Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card by American Express: 6x hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy, 3x dining & restaurants, 3x flights /…
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card is American Express's premium credit card. The $650/yr annual fee includes a 100,000-point welcome bonus after spending $6,000 in the first 6 months. Earn 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy Bonus Points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Standard offer; the 150,000 + $250 elevated offer ended 09/30/26. Read first-party 2026-10-01 (product page + Amex compare page). Beyond the welcome bonus, here's what the card actually delivers.
| Credit | Value | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Dining credit | $300/yr ($25/mo) | Up to $25/mo in statement credits for eligible restaurant purchases worldwide. |
| 85,000-point Annual Free Night Award | $595/yr | 85,000-point Marriott Bonvoy Free Night Award certificate issued each card renewal month. Redeemable at any Marriott property up to 85,000 points (typically Cat 6-7 luxury properties). 85,000 pts × $0.007 cpp = $595 mid-tier face value at Marriott industry valuation. |
| Ritz-Carlton & St. Regis property credit (verify — not on current featured PDP) | $100/yr | Up to $100 property credit on a 2-night-minimum stay booked at a Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis property via the luxury card rate. |
Welcome bonus value (year one): ~$770. Annual statement credits: $995. Minus the $650 annual fee = ~$1115 in year-one net value before any spending earn. RewardsGuru rating: 2.5/5 — based on our net-value methodology.
Best fit: frequent travelers who can use the lounge access, statement credits, and elevated earn rates on travel and dining. Skip if: you'd let the annual statement credits expire unused or you only travel 1-2x per year.
100,000 points after spending $6,000 in the first 6 months. At our ~0.77¢/pt valuation, that's roughly $770 in real value.
Year-one math: welcome bonus value (~$770) + annual credits ($995) − $650 fee = ~$1115 net before spending earn. Year-two onward, the credits alone need to clear $650 — they do. Worth it if you'll use the credits, skip if you'd let them expire.
3 recurring statement credits: Dining credit ($300/mo), 85,000-point Annual Free Night Award ($595/yr), Ritz-Carlton & St. Regis property credit (verify — not on current featured PDP) ($100/yr). Total: $995/yr.
Check the card's terms — most premium travel cards waive foreign transaction fees, while no-fee and entry-tier cards usually charge 2-3%. American Express's product page has the current rate.