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  1. Credit Cards
  2. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express®
American Express

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express®

Built for frequent Marriott guests who want high-tier hotel perks without grinding for status, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card turns a steep annual fee into premium travel value. It pairs automatic Platinum Elite status with valuable statement credits and an annual high-tier free night award.

Welcome Offer
Earn 150,000 Points + $250
Annual Fee
$650
Rec. Credit Score
Excellent
Good For
Marriott loyalists and luxury travelers
How to ApplyEstimate your value
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express®

All information about Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® has been collected independently by MaxRewards. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® is no longer available through MaxRewards.

Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are MaxRewards' alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

Overview

Is the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® worth it?

This card is great for...

Automatic Marriott Platinum status

Luxury hotel redemptions

Monthly dining credits

Despite the $650 annual fee, the card easily justifies its cost for regular Marriott guests. The annual $300 dining credit comes in $25 monthly statement credits for restaurant purchases, effectively cutting the out-of-pocket cost down to $350. On top of that, the annual Free Night Award capped at 85,000 points can easily be worth $400 or more when redeemed at high-end properties like the Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis.

The real standout feature is complimentary Marriott Platinum Elite status, which grants room upgrades, late checkout, and free breakfast at most participating brands. If you stay with Marriott even a few times a year, the combination of elite perks, statement credits, and Priority Pass lounge access delivers far more value than the annual fee takes away. However, occasional travelers who do not care about hotel status or prefer flexible travel points will find better value in general travel cards.

MaxRewards

MaxRewards Verdict

This card is a strong choice for dedicated Marriott travelers who can leverage automatic Platinum Elite status and monthly dining credits to outweigh the $650 annual fee. Occasional travelers will likely find it too specialized and expensive.

Welcome Offer

Earn 150,000 Points + $250

Offer details

100,000 Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new card in your first 6 months of card membership.

Required Spend

$6,000

Time Frame

6 Months

Required Spend

$6,000

Time Frame

6 Months

Earning

Rewards

You earn Marriott Bonvoy points directly on every dollar spent, with the highest earning potential focused on Marriott stays, worldwide dining, and direct flight bookings.

CategoryRate

Marriott

4.2%

Airline

2.1%

Dining

2.1%

Everywhere

1.4%

Rewards percent based on a valuation of 0.7¢ per Marriott point

Annual Credits & Perks

Benefits

A substantial annual fee is offset by built-in statement credits, automatic elite status, and comprehensive travel protections.

BenefitAnnual value
$300
$250
$100
$30

Enrollment is required for select benefits.

Automatically track your credits with MaxRewards

Our app automatically tracks valuable credits so you don't miss any rewards.

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Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express®Venue Collection
Autotracked
$0 of $250Every 12 months

Benefits

Credits

25 Elite Night Credits

Each calendar year you can receive 25 Elite Night Credits towards the next level of Marriott Bonvoy Elite status with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express.

Benefits

Insurance

Return Protection

With Return Protection, you may return eligible purchases to American Express if the seller won’t take them back up to 90 days from the date of purchase. American Express may refund the full purchase price excluding shipping and handling, up to $300 per item, up to a maximum of $1,000 per calendar year per Card account, if you purchased it entirely with your eligible American Express Card. Purchases must be made in the U.S. or its territories.


Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance

When you use your Eligible Card to reserve and pay for the Entire Rental and decline the collision damage waiver (CDW) at the Rental Company counter, You can be covered for Damage to or Theft of a Rental Vehicle in a Covered Territory. Please read important exclusions and restrictions. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Coverage is not available for vehicles rented in Australia, Italy, and New Zealand. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage.


Trip Delay Insurance

If you purchase a round-trip entirely with your Eligible Card and a covered reason delays your trip more than 6 hours, we may be able to help. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.


Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance

If you purchase a round-trip entirely with your Eligible Card and a covered reason cancels or interrupts your trip, we may be able to help. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.


Extended Warranty

When you use your Eligible Card to make a Covered Purchase, you can get up to one extra year added to the Original Manufacturer’s Warranty. Applies to warranties of 5 years or less on Covered Purchases in the United States or its territories or possessions. Please read important exclusions and restrictions.

Benefits

Status & Access

Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite Status

Enjoy complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card.


Priority Pass Select

With your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card, you can enroll in Priority Pass, with an unlimited number of visits to over 1,300 airport lounges in over 130 countries, regardless of which carrier or class you are flying. This allows you to relax before or in-between flights. You can enjoy snacks, drinks and internet access in a comfortable location.


Amex Special Ticket Access

Card Members can access Amex Presale Tickets and Amex Reserved Tickets to select can’t-miss events and moments across sports, music, and more. Plus, Card Members can enjoy additional perks when attending select events. While supplies last, not all seats may be offered.

Benefits

Other

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.


Brilliant Earned Choice Award

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.

Eligibility

Recommended Minimum Credit

Min: Excellent
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent

Excellent credit or higher is recommended for this card.

Credit approval is not guaranteed. Meeting the recommended credit range does not ensure approval, and applicants with lower scores may still be considered.

Pricing

Rates & Fees

Annual Fee

$650

Purchase APR

19.74% - 28.74%

Variable

Cash Advance APR

28.99%

Variable

Foreign Transaction Fee

None

Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Earn 150,000 Points + $250 after spending $6,000 in the first 6 months.

We value the current offer at about $1,300, based on MaxRewards' Marriott valuations.

You need to spend $6,000 within 6 months of account opening — about $1,000 per month on average.

Table of Contents

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express®

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express®

How to Apply

Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are MaxRewards' alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

Recognition

Featured in

  • #1Best Hotel Credit CardsView list

Other cards from American Express

See all 33 cards
Business PlatinumBusiness Platinum

250,000 Points

Worth $3,750

After you spend $20,000 on purchases on your new card in your first 3 months of card membership.

  • 2.25%7.5%Air Travel (amextravel.com)
  • 2.25%7.5%Car Rental (amextravel.com)
  • 2.25%7.5%Cruise (amextravel.com)

Annual Fee

$895

Rec. Credit

Good

View card details

Terms Apply.

Amex PlatinumAmex Platinum

175,000 Points

Worth $2,625

After you spend $12,000 on purchases on your new card in your first 6 months of card membership.

  • 2.25%7.5%Air Travel (amextravel.com)
  • 2.25%7.5%Airline
  • 2.25%7.5%Car Rental (amextravel.com)

Annual Fee

$895

Rec. Credit

Excellent

View card details

Terms Apply.

Delta SkyMiles® Reserve BusinessDelta SkyMiles® Reserve Business

200,000 Skymiles

Worth $2,400

After you spend $20,000 on purchases on your new card in your first 6 months of card membership.

  • 2.25%3.6%Delta Air
  • 2.25%1.8%All
  • 2.25%1.2%Everywhere

Annual Fee

$650

Rec. Credit

Excellent

View card details

Terms Apply.