How I Got the Ritz-Carlton Card, Even Though It’s Closed to New Applicants

As someone who frequently stays at hotels, it makes sense for me to carry multiple co-branded hotel cards with nearly every major hotel brand. Specifically, with Marriott Bonvoy, I hold 4 co-branded credit cards.

Whether you stay at Marriott hotels a few nights a year or are on the road for extended periods, Marriott cards are rewarding for many reasons. However, there’s 1 card that stands out from the rest: The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card. Even with its high annual fee, the card offers a laundry list of perks and benefits that more than justify it.

Although the Ritz-Carlton card is closed to new applicants, there is a relatively easy workaround. Here’s an overview of the card and how I finally added it to my arsenal in 2025.

Ritz-Carlton Card Overview

Marriott Bonvoy is the world’s largest hotel brand, with over 9,000 properties in more than 140 countries. Equally impressive is the fact that there are several co-branded Marriott Bonvoy credit cards issued by American Express and Chase.

One of these is the Ritz-Carlton card, a luxury Visa Infinite co-branded card issued by Chase. The card is not nearly as well-known as many other Marriott cards, as it has been closed to new applicants for several years.

The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Ritz-Carlton card comes loaded with perks and benefits that any Marriott loyalist is sure to love.

The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card

The Ritz-Carlton card comes loaded with perks and benefits that any Marriott loyalist is sure to love.

Annual Fee

$450

Why We Like This Card

The Ritz-Carlton card is a valuable card to have in your wallet if you frequently stay at Marriott properties and want perks like Marriott elite status, airport lounge access, an annual travel credit, and more.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 6x points on Marriott stays
• 3x points on dining, rental cars, and airfare purchased directly with airlines
• 2x points on all other purchases

Cons

• Charges a large annual fee
• You cannot apply for the card outright, you can only upgrade to it from another Chase-issued Marriott card

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• No welcome offer available.
• 6x points for every $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy.
• 3x Points for every $1 spent on dining, car rentals and airline purchases.
• 2x Points for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
• Receive 15 Elite Night Credits every calendar year and Automatic Gold Elite status.
• Earn a $300 Annual Travel Credit which you can use for qualifying airline purchases such as baggage fees, seat upgrades, and preferred lounge memberships or passes. To apply travel credit, call 1-855-896-2222 after using your card.
• Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide through your Priority Pass™ Select membership. Access is unlimited regardless of airline or ticket class. Enjoy a place to relax with complimentary refreshments.
• Apply for Global Entry, a U.S. customs and border protection program, using your Ritz-Carlton Credit Card to pay your application fee and receive a statement credit. If approved, you will also be eligible to receive TSA pre ✓^® privileges at no additional cost.
• Use your Ritz-Carlton Credit Card to unlock special car rental benefits. Enroll in leading car rental reward programs from Avis, National, and Silvercar. Book with your Ritz-Carlton Credit Card and take advantage of great savings and special offers.
• Make purchases abroad without being charged foreign transaction fees.

Financial Snapshot

• Foreign Transaction Fees: 

Ritz-Carlton Card Benefits and Features

However, those in the know understand how much value the card provides. For starters, the Ritz-Carlton card earns 6 points per $1 on Marriott purchases, 3 points per $1 on dining, car rentals, and airfare booked directly with an airline, and 2 points per $1 on all other purchases.

There’s a lot of Marriott-centric benefits that can help justify the $450 annual fee. Cardholders receive a Free Night Award certificate that can be used at any hotel participating in Marriott Bonvoy, valued at up to 85,000 points. In addition, the card offers 3 annual Ritz-Carlton Club level upgrade certificates, valid for a club-level upgrade on an eligible paid stay of up to 7 nights.

With automatic Marriott Bonvoy Gold elite status, members enjoy a 25% bonus points earnings, 2 p.m. late checkout (upon availability), room upgrades (upon availability), a welcome amenity, and more. However, those with the Ritz-Carlton card receive 15 elite night credits per year toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy elite status.

There are also general travel perks, too. Cardholders receive a $300 annual airline statement credit, which can be used for airline incidental fees, including checked baggage fees, inflight Wi-Fi, and seat upgrades. This card comes with impressive airport lounge benefits, including a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership and unlimited access into Chase Sapphire lounges, along with the following perks:

• Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fees
• Rental car elite status: Avis Preferred Plus and National Emerald Club Executive status
• Top-notch travel insurance, including primary car rental insurance
• No foreign transaction fees

While the Ritz-Carlton card has a substantial $450 annual fee to provide all this value, it’s actually quite reasonable compared to other premium credit cards that charge much higher annual fees while offering less flexible benefits.

How I Got the Ritz-Carlton Card

As I mentioned, the Ritz-Carlton card is no longer available for new applicants. However, there is still a way to get it — you can product change or upgrade an existing Marriott Bonvoy card to the Ritz-Carlton card.

However, to be eligible for a product change to the Ritz-Carlton card, you must carry one of the following Chase-issued cards and have held it for at least 12 months:

• Marriott Bonvoy Bold^® Credit Card
• Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Credit Card
• Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card

How To Product Change a Chase Card

There are 2 main ways to product change a Chase credit card: calling Chase customer service or sending a secure message to Chase.

Call the Number on the Back of the Card

The easiest way to get the Ritz-Carlton card is to call the number on the back of your current Marriott Bonvoy card and ask if you can upgrade your current credit card.

I chose this method as it seemed like the easiest. The customer service representative on the phone was knowledgeable and immediately understood my request to upgrade one of my co-branded Marriott cards.

She read me the disclosure and proceeded to upgrade my Marriott Boundless card to the Ritz-Carlton card. All in all, the process took less than 5 minutes.

Send a Secure Message

If you do not want to call the number on the back of your Marriott Bonvoy card, you have another option: You can send Chase a secure message with your request.

To send a secure message, you need to log in to your Chase credit card account. You can then click on “Secure messages” on the sidebar.

Final Thoughts

The Ritz-Carlton card is a fantastic rewards card with a long list of benefits, including an annual Free Night award certificate, an annual $300 airline incidental travel credit, Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status, and 3 annual Ritz-Carlton Club level upgrade certificates.

Although the Ritz-Carlton card is closed to new applicants, it is still possible to get it. If you have held an existing Chase co-branded Marriott Bonvoy card for at least 12 months, you can product change or upgrade it.