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Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant? American Express? Card Review: Benefit-Rich but Pricey

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant? American Express? Card review
Key Takeaways
  • What we think: Although the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant? American Express? Card has a steep $650 annual fee (see rates and fees), it comes jam-packed with valuable benefits that can easily make it worthwhile — Platinum Elite status, no foreign transaction fees, an annual Free Night Award, and Priority Pass lounge access, to name a few.
  • Once you have enough Marriott Bonvoy Points?, you can redeem them for flights, cruises, hotel stays, gift cards or products from major brands. American Express also allows you to transfer your points to your favorite airline loyalty program.
  • The annual Free Night Award entitles you to a one-night stay at any participating property that has a redemption value of no more than 85,000 points per night.
  • 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.
Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Extensive perks
  • Generous rewards rate
  • Many eligible properties worldwide

Cons

  • High annual fee
  • Few redemption options
  • Large spending requirement for welcome offer
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant? American Express? Card
LEARN MORE
4.0
Annual Fee?
$650
Welcome Offer?
95,000 points
Regular APR?
20.49% to 29.49% variable
Recommended Credit?
Good/Excellent (690 - 850)
EARNING REWARDS
Earn 6X points per dollar spent at participating hotels, 3X points at restaurants worldwide, 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines, and 2X points on other eligible purchases.
Show More Show Less

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant? American Express? Card: Review

Is Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant worth it?

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card is worth it if you travel frequently and always stay at Marriott, and if you dine out often enough to earn a statement credit of up to $25 per month on your restaurant spending.

The card has a steep annual fee ($650, see rates and fees), so it’s not worth it if you plan to use it for everyday purchases instead of maximizing your hotel and dining benefits.

??? See more: Best credit cards for restaurants and dining

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant? Card: Highlights

Who is the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant? Card best for?

The Bonvoy Brilliant card is best for people who travel frequently and prefer to stay at Marriott properties rather than booking with other hotel brands. You’ll earn the most points by staying at participating Marriott hotels, using your card at restaurants and purchasing airfare with your Bonvoy Brilliant card. If you don’t travel much or don’t stay at Marriott often, you may not earn enough points to make the $650 annual fee worthwhile.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant? American Express? Card: Rewards

Welcome bonus

If you spend $6,000 on your card within your first six months of membership, you can earn 95,000 points.

Earning points

With the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant, you can earn:

Redeeming points

As a Bonvoy Brilliant cardholder, you have access to the following redemption methods:

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant? American Express? Card: Benefits

Marriott perks

Other perks

Cardholder protections

*Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/?benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant? American Express? Card: The fine print

Fees

Interest rates

Credit limit

The minimum credit limit for the Bonvoy Brilliant is around $3,000, but some cardholders have reported limits of over $20,000. Your limit is set depending on your income and credit history and may be able to be increased over time.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant? American Express? Card: Drawbacks

Insanely high annual fee

At $650 per year, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant? American Express? Card’s annual fee is overwhelming. For the Marriott super-loyalist, perks like an annual free night, Platinum Elite status, and an annual property credit can easily help justify that cost. Moreover, if you can maximize the $300 annual dining credit, that almost cuts the fee in half. However, if you’re not set on Marriott, you don’t travel much, or you don’t go out to eat often, it could be difficult to get enough value out of this card.

??? For other Marriott options, see: Best Marriott credit cards

Little value outside of Marriott

The most bang for your buck comes from booking Marriott stays, as you can earn 6X points per dollar. Outside of that, it falls short, only earning 3X points on flights, 3X at restaurants, and 2X on other eligible purchases. These points are also less valuable than many hotel or travel cards, at only 0.7 to 0.9 cents apiece, so you have to rack up significantly more to redeem them for anything worthwhile.

If you do earn enough points, it makes the most sense to redeem them for free nights at eligible Marriott properties. While this is good for the Marriott loyalist, if you prefer to change up where you stay and don’t want to be locked into one specific hotel brand, this may feel limiting. In that case, you may want to look at general travel cards with hotel perks.

How Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant compares

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant? vs. Marriott Bonvoy Bevy? American Express? Card

Both the Bonvoy Brilliant and the Bonvoy Bevy give you 6X points on Marriott hotel stays, but the Bonvoy Brilliant is better for people who fly frequently, as it gives you 3X back on airfare. In contrast, the Bonvoy Bevy prioritizes dining and grocery purchases, giving you 4X points on up to $15,000 in combined restaurant and U.S. supermarket spending each year. Bevy cardholders get 2X back on all other purchases, including flights (see rates and fees).

Another difference between the two rewards credit cards is that you can earn a little more by combining your Bonvoy Brilliant benefits with your Marriott Elite benefits. With Bevy, you get complimentary Gold Elite Status, which gives you access to 25% bonus points on Marriott hotel stays. Bonvoy Brilliant comes with Platinum Elite Status, increasing the bonus to 50%. Therefore, you can earn up to 18.5X with Bevy and 21X with Brilliant.

Both cards come with plenty of perks, but the best credit card for you depends on your spending habits. If you travel frequently, stick with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant to maximize your earnings on flights and hotel stays. If you’re a homebody, the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy is ideal for earning rewards on your everyday purchases.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant? vs. The Platinum Card? from American Express

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant is a card for Marriott loyalists, with a ton of Marriott-centric perks to help make the exorbitant annual fee worthwhile. In the same class is The Platinum Card? from American Express, with a $695 annual fee (see rates and fees) and a ton of valuable credits and benefits. The Platinum Card is a general travel card, so it doesn’t specifically favor Marriott, but it still comes with Marriott Gold Elite status.

Cardholders can also take advantage of up to a $200 annual hotel statement credit for eligible bookings, complimentary exclusive airport lounge access, over $1,500 worth of statement credits, and more. If you’re still in the market for a premium travel credit card but want to open up your options to more than just Marriott, The Platinum Card? from American Express is worth considering.

??? Read more: Amex Platinum Card review

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant? American Express? Card

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant? American Express? Card
LEARN MORE
4.0
Annual Fee?
$650
Welcome Offer?
95,000 points
Regular APR?
20.49% to 29.49% variable
Recommended Credit?
Good/Excellent (690 - 850)
EARNING REWARDS
Earn 6X points per dollar spent at participating hotels, 3X points at restaurants worldwide, 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines, and 2X points on other eligible purchases.
Show More Show Less

Marriott Bonvoy Bevy? American Express? Card

Marriott Bonvoy Bevy? American Express? Card
LEARN MORE
4.0
Annual Fee?
$250
Welcome Offer?
85,000 points
Regular APR?
20.49% to 29.49% variable
Recommended Credit?
Good/Excellent (690 - 850)
EARNING REWARDS
Earn 6X points per dollar spent at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, 4X points on up to $15,000/year at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (then 2X), and 2X points on all other eligible purchases.
Show More Show Less

The Platinum Card? from American Express

The Platinum Card? from American Express
LEARN MORE
4.6
Annual Fee?
$695
Welcome Offer?
80,000 points
Regular APR?
See Pay Over Time APR
Recommended Credit?
Good/Excellent (690 - 850)
EARNING REWARDS
Earn 5X Membership Rewards? points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year), 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel, and 1X points on other eligible purchases.
Show More Show Less

Should you get the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant? Card?

If you:

Then yes, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant? American Express? Card seems like it could make a worthy addition to your wallet. However, if you said no to even one of those bullet points, you may want to keep looking.

? ? ? ? ?

For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant? American Express? Card, please visit this page.

For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy? American Express? Card, please visit this page.

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card? from American Express, please visit this page.

FAQ: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant? American Express? Card

What is the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card's annual fee?

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant has an annual fee of $650.

What credit score do you need for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card?

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant is for consumers with credit scores in the good to excellent range. American Express doesn’t publish its minimum score requirements, but we recommend that you have a FICO? score of at least 690 before applying.

Does the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card have airport lounge access?

Yes. The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant comes with a Priority Pass Select membership, which gives you access to more than 1,200 airport lounges.

What is the credit limit for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant? American Express? Card?

American Express doesn’t publicize its minimum and maximum credit limits, but some Marriott Bonvoy users report having limits higher than $20,000.

How much are Marriott Bonvoy points worth?

Marriott Bonvoy points are usually worth 0.7 to 0.9 cents each.

How do you apply for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant? American Express? Card?

The Bonvoy Brilliant card is designed for consumers with good to excellent credit scores.

American Express doesn’t advertise its minimum score requirements, but you should have at least a 690 before you apply for this card. It’s even better if you have a score in the 700s or 800s. Remember that your credit score isn’t the only factor that affects your eligibility for credit cards and loans. Even if you have a high credit score, you may be denied based on your income or the amount of debt you have.

If you’re confident you qualify, you can learn more about the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card and apply online.

Once you’ve opened the application, follow these steps:

  1. Fill in your name, annual income and total assets.
  2. Add your Marriott Bonvoy member number, if you have one.
  3. Review the terms and conditions.
  4. Submit your application.

In some cases, American Express provides instant approval or denial. However, you may have to wait for a letter explaining the company’s decision.

American Express is more than just a credit card issuer

The first step in growing and maintaining consistent savings is to understand your personal finances through checking and savings accounts, credit cards, and more.

If you want to save and grow your money, consider the following Amex products:

About the Author

Leigh Morgan
Leigh Morgan Personal Finance

Leigh Morgan is a seasoned personal finance contributor with over 15 years of experience writing on a diverse range of professional legal and financial topics. She specializes in subjects like navigating the complexities of insurance, savings, zero-based budgeting and emergency fund development.

In the last five years, she’s authored over 300 articles for credit unions, digital banks, and financial professionals. Morgan is also the author of “77 Tips for Preventing Elder Financial Abuse,” a book focused on helping caregivers protect the elderly from financial scams.

In addition to her writing skills, she brings real-world financial acumen thanks to her previous experience managing rental properties as part of a $34 million real estate portfolio.

* Opinions expressed here are those of LA Times Compare and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser or entities included within this content. See our editorial policy for more details.

All products or services are presented in this content without warranty. The information, including card details such as rates and fees, is accurate at the time of publication. Please visit each bank's website directly for the most current information.

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