Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card

Card Details and Application Link

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card ⓘ $296 1st Yr Value Estimate 95K Points ⓘ Affiliate 95k points after $6K spend within the first 6 months. Terms apply. (Rates & Fees) $650 Annual Fee Click here to learn how to apply This is an affiliate offer. Frequent Miler may earn a commission if you are approved for this offer Recent better offer: 150K points after $6K in the first 6 months and 50K points after 6 eligible paid nights at Bonvoy hotels [Expired 8/9/23] 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 Base: 2X (1.6%) Travel: 3X (2.4%) Dine: 3X (2.4%) Brand: 6X (4.8%) Card Info: Amex Credit Card issued by Amex. This card has no foreign transaction 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 Application Tips Amex Application Tips Safe to Apply: Amex is the safest bank for trying your luck at earning a new welcome bonus offer. They don’t usually issue a hard pull when denying your application, and if you already have an Amex card, they won't usually issue a hard pull when approved for another one. Plus, they’ll now warn you during the application process if you’re not eligible for the bonus. Lifetime Rule: If you've ever had the same card before, you are most likely prohibited from earning a welcome bonus offer for the 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 7 years. 90 Day Rule: You can get at most two credit cards within 90 days. This rule does not apply to Pay Over Time (charge) cards. 5 credit card max: Amex usually won't approve applications for new credit cards if you already have 5 or more Amex credit cards or 10 or more charge cards. Better Offers: You may be able to get a better offer than the best available public offer. Details here. Hard inquiries combine into 1 when approved same day Check application status here. If denied, call reconsideration: 877-399-3083 (new accountholders); 866-314-0237 (current accountholders) Related Cards (Marriott Bonvoy) Card Offer Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card ⓘ $1435 1st Yr Value Estimate 5 x 50K Free Night Certificates ⓘ Non-Affiliate Earn five 50K free night certifcates after $5K spend in 3 months $95 Annual Fee This card is subject to Chase's 5/24 rule (click here for details). Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. Recent better offer: None. This matches the best ever. ➥More Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card ⓘ $751 1st Yr Value Estimate 3 x 50K Free NIght Certificates ⓘ Affiliate Receive three 50k free night certificates after $6K spend in the first 6 months. Redemption level up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy(R) points for each bonus Free Night Award, at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy(R). Certain hotels have resort fees. Terms apply. (Rates & Fees) $125 Annual Fee Recent better offer: 100K points after $4K spend in the first 3 months [Expired 11/2/22] ➥More Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card ⓘ $374 1st Yr Value Estimate 85K Points ⓘ Friend-Referral 85K points after $4K spend in 3 months $250 Annual Fee Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. ➥More Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card ⓘ $360 1st Yr Value Estimate 85K Points ⓘ Affiliate 85K points after $5K spend in the first 6 months. Terms apply. (Rates & Fees) $250 Annual Fee Recent better offer: 125K points after $6K in the first 6 months and 50K points after 6 eligible paid nights at Bonvoy hotels[Expired 8/9/23] ➥More Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card ⓘ $296 1st Yr Value Estimate 95K Points ⓘ Affiliate 95k points after $6K spend within the first 6 months. Terms apply. (Rates & Fees) $650 Annual Fee Recent better offer: 150K points after $6K in the first 6 months and 50K points after 6 eligible paid nights at Bonvoy hotels [Expired 8/9/23] ➥More Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card ⓘ $218 1st Yr Value Estimate 30K points ⓘ Friend-Referral 30K points after $1K in the first 3 months. Terms apply. No Annual Fee This card is subject to Chase's 5/24 rule (click here for details). Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. Recent better offer: 50K points after $1K in the first 3 months and 50K points after 6 eligible paid nights at Bonvoy hotels. (expired 8/9/23) ➥More Marriott Bonvoy™ American Express® Card ⓘ $-42 1st Yr Value Estimate This card is no longer available for new applications $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95 This card is no longer available for new applicants as of 2/12/19 Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. ➥More Chase Marriott Bonvoy Premier ⓘ $-85 1st Yr Value Estimate None This card is no longer available $85 Annual Fee Click here to view details about a similar card: Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. ➥More Marriott Bonvoy Premier Plus Business ⓘ $-99 1st Yr Value Estimate None This card is no longer available $99 Annual Fee This card is no longer available for new applications. Click here to learn about the new Marriott Bonvoy credit card lineup. Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. ➥More Chase Ritz Carlton Rewards Visa Infinite ⓘ $-450 1st Yr Value Estimate None This card is no longer available $450 Annual Fee Click here to view details about a similar card: Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. ➥More

Bonvoy Brilliant Overview

The Bonvoy Brilliant card is pricey, but it is loaded with perks that can easily offset that cost.  The combination of the $300 dining credit, automatic Platinum Elite status, and an 85K free night certificate (upon renewal) can make the card worth renewing each year — if you get good value from those perks.

Dining Credits

You can easily earn $300 per year back with your Bonvoy Brilliant card by using it regularly for dining spend.  Each month, you will earn up to $25 in credits back for any purchases at restaurants or certain food delivery providers like Doordash, Grubhub, Uber Eats, etc.

If you want to use a different card for most dining spend (after all, there are many cards that are more rewarding at restaurants), here are some tricks for earning the dining credit easily each month:

85K Free Night Award

Each year upon renewing your Bonvoy Brilliant card, an 85K Free Night Award will be deposited to your Marriott account.  This can be used to pay for one night at any Marriott property that costs up to 85,000 points for the night.  You can also add up to 15,000 Marriott points to the booking in order to book a night that costs up to 100,000 points.

If you use the certificate at a hotel that costs less than 85,000 points, there is no residual value to the certificate.  Marriott would let you use it at a hotel that costs only 5,000 points, but then the certificate would be all used up, so please don’t do that.  You also cannot use the certificate to cover multiple nights.  For example, if a hotel costs 40,000 points per night, you might think that you should be able to use the 85K certificate to pay for two nights, but you cannot.

I recently found that the median value of Marriott points was 0.8 cents each.  This means that half of the time you can get less value and half the time you can get more value.  If you use the 85K certificate for a property that costs 85,000 points or more, this means that you have a 50/50 chance of getting at least $680 value from the free night certificate.  In practice, though, you may want to use the certificate at a property that costs less.  For example, if you use the certificate at a hotel that costs 75,000 points, then you have a 50/50 chance of getting at least $600 value.

Annual Choice Award

In order to earn an Annual Choice Award, you have to spend at least $60,000 on the card within a calendar year.  Once you’ve done that, you’ll get your choice of the following:

• 85k Free Night Award
• Five Suite Night Awards
• $750 off a bed on Marriott Bonvoy Boutiques

85K Free Night Award: The 85K Free Night Award is probably the best choice in most situations.  It’s easy to get over $600 value from one of these certificates and so this is like getting an extra 1% back (or more) on your $60,000 spend, but only if you use the certificate towards good value before it expires!

Five Suite Night Awards: Suite Night Awards can be valuable in certain circumstances, but they can also be frustratingly difficult to use.  Each Suite Night Award is a one-night confirmable upgrade to a standard suite or select premium room, depending on the hotel’s availability of those rooms. The number of Suite Night Awards used must match the entire length of stay; it cannot be used for part of a stay (e.g., it cannot be used for the first two nights of a five-night stay). Once Suite Night Awards are requested to be applied to a stay, Marriott will begin checking upgrade availability 5 days in advance of your stay, up until 2pm on the day of your arrival. If your Suite Night Award request doesn’t clear, you’ll get the awards back to be used later.  Caution: suite night awards can be difficult to use:

$750 off a bed on Marriott Bonvoy Boutiques: I’m not sure why anyone would want to spend $60,000 on this card in order to get a coupon for a bed discount.  I bet you can find similar discounts by Googling or waiting for sales.

Elite Benefits

Marriott Elite Overview

Automatic Platinum Elite

The Bonvoy Brilliant card offers automatic Bonvoy Platinum Elite status.  Platinum status gives you guaranteed 4PM late checkout (subject to availability at resorts); a 50% point bonus; complementary room upgrades, including to suites; lounge access at some hotels; and a welcome gift with a breakfast option at many hotels.

Platinum Elite status can be incredibly valuable at some hotels and almost meaningless at others.  The lack of consistency in elite benefits between Marriott hotels is one of the most frustrating aspects of the Bonvoy program.  For example, you might be treated like a king at a St. Regis hotel and barely acknowledged at a Ritz.  And while some of that comes from individual hotel policies, this differentiation is actually baked into the program.  Different brands have different requirements for supplying elite benefits.  While St. Regis hotels have to offer daily free breakfast as a welcome amenity choice to Platinum elites, Ritz-Carlton hotels don’t have to offer anything but a few points.

25 Elite Qualifying Nights

Each year as a cardholder, Marriott will add 25 elite qualifying nights to your Marriott account.  Since you will already have Platinum Elite status (which otherwise would require earning 50 elite nights per year), you might wonder why those elite nights would be useful.  There are three reasons I can think of: 1) to earn Choice Benefits; 2) to reach a status level higher than Platinum; and 3) to inch you closer to Lifetime Platinum status.

Before we dive into each of these, it’s worth pointing out that you can automatically get 15 additional elite qualifying nights each year by holding a Bonvoy Business card.  With both cards, you’ll start each year with 40 elite qualifying nights.

Choice Benefits

Every year in which Marriott Bonvoy members earn 50 elite qualifying nights and again at 75 elite qualifying nights, they are invited to select a Choice Benefit.  Full details about Choice Benefits can be found here.  For most people, I recommend the following options:

• 50 Night Choice Benefit: Select either 5 Suite Night Awards or 5 Elite Qualifying Nights (the latter can help get you closer to Titanium status)
• 75 Night Choice Benefit: Select either the 40K free night certificate or 5 Suite Night Awards.

Shortcut to Titanium Elite status

Titanium Elite status requires earning 75 elite qualifying nights each year.  With 25 nights under your belt automatically, you’ll only need 50 more elite qualifying nights each year.  Additionally, if you get a Bonvoy Business card, you’ll get 15 more qualifying elite nights each year and so you’ll only need 35 nights to reach Titanium.  And if you pick 5 Elite Nights as your 50 Night Choice Benefit, you’re down to needing only 30 nights at Marriott hotels to earn Titanium Elite Status.

Titanium Elite status offers the following benefits (in addition to all of the benefits offered to Platinum Elites):

• 75% Point Bonus on paid stays
• United Airlines Silver Premier status
• Complementary suite upgrades (subject to availability) at Ritz-Carlton properties

Shortcut to Ambassador Elite status

The Bonvoy Brilliant’s 25 elite nights can also be a stepping stone towards top-tier Ambassador Elite status, but that requires both 100 elite qualifying nights and $23,000 spend per year at Marriott properties.  The main advantages to this status are:

• Ambassador Service (a dedicated Marriott agent)
• Your24 (Choose the 24 hours of your stay. For example, choose to check in at 9am after an overnight flight).

Lifetime Elite Status

The Bonvoy Brilliant card can get you closer to Lifetime Elite status both with its automatic Platinum Elite status (which gives you additional years of status) and with its automatic 25 elite nights each year.  Here are the requirements for Lifetime Status:

• Lifetime Silver Elite: Requires 250 lifetime nights + 5 years of elite status
• Lifetime Gold Elite: Requires 400 lifetime nights + 7 years of Gold elite status or higher
• Lifetime Platinum Elite: Requires 600 lifetime nights + 10 years of Platinum elite status or higher

Marriott does not offer Lifetime Titanium or Ambassador Elite status.

Earnings from Spend

The Bonvoy Brilliant card offers 6 points per dollar at Marriott properties, 3 points per dollar for airfare charged by the airline, 3 points per dollar for restaurants worldwide, and 2 points per dollar for all other eligible spend.

With Marriott Bonvoy points worth about 0.8 cents each at the time of writing, this card’s earning power is lackluster.  For example, 3x for dining translates to a return of approximately 2.4% back.  Considering that many cards offer an effective return on dining of 5% back or more (you’ll find a list here), 2.4% isn’t very good at all.

Overall, I think that the Brilliant card is a good choice for Marriott fans for its perks, but I don’t recommend using it for daily spend.  One possible exception is if you know that you’ll get great value from the 85K cert that you can get with $60K spend.  In that case, spending to exactly $60,000 each year may make sense.

Bonvoy Brilliant Compared to other Marriott Cards

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Below are all of the Marriott cards available today.  Click a card’s name for more details:

Card Offer and Details
Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card ⓘ $218 1st Yr Value Estimate 30K points ⓘ Friend-Referral 30K points after $1K in the first 3 months. Terms apply. No Annual Fee This card is subject to Chase's 5/24 rule (click here for details). Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. Recent better offer: 50K points after $1K in the first 3 months and 50K points after 6 eligible paid nights at Bonvoy hotels. (expired 8/9/23) FM Mini Review: The best use for this card is probably to downgrade from the Ritz or Boundless card to avoid the annual fee. That way, you can always upgrade again when you need the annual free night or other perks Earning rate: ✦ 3X Marriott Bonvoy ✦ 2X travel ✦ 1X everywhere else Base: 1X (0.8%) Travel: 2X (1.6%) Brand: 3X (2.4%) Card Info: Visa Signature issued by Chase. This card has no foreign transaction fees. Noteworthy perks: Automatic Silver status ✦ 15 nights of elite credit each year ✦ $10 monthly GoPuff credit (through 12/31/23) See also: Marriott Bonvoy Complete Guide ➥More
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card ⓘ $296 1st Yr Value Estimate 95K Points ⓘ Affiliate 95k points after $6K spend within the first 6 months. Terms apply. (Rates & Fees) $650 Annual Fee Recent better offer: 150K points after $6K in the first 6 months and 50K points after 6 eligible paid nights at Bonvoy hotels [Expired 8/9/23] 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 Base: 2X (1.6%) Travel: 3X (2.4%) Dine: 3X (2.4%) Brand: 6X (4.8%) Card Info: Amex Credit Card issued by Amex. This card has no foreign transaction 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 ➥More
Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card ⓘ $360 1st Yr Value Estimate 85K Points ⓘ Affiliate 85K points after $5K spend in the first 6 months. Terms apply. (Rates & Fees) $250 Annual Fee Recent better offer: 125K points after $6K in the first 6 months and 50K points after 6 eligible paid nights at Bonvoy hotels[Expired 8/9/23] Earning rate: 6X Marriott.✦ 4X restaurants & U.S. Supermarkets on up to $15K spend per year ✦ 2X on all other eligible purchases Base: 2X (1.6%) Dine: 4X (3.2%) Grocery: 4X (3.2%) Brand: 6X (4.8%) Card Info: Amex Credit Card issued by Amex. This card has no foreign transaction fees. Big spend bonus: One 50K Free Night Award after $15K calendar year spend. 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 ➥More
Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card ⓘ $374 1st Yr Value Estimate 85K Points ⓘ Friend-Referral 85K points after $4K spend in 3 months $250 Annual Fee Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. Earning rate: 6X Marriott.✦ 4X restaurants & grocery on up to $15K spend per year ✦ 2X everywhere else Base: 2X (1.6%) Dine: 4X (3.2%) Grocery: 4X (3.2%) Brand: 6X (4.8%) Card Info: Visa Signature issued by Chase. This card has no foreign transaction fees. Big spend bonus: One 50K Free Night Award after $15K calendar year spend. Noteworthy perks: 15 night credit towards elite status every year upon account anniversary ✦ 1,000 bonus points with each qualifying stay ✦ Gold elite status ✦ $10 monthly GoPuff credit (through 12/31/23) See also: Marriott Bonvoy Complete Guide ➥More
Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card ⓘ $751 1st Yr Value Estimate 3 x 50K Free NIght Certificates ⓘ Affiliate Receive three 50k free night certificates after $6K spend in the first 6 months. Redemption level up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy(R) points for each bonus Free Night Award, at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy(R). Certain hotels have resort fees. Terms apply. (Rates & Fees) $125 Annual Fee Recent better offer: 100K points after $4K spend in the first 3 months [Expired 11/2/22] Earning rate: 6x at Marriott Bonvoy properties ✦ 4x at restaurants worldwide, U.S. gas stations, wireless telephone services purchased from U.S. suppliers and on U.S. purchases for shipping ✦ 2x on all other eligible purchases. Terms Apply. (Rates & Fees) Base: 2X (1.6%) Dine: 4X (3.2%) Gas: 4X (3.2%) Phone: 4X (3.2%) Biz: 4X (3.2%) Brand: 6X (4.8%) Card Info: Amex Credit Card issued by Amex. This card has no foreign transaction fees. Big spend bonus: Earn an additional 35k free night certificate (can be topped-up with up to 15k additional points, subject to resort fees) after you spend $60K on purchases in a calendar year Noteworthy perks: Complimentary Marriott Gold elite status ✦ 7% discount off the standard rate for a standard room at participating hotels when you book direct (Terms and Conditions apply) ✦ 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year ✦ 35k Free Night Award every year after card renewal (subject to resort fees) ✦ Complimentary premium Internet access at Marriott properties ✦ Terms Apply (Rates & Fees) See also: Marriott Bonvoy Complete Guide ➥More
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card ⓘ $1435 1st Yr Value Estimate 5 x 50K Free Night Certificates ⓘ Non-Affiliate Earn five 50K free night certifcates after $5K spend in 3 months $95 Annual Fee This card is subject to Chase's 5/24 rule (click here for details). Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. Recent better offer: None. This matches the best ever. Earning rate: ✦ 6X Marriott Bonvoy ✦ 3X gas stations, grocery stores, and dining on up to $6K in combined purchases each year ✦ 2X everywhere else Base: 2X (1.6%) Dine: 3X (2.4%) Gas: 3X (2.4%) Grocery: 3X (2.4%) Brand: 6X (4.8%) Card Info: Visa Signature issued by Chase. This card has no foreign transaction fees. Big spend bonus: Earn Gold status when you spend $35K each year ✦ 1 Elite Night Credit towards elite status for every $5K spent Noteworthy perks: ✦ Annual free night certificate for 1 night at a hotel redemption level up to 35K ✦ Automatic Silver status ✦ 15 nights of elite credit each year ✦ 1 Elite Night Credit for every $5K spent ✦ $10 monthly GoPuff credit (through 12/31/23) See also: Marriott Bonvoy Complete Guide ➥More

Are you eligible for this card?

If you already have any Marriott cards, you might not be eligible for a welcome bonus with the Brilliant card.  That is, you can still get the card, but you might not earn a welcome bonus.

The following table shows the crazy rules in place for those seeking a second or third (or fourth, or fifth…) Marriott card:

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Bottom Line

The Bonvoy Brilliant card is super expensive and it’s not very rewarding to use for spend.  So why consider it at all?  The reason to consider the Brilliant card is for its perks.  The card’s $25 per month dining credits help reduce the card’s overall cost, and the card’s free night certificate and elite benefits offer significant value.  Under the right circumstances, the free night certificate (which you get each year after renewal) alone can be used to book a hotel night that costs as much as the card’s annual fee.  And for those who stay in Marriott hotels often, Platinum Elite status can be extremely valuable (but keep in mind that at some properties Platinum status can be nearly worthless).