Two credit cards from American Express, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® and the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™, are offering impressive welcome offers for new cardholders — up to 185k and 155k Marriott Bonvoy bonus points, respectively. Not to mention the cards' solid rewards rates — 6X points for each dollar of eligible purchases at participating hotels — that can help frequent travelers rack up the points.
Until now, Kiplinger has found the Amex line of Marriott Bonvoy cards decidedly less appealing than their nearest competitor, the Marriott Boundless card from Chase. That card's welcome offer is 150,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in purchases in your first three months. Its $95 annual fee is much lower than the Amex Bonvoy cards profiled here, which charge $250 and $650. See rates and fees.
If you are a committed Marriott customer, the Amex cards might be a better choice. Even though they have higher annual fees, they come with other benefits you might find attractive. For example, the Brilliant card makes it easier to qualify for higher status levels, which come with higher rewards earnings rates and other perks. If you are just dipping your toes in the Marriott Bonvoy rewards program, the Chase card is probably the card for you given its lower annual fee.
Marriott Bonvoy card bonus offer
For the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card, you'll have to make $6,000 in purchases within the first six months of owning the card to receive the welcome bonus of 185,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points. And for the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card, to earn the welcome offer of 155,000 bonus points, you'll have to spend $5,000 within the first six months of owning the card. See rates and fees.
How much are these bonuses worth? According to Bankrate, Marriot Bonvoy points are valued at 0.7 cents, which means you could earn up to $1,295 with the Brilliant card ($645 after subtracting the annual fee) or $1,085 with the Bonvoy card ($835 after subtracting the annual fee).
Another attractive benefit both cards offer is the free night award, which rewards cardholders with one free night at participating hotels every year, up to a redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for the Brilliant card or 50,000 points for the Bevy card.
Card overviews
- Welcome offer: Earn 185,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of card Membership.
- Rewards rates: Earn 6X points for each dollar of eligible purchases at participating hotels; Earn 3X points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines and 2X points on all other eligible purchases.
- 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.
- $300 Brilliant Dining Credit: Each calendar year, get up to $300 (up to $25 per month) in statement credits for eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide.
- Brilliant Earned Choice Award benefit: Each calendar year after spending $60,000 on eligible purchases, you will be eligible to select one Brilliant Earned Choice Award benefit per calendar year.
- $100 Marriott Bonvoy Property Credit: 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 ($100) 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 card. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Priority Pass™ Select: 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.
- 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.
- Annual fee: $650
- No foreign transaction fees
- Interest rates: 20.99% to 29.99%
- Terms Apply
- See Rates & Fees
- Welcome offer: Earn 155,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Rewards rates: Earn 6X points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy; Earn 4X points at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on up to $15,000 in combined purchases at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets per calendar year, then 2X points); Earn 2X points on all other eligible purchases.
- Free Night Award: Earn 1 Free Night Award after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at a hotel participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
- 15 Elite Night Credits: Each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express Card® you can receive 15 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. Terms apply.
- Marriott Bonvoy 1K Bonus Points Per Stay: Earn 1,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points per paid eligible stay booked directly with Marriott for properties participating in Marriott Bonvoy.
- Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elites status: With complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elites status, earn up to 2.5X points from Marriott Bonvoy® on eligible hotel purchases with the 25% Bonus Points on stays benefit, available for Qualifying Rates.
- Annual fee: $250
- Interest rates: 20.99% to 29.99%
- Terms Apply
- Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card (Rates & Fees)" target="_blank">See Rates and Fees
Bottom line
If you're a frequent traveler and Marriott loyalist, the welcome offers on either of the cards mentioned above could very well be worth it. But before chasing those credit card rewards, you'll want to weigh the benefits of each card against its fees to determine if it will be a valuable addition to your wallet — $650 is a pretty steep fee to offset.
And of course, if you're going to be using a credit card, use it wisely. Make sure you're not overspending and are paying off your balance each month. Steep interest rates on credit cards can sink you even further into debt if you carry a balance from month to month.
If you're looking to compare more credit cards, try our tool below.
Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. 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.
