Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card review

How to apply for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card

To apply for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card, you must be at least 18 years old and a US resident. You’ll also need to provide information such as your name, email and phone number, Social Security number and date of birth, your home address, and your total annual income and income source.

1. Click Apply now.
2. Fill out the application form with details like your name, contact information, Social Security number and total annual income.
3. Review your application and submit it.

What credit score do I need

For better odds of approval, consider applying with an excellent credit score of 740 or higher. Remember that when you apply with a better score, you’re more likely to receive a lower APR, which can be handy if you’re planning on carrying a balance.

How long will it take to get my Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card?

Applications are generally processed automatically, meaning you can get a decision within just a few minutes. In some cases you may need to provide additional information, which can delay getting an answer by anywhere from a few business days to a few weeks. Once you’re approved for the card, you’ll likely receive it and any welcome materials in the mail within seven to 10 days.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card benefits

• Welcome offer: For a limited time, you can earn 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points and a bonus Free Night Award after you spend $5,000 in eligible purchases using your new card within the first 3 months of card membership. This offer expires November 3, 2021. Resort fees may apply.
• Rewards: Up to 6x points. Earn 6x points at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels. This was the rate you’d receive before SPG and Marriott Rewards merged in August 2018, and it’s still a strong one.Earn 3x points at US restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines. On all other eligible purchases, you’ll earn 2x points. Redeem points for reward nights at Marriott Bonvoy hotels, as well as car rentals and flights through the airline program. For all of your redemption options, check out our Marriott award chart. You can also transfer points to miles with over 40 airlines, including Delta, Emirates, United and more.
• Free Night Award. Each year after your card anniversary, you’ll receive a Free Night Award. You can use it for a night at a participating hotel that has a redemption level at or under 50,000 points.Currently, complimentary nights range in cost from 7,500 to 85,000 points.
• Credits toward higher Elite status. Each calendar year, you’ll receive a 15-night credit to help you reach the next level of Elite status.You’ll need to link your card account to a Marriott Loyalty Program in your name.
• No foreign transaction fees. Use your card abroad or at foreign websites without paying a fee. This is standard across travel cards.
• Complimentary Wi-Fi. After enrolling, you’ll receive unlimited Wi-Fi through more than a million Boingo hotspots around the world. You’ll also receive complimentary in-room, premium Internet access when you stay at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels.
• Travel benefits. Enjoy car rental insurance and lost luggage insurance. Get access to the Premium Global Assist Hotline as well, which can connect you to medical and professional services when you’re in a pinch on vacation.
• Shopping and entertainment benefits. Access ticket presales and select events in your area.
• ShopRunner. You’ll receive free two-day shipping on eligible items at over 140 online stores in the ShopRunner network with this complimentary membership. Access Shoprunner by enrolling in your Amex account.
• $300 in Marriott Bonvoy statement credit. Each card year, you’ll receive $300 in statement credit for eligible purchases you make at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels. This is an excellent perk that can largely offset the card’s annual fee, depending on how you take advantage of the Amex credit.
• Priority Pass™ Select membership. You’ll receive a complimentary membership in Priority Pass Select. Once you enroll, you’ll enjoy complimentary access to over 1,000 airport lounges around the world. At Priority Pass lounges that allow guests, you can bring two along without paying extra.
• Statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. Every four years, you’ll receive a $200 statement credit for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application, which cost $100 and $85 respectively. If you’re approved for Global Entry, you’ll automatically receive a TSA PreCheck membership at no additional charge.
• Complimentary Elite status. As a baseline perk, you’ll enjoy Gold Elite status in the Marriott Bonvoy program. Gold Elite comes with a 25% points bonus, 2 p.m. late checkout based on availability, a dedicated elite reservation line, welcome gifts and enhanced room upgrades based on availability. Normally, you’d need to stay 25 nights a year to attain it.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card drawbacks

• $450 annual fee. This card is priced at a premium. To its credit, however, it offers impressive benefits for its annual fee that can easily make up the cost.
• Potentially high APR. You could receive a purchase APR as high as 24.74% variable, depending on your credit. That’s much higher than the average credit card APR of around 16%.
• Penalty APR. American Express may apply a 29.99% variable APR to all balances if you pay late or make a returned payment. This rate will apply for at least six months, but you may be stuck with it indefinitely.

Compare Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant to similar credit cards

Compare the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card vs. The Platinum Card® from American Express vs. the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. Looking at these similar cards’ annual fees, welcome offers and other features can help you decide which is right for you.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card

★★★★★

Finder Rating: 4.6 / 5

Terms apply, see rates & fees

Go to site
Minimum credit score 740
Annual fee $450
Purchase APR 15.74% to 24.74% variable
Balance transfer APR N/A
Rewards 6x Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program, 3x at US restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines and 2x points on all other eligible purchases
Welcome offer Limited Time Offer: 150,000 points and a bonus Free Night Award after spending $5,000 in eligible purchases in the first 3 months. Resort fees may apply, offer expires 11/3/2021

The Platinum Card® from American Express

★★★★★

Finder Rating: 4.4 / 5

Terms apply, see rates & fees

Go to site
Minimum credit score 670
Annual fee $695
Purchase APR See Pay Over Time APR
Balance transfer APR N/A
Rewards 10x points at restaurants worldwide and when you Shop Small in the US on up to $25,000 combined in the first 6 months, 5x points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel, 5x points on directly-booked flights on up to $500,000 annually, then 1x points after that and on other eligible purchases
Welcome offer 100,000 points after spending $6,000 in your first 6 months, plus 10x points at restaurants worldwide and when you Shop Small in the US on up to $25,000 in combined eligible purchases in the same timeframe

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

★★★★★

Finder Rating: 4.6 / 5

Terms apply, see rates & fees

Go to site
Minimum credit score 740
Annual fee $550
Purchase APR 16.99% to 23.99% variable
Balance transfer APR 16.99% to 23.99% variable
Rewards 5x points on flights and 10x points on hotels and car rentals through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3x points on other travel after earning your $300 travel credit, 10x points on Lyft rides, 10x points on Chase Dining through Ultimate Rewards, 3x points on other dining and 1x points on all other purchases
Welcome offer 50,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months, a value of up to $750 through Chase Ultimate Rewards.

Compare even more credit cards

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Silver Elite vs. Gold Elite status in the Marriott Bonvoy program

Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card offers complimentary Silver Elite status. Meanwhile, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card offers complimentary Gold Elite status. Here’s how the tiers stack up, with base-level Member perks to compare.

	Member	Silver Elite	Gold Elite
Complimentary in-room Internet access
Member rates
Mobile check-in and mobile services
Ultimate Reservation Guarantee
Points bonus		10% bonus	25% bonus
Priority late checkout			Until 2 p.m., based on availability
Dedicated Elite reservation line
In-hotel welcome gift			Typically points
Enhanced room upgrade, based on availability

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card customer reviews and complaints

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card is a new product, but its sister card — Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card — is often highly regarded by customers. The business version in particular is much improved over its previous incarnation, offering elevated points in new categories.

The American Express Company is accredited with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), earning an A+ rating from the agency as of August 2021. It currently has over 3,000 complaints. However, according to the BBB, most of the complaints have been answered by the company or resolved to customers’ satisfaction.

Bottom line

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card is priced at a premium, but it packs tremendous value for its cost. If you frequent Marriott Bonvoy properties and love traveling in style, this card could be an automatic winner.

If you’re not sure the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card is for you, compare other great travel cards before you decide.

Frequently asked questions

• If I earn the welcome offer, when will I receive my points?

  You’ll see the bonus points on your card statement eight to 12 weeks after you reach the spending threshold.

• When will my Marriott Bonvoy Rewards statement credit post to my account?

  It’ll post to your account eight to 12 weeks after you make an eligible purchase.

• What types of rooms can I book with my Free Night Award?

  You can only use your Free Night Award for standard rooms.

• Are there blackout dates for complimentary nights?

  No.

• What charges does my Free Night Award cover?

  Your award covers your room rate and applicable taxes. However, you may need to pay resort fees and incidental charges.

Images: AmericanExpress.com