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American Express has just launched massive, limited-time welcome offers for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant and Bonvoy Bevy cards, each one almost doubling the previous version.
The Bevy is now giving 155,000 Bonvoy points after $5,000 minimum spend within the first 6 months, while the Brilliant card doles out a whopping 185,000 points after $6,000 spend in 6 months. They are also available via referral, which would add even more love for folks who have another American Express in their household.
Both match the best points offers that we’ve ever seen for these cards and each one will end on 10/2/24. If you’re in the market for Marriott points, both of these should be considered.
The Offers and Key Card Details
| Card Offer and Details |
|---|
95K Points ⓘ Affiliate 95k points after $6K spend within the first 6 months. Terms apply. (Rates & Fees)$650 Annual Fee Recent better offer: (Expired 10/2/24) 185k points after $6K spend within the first 6 months. FM Mini Review: Decent ultra-premium option for Marriott fans, especially those aiming for lifetime status tiers Earning rate: 3X airfare -on flights booked directly with airlines; 3X restaurants worldwide, 6X Marriott; 2X on all other eligible purchases Card Info: Amex Credit Card issued by Amex. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees. Big spend bonus: Annual Choice Award with $60K calendar year spend Noteworthy perks: ✦ 85K Free Night Award each year upon renewal ✦ $300 dining credit per membership year ($25/mo) ✦ Platinum Elite status ✦ 25 elite nights credit ✦ Priority Pass membership (Lounges only) with 2 guests ✦ Global Entry fee credit ✦ Free premium internet at Marriott properties Note: Enrollment required for some benefits. See also: Marriott Bonvoy Complete Guide |
| Card Offer and Details |
|---|
85K Points ⓘ Affiliate 85K points after $5K spend in the first 6 months. Terms apply. (Rates & Fees)$250 Annual Fee Recent better offer: (Expired 10/2/24) 155K points after $5K spend in the first 6 months. Earning rate: 6X Marriott.✦ 4X restaurants & U.S. Supermarkets on up to $15K spend per year ✦ 2X on all other eligible purchases Card Info: Amex Credit Card issued by Amex. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees. Big spend bonus: One 50K Free Night Award after $15K calendar year spend on eligible purchases. Noteworthy perks: 15 night credit towards elite status every year upon account anniversary ✦ 1,000 bonus points with each qualifying stay ✦ Gold elite status See also: Marriott Bonvoy Complete Guide |
Quick Thoughts
The Amex Points Parade has returned to Bonvoyland.
Both of these new Marriott welcome offers are spectacular; each one matches the best points haul that we’ve ever seen for the respective card. Amex is again throwing down a gauntlet after years of its Bonvoy cards lagging behind Chase’s portfolio (when it comes to welcome bonuses). Some readers committed to swearing off Marriott completely after it changed to dynamic pricing. However, if you’re still in the Marriott orbit (as I am), these new offers are no-brainers, giving between $1100-$1300 in conservative value.
The Brilliant comes with a hefty $650 annual fee, but also has $300 in yearly statement credits that can be applied to dining charges (in irritating $25/month in increments). Assuming you can use those easily, it brings the annual cost closer to $350, in the same neighborhood as the Bevy’s $250 annual fee. That may make the Brilliant more appealing for many, depending on how much you value the dining credits, Bonvoy Platinum status, 25 elite night credits and Priority Pass membership that come with the card.
If you want to get both, it’s worth noting that Amex recently added “family” rules to Marriott cards, meaning that you “may” not be eligible for a welcome bonus on the Bevy card if you have or previously have had the Brilliant card. So, if you do plan to take advantage of each of these offers, it would be wise to get the Bevy first, then go for the Brilliant.
You’ve got two months to do it, since both of these offers end on 10/2/24.
Are you eligible for a Amex Bonvoy card?
In true Bonvoy fashion, Marriott has a labyrinthine process for determining whether or not you get a welcome bonus on a given card. It’s like it’s free breakfast or something.
Here’s Greg’s helpful chart for deciphering the Marriott eligibility rules:
| Card You Want | |||||||
| Cards You've Had (Or Recently Applied For) | Chase Bonvoy Bold | Chase Bonvoy Boundless | Chase Bonvoy Bountiful | Amex Bonvoy Business | Amex Bonvoy Brilliant | Amex Bonvoy Bevy | |
| Chase | Ritz Carlton | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ⚠30 | |
| Bonvoy ($45 card) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |
| Bonvoy Premier | ⚠24 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ||
| Bonvoy Bold | ✅ | ⚠90 ⚠24 | ⚠30 ⚠90 ⚠24 | ||||
| Bonvoy Boundless | ✅ | ||||||
| Bonvoy Bountiful | ✅ | ✅ | ⚠24 | ||||
| Bonvoy Business ($45 card) | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ⚠30 | ✅ | ✅ | |
| Bonvoy Premier Plus Business | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ⚠90 ⚠24 | ⚠30 | ||
| Amex | Bonvoy | ⚠30 | ⚠30 ⚠90 ⚠24 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |
| Bonvoy Business | ⚠90 ⚠24 | ⛔ | ✅ | ✅ | |||
| Bonvoy Bevy | ✅ | ✅ | ⛔ | ||||
| Bonvoy Brilliant | ✅ | ⛔ | ⛔ | ||||
| Eligibility Key | |
| ✅ | You are eligible for this card and welcome bonus |
| ⚠30 | Your are not eligible for a welcome bonus if you have had the card on the left within the past 30 days |
| ⚠24 | You will not be approved if you currently have or if you've received a welcome bonus in the past 24 months for the card on the left |
| ⚠90 ⚠24 | You are not eligible for a welcome bonus if you were approved for the card on the left within the past 90 days; or if you've received a welcome or upgrade bonus in the past 24 months. |
| ⚠30 ⚠90 ⚠24 | You are not eligible for a welcome bonus if you've had the card on the left within the past 30 days; or if you were approved for it within the past 90 days; or if you've received a welcome bonus or upgrade bonus for it in the past 24 months. |
| ⛔ | You are not eligible for a welcome bonus if you've ever had this card before (but the system seems to "forget" that you've had the card about 5 to 7 years after you cancel) |
Amex Application Tips
- Safe to Apply: Amex is usually the safest bank for trying your luck at earning a new welcome offer. Most of the time, they won’t issue a hard pull when denying your application or when approving you if you already have at least one Amex card. Plus, they’ll warn you during the application process if you’re not eligible for the bonus.
- Once in a Lifetime Rule: If you've ever had a card before, you are most likely prohibited from earning a welcome offer for that same card if you apply now. Fortunately you'll be warned during the application process if this is the case. Amex is known to "forget" that you've had a card after about 5-7 years. Note that there are frequently offers with no lifetime language (NLL) that aren't bound by this restriction.
- "Family" Rules: In addition to the "once in a lifetime" rule, Amex now applies additional "family" rules to several groups of consumer cards. These rules don't apply to business cards.
- Platinum/Gold/Green: You may not be able to get a welcome offer on the Green, Gold, Platinum, Charles Schwab Platinum or Morgan Stanley Platinum if you've previously had any of the Platinum cards previously.
- Everyday: You may not be able to get a welcome offer on the Everyday card if you've previously had the Everyday Preferred card.
- Cash back cards: You may not be able to get a welcome offer on the Blue Cash Everyday card if you've previously had the Cash Magnet, Blue Cash Preferred or Morgan Stanley Blue Cash Preferred cards. You're not eligible for a welcome offer on the Blue Cash Preferred card if you've previously had the Morgan Stanley Blue Cash Preferred card.
- Delta cards: You can get a welcome offer on any of the Delta cards provided you've never had a more expensive Delta card than the one you are applying for. So, for example, you're eligible for a welcome offer on the Delta Reserve if you've had the Delta Gold, but you may not be eligible for a welcome offer on the Delta Gold if you've previously had the Reserve.
- 1 per 5 days: You can get at most one credit cards within every 5 days. This rule does not apply to Pay Over Time (charge) cards.
- 2 per 90 days: You can get at most two credit cards within 90 days. This rule usually does not apply to Pay Over Time (charge) cards.
- 1 of same product per 90 days: Amex will only approve you for the same card once every 90 days (this primarily comes into play when applying for "no-lifetime-language" (NLL) links.
- Marriott cards: Approval for any Marriott card is governed by a labyrinthine set of unintuitive rules. You can see the full eligibility chart here. It seems that Amex may consider the Bevy and Brilliant cards as the same product, which means that you would have to wait 90 days after applying for the Bevy before being able to be approved for the Brilliant.
- Card Limits: Amex normally only allows customers to have five credit cards and ten Pay Over Time (charge) cards at one time. Both personal and business cards count towards the respective five and ten card limits. There are some instances where certain customers have been allowed to go above those limits.
- Application Status: Call (877) 239-3491 to check your application status or use this link.
- Reconsideration: If denied, you can call (800) 567-1083 and ask for your application to be reconsidered.
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I got the “not eligible for the sub” message when applying for the Bevy card, but I can’t figure out why.
I do not currently have any amex Marriott cards, and have only ever had the base “bonvoy” card that the old spg cards switched to.
On the chase side I have the bonvoy premier. At one point years ago I had the ritz card.
I have never had the Bevy or brilliant cards.
Based on the very handy “are you eligible” chart, I don’t see why I’m not eligible. Any ideas?
To answer my own question, the fine print on the 155k bevy sign up says I cannot have the chase premier card within the last 30 days. I currently have that card, which I’ll now cancel to get the Bevy a month later. Not sure if that is a rule for everyone on this card.
One more data point. I hit the 30 days since canceling my chase premier and tried again for the Bevy. Now instead of getting the pop up saying I’m not eligible because I have (or have recently had) another card, I get a more generic pop up saying I’m not eligible for the SUB due to other factors.
Guess I try again in a few weeks.
Curious if I can open Bevy and wait a couple weeks then open Briliant and get both SUBs so long as I don’t find myself locked in the brig with amex? So many rules on these cards.
Hey Alex, from the charts I have seen it seems possible. Worst thing that happens is you get the pop-up that you are not eligible for Brilliant when you try to apply…
I got a denial because I had too many amex cards. I currently have 3 active, and 2 I cancelled 4 weeks ago. I assume I need those two to drop off…any idea how long that takes?
I had this exact scenario, called DOC’s recon # nice lady said too many cards – I specified I only had 3 credit cards and 1 charge card with them since I closed 2 cards recently. She verified recent closures and put in for manual review with recon, said 3-5days but was approved next morning (4AM CST).
Thanks, it worked for me, and I was approved within hours.
Not best EVER, same offer was available 6 months ago. Bonvoy !
Any thoughts whether Chase might have a similar elevated offer as Amex on their cards? (Or if they have tended to have comparable offers in the past when Amex has had an imrproved offer?). Especially considering that Chase’s Bountiful and Amex’s Bevy have virtually identical benefits.
I’m in the middle of a multi-year plan (involving downgrades, applications and product changes, based on the rules of that chart) to get both myself and P2 a Chase Ritz Carlton card. And so need to eventually get a Chase Marriot card, and need to prioritize applications to have a 5/24 slot open when a good offer comes up.
I’m on the same plan as you and would also like to know this. Looking to get to Ritz cards after I’ve finished hauling some points for P1 and P2.
The (5) 50K cert offer on the Boundless card has been to top Chase offer for awhile now. Considering that AmEx just matched that offer on their Bonvoy Biz card (which has the same $95 AF as the Boundless), I don’t think we’ll see anything higher out of Chase. If you see the (5) 50K cert offer come back on the Boundless, I’d use that opportunity to open that card and start the year clock until you can upgrade to the Ritz card.
Bonvoy biz iz $125 af, not $95.
Does Amex count business cards for the 2 cards in 90 days rule?
Yes, for non charge cards.
Thanks for the reply. But only Amex cards, yes?
Yes only 2 amex cards in 90 days. They don’t count others for that tally.
I hope we see an elevated biz card offer soon…
AmEx did a (5) 50K cert offer not too long ago on that card. I assume that will come back some time before the end of the year.
Don’t forget the P2 referral! I’m seeing the same offers via referral 🙂
Hi Tim, I currently have the Ritz Carlton CC, so it looks like I am blocked from getting the sign up bonus on both the Brilliant or Bevy.
Is it possible to downgrade to the Chase Bonvoy ($45 AF card) or the Chase Bonvoy Premier, wait 30+ days, apply for the Brilliant or Bevy, then upgrade the Chase card back to Ritz Carlton?
Just thinking outside the Bonvoy box 🙂
Tim, I’m in the same boat as Grant. I know that downgrading one’s Ritz should make you eligible for these AmEx Marriot SUBs, but I haven’t read any DPs of anyone actually being successful and some people in the Facebook group have reported that this method has not worked for them. Do you know of any success stories? Or what about applying without including your Bonvoy # and then calling AmEx to add it afterward – as Gino described in an earlier comment on this post.
If you apply without including your Marriott Bonvoy number, a new Marriott account should automatically be created for you and any points and free night certificates should post to that new account. I am not sure how easy it would be to change the Marriott Bonvoy number attached to that new Marriott CC or how easy it would be to combine Marriott accounts after the fact. Just some things to keep in mind if you go down this path.
It actually pretty easy, though not something you want to do too often lest you get in trouble with Marriott for trying to game their program. If you have duplicate accounts, all you have to do is call Marriott and have them merge the extra account(s) with your primary account.
It doesn’t matter if you apply without your Bonvoy number. Chase and AmEx talk to each other and you’ll get flagged. The previous cards still show on your credit report.
I would love to see a post about strategies for those of us who have the RC card and want to apply for these new cards, but are excluded. The FM team has recommended the RC product change for quite a while, so many of us have done the PC. The data points in the comments are very helpful, but after a while they get lost among other comments. I would love to apply for one of the new cards, but don’t want to downgrade the RC unless there is a fairly good chance that I can score a new welcome offer.
I am still working on my $300 JPM RC airline travel incidental credit for the year, otherwise I would call JPM and ask if it is possible to product change to either of these CCs:
Chase Marriott Bonvoy Premier ($85 annual fee): https://creditcards.chase.com/marriott/cardmember/premier
Chase Marriott Bonvoy ($45 annual fee): https://creditcards.chase.com/marriott/cardmember/bonvoy
Both of the Chase cards you’ve listed are no longer available. Your only downgrade paths for the Ritz card are the Bountiful, the Boundless, and the Bold.
You should be eligible for the Brilliant after 30 days. Upgrading back up to the Ritz card is a different story. You may have to wait up to a year to upgrade back up again.
Closed my Brilliant card about 2 months ago, had it for 3 years, upgrade from SPG card, applied for Bevy and approved with 155k points/$5k spend. AMEX rocks !
My wife and I both tried applying for the Bonvoy Bevy card and both received the pop-up from Amex, and I can’t figure out why. AFAIK, neither of us are in pop-up jail with Amex generally. We both currently hold the Amex Marriott Business card, which from my understanding shouldn’t prevent either of us from receiving the bonus on the Bevy. We both had the Starwood Preferred card, but closed them 7-8 years ago. We also both had the Chase Marriott Premier and Ritz cards, but again, closed them 8-9 years ago.
Anybody have any idea why we’re getting the pop-up?
This exact scenario happened to me last year. Everywhere i asked online said i was in pop up jail. I waited a month, and tried again. No dice. Marriott said i couldn’t receive a second bonus within a year. I tried one more time without putting my bonvoy number in and didn’t receive the pop-up, but instead “we’ll get back to you in 7 days.” I was approved and then called to assign the bonus to my existing account.
Possibly unrelated, but whenever p2 and I try to do friend referrals for Hilton cards, we or the friend gets a pop-up. However when we apply without the referral (or if we click through a link on a certain blog which I will not name, but it rhymes with “sequent filer”), we get approved with the bonus.
Do you meet all of the general AmEx rules for eligibility? 2/90, 5 credit card limit, ect.?
Yep
AmEx is an unpredictable beast. Keep trying through different links / browsers. Sorry I don’t have any better advice.
If I downgrade the Amex Brilliant to Bevy or Bonvoy (if thats still offered?) am I immediately eligible for new Brilliant offer?
Doubtful since Amex has family card restrictions
No, you cannot churn AmEx cards. All their welcome offers are once per lifetime (or really, 7 years after you close the card and it drops off your credit report).
[…] are interested in getting two Marriott Amex cards that just came out. You can read about them here: Marriott Amex Cards: Best Ever 155k and 185k Welcome Offers. And if you decide to apply, please start HERE, thank you. Note the annual […]
Is it possible to downgrade the Bevy card to the now no longer available via direct application $95 Amex card that includes a free night up to 35,000 points? I’d like to downgrade the Bevy when the second annual fee is due.
Yup, I just did it.
So for someone with zero Marriott cards ever, what’s the path toward the endgame?
Start with Amex:
Bevy
Brilliant
Business
Then after 2 years, get the Boundless, and after one year, upgrade to the Ritz?
It seems if you start on the Chase side, then you’re locked out forever from the Amex side.
Yup you’re right on. I’d add that the Bevy should probably be cancelled after the second annual fee posts and after upgrading to the ritz, you could reapply for the Boundless 24 months after you got the original bonus.
I thought the Ritz was discontinued years ago??
Ah
Thanks for thinking that through! I had the same question. Unfortunately, I started with Chase Boundless so it looks like product change to Ritz and get the Boundless again after 24 months is my best move. But I think we’ll try your plan for P2. Thanks
Hey Daniel, if you are not in a rush, you can get the bonus on an Amex Bonvoy card 24 months after your Boundless bonus posted – and then product change your Boundless to a Ritz shortly thereafter. I know getting to a Ritz is probably more appealing but just giving an alternative especially if Amex Bonvoy cards have a high point bonus (like they do now).
You could do it the way you suggested. It will take longer if you do 3 Amex cards before moving to Chase. You will also be unable to hold a Brilliant and a Ritz card at the same time (but you might not care. Some folks want 2 85k night certificates).
Consider this:
-Aug. 2024: Chase Bonvoy Boundless
-Dec. 2026: Amex Bevy (24 mo. after last SUB)
-Mar. 2027: Amex Brilliant (could get it sooner, no 24 mo restriction)
-Mar. 2027: PC Boundless over to Ritz-Carlton
Then you close the Bevy when the fee posts & then apply for Bonvoy Business.
This is just another perspective. It is all very complicated. Good luck!