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Having top-tier status for your hotel stays is a game-changer. With status, you get perks like room upgrades, free breakfast, and late checkout, which can all help elevate a basic hotel stay to a memorable occasion.
The premium Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card gives you that top status, albeit with an annual fee of $650 (Rates & Fees). However, the card also has an array of other premium benefits, including up to $300 in annual dining credits, an annual free night worth up to 85,000 points, and airport lounge access via a Priority Pass Select membership.
With all of these perks, is the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card the right card for you? Let's take a look.
- Earn up to 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points. Earn 100,000 points after you spend $6,000 and an extra 50,000 points after you spend an additional $2,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- $300 Brilliant Dining Credit: Each calendar year, get up to $300 (up to $25 per month) in statement credits for eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card at restaurants worldwide.
- With Marriott Bonvoy® Platinum Elite Status, you can receive room upgrades, including enhanced views or suites, when the stay is booked with a Qualifying Rate at hotels that participate in Marriott Bonvoy, subject to availability upon check-in.
- Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Earn 3X Marriott Bonvoy® points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines and 2X Marriott Bonvoy® points on all other eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card.
- Free Night Award: Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Each calendar year after spending $60,000 on eligible purchases on your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, you will be eligible to select a Brilliant Earned Choice Award benefit. You can only earn one Brilliant Earned Choice Award per calendar year. See https://www.choice-benefit.marriott.com/brilliant for Award options.
- $100 Marriott Bonvoy® Property Credit: Enjoy your stay. Receive up to a $100 property credit for qualifying charges at The Ritz-Carlton® or St. Regis® when you book direct using a special rate for a two-night minimum stay using your Card.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®: Receive either a statement credit every 4 years after you apply for Global Entry ($120) or a statement credit every 4.5 years after you apply for a five-year membership for TSA PreCheck® (up to $85 through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider) and pay the application fee with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card you can receive 25 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy® Elite status. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express.
- Enroll in Priority Pass Select, which offers unlimited airport lounge visits to over 1,200 lounges in over 130 countries, regardless of which carrier or class you are flying. This allows you to relax before or between flights. You can enjoy snacks, drinks, and internet access in a quiet, comfortable location.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on international purchases.
- With Cell Phone Protection*, you can be reimbursed, the lesser of, your repair or replacement costs following damage, such as a cracked screen, or theft for a maximum of $800 per claim when your cell phone line is listed on a wireless bill and the prior month's wireless bill was paid by an Eligible Card Account. A $50 deductible will apply to each approved claim with a limit of 2 approved claims per 12-month period. Additional terms and conditions apply. *Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 6X points on purchases at Marriott Properties
- 3X points at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery
- 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines
- 2X points on all other eligible purchases
Page Contents
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card Pros
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card Cons
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card Welcome Bonus
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card Benefits
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card Earning Rates
- Redeeming Points With the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card
- Application Restrictions
- Cards That Compete With the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card
- Bottom Line
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card Pros
- Annual Free Night Award worth up to 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points
- Automatic Platinum Elite status
- Up to $300 in dining credits each year (up to $25 per month) for eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card Cons
- $650 annual fee (Rates & Fees)
- Complex application rules may prevent you from earning a welcome bonus if you’ve had certain other Marriott cards
- Marriott’s dynamic pricing can make it hard to get consistent value from points or your Free Night Award
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card Welcome Bonus
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card is currently offering up to 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points Earn 100,000 points after you spend $6,000 and an extra 50,000 points after you spend an additional $2,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership.
What's that worth? Consider that AwardWallet users typically redeem Marriott points at 0.94¢ each. The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card has a varied offer history, with 185,000 bonus points being the highest bonus we've ever seen on this card.
Related: The Best Credit Card Offers Available Right Now
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card Benefits
With a $650 annual fee, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card falls into the ultra-premium travel card category. To help offset the annual fee and provide additional value for cardholders, Amex has included top-tier ongoing benefits you’ll receive just for having the card and paying the annual fee.
Up to $300 annual dining credit
Cardholders can receive up to $300 in statement credits per calendar year (up to $25 per month) for eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide.
A $300 dining credit is great; however, the $25 per month restriction is somewhat limiting. It's easy to maximize the value of a $300 credit if you can use the entire credit at one time. Having a $25 monthly credit isn't as convenient. That being said, most people will have no problem spending $25 on restaurant purchases each month.
Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
Anniversary free night valued up to 85,000 points
One of the most valuable perks of any co-branded hotel card is the free night award you receive each year when you pay the annual fee. The free night on Marriott's premium card knocks this perk out of the park. The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card provides an anniversary Free Night Award worth up to 85,000 points. That is a powerhouse benefit and enough to put you in some of Marriott's top properties around the globe.
You can also add up to 15,000 points to your free night award to redeem it for a higher-value property.
Related: Top Hotels for Your Marriott Bonvoy Credit Card Free Nights
Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status
Complimentary Marriott Platinum Elite status may be the most valuable ongoing benefit of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card. The typical way to earn Platinum Elite status requires a minimum of 50 elite night credits in a calendar year, but having the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card means you'll get it immediately and enjoy these perks:
- 50% bonus points on stays
- 4 p.m. guaranteed late checkout
- In-hotel welcome gift (choice of points, breakfast offering, or amenity — varies by brand)
- Room upgrades — including select suites (based on availability)
- Lounge access
If you do reach 50 qualifying elite night credits, you'll also receive an Annual Choice Benefit. This benefit offers a selection between the following options: 5 Nightly Upgrade Awards, a $1,000 discount on a Marriott bed purchase, 5 elite night credits added to your account, gift Silver Elite status to someone, or a $100 charity donation.
Annual Earned Choice Award
This award is similar to the Annual Choice Benefit for reaching 50 nights. However, instead of the 50-night requirement, this perk is available to cardholders who spend $60,000 or more in purchases each calendar year. Available benefit options include 5 Nightly Upgrade Awards, a $1,000 discount on a Marriott bed purchase, or a free night award with a redemption value up to 85,000 points.
If you make $60,000 or more in eligible purchases on your card this year, you'll need to sign in to your Marriott Bonvoy account and choose your benefit by February 1, 2026. If you do not pick a benefit by the deadline, you'll automatically receive 5 Nightly Upgrade Awards deposited in your account as your selection.
Elite night credits
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card also offers 25 elite night credits every year you hold the card, which puts you halfway toward earning the Annual Choice Benefit. You can use this boost to help reach the higher tiers of Titanium Elite or Ambassador Elite in the Marriott Bonvoy program.
Other Marriott co-branded personal credit cards offer 15 elite night credits. Unfortunately, elite night credits earned on multiple personal cards do not stack. However, if you have both a personal and a business card, you can stack the elite night credits from each card. That's a huge incentive to get a business and a personal Marriott credit card.
Priority Pass Select membership
Complimentary airport lounge access has become ubiquitous with premium travel rewards cards. It's rare for a top-tier rewards card not to offer some form of lounge access. To that end, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card includes a Priority Pass Select membership.
This membership provides unlimited complimentary access to over 1,700 lounges worldwide for the primary cardholder, plus up to two guests (when permitted). Additional guests are charged at $35 per person at most lounges. Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credit
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card includes a statement credit of up to $120 for Global Entry or up to $85 for TSA PreCheck application costs. This perk is available once every four years for Global Entry or every 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck. Global Entry and TSA PreCheck provide access to the expedited immigration and security lines at airports.
Global Entry includes access to TSA PreCheck for a slightly higher price. If you want to maximize this credit, we recommend applying for Global Entry over TSA PreCheck. Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
Related: Expedited Security Screening Programs: How to Get Them for Free
Other benefits
Cardholders also receive several travel and shopping protections when they charge eligible purchases to their card:
- No foreign transaction fees (Rates & Fees)
- Secondary car rental loss and damage insurance
- Baggage insurance plan
- Trip delay insurance
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
- Extended warranty
- Cellphone protection
- Purchase protection
- Return protection
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card Earning Rates
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card earns:
- 6X points on purchases at Marriott Properties
- 3X points at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery
- 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines
- 2X points on all other eligible purchases
To be frank, the card falls short of the best cards for everyday spending. However, it’s worth running the numbers on how you’ll use the points before deciding on a rewards-earning strategy, not focusing solely on point values.
Related: Ways To Earn Marriott Points Without Staying at a Hotel
Redeeming Points With the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card
Marriott Bonvoy members have a wide range of redemption options, including transferring points to airline programs or redeeming points for a stay at a Marriott property in more than 140 countries around the world.
Hotel stays
You can redeem your Bonvoy points for stays at some of Marriott's top luxury hotels or make your points go further with a more budget-savvy redemption.
Marriott uses a dynamic award pricing model in which the number of points needed for a free night varies based on demand. There is no fixed award chart with categories, which can make it harder to find outsized value for your points.
You can stretch your points redemptions by taking advantage of Marriott's fifth-night-free benefit when booking award stays. For every booking of five consecutive nights that you make, you'll get the lowest-point value night free. This also works on longer stays, as long as your reservation is a multiple of five nights. For example, with a 10-night award redemption, you'll get the lowest two nights of those 10 nights for free.
Airline transfers
You can also redeem points by transferring them to one of the nearly 40 Marriott Bonvoy partner airline programs. Marriott points transfer to most partners at a 3:1 transfer ratio. You'll also get 5,000 bonus miles for every 60,000 points transferred with most programs (excluding American Airlines AAdvantage®, Avianca LifeMiles, and Delta SkyMiles). As such, you'll get 25,000 miles for every 60,000 points transferred to most airlines.
United Airlines has an enhanced bonus of 10,000 United miles when you transfer at least 60,000 Bonvoy points at a time. That means you will receive a total of 30,000 United MileagePlus miles when you transfer 60,000 Bonvoy points.
Other redemption options
In addition to Marriott stays and transferring to airline partners, there are a few other options for redeeming your points. You can:
- Book cruises, flights, car rentals, and more in the Marriott travel portal.
- Use points to buy merchandise or gift cards in the Marriott shopping portal.
- Enjoy unique culinary, sports, and entertainment experiences through Marriott Bonvoy Moments.
Just be sure to consider your redemption rate before redeeming for these options. AwardWallet users have redeemed Marriott points at an average of 0.94¢ per point. If possible, we don't recommend redeeming your points for less.
Application Restrictions
Marriott has overly complex application restrictions for its credit card lineup. There are the typical “once per lifetime” restrictions on earning a welcome offer that those who have applied for other Amex cards may know about, plus the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card also has complicated application restrictions that affect co-branded cards from both Amex and Chase.
Amex ‘once per lifetime' language
The first restriction is one that existing Amex cardholders may know well:
“You may not be eligible to receive a welcome offer if you have or have had this Card or the Starwood Preferred Guest® American Express Luxury Card or previous versions of these Cards. You also may not be eligible to receive a welcome offer based on various factors, such as your history with credit card balance transfers, your history as an American Express Card Member, the number of credit cards that you have opened and closed and other factors.”
Marriott-specific card restrictions
The second part is where it gets a little tricky. So much so that we wrote an entire article to explain Marriott's credit card restrictions. This policy can trip up a lot of applicants as they apply across both card providers.
“Welcome offer not available to applicants who
(i) have or have had The Ritz-Carlton® Credit Card from JPMorgan or the J.P. Morgan Ritz-Carlton Rewards® Credit Card in the last 30 days
(ii) have acquired the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card from Chase, or the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card from Chase in the last 90 days, or
(iii) received a new Card Member bonus or upgrade offer for the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card from Chase, or the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card from Chase in the last 24 months.”
These application restrictions may prevent many in the points and miles community from getting the welcome offer on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card. It's also worth noting that Amex only allows you to have five credit cards at any time.
Related: Understanding Rewards Credit Card Application Rules and Restrictions
Cards That Compete With the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card
With the right strategy, it's possible to make the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card worth its annual fee. However, if you're not convinced the card is right for you, here are a few additional cards worth highlighting:
- If you want to earn Marriott points with a lower annual fee, look into the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card. It has a $250 annual fee (Rates & Fees) and includes complimentary Gold Elite status. It also offers 15 elite night credits annually and earns 4x points on up to $15,000 in combined purchases per year at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. However, it doesn't come with a complimentary free night award; you'll need to spend $15,000 on purchases annually to receive a free night award (worth up to 50,000 points). Learn more in our Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Card review. Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
- If you want a premium card that offers more flexible redemption options, The Platinum Card® from American Express charges a similarly high annual fee of $695 (Rates & Fees) and comes with hundreds of dollars in statement credits each year. It also provides Marriott Gold Elite status, plus the points that you earn with your card can be transferred to Marriott at a 1:1 ratio, though you will likely receive more value by transferring them to one of Amex's 18 airline partners for redemptions. Cardholders also get access to Priority Pass and American Express lounges. Learn more in our Amex Platinum review. Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
- If you want top-tier hotel status and aren't committed to Marriott, check out the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card. This card offers complimentary Diamond elite status, 14x points per $1 spent on Hilton purchases, hundreds of dollars in spending credits, and an annual Free Night Reward. Though the annual fee is $550, it can be well worth the cost for the card's many benefits, though note lounge access was removed from the card. Read our Hilton Aspire review to learn more. Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
(Terms Apply)
- 6X points on purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy
- 4X points on up to $15,000 in combined purchases per year at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets
- 2X points on all other eligible purchases
(Terms apply)
- Earn 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year).
- Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®.
- 14X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton Portfolio
- 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com, car rentals booked directly through select rental companies, and at U.S. restaurants
- 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card
Related: Making Sense of the Marriott Bonvoy Co-Branded Cards
Bottom Line
If your travels often include a stay at a Marriott hotel, but you don't quite stay enough to earn the nights required for top-tier status, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card essentially buys you Platinum Elite status for $650. That alone could be a good enough reason to apply for the card. When you consider the card's other benefits, you may also find the card worth keeping long-term.
- Earn up to 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points. Earn 100,000 points after you spend $6,000 and an extra 50,000 points after you spend an additional $2,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- $300 Brilliant Dining Credit: Each calendar year, get up to $300 (up to $25 per month) in statement credits for eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card at restaurants worldwide.
- With Marriott Bonvoy® Platinum Elite Status, you can receive room upgrades, including enhanced views or suites, when the stay is booked with a Qualifying Rate at hotels that participate in Marriott Bonvoy, subject to availability upon check-in.
- Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Earn 3X Marriott Bonvoy® points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines and 2X Marriott Bonvoy® points on all other eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card.
- Free Night Award: Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- Each calendar year after spending $60,000 on eligible purchases on your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, you will be eligible to select a Brilliant Earned Choice Award benefit. You can only earn one Brilliant Earned Choice Award per calendar year. See https://www.choice-benefit.marriott.com/brilliant for Award options.
- $100 Marriott Bonvoy® Property Credit: Enjoy your stay. Receive up to a $100 property credit for qualifying charges at The Ritz-Carlton® or St. Regis® when you book direct using a special rate for a two-night minimum stay using your Card.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®: Receive either a statement credit every 4 years after you apply for Global Entry ($120) or a statement credit every 4.5 years after you apply for a five-year membership for TSA PreCheck® (up to $85 through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider) and pay the application fee with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card you can receive 25 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy® Elite status. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express.
- Enroll in Priority Pass Select, which offers unlimited airport lounge visits to over 1,200 lounges in over 130 countries, regardless of which carrier or class you are flying. This allows you to relax before or between flights. You can enjoy snacks, drinks, and internet access in a quiet, comfortable location.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on international purchases.
- With Cell Phone Protection*, you can be reimbursed, the lesser of, your repair or replacement costs following damage, such as a cracked screen, or theft for a maximum of $800 per claim when your cell phone line is listed on a wireless bill and the prior month's wireless bill was paid by an Eligible Card Account. A $50 deductible will apply to each approved claim with a limit of 2 approved claims per 12-month period. Additional terms and conditions apply. *Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 6X points on purchases at Marriott Properties
- 3X points at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery
- 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines
- 2X points on all other eligible purchases
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees), Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees), and The Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees)
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