Statement Credit Changes With the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card

Card issuers frequently review their cards’ benefits and decide what perks should be included moving forward. The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card is being refreshed and there is a big change to the way the $300 annual statement credit is issued.

Credit Starting September 22, 2022 — Eligible Restaurant Purchases

On September 22, 2022, a new statement credit structure will be implemented, and unfortunately, it is a little more complicated than the current system.

The $300 Marriott Bonvoy statement credit benefit will no longer be available. It will be replaced with a new benefit of up to $300 in statement credits per calendar year (up to $25 per month) for eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide upon enrollment.

Why These Changes

There are 2 main reasons why these changes are taking effect:

• First, Marriott Bonvoy is hoping you’ll use the card more often. By spreading out the statement credits to $25 per month, Marriott is hoping you’ll keep the card front and center in your wallet and will use it anytime you visit a restaurant or have another purchase. The more you use a card, the more likely you are to keep spending on that card for day-to-day purchases. There’s no obligation to spend beyond $25 a month, though any purchases beyond this amount will be your responsibility to pay the difference of.
• Second, and probably most importantly, Marriott Bonvoy is hoping that by spreading out the statement credits, you may forget to use 1 or more during the course of a year, and for every time you don’t earn the credit, Marriott gets to keep that portion of the annual fee.

Bottom Line: If you use the card every month for your credit, you’ll get more value out of your annual fee.

Other Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card Benefits

Even with the changes to the $300 Marriott Bonvoy statement credit, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card still has plenty of Marriott Bonvoy-centric benefits for its cardholders, all for an annual if $650:

• 6x points per dollar spent at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels
• Annual free hotel night certificate worth up to 85,000 points
• Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy^® Platinum Elite status
• 25 elite night credits each year towards Marriott Bonvoy elite status
• Up to $100 property credit at Marriott, Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis properties
• Free premium Wi-Fi

Cardholders also receive these additional benefits:

• 3x points per dollar spent at U.S. restaurants and on flights purchased directly with the airline
• 2x points per dollar spent on all other purchases
• Priority Pass lounge membership upon enrollment
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application/renewal fee statement credit
• No foreign transaction fees (rates & fees)

Final Thoughts

Unfortunately, this statement credit change to the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card is a major downside for existing cardholders and new applicants.

The $300 Marriott Bonvoy statement credit benefit was incredibly easy to use and encouraged you to spend money at the namesake of the credit card. The new $25 per month restaurant credit will likely lead to many consumers forgetting about the credit and not being able to get the most out of their annual membership fees.