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Marriott Bonvoy has expanded its cobrand credit card portfolio with the debut of the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card from Chase. This brings us to a total of five personal Marriott Bonvoy cards, each allowing travelers to acquire points faster, ultimately for redemption at 8,100+ properties bookable with Marriott Bonvoy points.
Along with the introduction of the cards comes a major upgrade—and heftier annual fee—for Marriott’s premium card product, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card.
Here, we’ll give you the rundown on the Bevy, Bountiful, and Brilliant and also see how they stack up to the two mainstays—the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card.
Two new cards, identical products
The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express Card and the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card from Chase are nearly identical in terms of card benefits, welcome offers, you name it. The main difference is the card issuer.
Best for: Travelers who want to accrue hotel award nights quickly and want automatic Gold Status with Marriott but don’t want to fork out the annual fee on the Brilliant card
Welcome offer for the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express Card: Earn 85,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first six months from your account opening.
Welcome offer for the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card: Earn 85,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in your first three months from your account opening.
Annual fee: $250 (See rates and fees.)
Earn points: Earn up to 18.5 points per dollar spent at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy, four points at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (up to $15,000 in combined purchases per year), and double points on all other purchases.
Credits: None
Key perks: Cardholders receive automatic Gold Status and automatically bank 15 elite night credits per calendar year (which is 5 credits above Silver but a boost to your balance for climbing the elite ladder). Also, receive 1,000 Marriott Bonvoy Bonus Points with each qualifying stay. Earn a Free Night Award (redemption level at or under 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy Points) after making $15,000 in purchases per year.
The Brilliant card, enhanced
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card relaunched on September 22, 2022, with new perks like Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite Status (versus Gold Status) and an increased value of the annual anniversary Free Night Award, up to 85,000 points from a previous 50,000. The changes also come with a higher annual fee, up from $450 to $650. (See rates and fees.)
Best for: Marriott loyalists who can take full advantage of Platinum Elite Status, which usually requires 50 nights per year, and comes with benefits like lounge access, enhanced room upgrade, and 4 p.m. late checkout, all subject to availability
Welcome offer: Earn 95,000 points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in your first six months from your account opening.
Annual fee: $650
Earn points: Earn up to 21 points per dollar spent at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy, three points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines, and double points on all other purchases.
Credits: Earn up to $300 in statement credits per calendar year (rationed as $25 back per month) for dining purchases at restaurants worldwide. This credit replaces the previous annual $300 in statement credits for Marriott Bonvoy hotel purchases. Get up to $100 back for a TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee.
Key perks: Cardholders receive automatic Platinum Status and automatically bank 25 elite night credits per calendar year (which is the level for Gold but a boost to your balance for climbing the elite ladder). Get one Free Night Award each year after card renewal month that can be used for one night, up to 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. Obtain complimentary Priority Pass Select Membership (enrollment required), granting access to the cardholder plus two guests to over 1,400 airline lounges worldwide.
Comparing cards
While Marriott Bonvoy switched to a dynamic pricing model for points stays in March 2022 (eschewing a published award and official hotel categories), the loyalty program continues to present solid opportunities for scoring free nights at even its most esteemed brands. The two new cards, plus a more evolved Brilliant, definitely present new opportunities for banking lots of Marriott points. However, for the casual Marriott visitor, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card or the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card may still be the way to go.
To help you decide which card may be right for you, we’ve compiled key information for all five Marriott Bonvoy consumer cards—Bold, Boundless, Bevy, Bountiful, and Brilliant—in an easy-to-digest table below.
Takeaways
Travelers now have five different Marriott Bonvoy credit cards to choose from, instead of three. The two newbies, Bevy and Bountiful, cater to those who are more than occasional Marriott visitors but not devotees. For the casual patron, the low annual fee but high benefit Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card still seems best while the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card remains top for Marriott loyalists, especially in light of the new benefit of Platinum Status.
While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they are subject to change at any time, and may have changed or may no longer be available. This article was originally published in September 2022; it was updated on January 25, 2024, with current bonus information.
