Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card vs Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card
Annual fees: Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card $0/yr, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card $650/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card on grocery stores, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card on flights.
Card data as of October 12, 2026.
Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit CardChase · No annual fee
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express CardAmerican Express · $650/yr
Overview
- Annual fee
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card$0LowestMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card$650
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card45,000 pointsMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card100,000 points
- Rewards
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit CardMarriott BonvoyMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express CardMarriott Bonvoy
- Foreign transaction fee
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit CardNoneMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express CardNone
- Network
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit CardVisa SignatureMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express CardAmerican Express
Earn ratesPer $1 spent
- Dining
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card1xMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card3xHighest
- Flights
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card1xMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card3xHighest
- Cable TV
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card2xMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card2x
- Food Delivery
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card2xMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card2x
- Grocery Stores
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card2xMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card2x
- Ridesharing
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card2xMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card2x
- Streaming
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card2xMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card2x
- Telecom
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card2xMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card2x
- Everything else
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card1xMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card2xHighest
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
- Travel
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card—Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card
- $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck · $120 every 4 years
- $100 luxury hotel credit · $100 per stay
- Dining & delivery
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card
- DoorDash DashPass
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card- $300 dining credit
Perks & access— means none on record
- Lounges
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card—Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card
- Unlimited Priority Pass lounge visits worldwide
- Hotel status & programs
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card
- Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite Status
- 5 Elite Night Credits annually
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card- Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status with room upgrades
- Complimentary premium WiFi at Marriott properties
- Other perks
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card
- 24/7 Visa Signature Concierge service
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
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card
- $500 trip delay reimbursement
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card- $10,000 trip cancellation/interruption insurance
- $500 trip delay insurance for 6+ hour delays
- Baggage
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card
- Up to $3,000 lost luggage coverage per trip
- Up to $100 a day for baggage delays over 6 hours · up to $500
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card- $3,000 baggage insurance per trip
- Rental car
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card
- Auto rental coverage up to $60,000
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card- $75,000 car rental insurance (primary for international)
- Purchase & returns
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold 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
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold 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
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card—Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card
- $800 cell phone protection per claim
- Other protections
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card
- 24/7 worldwide travel and emergency assistance
- 24/7 roadside dispatch assistance (pay-per-use)
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card- Zero liability protection on fraudulent charges
Pros & cons
- Pros
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card
- No annual fee makes it risk-free to hold long-term
- Automatic Silver Elite status with 10% bonus on stays and priority late checkout
- 5 Elite Night Credits annually toward status qualification
- No foreign transaction fees
- 2x earning on everyday categories (groceries, streaming, rideshare, food delivery)
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
- Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card
- Only Silver Elite status (Gold and Platinum provide much better benefits)
- Low 1x earning on non-bonus purchases
- Only 5 Elite Night Credits vs 15-25 on premium cards
- No free night award benefit
- No lounge access or premium travel perks
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 Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card wins in 3 of 3 categories. The Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card leads in 0.
Flights
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card earns 3X vs 1X
Dining
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card earns 3X vs 1X
Everyday purchases
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card earns 2X on all other spending vs 1X
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.
Modeled value is close across spend levels — especially once statement credits are counted.
| Scenario | Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card | Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $97 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $97 Year one: $412 | Rewards: $181 Credits (our usable estimate): $210 − Annual fee ($650) Ongoing: -$259 Year one: $441 | Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card | Close — depends on how much of the credits you use |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $386 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $386 Year one: $701 | Rewards: $722 Credits (our usable estimate): $210 − Annual fee ($650) Ongoing: $282 Year one: $982 | Close — depends on how much of the credits you use | Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card |
Is the Fee Difference Worth It?
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card costs $650/yr — that's $650 more than the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card (no annual fee). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $650 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 $650 fee gap for your own usage.
Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $650 fee gap means the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card needs roughly $650 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 Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card means losing:
- -Airport lounge access
- -Global Entry credit
Which Card Is Right for You?
Get the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card if you:
- +Do most of your spending at grocery stores
Get the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card if you:
- +Spend $300+/month on restaurants and dining out
- +Fly frequently and value airport lounge access
- +Prefer a high flat rate across all spending
The Bottom Line
Modeled value is close across spend levels — especially once statement credits are counted.
Everyday (non-bonus) spend earns 2X on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card vs 1X on the other card.
Published annual fees: Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card $0/yr, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card $650/yr — a $650 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 $0/yr for the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $650 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 Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card or Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card?
- The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card has a higher base earn rate (2X vs 1X), but both cards have different bonus categories where they excel.
- What benefits does the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card have that the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card doesn't?
- The Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card focuses on earn rates, while the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card offers lounge access, dining credits, cell phone protection.
- Should I get the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card or the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card?
- Use the spend scenarios on this page: the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card has a lower $0/yr fee; the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $650/yr.
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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.