Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Credit Card Review 2024
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex card includes perks such Platinum elite status and an annual free night worth up to 85K points on your anniversary.
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The information for the following product(s) has been collected independently by Business Insider: Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card, Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card, Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card. The details for these products have not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.
If you frequently stay at Marriott hotels, the
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card - Product Name Only Overview
This card's annual fee is
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 restaurants worldwide, 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 85,000 points per night. You can get massive value from this benefit alone, especially if you use this free night at an expensive Marriott hotel.
The card also offers up to $25 in statement credits per month for eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide. If you max out this annual credit, you're effectively reducing the card's annual fee to $350.
The
If you're considering the
Read our full review below to see how you can best maximize the benefits of this premium Marriott credit card.
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card - Product Name Only Rewards
Welcome Bonus
The
How to Earn Points
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 5x points for having Platinum elite status from the card)
- 3x points on dining at restaurants worldwide
- 3x points on flights purchased directly from airlines
- 2x points per dollar on all other eligible purchases
How to Use Points
You can redeem Marriott points and free night rewards at over 7,000 participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels in cities around the world. Marriott has 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.
Additionally, Marriott Bonvoy allows you to convert your points into frequent flyer miles with over 40 Marriott Bonvoy 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) in most cases. Transfers to United Airlines MileagePlus get an extra bonus — for every 60,000 Marriott points you transfer to United, you'll receive 30,000 United miles.
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.
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card - Product Name Only Benefits and Features
Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite Status
As long as you have the
- 50% bonus points on stays at Marriott properties
- Enhanced room upgrades (including select suites)
- Hotel lounge access and complimentary breakfast at hotel brands that have lounges
- A welcome gift on arrival (points, breakfast offering, or amenity depending on brand)
- Guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout (subject to availability at resorts and convention hotels)
- Annual Choice Benefit for members with 50 elite night credits (five Suite Night Awards, 40% off a mattress and box spring from your favorite hotel brand, give the gift of Silver Elite status to a family member or friend, $100 charity donation, or five elite night credits)
- Complimentary enhanced in-room internet access
The card also helps you climb toward higher levels of elite status, providing 25 qualifying nights every year just for having the card.
Even better, holding this card can help you earn lifetime Marriott elite status. To earn lifetime Marriott Platinum elite status, for example, you need to rack up 600 qualifying nights and 10 years as a Platinum elite or higher. Holding the card for 10 years will accomplish half of the requirements, while the elite night credits (more about those below) you earn each year as a cardholder count toward the qualifying nights you need.
If 600 qualifying nights doesn't sound possible between the card's annual qualifying nights and your planned stays at Marriott Bonvoy properties, keep in mind you can also use this strategy to qualify for the lower levels of Marriott lifetime elite status: Gold (400 qualifying nights and seven years with Gold status or higher) and Silver (250 qualifying nights, five years as Silver status or higher).
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 85,000 points per night. Depending on when you travel, that could get you a night at a very upscale property. Marriott also offers 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 100,000 points.
Monthly $25 Dining Credit
The card offers up to $300 in statement credits every year toward eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide (up to $25 in statement credits per month). This benefit starts as soon as you open the card, so as long as you spend at least $25 per month at restaurants, this alone offsets almost half of the card's annual fee.
Annual Earned Choice Award
Cardholders who've spent at least $60,000 in a calendar year can select an Earned Choice Award from the following list:
- Five Suite Night Awards
- $1,000 off a bed from Marriott Bonvoy Boutiques
- Free Night Award with a redemption value of up to 85,000 points
You can make your selection on Marriott's Choice Benefit site after you've met the spending threshold for the calendar year. If you don't choose by March 1 of the year following the qualifying year, you'll receive five Suite Night Awards by default.
$100 Marriott Bonvoy Property Credit
Holding the
25 Elite Night Credits Each Calendar Year
As mentioned above, in addition to offering complimentary Platinum elite status in the Marriott Bonvoy program, the
You can even stack the elite night credits from this card with those from 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 card member receives a credit toward enrollment in Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, 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
Baggage Insurance Plan
When you purchase a ticket on an airline or other common carrier with your
Trip Delay Insurance
The card's trip delay insurance can reimburse you up to $500 for meals, lodging, toiletries, medication, and other personal items if you've paid for a covered trip with your
Purchase Protection
Your eligible purchases are covered by purchase protection 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 Annual Fee and Other Costs
The
Beyond that, you can avoid most other fees on the
Like most other cards, the
Compare the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card - Product Name Only
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
There are also two mid-range Marriott cards to consider:
Let's look at one alternative Marriott card, and one alternative premium credit card below.
The
While the
The
Read our
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Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card - Product Name Only Frequently Asked Questions
What credit score do you need for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card - Product Name Only ?
Most people who are approved for the
Who is eligible for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card - Product Name Only ?
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
Is the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card - Product Name Only card worth it?
For frequent Marriott travelers, especially those who spend at least $25 per month on dining and can take advantage of Platinum elite status, the
Does Marriott have a no-annual-fee credit card?
If you're opposed to paying an annual fee, there's the no-annual-fee
Is the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card - Product Name Only card metal?
Yes, the
Are additional card members free on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card - Product Name Only ?
There's no additional fee to add authorized users to the
Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card - Product Name Only
Personal Finance Insider's credit cards team evaluated the
- Ease of use — Does the card come with benefits that are easy to use and activate? Is using rewards straightforward, or are there complicated award charts to navigate?
- Earning potential — Is the card's welcome bonus and earning structure competitive compared to similar cards (especially premium cards)? Are any of the bonus categories capped at a maximum amount of spending?
- Benefits — Are the card's benefits useful for travel, and can they save you money or make your journey more comfortable? Do the perks help offset the annual fee?
- Annual fee — If the card has a high annual fee, is it justified by the rewards and benefits you receive?
For a closer look at our methodology, read about how we rate credit cards at Personal Finance Insider.