The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card and Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card are both good options if you want benefits at Marriott Hotels & Resorts.
The Bonvoy Brilliant is Marriott’s top-tier credit card offering automatic Platinum Elite status, an annual free night up to 85,000 points, and up to $25 in statement credits each month when you use your card at eligible restaurants worldwide.
The Bonvoy Boundless is a mid-tier Marriott card offering a free anniversary night certificate up to 35,000 points, Marriott Silver elite status, and 6x points at Marriott Hotels & Resorts.
This article will compare each card based on several factors to help you make an informed decision on which card is the best to add to your wallet.
Overview of Each Card
- bonus_miles_full
- 6X Points at Marriott Hotels & Resorts
- Up to a $300 Statement Credit for Eligible Purchases at Restaurants Worldwide Each Year ($25 Per Month)
- Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite Status
- 25 Elite Night Credits Each Year
- Free Anniversary Night Award (Up to 85,000 Points)
- Priority Pass Airport Lounge Access
- $650 Annual Fee and No Foreign Transaction Fees (Rates and Fees)
- Earn 5 Free Night Awards valued up to 250,000 Points (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months.
- 6x Points at Marriott Hotels & Resorts
- 3x Points on Groceries, Gas, and Dining on the First $6,000 in Combined Purchases Each Year
- One Annual Free Night Award (Up to 35,000 Points Every Year After Account Anniversary)
- Automatic Silver Elite Status + 15 Elite Credits
- Trip Delay, Baggage Delay, and Lost Luggage Insurance
- $95 Annual Fee
Welcome Bonus
The Bonvoy Brilliant Amex currently offers the following welcome bonus:
bonus_miles_full
The Bonvoy Boundless currently offers the following welcome bonus:
Earn 5 Free Night Awards valued up to 250,000 Points (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months.
Earning Rewards
The Bonvoy Brilliant Amex earns Marriott Bonvoy points at the following rates:
- 6 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program;
- 3 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines; and
- 2 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
The Bonvoy Boundless® earns Marriott points at the following rates:
- 6 points per dollar on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program;
- 3 points per dollar on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, dining; and
- 2 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
Winner: Tie. Both cards offer very similar earning rates. The Bonvoy Brilliant Amex is better on spending on flights and the Bonvoy Boundless is better for spending at gas stations and grocery stores.
Card Benefits and Perks
The Bonvoy Brilliant Amex offers the following benefits and perks:
- $300 Brilliant Dining Credit: Each Card renewal year, get up to $300 in statement credits per calendar year (up to $25 per month) for eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide;
- Free Night Award: Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month for one night up to 85,000 points;
- $100 Luxury Property Credit: Receive up to a $100 property credit for qualifying charges at The Ritz-Carlton® or St. Regis® when you book direct using a special rate for a two-night minimum stay using your Card;
- Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Platinum elite status;
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®;
- Priority Pass Airport Lounge Access;
- 25 elite night credits;
- Cell phone protection;*
- Trip delay insurance;*
- Trip cancellation / interruption insurance;*
- Baggage insurance plan;*
- Return protection;*
- Secondary rental car insurance;* and
- No foreign transaction fees.
* Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions, and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
The Bonvoy Boundless® offers nice benefits to justify its $95 annual fee, including:
- Anniversary free night certificate (up to 35,000 points)
- Marriott Silver Elite Status
- 15 elite night credits to help you reach Gold and above.
- Baggage delay insurance ($100 a day for five days for a delay over 6 hours).
- Lost luggage reimbursement (up to $3,000)
- Trip delay insurance ($500 per ticket for 12+ hours or overnight delay).
- 120-Day purchase protection ($500 per claim capped at $50,000 per account).
- No foreign transaction fees.
Winner: Bonvoy Brilliant Amex since it offers higher elite status, airport lounge access, more elite night credits, a better free night award, and dining credit.
Value of the Annual Fees
The Bonvoy Brilliant Amex has a $650 annual fee (rates & fees), which you can offset with restaurant statement credits, free annual hotel night, Platinum elite status, and more.
The Bonvoy Boundless® comes with an annual fee of $95, but it can be offset by utilizing the free annual hotel night.
Winner: It depends. For most people, the Bonvoy Boundless’ annual fee is a better deal because it is easily offset with the annual free night award. Whereas, the Bonvoy Brilliant has a higher potential value if you maximize all the benefits.
Redeeming Rewards
The Bonvoy Brilliant Amex and Bonvoy Boundless cards earn Marriott Bonvoy points.
There are many ways to maximize your Marriott Bonvoy points redemptions, including taking advantage of the free fifth night on award stays or booking a Points Saver rate.
Marriott award stays start at 5,000 points and can go all the way up to 100,000 points for top-tier properties.
Marriott also has a diverse group of 40+ airline transfer partners that you can convert 3 Marriott points to 1 airline mile for most partners, including my favorites of ANA, Iberia, and Avianca LifeMiles.
Plus, Marriott gives you a bonus of 5,000 airline miles when transfer 60,000 points, which effectively drops the transfer ratio to 2.4 Marriott points to 1 airline mile.
Marriott Bonvoy Points Transfer Partners
Marriott points transfer at a rate of 3 Marriott points to 1 airline mile with a transfer bonus of 5,000 airline miles when you transfer 60,000 Marriott points.
Aegean Miles+Bonus
Aer Lingus AerClub
Aeromexico ClubPremier
Air Canada Aeroplan
Air China PhoenixMiles
Air France/KLM Flying Blue
Air New Zealand [200 to 1 Ratio]
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
American Airlines AAdvantage*
ANA Mileage Club
Asiana Airlines
Avianca Lifemiles*
British Airways Executive Club
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
China Southern Airlines
Copa Airlines ConnectMiles
Delta SkyMiles*
Emirates Skywards
Etihad Guest
Frontier Miles
Hainan Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles
Iberia Plus
InterMiles
Japan Airlines
Korean Air*
LATAM Airlines
Qantas Frequent Flyer
Qatar Airways Privilege Club
Saudia Alfursan
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
Southwest Rapid Rewards
TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go
Thai Airways Royal Orchid Plus
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
United MileagePlus®
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Virgin Australia
* Transfer Bonus Does Not Apply
Winner: It’s a tie. Both cards belong to the Marriott Bonvoy program so they offer the same redemptions.
The Verdict
Both the Bonvoy Brilliant and Bonvoy Boundless cards are great options.
But if you want the best perks and benefits, the Bonvoy Brilliant Amex is your best option. The card offers a top-tier Platinum status, a free award night worth 85k points, airport lounge access, and several annual credits.
The Bonvoy Boundless is also a great pick, but only if you want to earn Marriott points without the fancy benefits.
Which card are you going to choose?
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- 6X Points at Marriott Hotels & Resorts
- Up to a $300 Statement Credit for Eligible Purchases at Restaurants Worldwide Each Year ($25 Per Month)
- Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite Status
- 25 Elite Night Credits Each Year
- Free Anniversary Night Award (Up to 85,000 Points)
- Priority Pass Airport Lounge Access
- $650 Annual Fee and No Foreign Transaction Fees (Rates and Fees)
- Earn 5 Free Night Awards valued up to 250,000 Points (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months.
- 6x Points at Marriott Hotels & Resorts
- 3x Points on Groceries, Gas, and Dining on the First $6,000 in Combined Purchases Each Year
- One Annual Free Night Award (Up to 35,000 Points Every Year After Account Anniversary)
- Automatic Silver Elite Status + 15 Elite Credits
- Trip Delay, Baggage Delay, and Lost Luggage Insurance
- $95 Annual Fee
