21 Benefits and Perks of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card [$4,600+ Value]

Regardless of the hotel brand you prefer, your stay could be enhanced by the benefits of an affiliated hotel-branded card.

Hotel-branded cards can help you earn greater rewards or enjoy complimentary benefits. You can even receive loyalty program elite status or lengthen your hotel experience with a free hotel night you’ve earned with your card.

We’re highlighting the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card today for its earning potential, redemptions that can yield free hotel nights, and the card’s Marriott Bonvoy-centric benefits.

If Marriott is your brand preference, you shouldn’t stay another night at a Marriott property without having a Marriott Bonvoy-branded card.

Next, we’ll expand on the value added with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card, one of the best cards you can have as a Marriott loyalist.

Benefits Summary

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card is one of the best cards for Marriott loyalists. With elevated earnings, Marriott Bonvoy benefits, and travel and shopping protections and benefits, the card delivers value for travelers who frequent the Marriott brand.

Here’s a summary of the card’s benefits and our estimated valuations:

Note that our estimates are based on roughly calculated examples and what you might expect when utilizing a specific benefit. The actual value you receive depends on which benefits you use.

1. Generous Welcome Offer [$1,295]

Immediately after card approval, you can earn a welcome bonus offer by meeting minimum spending requirements within the specified period. When used for free hotel nights, the welcome offer can be worth hundreds of dollars or more.

Review the most current offer below before you apply:

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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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

19.99%-28.99% 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: 19.99%-28.99% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Marriott Bonvoy

2. $300 Dining Credit [Up to $300]

We include this benefit near the top of our list because it’s easy to use and provides direct economic value.

One key benefit of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card is a dining credit of up to $25 each month. Use your card at restaurants worldwide and receive reimbursement of up to $300 each calendar year in monthly statement credits.

Elevated Earning Potential at Marriott, Restaurants, Flights, and All Purchases [$500+]

Every purchase you make with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card earns at least 2 Marriott Bonvoy points per $1 spent. Accumulating rewards points quickly means earning free hotel nights faster.

We’ll discuss redemption options next. First, here’s a summary of how you earn rewards and the details for each earning category:

3. Earn Big at Marriott Properties

In addition to the Marriott Bonvoy points you earn just for staying at a Marriott property, you earn 6 points for every $1 spent when using your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card for your stay.

If you spend $5,000 at Marriott properties, you earn 30,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, enough for a free hotel night.

4. Earn at Restaurants Worldwide and on Flight Purchases

Many reward-earning cards limit earning to just U.S. dining purchases. The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card earns 3x points on dining worldwide. So $3,000 in dining purchases each year would earn 9,000 points.

When you purchase a flight directly with the airline, you earn 3 points per $1 spent. Using your card for $5,000 worth of flights would equal 15,000 points.

5. Earn on Every Purchase You Make

With 2x earnings on every card purchase, Marriott Bonvoy points add up quickly. Spending $12,000 each year would generate 24,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.

If you spent at the levels mentioned in these categories, that’d be 78,000 Marriott Bonvoy points earned for spending on the card.

Redemption Options [Value Varies]

6. Redeem for Free Hotel Nights

We value Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.7 cents each, but you could receive even better potential value when redeeming for free hotel nights.

A sweet spot for receiving great value is to utilize the fifth-night free benefit when booking award nights. If you book 5 consecutive award nights at the same property, the hotel gives you the least expensive night for free. If you stayed for 10 nights, you would receive the 2 least expensive nights free.

7. Additional Options at Redemption Time

You have additional choices for redeeming Marriott Bonvoy points, including transferring them to airline partners or redeeming them for experiences, rental cars, or travel packages. Additionally, you can shop with your points, use them for gift cards, pay TSA PreCheck fees, or donate to charity.

Bottom Line:

The best way to redeem your Marriott Bonvoy points is for free hotel nights. All other options may result in less value.

Marriott Bonvoy Benefits [$1,000 ]

8. Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy^® Platinum Elite Status ($300)

Marriott Bonvoy^® Platinum Elite status normally requires staying at Marriott properties for 50 nights each calendar year. You receive complimentary Marriott Bonvoy^® Platinum Elite status, with no stay requirements as long as you have the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card.

Marriott Bonvoy^® Platinum Elite status includes benefits such as enhanced room upgrades (including suites), lounge access where available, guaranteed late checkout, choice of a welcome gift, complimentary breakfast, Wi-Fi, 50% bonus earnings on stays, and more.

If you frequently stay at Marriott properties, the room upgrades and complimentary breakfast alone can be worth hundreds of dollars a year.

9. 25 Elite Night Credits Toward Elite Status

Cardholders receive a head start toward higher elite status each year with 25 elite night credits. Titanium Elite status requires 75 nights each year. This means you would qualify for Titanium Elite status by staying 50 additional nights annually.

The 25 elite night credits also count toward the 50 total nights needed for an Annual Gift Choice. At the 50-night threshold, you can select from a list of 5 nightly upgrade awards, the gift of Silver Elite status, 40% off your favorite hotel bed, 5 elite night credits toward current year status, or a $100 charity donation.

Hot Tip:

You can receive elite night credits from a maximum of 1 Marriott Bonvoy-branded personal card plus 1 Marriott Bonvoy business card. Other than the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card with 25 elite night credits, the maximum number of elite night credits awarded per card is 15. By having the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card and the Marriott Bonvoy Business^® American Express^® Card, for example, you could receive 40 total elite night credits toward earning status.

10. Free 85,000-Point Hotel Night Award ($600+)

Each year after renewing your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card, you receive a free hotel night award worth up to 85,000 points. You can add up to 15,000 additional Marriott Bonvoy points for a total redemption value of up to 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy points!

The St. Regis Bal Harbor Resort is an example of a property that can deliver good value for your free night award. Nightly rates there can exceed $1,000, making it a good choice for using your award night certificate.

11. $100 Hotel Property Credit (Up to $100)

Book a 2-night stay or longer at a Marriott, St. Regis, or Ritz-Carlton property using the special member rate, which the company calls its “$100 Property Credit, Luxury Credit Card Rate.” This credit can be used on-site for dining, spa services, and recreational activities (not offered by third parties).

12. Earned Choice Award

After making $60,000 in eligible purchases with your card in a calendar year, you can select 1 Earned Choice Award. These can include nightly upgrade awards, an 85,000-point free night award, 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, or $1,000 off a mattress and box spring from Marriott Retail Brands.

Travel Benefits and Protections [$460+]

13. Worldwide Airport Lounge Access ($200)

Enroll in Priority Pass^TM Select via the link in your online card account, and you’ll have access to over 1,400 airport lounges worldwide. Your card includes complimentary access for 2 guests.

Priority Pass membership that includes complimentary lounge access normally costs $469 a year with guest access adding $35 per person per visit.

If you used a Priority Pass lounge a few times each year with a guest, you’d receive over $200 in value (3 visits at $70 for 2 people).

14. Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Fee Reimbursement

Pay your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application or renewal fee with your card and receive reimbursement for up to $120 as a statement credit. There is a limit of 1 reimbursement every 4 years for Global Entry or 1 every 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck.

15. No Foreign Transaction Fees ($60)

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card travels well. Take the card with you abroad, as you’ll be charged no foreign transaction fees, which are typically 3%.

Spending $2,000 a year abroad could save you $60 in fees.

16. Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance

Reserve and pay for your rental car with your card, rewards earned on your card, or a combination, decline the rental agency’s CDW/LDW insurance, and receive coverage for damage or theft. Coverage is secondary, meaning you must file a claim with other applicable insurance before card coverage applies.

Premium Protection is available to a cardholder for a single price and covers the entire rental period. It is primary coverage and doesn’t require filing a claim with other insurance.

17. Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Insurance ($200)

Pay for your trip with your card, and if it needs to be canceled or is disrupted for a covered reason, you could receive up to $10,000 per covered trip, up to $20,000 per eligible card per 12-month consecutive period.

Getting reimbursement for 1 prepaid hotel expense that you lose because of a covered flight misconnection could save you hundreds of dollars.

Shopping Benefits and Protections [$1,100]

Shopping benefits can save you money on related purchases, and protections can provide economic relief should something go wrong with your purchase.

Here are the shopping protections and benefits of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card.

18. Cell Phone Protection* ($800)

Pay your monthly cell phone bill with your card and receive reimbursement, repair, or replacement if your cell phone is stolen or damaged. You could receive up to $800 per claim, up to 2 claims per 12-month period. There is a $50 deductible per claim.

*Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

19. Extended Warranty, Purchase Protection, and Return Protection ($100)

Eligible items purchased with your card that have manufacturer’s warranties of 3 years or less could receive an additional year of protection with extended warranty coverage.

For 90 days from the purchase date, covered items could receive purchase protection coverage for up to $10,000 per eligible purchase for damage or theft. Items must be purchased with your card, and there is a limit of $50,000 in coverage per eligible card.

With return protection, if a merchant refuses to accept the return of an eligible item up to 90 days from the date of purchase, you could receive up to $300 per item as a refund. There is a limit of $1,000 per card account for the 12-month period following the purchase date.

20. Amex Offers ($200)

Amex Offers can save you hundreds of dollars or more each year. Log in to your online card account to select offers from merchants and service providers. Add the offers you prefer to your card, make the required purchase, and receive additional Marriott Bonvoy points or cash-back as a statement credit.

Additional Card Benefits

21. No Fee To Add Authorized Users

There is no additional fee to add authorized users to the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card (rates & fees). Additional users can help you earn points faster.

Note that we have not included all of the features and benefits of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card, only key ones. The descriptions have also been abbreviated and do not include all the terms and conditions. Additional information can be found in the rates and fees and the card’s guide to benefits.

Final Thoughts

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card is the best Marriott-branded card for those who stay frequently at Marriott properties.

It’s possible to find outsized value with the card, even with the higher annual fee. The free hotel night award at card renewal, up to $300 dining credit, Marriott Bonvoy^® Platinum Elite status, and complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership (upon enrollment) can provide plenty of value to the right cardholder.

Some card benefits could be duplicated if you already have top Marriott Bonvoy elite status, especially if you have a Priority Pass membership with another card. If this is the case, you might consider another Marriott-branded card.

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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 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 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 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.