super nice and initially checked and told me yes. My credit score was probably high 700s to very low 800s at that point, if that matters (it probably does).
Then he tried to process it and said actually, no: the credit limit on my existing Marriott card wasn’t high enough. At that time, I had something like a $5,000 limit on the Marriott card.
But, since I already had several other Chase cards I asked whether Chase could move some of the credit limits from my other Chase cards onto the Marriott card instead. We moved the vast majority of the available credit I needed from another Chase account onto the Marriott card. Perhaps I had 15k total with Chase, so we really stacked it all together, putting something like 2/3rds on this card.
The agent tried the Ritz upgrade again, and it worked.
Obviously this is absolutely not a guarantee that the same process will work for you. It is simply what happened in my case. (Again, not financial advice.)
Anyway, the long story short on that is that it appears possible to get with good but not insane credit, and you can move limits around to make it work.
How the $300 incidental fee credit works:
The annual fee is currently $450, but the card gives you up to $300 every calendar year toward certain airline incidental purchases.
That includes things such as:
- baggage fees;
- seat upgrades;
- inflight meals;
- inflight internet and entertainment;
- airline lounge day passes;
- and eligible airline lounge memberships.
Importantly, this isn’t the same ultra-simple automatic travel credit you get with some other premium credit cards. You generally make the qualifying purchase first and then contact Chase to have the credit applied. I believe you have a limit of four billing cycles to do so. Scattered reports on the Internet claim you can sometimes get Chase to apply it to other travel fees that don’t strictly qualify, but I have no idea if this is true–I’m already traveling enough where I can hit it with the above fees anyway.
Account Anniversaries
Since you’ll be product upgrading into this card, and not getting it directly, the account anniversary/hotel credit thing is kind of weird. On my old lower-level Bonvoy card I would pay an annual fee in January, but apparently my account anniversary was in August, so, that is when I would get a certificate. When product changing to the RC card I was told I would get my 85k certificate on the account anniversary of my older card.
Super travel hack-y people can probably do the math and figure out the exact best time to upgrade–I suppose it would possibly be right after paying the annual fee for the old card? Then you’d have the RC card all year.
The packaging:
The Ritz-Carlton Card comes in this huge black envelope which really feels quite substantial. It contains a huge list of product information and promotional forms. These aren’t pictured since I got the card for my own personal use, and only decided to review it later! Also, I’m probably not enough of a fanboy to photograph promotional material. Rest assured the coolest part of the card packaging is this huge black folder, but what is cooler than any of that is using it to go on trips and live your life.
The lounge benefit are very good.
RC Card holders get access to Priorty Pass lounges and Chase Sapphire lounges, which is a nice added bonus. This benefit used to be overpowered to an extreme level. Before January 15, 2026, Ritz cardholders had effectively unlimited complimentary guests at participating Priority Pass and Chase Sapphire Lounges.
And people apparently tested the meaning of unlimited. There are reports online of cardholders bringing five, six, or even 13 guests into lounges at once. I can understand why Chase killed this. Now, primary cardholders and authorized users get two complimentary guests each. Additional guests are $27. Which brings us to one of the strangest—and best—features of the card.
Authorized users are free and get lounge access, which is this card’s rare superpower
Authorized users cost nothing extra, but can get their own Priority Pass membership and Chase Sapphire Lounge access, including two guests.
That is extremely unusual for rewards credit cards. I added members of my immediate family largely for this reason. As far as I can determine, they don’t need to regularly spend on their cards to keep the benefit alive, and they can get lounge access for themselves and two guests. So you could have a pretty large family and, with enough AU, give everyone lounge access. However, AU spending is your responsibility, so make sure you trust your family!
For families who travel, this might genuinely be one of the best features of the Ritz card.
Another Benefit: Three Week-Long Ritz-Carlton Club Level upgrades
So with this card you also get three Ritz-Carlton Club Level upgrade certificates each account anniversary year.
Each can theoretically cover a paid stay of up to seven nights, meaning as many as 21 upgraded nights per year. My understanding is that these are somewhat restrictive, and you need to call Ritz to apply the certificate, and you can’t always just get the cheapest room possible and make it a club lounge room. Most importantly not every Ritz-Carlton even has a club lounge. The Ritz-Carlton Bali does not anymore (it used to before COVID, apparently).
I haven’t tested these certificates yet, but I have spent nearly two weeks at the Portman Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, and its club lounge was great. If you already stay at Ritz-Carltons, this benefit could be huge, especially if you are heavy drinker, since these lounges have free flowing alcohol at night.
$100 Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis credit
On certain paid stays of at least two nights at participating Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis hotels, you can also get a $100 property credit toward eligible dining, spa, and recreational spending.
You need to book an eligible rate and pay with the Ritz card. I haven’t tested this one yet either.
Marriott Gold status
The card gives you Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status and 15 Elite Night Credits every year. Gold is not a great status, but it’s a whole lot better than nothing, as it includes a late checkout up to 2PM (based on availability) and a chance of an upgrade. Gold also earns you an extra 25% points on stays at Marriotts.
The travel insurance is actually good
The Ritz is also a Visa Infinite with unusually strong travel protections, including:
- primary rental-car coverage up to $75,000;
- trip-delay coverage up to $500 per traveler;
- baggage-delay coverage;
- lost-luggage coverage up to $3,000;
- travel accident insurance up to $1 million;
- and up to $2,500 in qualifying emergency medical and dental coverage.
Obviously, terms and exclusions apply, and I’m personally paranoid so I almost always just buy the car rental insurance myself. This is partly because I want to be able to make life easy instead of arguing with multiple parties over who has to pay. However, if I weren’t buying insurance, this is 100% the card I would put my expenditures on. Its insurance benefits are better than even the Bonvoy Brilliant.
Global Entry and other extras
You also get up to $120 toward Global Entry every four years. That’s maybe useful, I guess, but none of these are why I’d get the card. To be honest I don’ even know what the purpose of Global Entry is anymore. Every time I re-enter the US I stand in front of an iPad and am waved through. I’ve never experienced a customs line in the last two years, even around Christmas. It’s one of those surreal situations where I always stood in a line and talked to someone, and now nobody even looks at my passport. I didn’t opt-in to some sort of program. It just happened one time I landed and it never changed back. I suppose we have entered some sort of 1984-lite level of facial recognition where the Government’s AI knows exactly who you are at all times in an Airport.
Is it actually good for spending?
The earning rates are:
- 6x Marriott points at Marriott hotels;
- 3x on dining, rental cars, and qualifying airline purchases;
- 2x everywhere else.
That’s perfectly decent, but the Ritz card isn’t really special because of its points earning. It’s also important to remember that you will earn 25% extra points on Marriott stays as a Gold Elite Member.
Conclusions:
So, Who is this card for?
This card is perfect for frequent travelers who stay Marriott Hotels at least a few times a year. These users will benefit from the Priority Pass or Sapphire lounge access, and end up paying about $150 for an 85k certificate–which is a great deal. For frequent visitors to the Ritz-Carlton, it’s an even better deal, as the $100 property credit and club lounge upgrade passes can make the effective cost of the card zero or even negative. Large families who travel often may also benefit from the cards unusual ability to allow authorized users (and two of their guests) full lounge access.
It’s also good for someone who wants a flashy, heavy, all-metal black card that says Ritz-Carlton. I don’t think it’s a good use of money to pay an annual fee for that reason only, but it’s undeniable that this is one of the better looking premium cards out there.
FAQ and Comparison with Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card:
Is this the best Marriott Credit Card? How does it compare to the Bonvoy Brilliant?
At the high-end of Marriott co-branded cards there are really only two competitors: The Ritz-Carlton (Chase) or the Bonvoy Brilliant (AMEX). The Ritz is $450 while the Brilliant is $650. Both get you 85k Certificates, and both have $300 refunds (travel expenses for Ritz, restaurants for AMEX). Obviously you may wonder why the Brilliant is $200 more.
I can’t say why AMEX prices it the way it does, but I think its $200 more for two key reasons, with the first mattering the most:
- The Brilliant gives you Platinum Elite status, which gets you free breakfasts or lounge access at places like the Sheraton Grand Hyde Park, 4PM checkouts, and higher upgrade priority.
- The Brilliant gives you 25 Elite Night Credits (instead of the Ritz-Carlton’s 15)
- The Brilliant occasionally has large sign-up bonuses, so that extra $200 is paid for by like, 150-200k points or something.
By contrast the Ritz only offers Gold elite status, which is fine (I’ve seen upgrades happen on Gold Elite status) but not that valuable anymore, especially within the United States. I have both cards and may do a comparison post later. While I would be happy with either card, if I had to choose one, I would go for the Bonvoy Brilliant, as Platinum status is huge for those of us working towards lifetime Platinum Elite.
Can you hold the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant and Chase Ritz-Carlton Card at the same time?
Yes, I have both, though I got the Ritz-Carlton card years after the Brilliant. Remember, the RC has no signup bonus, so you’ll want to get this after the Bonvoy Brilliant.
What is the optimal points earning card stack for Marriott frequent travelers?
The optimal stack in its simplest form would be the Bonvoy Brilliant and the Bonvoy Business, which are both American Express cards. This is because the Bonvoy Brilliant comes with 25 Elite Nights, while the Business comes with an extra 15, putting you at 40 at the start of the year. That makes you only 10 nights away from the Platinum elite member choice award, which you get at 50 nights. However, the Brilliant already puts you at Platinum Elite, so you don’t have to wait to get benefits like free breakfast and more. The stack of these two AMEX cards gives you a minimum of 40 nights a year, and if you hold this stack for a decade, you’ll be quite close to lifetime platinum elite. Lifetime Platinum Elite requires 600 nights, and the stack of those two cards alone puts you at 400 nights without any real stays. And if you are optimizing for Marriott credit cards instead of something else, I presume you’d stay at Marriotts at least 10 nights a year (otherwise what are we even doing here?)
As a third card, The Ritz Carlton card is a great third card to this stack, because you get an extra 85,000 certificate, great travel insurance, and Sapphire lounge access.
So, who should choose the Ritz-Carlton Card as their only Marriott card?
Someone who wants a simple portfolio of cards and is a Ritz-Carton loyalist will benefit from having only the RC card. You only get Gold, but Platinum Elite matters a bit at the Ritz-Carlton, as RC doesn’t give Platinum’s free breakfast. However, those staying exclusively at Ritz-Carltons or St. Regis hotels can benefit from the $100 food credit on a two night stay, as well as the 21-days (three up to 7-day certificates) of Club Lounge upgrades for RC hotels.
Basically, if you are actually staying at the Ritz Carlton, specifically, this is the card to have, and well, we shouldn’t be that surprised about that.
Leave a Reply