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

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card

Built for frequent Marriott guests, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card is a premium hotel card that makes the most sense if you stay with Marriott often enough to use the status, annual free night, and dining credits. This is more of a Marriott loyalty card than an everyday spending card, with its strongest value tied to hotel stays and travel perks rather than general purchases.

Welcome Offer
Earn 150,000 Points + $250
Annual Fee
$650
Rec. Credit Score
Good
Good For
Frequent Marriott traveler
How to ApplyEstimate your value

Terms Apply. For rates and fees of Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, please visit the American Express website.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card

MaxRewards has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. MaxRewards and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.

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® Card worth it?

This card is great for...

Marriott hotel stays

Automatic elite status

Airport lounge access

This card is worth it for travelers who regularly stay at Marriott properties and will actually use the built-in perks. The biggest value drivers are the annual free night award, complimentary Platinum Elite status, and up to $300 a year in monthly dining credits. If those fit your routine, they can go a long way toward justifying the $650 annual fee, and the card becomes a strong companion for Marriott loyalists who want better on-property treatment and a more premium travel experience.

For everyone else, the appeal drops quickly. The rewards outside Marriott are only modest, and a big part of the card's value comes from benefits you need to remember to use. If you do not stay with Marriott often, or you prefer flexible travel points over hotel-specific rewards, this is probably too specialized for the price.

MaxRewards

MaxRewards Verdict

A strong fit for Marriott loyalists who will use Platinum Elite status, the annual free night, and the dining credit consistently. If Marriott is not a regular part of your travel life, the high annual fee is hard to justify.

Welcome Offer

Earn 150,000 Points + $250

Offer details

Earn 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points plus a $250 statement credit after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 09/30/2026.

Required Spend

$6,000

Time Frame

6 Months

Required Spend

$6,000

Time Frame

6 Months

Earning

Rewards

The rewards setup is straightforward: the real payoff comes from Marriott stays, while restaurants, airfare, and everyday spending play a supporting role. Think of this card as a Marriott accelerator, not a primary card for all purchases.

CategoryRate

Hotels (Marriott Bonvoy)

14.7%

Marriott Bonvoy Membership

7%

Hotels (Marriott Bonvoy)

4.2%

Stays (Marriott Bonvoy)

3.5%

Restaurants Worldwide, Flights (Booked Directly With Airlines)

2.1%

All Other Eligible Purchases (Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card)

1.4%

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

Annual Credits & Perks

Benefits

The value here depends heavily on whether you will use the recurring credits and annual hotel certificate. These benefits matter most for cardholders who travel regularly and can fold them into spending they would do anyway.

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® CardVenue 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: Good
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent

Good 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

19.49% - 28.49%

Variable

Cash Advance APR

28.74%

Variable

Foreign Transaction Fee

None

Balance Transfer

None

Cash Advance

$10

Late Payment

$40

For rates and fees of Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, please visit the American Express website.

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® Card

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card

How to Apply

Terms Apply. For rates and fees of Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, please visit the American Express website.

For rates and fees of Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, please visit the American Express website.

MaxRewards has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. MaxRewards and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.

MaxRewards may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on MaxRewards are from advertisers and may impact how and where card products appear on the site. MaxRewards does not include all card companies or all available card offers. Compensation may be earned when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened.

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
The Business Platinum Card® from American ExpressThe Business Platinum Card® from American Express

You may be eligible for as high as 300,000 Membership Rewards® Points

Worth $4,500

After spending $20,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Learn more.

  • 7.5%7.5%Flights (amextravel.com), Prepaid Hotels (amextravel.com)
  • 7.5%3%U.S. Construction Material & Hardware Suppliers, Electronic Goods Retailers, Software & Cloud System Providers, Shipping Providers, Purchases Of $5,000+
  • 7.5%1.5%Other Eligible Purchases

Annual Fee

$895

Rec. Credit

Good

View card details

Terms Apply.

American Express® Business Gold CardAmerican Express® Business Gold Card

You may be eligible for as high as 200,000 Membership Rewards® Points

Worth $3,000

After spending $15,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

  • 7.5%6%Top Two Eligible Categories
  • 7.5%4.5%Flights (AmexTravel.com or Amex Travel App), Prepaid Hotels (AmexTravel.com or Amex Travel App)
  • 7.5%1.5%Everywhere

Annual Fee

$375

Rec. Credit

Good

View card details

Terms Apply.

American Express Platinum Card®American Express Platinum Card®

You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points

Worth $2,625

After spending $12,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

  • 7.5%7.5%Flights (American Express Travel), Prepaid Hotels (American Express Travel)
  • 7.5%7.5%Flights (Directly From Airlines), Flights (American Express Travel)
  • 7.5%1.5%Other Eligible Purchases

Annual Fee

$895

Rec. Credit

Good

View card details

Terms Apply.