Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card vs. The Ritz-Carlton Card [Detailed Comparison]

Key Takeaways

• The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card is open to new applicants. You can only obtain The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card after having an eligible Chase-issued Marriott-branded card for 12 months or more and requesting an upgrade.
• Both cards offer elevated earnings at Marriott properties, automatic Marriott Bonvoy elite status, a free hotel night after card renewal, Priority Pass membership, and travel and shopping protections and benefits.
• The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card offers better Marriott-centric benefits but a higher annual fee (rates & fees) compared to the Ritz-Carlton card.

There’s no doubt that an associated Marriott-branded card can enhance your hotel stays, help you earn free nights faster, and provide valuable statement credits, protections, and benefits you can use.

Selecting the right branded card that matches your preferences can take some research. We’ll begin that process with you today as we review 2 reward cards, each a possible match for the Marriott loyalist. The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card and the Ritz-Carlton card each offer a viable option for maximizing your Marriott relationship. Here’s how the cards compare.

Card Overview

Before we expand on the card details of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card and the Ritz-Carlton card, it can be helpful to see how the cards compare overall.

Here’s a high-level comparison of our 2 featured cards:

Welcome Offer Comparison

Welcome offers are typically available to new cardholders after meeting minimum spending requirements within a specified period after card approval.

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card offers a generous welcome offer, while the Ritz-Carlton card does not. The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card is available to new applicants directly, while the Ritz-Carlton card requires that you first hold a Chase-issued Marriott-branded card.

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

A premium card for Marriott fans who want perks like an annual statement credit and Free Night Award, plus a fast track to Marriott elite status.

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Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card

A premium card for Marriott fans who want perks like an annual statement credit and Free Night Award, plus a fast track to Marriott elite status.

Welcome Offer

Earn 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.

100,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $700

Annual Fee

$650

APR

19.74%-28.74% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card is a premium card designed with road warriors and Marriott Bonvoy loyalists in mind.

So is the card a worthwhile addition to your wallet?

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 6x points per $1 at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy program
• 3x points per $1 on flights booked directly with airlines and restaurants worldwide
• 2x points per $1 on all other purchases

Cons

• Steep annual fee of $650 (rates & fees)
• 6x points per $1 is the same earn rate offered with lower annual fee alternatives like the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy^® American Express^® Card

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Card Highlights

• Earn 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy^® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy.
• Earn 3X points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines.
• Earn 2X points on all other eligible purchases.
• Earn up to 21X Marriott Bonvoy^® points for every $1 spent on eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy. Earn 6X points with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card. Earn up to 10X points from Marriott Bonvoy for being a Marriott Bonvoy member. Earn up to 5X points from Marriott Bonvoy with the 50% Bonus Points on Stays, a benefit available with your complimentary Platinum Elite status.
• $300 Brilliant Dining Credit: Each calendar year, get up to $300 (up to $25 per month) in statement credits for eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card at restaurants worldwide.
• A Marriott Bonvoy^® Platinum Elite member will earn 50% more points on eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy for each U.S. dollar or the currency equivalent that is incurred and paid for by the member.
• 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^®, such as Le Metropolitan, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel in Paris. Certain hotels have resort fees.
• 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.
• $100 Marriott Bonvoy^® Property Credit: Enjoy your stay. 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 ($120) 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 Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
• Each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card you can receive 25 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.
• With your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card, you can enroll in Priority Pass™ Select, with an unlimited number of visits to over 1,200 airport 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.
• Trip Cancelled or Interrupted? 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.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees on international purchases.
• $650 Annual Fee.
• Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.74%-28.74% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Marriott Bonvoy

To be eligible for the Ritz-Carlton card, you must first have the Marriott Bonvoy Bold^® Credit Card, Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Credit Card, or the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card for a full 12 months.

After 12 months, you can request an upgrade to the Ritz-Carlton card by calling the number on the back of your card.

The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Ritz-Carlton card comes loaded with perks and benefits that any Marriott loyalist is sure to love.

The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card

The Ritz-Carlton card comes loaded with perks and benefits that any Marriott loyalist is sure to love.

Annual Fee

$450

Why We Like This Card

The Ritz-Carlton card is a valuable card to have in your wallet if you frequently stay at Marriott properties and want perks like Marriott elite status, airport lounge access, an annual travel credit, and more.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 6x points on Marriott stays
• 3x points on dining, rental cars, and airfare purchased directly with airlines
• 2x points on all other purchases

Cons

• Charges a large annual fee
• You cannot apply for the card outright, you can only upgrade to it from another Chase-issued Marriott card

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Card Highlights

• No welcome offer available.
• 6x points for every $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy.
• 3x Points for every $1 spent on dining, car rentals and airline purchases.
• 2x Points for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
• Receive 15 Elite Night Credits every calendar year and Automatic Gold Elite status.
• Earn a $300 Annual Travel Credit which you can use for qualifying airline purchases such as baggage fees, seat upgrades, and preferred lounge memberships or passes. To apply travel credit, call 1-855-896-2222 after using your card.
• Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide through your Priority Pass™ Select membership. Access is unlimited regardless of airline or ticket class. Enjoy a place to relax with complimentary refreshments.
• Apply for Global Entry, a U.S. customs and border protection program, using your Ritz-Carlton Credit Card to pay your application fee and receive a statement credit. If approved, you will also be eligible to receive TSA pre ✓^® privileges at no additional cost.
• Use your Ritz-Carlton Credit Card to unlock special car rental benefits. Enroll in leading car rental reward programs from Avis, National, and Silvercar. Book with your Ritz-Carlton Credit Card and take advantage of great savings and special offers.
• Make purchases abroad without being charged foreign transaction fees.

Financial Snapshot

• Foreign Transaction Fees: 

Bottom Line:

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card is open to the public for applications. You can only obtain the Ritz-Carlton card after holding an eligible Chase-issued Marriott Bold card, Marriott Boundless card, or Marriott Bountiful card for 12 months or more and contacting Chase to request a product change to the card.

Earning Potential

The earning potential of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card and the Ritz-Carlton card is nearly identical except for car rental purchases.

Both of our featured cards earn 6x Marriott Bonvoy points at participating Marriott properties, 3x points on dining worldwide, and 3x points on flights purchased directly with the airline.

Additionally, the Ritz-Carlton earns 3x points on car rentals.

Redemptions

With over 10,000 properties and more than 30 brands, you’ll have plenty of options for redeeming the rewards earned on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card or the Ritz-Carlton card.

You can obtain the best potential value when redeeming points with either card by using rewards to purchase free hotel award nights. However, transferring points to airline partners to use for award flights is also an option.

There are dozens of airline partners, many of which offer a 5,000-mile bonus when redeeming 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points or more.

Marriott Bonvoy Benefits

The value of having a hotel-branded card is significant if you frequently stay with that brand.

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card and Ritz-Carlton card complement the Marriott Bonvoy hotel loyalty program, enhancing your stay beyond elite benefits.

Here are the Marriott-related benefits you can expect from the cards:

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card comes with higher elite status and the ability to earn an additional free hotel night by meeting the card’s spending requirements for an Earned Choice award. The card also comes with 25 elite night credits that can help you qualify for Titanium Elite status.

Bottom Line:

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card offers more Marriott-centric benefits than the Ritz-Carlton card, including Platinum Elite status instead of Gold Elite status, 25 elite night credits each year instead of 15, and the ability to earn an additional free night, worth up to 85,000 points.

Travel Protections

Travel protections can provide economic relief if something goes wrong during your trip. Here are the travel protections you can expect from the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card and the Ritz-Carlton card, along with how the coverage differs between the 2 cards.

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card and the Ritz-Carlton card each offer several valuable trip protections. One key difference is that the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card includes trip cancellation and trip interruption coverage, and the Ritz-Carlton card does not.

While the Ritz-Carlton card does have primary car rental coverage, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant cardholders can get Premium Protection coverage for 1 low price ($12.25 to $24.95) that covers the entire rental period, up to 42 consecutive days. Terms apply.

Bottom Line:

Both the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card and the Ritz-Carlton card offer valuable travel protections, including car rental coverage, trip delay insurance, baggage insurance, and no foreign transaction fees. Additionally, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card includes trip cancellation and trip interruption coverage, while the Ritz-Carlton card includes baggage delay, roadside assistance, and limited emergency medical and dental coverage.

Travel Benefits

Travel benefits can save you money and make your trip more comfortable. While the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card and the Ritz-Carlton card have similar benefits, there are key differences.

Here are the top travel benefits on our featured cards:

Both cards come with Priority Pass lounge access. The membership with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card (enrollment required) allows 2 guests, while the Ritz-Carlton card has no limit on additional guests. Additionally, authorized users on the Ritz-Carlton card receive Priority Pass lounge access and the same access as cardholders to Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club. There is no cost to add authorized users to the Ritz-Carlton card.

Lounge access may be limited by location and capacity.

Global Entry application and renewal fee reimbursement is available on both cards. Reimbursement for TSA PreCheck, rather than Global Entry, is not available on the Ritz-Carlton card. However, TSA PreCheck is included with Global Entry. You must pay the fee with your card.

Hot Tip:

A key benefit of the Ritz-Carlton card is its access to Priority Pass and Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club locations. Cardholders and authorized users can access both lounge networks with unlimited guests.

Shopping Protections and Benefits

Shopping protections can provide reimbursement or replacement should something happen to an eligible item you purchased with your card. Shopping benefits can save you money or help you earn additional rewards for your eligible purchase.

Here are the key shopping protections and benefits on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card and the Ritz-Carlton card:

You can find a list of Amex Offers and Chase Offers from select merchants and service providers by logging in to your associated online card account. Add the offers you wish to use to your card, make the required purchase, and receive a statement credit or additional rewards.

Also, note that we have abbreviated the descriptions of protections and benefits and have not included all of the terms and conditions. The information included is for basic comparison purposes only. You can find more details in a specific card’s guide to benefits.

Annual Fees and Authorized Users

It’s always smart to know the economics of holding a rewards-earning card to help determine the net value you’re receiving.

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card has an annual fee of $650. There is a $0 fee to add authorized users.

The Ritz-Carlton card has an annual fee of $450, and there is no charge to add authorized users.

Final Thoughts

If you don’t currently have a Marriott-branded card, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card is an excellent choice thanks to its generous welcome offer. The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card also comes with Platinum Elite status, worldwide lounge access, a high-value free hotel night each year, and several premium travel and shopping benefits.

If you currently have an eligible Chase-issued Marriott Bonvoy card, you can consider upgrading to the Ritz-Carlton card for elevated earnings and greater benefits. You don’t receive a welcome offer bonus with the Ritz-Carlton card. Still, it has a lower annual fee than the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card and offers similar benefits, as well as exceptional lounge access.

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For the car rental loss and damage insurance benefit of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card, car rental loss and damage insurance can provide coverage up to $75,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the commercial car rental company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. geographic restrictions apply. 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. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

For the trip cancellation and interruption insurance benefit of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card, the maximum benefit amount for trip cancellation and interruption insurance is $10,000 per covered trip and $20,000 per eligible card per 12 consecutive month period. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

For the trip delay insurance benefit of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card, up to $500 per covered trip that is delayed for more than 6 hours; and 2 claims per eligible card per 12 consecutive month period. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

For the baggage insurance plan benefit of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card, baggage insurance plan coverage can be in effect for covered persons for eligible lost, damaged, or stolen baggage during their travel on a common carrier vehicle (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus) when the Entire Fare for a ticket for the trip (one-way or round-trip) is charged to an eligible card. Coverage can be provided for up to $2,000 for checked baggage and up to a combined maximum of $3,000 for checked and carry-on baggage, in excess of coverage provided by the common carrier. The coverage is also subject to a $3,000 aggregate limit per covered trip. For New York State residents, there is a $2,000 per bag/suitcase limit for each covered person with a $10,000 aggregate maximum for all covered persons per covered trip. 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.

For the purchase protection benefit of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card, purchase protection is an embedded benefit of your card membership and requires no enrollment. It can help protect covered purchases made on your eligible card when they’re accidentally damaged, stolen, or lost, for up to 90 days from the covered purchase date. The coverage is limited up to $10,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per card member account per calendar year. Coverage limits apply. 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.

For the extended warranty benefit of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card, when an American Express^® card member charges a covered purchase to an eligible card, extended warranty can provide up to one extra year added to the original manufacturer’s warranty. Applies to warranties of five (5) years or less. Coverage is up to the actual amount charged to your card for the item up to a maximum of $10,000; not to exceed $50,000 per card member account per calendar year. 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.

For the return protection benefit of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card, 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. Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.