Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card Review

If you have two or three trips to take this year and would enjoy staying within the Marriott Hotel network, this card will improve your travel experience. With 15 elite night credits and statement credits for Bonvoy properties you can earn by spending money at Marriott hotels, this card offers many benefits for Marriott fans. 

There’s even more value for frequent fliers, as this card’s airport lounge access and TSA Precheck/Global Entry credit add lots of value and counteracts a high annual fee that might deter some applicants.

Pros Explained

• Airport lounge access: Holding this card gives you Priority Pass Select Membership with enrollment, which means you and two guests can visit more than 1,000 airport lounges worldwide for free. This benefit is valued at at least $429, which just about offsets the card’s annual fee. 
• Lots of Marriott loyalty perks: Hotel-branded credit cards always reward loyalty, but this one does an exceptional job. Between statement credits earned for Marriott purchases, free award nights, and elite night credits perks, those who enjoy the brand can get a lot out of this card. 
• Annual fee is easy to offset by using benefits: The annual statement credits you can get by using this card to stay and spend money at a Marriott property alone are worth $400, and the welcome offer is worth about $787.50, based on our calculations. And that doesn’t even factor in the TSA Precheck/Global Entry application credit or airport lounge access membership, a combined value of more than $514. 

Con Explained

• Strict welcome offer restrictions: If you currently have or recently had another Marriott-branded credit card, you’re probably not eligible for this card’s welcome offer. 

Bonus for New Cardholders

For a limited time, earn 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points and a bonus Free Night Award after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in eligible purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Resort fees may apply. Terms apply. Offer expires 11/3/2021. That's a great offer compared to other premium hotel cards, including other American Express cards.

Earning Points & Rewards

This card rewards Marriott purchases the most, although the card’s rewards earning rate drops for other categories. You'll earn 6 Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy(TM) program, 3 points at U.S. restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines, and 2 points on all other eligible purchases.

Marriott has a network of more than 30 brands and 6,700 participating hotels worldwide, giving you ample opportunities to gain rewards. Receive 1 free Night Award every year after your Card account anniversary. The award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy Points) at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy(TM) program. Certain hotels have resort fees. Certain hotels have resort fees.

There are opportunities to earn additional points with Marriott Bonvoy travel partners, such as rental car and cruise companies. You’ll also earn 5,000 bonus points by transferring 60,000 points to an airline miles partner.

To prevent points from expiring, you must keep your account active at least once every 24 months. There isn’t a limit on the number of points you can earn at most properties.

Redeeming Rewards

You can redeem points in a number of ways. Unsurprisingly, editors at The Balance have found that you’ll get the best value for points by using them for free hotel stays. We’ve calculated that this card’s points are worth 1.05 cents, on average, when used for award stays at Marriott properties. That’s a decent return—in general, redemption values over 1 cent are considered good value for rewards points or miles. 

Still, 1.05 cents is an average value. The points cost of an award stay will depend on the hotel category and location, demand, and other factors. Hotels are categorized into eight tiers, with Category 1 as the most affordable. You’ll typically get the most value from your points by using them for reservations at pricier, more luxurious Marriott hotels. 

You can also transfer points to airline loyalty programs—more than 40 in all, including all major U.S. carriers. However, Bonvoy points transfer at a 3-to-1 rate with most partner airlines. That’s a poor transfer ratio and may seriously reduce the value of your points. Your best transfer option among domestic airlines is United, and after you make the transfer and redeem them, your points will be worth only 0.73 cents each.

Other redemption options include: 

• Rental cars, flights, travel packages, and cruises booked through the Marriott Bonvoy website 
• Marriott Bonvoy Moments (culinary, entertainment, sports and other lifestyle events)
• Online shopping and gift cards
• Charity donations

To see how the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® card’s points stack up, check out our in-depth analysis of what credit card points are worth.

How to Get the Most Out of This Card

Spend $5,000 to get most of the welcome offer bonus points right away. Also start taking advantage of the luxury travel perks, such as airport lounge access, and apply for TSA Pre-Check/Global Entry so you can get your credit for that fee. That will help make up for the annual fee.

Then, to maximize your earnings, use this card to make hotel reservations at Marriott hotels, which should be easy because of how large the brand network is. Spend $300 at a hotel for fun additions such as a spa day or date night dinner to get your statement credit, too. If you transfer your points to an airline and get an expensive flight for a relatively small number of points, you’ll get the most value for your points. 

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card’s Excellent Perks 

This card has many benefits we consider more valuable than what credit cards typically offer (though these perks are more common among premium travel cards like this one). Besides those we’ve already mentioned, you’ll get:  

• $300 Marriott Bonvoy statement credit: Receive up to $300 back for eligible purchases made at participating hotels. 
• $100 Marriott Bonvoy property credit: Book a two-night stay at The Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis through the Marriott Bonvoy site and receive a credit of up to $100 per booking for use on those properties. 
• 15 Elite Night credit: Up to 15 Elite Night credits will be credited to your Marriott Bonvoy member account within 60 days after opening this card. These count toward the amount of stays needed to reach the next Elite Member status threshold.  
• Baggage insurance plan: Covers replacement costs up to $3,000 per covered individual, per trip for a lost carry-on bag when trip transportation was paid in full with this card. 

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card’s Other Features 

• Premium roadside assistance (free towing and other services)
• Auto rental collision damage waiver
• Insurance for stolen or damaged purchases
• Purchase return protection
• Extended warranties
• ShopRunner membership

Customer Experience

American Express ranked first in a group of 11 national credit card issuers, scoring 838 out of 1,000 points in the J.D. Power 2020 U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study. The industry average was 810.

One feature that stands out is MyCreditGuide, a tool that lets you monitor and learn about your VantageScore 3.0 and TransUnion credit report. MyCreditGuide alerts you to changes in your credit report and simulates how different behaviors can impact your credit score. 

Security Features 

American Express cards come with standard security protections, as well as the ability to instantly lock your account by logging into your online cardholder account. It will automatically unfreeze after seven days unless you clear the lock first. Lost and stolen cards are replaced for free. 

Fees to Watch Out For

This card charges typical transaction and penalty fees, most of which are easily avoided with smart card use, but take note of the $450 annual fee. High annual fees are typical among premium rewards cards, but they’re still something you should carefully consider. International travelers won’t have to pay foreign transaction fees, though.