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Review: Is the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant the best card for you?
If you frequently stay at Marriott hotels, the
It has a
You’ll earn 6 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program, 3 points per dollar spent on airline tickets and at US restaurants, and 2 points per dollar spent everywhere else. You’ll also earn a free night certificate every year after your card renewal month, which you can redeem at Marriott Bonvoy properties that cost up to 50,000 points per night. Especially if you use this free night at an expensive Marriott hotel, you can get some great value from this benefit alone.
The card also offers an annual credit of up to $300 toward purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program. It applies to room rates as well as on-site purchases like room service or spa treatments. If you max out this annual credit, you’re effectively reducing the card’s annual fee to $150.
The
Comparison: American Express Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant vs other Marriott credit cards
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Annual fee |
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Rewards rate |
6x bonus points* on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program 3x points at US restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines 2x points on all other purchases |
6x bonus points* on eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels 3x points at grocery stores, gas stations, and on dining (on up to $6,000 in combined purchases per year) 2x points on all other eligible purchases |
3x bonus points* on eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels 2x points on other travel purchases 1 point per dollar on everything else |
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Welcome bonus |
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Marriott benefits |
Up to $300 annual statement credit for purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Gold elite status Annual free night award*** 15 elite night credits each calendar year |
Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Silver elite status Annual free night award**** 15 elite night credits each calendar year |
15 elite night credits each calendar year |
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Other card benefits |
Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership** Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit Secondary car rental insurance Trip cancellation and interruption insurance Baggage insurance plan Trip delay insurance Travel accident insurance Purchase protection Extended warranty Return protection Premium Global Assist Hotline No foreign transaction fees |
Car rental insurance (secondary in the US, primary otherwise) Lost luggage reimbursement Trip delay reimbursement Baggage delay insurance Purchase protection Extended warranty Travel and emergency assistance services Visa Signature concierge No foreign transaction fees |
Lost luggage reimbursement Baggage delay reimbursement Trip delay reimbursement Purchase protection Visa Signature concierge No foreign transaction fees |
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*Bonus points at Marriott hotels are in addition to the points members would normally earn from a stay
***the
****the
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex vs other premium cards
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Annual fee |
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Rewards rate |
6x bonus points* on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program 3x points at US restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines 2x points on all other purchases |
5x points on flights purchased from airlines or Amex Travel**** 5x points on prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel 1 point per dollar on all other purchases |
14x points* at Hilton hotels 7x points on eligible flights booked with the airline, car rentals booked with select rental companies, and at US restaurants 3x points on all other eligible purchases |
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Welcome bonus |
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Hotel benefits |
Up to $300 annual statement credit for purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Gold elite status Annual free night award*** 15 elite night credits each calendar year |
Complimentary Gold elite status with Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy (enrollment required) Up to $200 in credits per year toward prepaid hotel bookings through Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts or The Hotel Collection (minimum two-night stay) Access to the Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts program |
$250 annual Hilton resort statement credit Automatic Hilton Honors Diamond elite status Annual weekend night certificate Another free weekend night certificate after you spend a total of $60,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year Up to $100 in on-property credits for minimum stays of two nights at participating Waldorf Astoria and Conrad properties |
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Other card benefits |
Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership** Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit Secondary car rental insurance Trip cancellation and interruption insurance Baggage insurance plan Trip delay insurance Travel accident insurance Purchase protection Extended warranty Return protection Premium Global Assist Hotline No foreign transaction fees |
Up to $200 in airline fee credits each calendar year** Up to $100 in Saks credits each calendar year Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit Up to $300 annually (up to $25 per month) in Equinox credits $179 per year in credits for CLEAR membership** Up to $240 in annual credits (up to $20 per month) toward eligible digital subscriptions****** Up to $200 in Uber Cash each calendar year Airport lounge access (Priority Pass, Centurion lounges, and more) Secondary car rental insurance Trip cancellation insurance Baggage insurance Trip delay insurance Return protection Purchase protection Extended warranty Premium Global Assist Hotline Discounts and bonuses through Amex Offers** No foreign transaction fees |
Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership** Up to $250 in airline incidental fee credits per calendar year Secondary car rental insurance Baggage insurance plan Premium Global Assist Hotline American Express Concierge Return protection Purchase protection Extended warranty Access to discounts and bonus points through Amex Offers** No foreign transaction fees |
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*Bonus points at Marriott and Hilton hotels are in addition to the points members would normally earn from a stay
***the
****starting January 1, 2021, the
******Eligible digital subscriptions include Hulu, ESPN+, Disney+, Audible, SiriusXM, The New York Times, and Peacock
How to earn points with the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card
The
- 6 points per dollar at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels (this is in addition to up to 10x points for being a Marriott Bonvoy member and up to 2.5x points for having Gold elite status from the card)
- 3x points on dining at US restaurants (including takeout and delivery)
- 3x points on flights purchased directly from airlines
- 2 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases
Read more: The best hotel credit cards
How to use Marriott points
You can redeem your Marriott Bonvoy points and free night rewards at over 7,000 participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels in cities around the world. Marriott recently eliminated its award charts and moved to dynamic pricing, which means the price of an award night will vary based on demand, the paid price of the room, season, and other factors.
Award nights start as low as 5,000 points and go up to 120,000 points per night. If you use your points to book a stay of five nights or more, you’ll get the least expensive night for free. This discount is automatically calculated when you search for a stay of five or more nights on marriott.com.
Read more: How to earn, redeem, and maximize Marriott Bonvoy points
Additionally, Marriott Bonvoy allows you to convert your points into frequent flyer miles with over 40 partner airlines — more than any other loyalty program. You’ll receive 1,000 airline miles for every 3,000 points transferred, with a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 points (so 60,000 points becomes 25,000 airline miles). Transfers to United Airlines MileagePlus get an extra 10% bonus.
You’re best off using your points to book Marriott stays, though, since you don’t have to worry about odd transfer ratios, and you can score some real deals — especially when you can lock in off-peak travel dates at high-end hotels that would cost hundreds of dollars a night if you paid in cash.
There are other redemption options available, including cashing in points for gift cards, rental cars, and experiences like concerts and events.
Read more: I haven’t paid for a hotel room in 10 years — here’s how I stay for free
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant benefits and features
Complimentary Gold elite status with Marriott Bonvoy
As long as you have the
- 25% bonus points on stays at Marriott properties
- Enhanced room upgrades
- A welcome gift of 250 or 500 bonus points at check-in
- Late checkout, subject to availability
- Complimentary enhanced in-room internet access
The card also helps you climb toward higher levels of elite status, providing 15 qualifying nights every year just for having the card. You can also obtain complimentary Platinum elite status by spending $75,000 on the card in a calendar year.
Read more: The best Marriott credit cards
Annual free night award
Every year after your account card renewal month, you’ll receive a free night award valid at Marriott Bonvoy properties charging up to 50,000 points per night. Depending on when you travel, that could get you a night at a very upscale property. Marriott will also soon add the ability to top-up free night certificates with up to 15,000 Marriott points from your account, making this certificate potentially useful at hotels that cost up to 65,000 points.
Annual $300 statement credit
You’ll also receive up to a $300 credit every year valid for eligible purchases made directly at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program, including room rates and incidentals. This benefit starts as soon as you open the card, so as long as you spend at least $300 per year at Marriott hotels, this alone offsets most of the card’s annual fee.
$100 Marriott Bonvoy property credit
Holding the
15 elite night credits each calendar year
As mentioned above, in addition to offering complimentary Gold elite status in the Marriott Bonvoy program, the
Priority Pass Select membership
The card includes a complimentary membership to the Priority Pass network of airport lounges, with more than 1,300 locations around the world (activation is required).
Global Entry/TSA PreCheck enrollment credit
The primary cardmember receives a credit toward enrollment in Global Entry ($100) or TSA PreCheck ($85), making your travel experience easier. This credit can be used once every 4 or 4.5 years (exact dates vary by program) so as long as you have the card you’ll never have to pay to maintain your membership in these trusted traveler programs.
Car rental loss and damage insurance
When you use your
Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
If you paid for a covered trip with your
Read more: The best credit cards with travel insurance
Baggage insurance plan
When you purchase a ticket on an airline or other common carrier with your
Trip delay insurance
You can get reimbursed up to $500 for meals, lodging, toiletries, medication, and other personal items if you’ve paid for a covered trip with your
Read more: The best credit cards with trip delay insurance
Travel accident insurance
If the unthinkable happens to you or a loved one on a trip you booked with your
Purchase protection
Your eligible purchases are covered against accidental damage or theft for 120 days, up to $10,000 per claim and up to $50,000 per account.
Extended warranty
Cardholders can also get an extended warranty on eligible items when they use their
Return protection
If you purchased an eligible item with the
Premium Global Assist Hotline
Cardholders get access to Amex’s Premium Global Assist Hotline, which can help arrange things like passport replacement, medical referrals, and translation services.
The service itself is complimentary, but you may be responsible for any third-party costs. One big difference from the regular (versus premium) Global Assist Hotline is emergency medical evacuation coverage — Amex may provide emergency medical transportation assistance at no cost if it’s approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline.
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card fees and costs
The
Beyond that, you can avoid most other fees on the
Other
- Cash advances: 5% of the amount of each cash advance, with a minimum charge of $10
(See Rates) - Cash advance APR: 25.49%
(See Rates) - Late payment fee: Up to $40
(See Rates) - Returned payment fee: Up to $40
(See Rates) - Penalty APR for late payments and payments returned by your bank: 29.99% (variable)
(See Rates)
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant — Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What credit score do you need for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant?
Most people who are approved for the
Read more: 4 ways to boost your credit score in 30 days, according to a financial planner
If you’re still working on building your credit, read about how to increase your credit score and how using credit cards can help improve your score.
Who is eligible for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant?
Because both Amex and Chase issue Marriott co-branded cards, the rules for who can get approved for the
To start, if you already have (or have had) the
You also aren’t eligible for the welcome bonus on this card if any of the following apply to you:
- You are a current cardmember, or were a previous cardmember within the last 30 days, of The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card from JPMorgan or J.P. Morgan Ritz-Carlton Rewards® Credit Card
- You’ve opened the
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Is the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card worth it?
For frequent travelers who spend at least $300 a year at Marriott hotels, the
However, if you don’t stay with Marriott that often or aren’t sure you can use the card’s premium benefits, you’re likely better served by cards like the
Is the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card metal?
Yes, the
Are additional card members free on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant?
There’s no additional fee to add authorized users to the
One exception is the $100 property credit on qualifying stays of two nights or more at The Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis hotels and resorts, which both the basic cardholder and any authorized users can use.
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