IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card vs Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card
Annual fees: IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card $150/yr, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card $650/yr. Strongest bonus categories: IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card on gas stations, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card on flights.
Card data as of October 12, 2026.
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit CardChase · $150/yr
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express CardAmerican Express · $650/yr
Overview
- Annual fee
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card$150LowestMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card$650
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit CardUp to 190,000 pointsMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card100,000 points
- Rewards
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit CardIHG One RewardsMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express CardMarriott Bonvoy
- Foreign transaction fee
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit CardNoneMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express CardNone
- Network
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit CardMastercard World EliteMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express CardAmerican Express
Earn ratesPer $1 spent
- Car Rentals
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card5xHighestMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card2x
- Dining
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card5xHighestMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card3x
- Flights
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card5xHighestMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card3x
- Gas Stations
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card5xHighestMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card2x
- Grocery Stores
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card5xHighestMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card2x
- Everything else
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card3xHighestMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card2x
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
- Travel
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
- $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck · $120 every 4 years
- $100 airline statement credit
- $100/yr IHG food & beverage · $25 quarterly
- $50/yr United TravelBank · $25 every 6 months
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card- $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck · $120 every 4 years
- $100 luxury hotel credit · $100 per stay
- Dining & delivery
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
- DoorDash DashPass
- $10/mo Instacart+
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card- $300 dining credit
Perks & access— means none on record
- Lounges
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card—Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card
- Unlimited Priority Pass lounge visits worldwide
- Hotel status & programs
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
- Automatic IHG Gold Elite status
- Platinum Elite at $15K spend, Diamond at $40K
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card- Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status with room upgrades
- Complimentary premium WiFi at Marriott properties
- Other perks
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
- 30% reward points discount
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card- Amex Offers
- 24/7 premium travel assistance with medical transport
- 24/7 global travel assistance
- American Express Experiences®
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
- Trip insurance
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance · up to $5,000
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card- $10,000 trip cancellation/interruption insurance
- $500 trip delay insurance for 6+ hour delays
- Baggage
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
- Lost Luggage Reimbursement · up to $3,000
- Baggage delay insurance · up to $100
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card- $3,000 baggage insurance per trip
- Rental car
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card—Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card
- $75,000 car rental insurance (primary for international)
- Purchase & returns
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
- Purchase protection for new items · up to $500
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card- $10,000 purchase protection per item
- Return protection for unwanted purchases · up to $300
- Extended warranty
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
- Extended warranty protection for eligible purchases · up to $1
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card- Extended warranty protection for eligible purchases · up to $1
- Cell phone
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card—Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card
- $800 cell phone protection per claim
- Other protections
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card—Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card
- Zero liability protection on fraudulent charges
Pros & cons
- Pros
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
- $150 annual fee is offset by the Anniversary Free Night (up to 50,000 points) and the annual credits
- 10X points at IHG properties; 5X on directly booked flights, car rentals, dining, grocery and gas
- Automatic Gold Elite status; Platinum Elite after $15K annual spend
- Fourth night free on award stays effectively gives 25% discount
- Up to $100 in IHG food and beverage credits and a $100 airline statement credit each year
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card- Automatic Platinum Elite status with room upgrades, late checkout, and lounge access at select brands
- 25 Elite Night Credits annually accelerates path to Titanium/Ambassador status
- Free Night Award worth up to 85,000 points (can book luxury properties)
- $300 annual dining credit offsets nearly half the annual fee
- Priority Pass Select with unlimited lounge visits
- Cons
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
- Free night capped at 50,000 points excludes top-tier properties
- IHG points valued around 0.5 cents per point - lower than competitors
- No airport lounge access included
- $50 United TravelBank credit requires separate registration
- Diamond Elite through spend requires hefty $40K annual threshold
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card- $650 annual fee is among the highest for hotel cards
- Dining credit is use-it-or-lose-it monthly ($25/month structure)
- Points locked to Marriott Bonvoy program with limited transfer partners
- American Express acceptance more limited than Visa/Mastercard internationally
- Free Night Award capped at 85K points; top-tier properties often cost more
Category-by-Category Winner
The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card wins in 6 of 6 categories. The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card leads in 0.
Gas Stations
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card earns 5X vs 2X
Flights
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card earns 5X vs 3X
Car Rentals
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card earns 5X vs 2X
Grocery Stores
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card earns 5X vs 2X
Dining
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card earns 5X vs 3X
Everyday purchases
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card earns 3X on all other spending vs 2X
Year One vs Ongoing Value
Modeled net value (bonus categories at unconditional rates, caps applied). Spend mix: dining 15%, groceries 15%, gas 10%, travel 10%, everything else 50%. Statement credits use the same recurring usable estimates as each card's detail page; first-year-only credits count in year one only. Welcome offers valued at each card's program rate shown on this page.
Both scenarios favor the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
| Scenario | IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card | Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $274 Credits (our usable estimate): $160 − Annual fee ($150) Ongoing: $284 Year one: $1,394 | Rewards: $181 Credits (our usable estimate): $210 − Annual fee ($650) Ongoing: -$259 Year one: $441 | IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card | IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $1,094 Credits (our usable estimate): $160 − Annual fee ($150) Ongoing: $1,104 Year one: $2,214 | Rewards: $722 Credits (our usable estimate): $210 − Annual fee ($650) Ongoing: $282 Year one: $982 | IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card | IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card |
Is the Fee Difference Worth It?
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card costs $650/yr — that's $500 more than the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card ($150/yr). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $500 in annual value from the card's higher earn rates and benefits.
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card includes dining credits, lounge access, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit, complimentary hotel status. Those perks are not included in the earn-rate scenario table above — compare their dollar value to the $500 fee gap for your own usage.
Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $500 fee gap means the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card needs roughly $500 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on flights and dining and everyday spend.
What You Give Up
Choosing one card means missing out on these benefits from the other.
Choosing IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card means losing:
- -Airport lounge access
Which Card Is Right for You?
Get the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card if you:
- +Do most of your spending at grocery stores
- +Prefer a high flat rate across all spending
Get the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card if you:
- +Fly frequently and value airport lounge access
The Bottom Line
Both scenarios favor the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
Everyday (non-bonus) spend earns 3X on the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card vs 2X on the other card.
Published annual fees: IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card $150/yr, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card $650/yr — a $500 difference before welcome offers and credits.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card worth the higher annual fee?
- The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card costs $650/yr vs $150/yr for the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $500 gap must be offset by higher earn rates, welcome offers, or credits you will use (the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card also lists lounge access, dining credits).
- Which card earns more rewards, the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card or Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card?
- The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card has a higher base earn rate (3X vs 2X), but both cards have different bonus categories where they excel.
- What benefits does the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card have that the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card doesn't?
- The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card offers travel credits. The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card offers lounge access, dining credits, cell phone protection.
- Should I get the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card or the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card?
- Use the spend scenarios on this page: the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card has a lower $150/yr fee; the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $650/yr.
Related Comparisons
Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; catalog last published October 12, 2026, and each card page shows when its terms were last checked. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.