Earn up to $1,295 with Marriott Bonvoy Cards from Amex

VaselineAugust 17, 2024

0 5 minutes read

Earn up to ,295 with Marriott Bonvoy Cards from Amex

This article only covers the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card. Our relationship with advertisers may affect how an offer is presented on our site. However, ours product selection is done independently of our relationship with advertisers.

Two credit cards from American Express, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® and the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™are offering impressive welcome offers for new cardholders – up to 185,000 and 155,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points respectively. Not to mention the cards’ solid rewards rates — 6X points per dollar of eligible purchases at participating hotels — can help frequent travelers rack up points.

So far, Kiplinger has found the Amex line of Marriott Bonvoy cards to be decidedly less appealing than their closest competitor, the Marriott Boundless card from Chase. That card’s welcome offer is 150,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 in purchases in the first three months. The $95 annual fee is much lower than the Amex Bonvoy cards shown here, which charge $250 and $650. See rates and fees.

If you’re a dedicated Marriott customer, Amex cards might be a better choice. Even though they have higher annual fees, they come with other benefits that you may find attractive. For example, the Brilliant card makes it easier to qualify for higher status levels, which come with higher reward earning rates and other perks. If you’re just dipping your toes into the Marriott Bonvoy rewards program, the Chase card is probably the card for you, given the lower annual fee.

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Marriott Bonvoy card bonus offer

For the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card, you’ll need to make $6,000 in purchases within the first six months of card ownership to receive the welcome bonus of 185,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points. And for the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Card, to earn the welcome offer of 155,000 bonus points, you’ll need to spend $5,000 in the first six months of card ownership. See rates and fees.

How much are these bonuses worth? According to Bankrate, Marriot Bonvoy points are valued at 0.7 cents, meaning you can earn up to $1,295 with the Brilliant card ($645 after the annual fee is deducted) or $1,085 with the Bonvoy card ($835 after the annual fee is deducted).

Another attractive benefit offered by both cards is the free night award, which rewards cardholders with one free night at participating hotels each year, up to a redemption level of 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for the Brilliant card or 50,000 points for the Bevy card.

Overview of cards

Welcome Offer: Earn 185,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy® points after you use your new card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of card membership.
Reward rates: Earn 6X points per dollar of eligible purchases at participating hotels; Earn 3x points on restaurants worldwide and flights booked directly with airlines and 2x points on all other eligible purchases.
Free Night Award: Receive 1 free night award each year after your card renewal month. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or below 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at participating Marriott Bonvoy® hotels. Some hotels have resort fees.
$300 Brilliant Dining Credit: Each calendar year, receive up to $300 (up to $25 per month) in statement credits on eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide.
Brilliant Earned Choice Award Benefit: Each calendar year, after you spend $60,000 on eligible purchases, you will be eligible to select one Brilliant Earned Choice Award benefit per calendar year.
$100 Marriott Bonvoy Property Credit: Receive a property credit of up to $100 on eligible charges at The Ritz-Carlton® or St. Regis® when you book directly using a special rate for a minimum two-night stay using your card.
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® fee credit: Receive either a statement credit every 4 years after you apply for Global Entry ($100) or a statement credit every 4.5 years after you apply for a five-year subscription to TSA PreCheck® (up to $85 via -an official TSA PreCheck enrollment provider) and pay the application fee with your card. If approved for Global Entry, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
Priority Pass™ Select: Sign up for Priority Pass™ Select, which offers unlimited airport lounge visits in over 1,200 lounges in over 130 countries, regardless of the carrier or class you’re flying. This allows you to relax before or between flights. You can enjoy snacks, drinks and internet access in a quiet and comfortable location.
Mobile phone protection: You may be reimbursed for the lesser of repair or replacement costs resulting from damage, such as a cracked screen or theft, up to a maximum of $800 per claim when your cell phone line is listed on a bill of mobile phone and the previous month’s mobile phone bill has been refunded. paid through an eligible card account. A $50 deductible will apply for each approved claim, with a limit of 2 approved claims per 12 month period. Additional terms and conditions apply. Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG company.
Annual fee: $650
No foreign transaction fees
Interest rates: 20.99% to 29.99%
Terms apply
See Rates and fees

Welcome Offer: Earn 155,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points after you use your new card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of card membership.
Reward rates: Earn 6X points per dollar of eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels; Earn 4X points at restaurants worldwide and US supermarkets (on up to $15,000 in combined purchases at US restaurants and supermarkets per calendar year, then 2X points); Earn 2X points on all other eligible purchases.
Free Night Award: Earn 1 free night award after spending $15,000 on qualifying purchases in a calendar year. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or below 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at a participating Marriott Bonvoy® hotel. Some hotels have resort fees.
15 Elite Night Credits: Each calendar year, with your Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card you can receive 15 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy® Elite status. Limitations apply to each Marriott Bonvoy member account. The benefit is not exclusive to cards offered by American Express. Terms apply.
Marriott Bonvoy 1,000 bonus points per stay: Earn 1,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy® Points per eligible paid stay booked directly with Marriott at participating Marriott Bonvoy properties.
Free Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elites status: With complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elites status, earn up to 2.5X Marriott Bonvoy® points on qualifying hotel purchases with the benefit of 25% Bonus Points on stays available on Qualifying Rates.
Annual fee: $250
Interest rates: 20.99% to 29.99%
Terms apply
See Rates and fees

Conclusion

If you’re a frequent traveler and a Marriott loyalist, the welcome offers on any of the cards mentioned above could very well be worth it. But before chasing those credit card rewards, you’ll want to weigh each card’s benefits against its fees to determine if it’ll be a worthwhile addition to your wallet—$650 is quite a fee to offset.

And of course, if you’re going to use a credit card, use it wisely. Make sure you don’t overspend and pay off the balance every month. High interest rates on credit cards can sink you further into debt if you carry a balance from month to month.

If you want to compare multiple credit cards, try our tool below.

Registration may be required for certain American Express benefits and offers. 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.

As an independent publication dedicated to helping you get the most for your money, the article above is our view of the best deals and is not the opinion of any named entity such as a card issuer, hotel, an airline etc. Similarly, its content has not been reviewed or endorsed by any of those entities.

VaselineAugust 17, 2024

0 5 minutes read

Vaseline

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