[Expired] New Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Card Launch and Updates to Brilliant Card [Full Details]

Update: The offers mentioned below have expired and are no longer available.

The lineup of Amex-issued Marriott co-branded credit cards is getting a major shakeup, including revamped perks for the top-tier Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card and an entirely new card — the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express^® Card.

Here’s a look at everything you need to know about each card.

New Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Card Details

The new Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card will have an annual fee of $250, making it tied as the second most expensive option in the Marriott lineup of cards, along with the functionally identical Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card from Chase (rates & fees). Here’s what it offers:

New Welcome Offer: Earn 125,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $4,000 in purchases on the Card within the first 3 months.

Earn Rates:

• 6x points per $1 spent on eligible Marriott hotel stays
• 4x points per $1 spent on up to $15,000 in combined purchases per year at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets (2x after cap is hit)
• 2x points per $1 spent on all other purchases

Card Benefits:

• Earn 1,000 bonus points per paid eligible stay booked directly with Marriott for properties participating in Marriott Bonvoy
• Complimentary Gold Elite status
• A Free Night Award (redemption level at or under 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) after making $15,000 in purchases per year.
• 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year toward higher Elite status

In our view, for its annual fee, there’s little added value beyond the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Credit Card. This is especially true when you consider that its free night certificate (while only redeemable at less expensive properties) is an automatic card benefit and does not require any additional spending.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card Changes

What is far more interesting about this announcement is that the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card is receiving some welcome additions, albeit with a higher annual fee. Here are the changes you’ll want to be aware of.

New Welcome Offer: Earn 150,000 bonus points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases on the Card within the first 3 months.

Earn Rates:

• 6x points per $1 spent on Marriott stays
• 3x points per $1 spent on flights purchased directly with airlines
• 3x points per $1 spent at restaurants worldwide
• 2x points per $1 spent on all other purchases

Card Benefits:

• Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status
• Each renewal year, get up to $300 in statement credits per calendar year (up to $25 per month) for eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide
• An annual free night award (redeemable at any Marriott costing up to 85,000 points per night)
• Ability to select an annual Choice Award after spending $60,000 on the card in a year, like an additional free night award

With these new added benefits, the annual fee is increasing to $650 (rates & fees). Of course, whether or not this is worth it will depend on how much you value the new perks. Automatic Platinum status can offer far more value than Gold Elite status, and receiving 25 elite night credits will undoubtedly make it easier to achieve higher levels of elite status to score nicer complimentary upgrades.

Many will be excited to see that the free night award is increasing from a 50,000-point certificate to an 85,000-point certificate, as this should allow it to be redeemed at some of the nicest hotels in the Marriott portfolio. Keep in mind that you can top these certificates off with up to 15,000 points, allowing you to use the certificate at a hotel that costs up to 100,000 points per night.

Hot Tip: Learn about our favorite credit cards for Marriott loyalists!

Final Thoughts

While we always welcome more credit card options for travelers, in our view, the new Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card — and its counterpart the Marriott Bountiful card — miss the mark and do not offer enough value to be justified over the Marriott Boundless card.

As for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card, its new annual fee makes it one of the most expensive travel rewards cards on the market. For some, the newly added perks, especially the Free Night Award up to 85,000 points, will make it worth it, but be sure to run the numbers for yourself when deciding if the card is worth adding to (or keeping in) your wallet.