Marriott Brilliant vs Marriott Boundless

Credit Card Rewards Comparison Calculator

Trying to decide between the Marriott Boundless and Marriott Brilliant credit cards? Use our calculator to compare the benefits and rewards of each.

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card is a entry-level credit card offered by Chase Bank. It offers a great return on Marriott spend, elite nights towards status, and an annual free night award valued at up to 35,000 points which is easily worth the annual fee alone.

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card is a premium-luxury card offered by American Express. It offers the same great return on Marriott spend but features several additional categories and comes with a longer list of valuable perks & benefits than the Boundless card.

Typically, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card will be the best card for most Marriott travelers while the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card is geared more towards anyone that stays at Marriott's high-end luxury properties a few times per year.

Rewards Rates

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
6X
Earn 6 Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program.
3X
Earn 3 points at Worldwide Restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines.
2X
Earn 2 points on all other eligible purchases.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
6X
Earn 6X Bonvoy points per $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®
3X
Earn 3X Bonvoy points per $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining.
2X
2X Bonvoy points for every $1 spent on all other purchases.

Current Intro Bonus

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card

Earn Two 85K Free Night Awards after you spend $6,000 in purchases on the Card in your first 6 months. Each award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy. Card Members could enjoy a value of up to $1,200 when redeeming each reward. Certain hotels have resort fees. Offer ends 11/1/2023.

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card

Key Cardholder Benefits

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
  • 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.
  • Marriott Brilliant Free Night Award: Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
  • Each calendar year after spending $60,000 on eligible purchases, Card Members are eligible to select an Earned Choice Award benefit. Benefit options include: Five (5) Suite Night Awards, 85K Free Night Award, and mattress and box spring $750 discount from Marriott Bonvoy Boutiques.
  • $100 Luxury Property Credit: Enjoy your stay. 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.
  • Receive a Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®.
  • Receive 25 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy Elite status each year.
  • Enroll in Priority Pass Select, which offers unlimited access to over 1,200 lounges in over 130 countries, regardless of which carrier or class you are flying. This allows you to relax before or between flights. You can enjoy snacks, drinks, and internet access in a quiet, comfortable location.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees on international purchases.
  • Cell phone protection: You can be reimbursed for your costs to repair or replace your damaged or Stolen cell phone up to $800, subject to a $50 deductible, for 2 approved claims per 12-month period when your prior month's wireless bill was paid utilizing an Eligible Card Account. Terms and conditions apply. Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
  • Receive a free night award that's good for any hotel that costs 35,000 points or less at the time of booking. Free nights can be stacked with free nights earned with other Marriott credit cards.
  • Enjoy 15 elite nights towards top-tier elite status with Marriott. These elite night credits can be stacked with elite nights offered on Marriott Business Credit Cards for a total of up to 30 elite nights max.
  • For every $5,000 you run across the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card, you'll receive 1 Elite Night Credit towards Elite Status with Marriott. There is no cap on how many elite nights you can earn.
  • The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card offers complimentary Marriott Silver Elite status. This is normally earned after staying 10 nights at Marriott brand hotels.

Rewards Value

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
Redemption Point Value (in cents)
Award Nights 0.6 - 1
Flights and car rentals through Air + Car 0.4
Gift Cards 0.25 - 0.33

Marriott Bonvoy points earned with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant are worth 0.7 cents each on average. Marriott has many sweet spots that can net you as much as 1 cent or more in value, especially at their extreme low-end or high-end hotels and at their popular resorts.

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
Redemption Point Value (in cents)
Award Nights 0.6 - 1
Flights and car rentals through Air + Car 0.4
Gift Cards 0.25 - 0.33

Marriott Bonvoy points earned with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless are worth 0.7 cents each on average. You can obtain higher value at Marriott's popular resorts as well as as at their low-end and high-end hotels.

Transfer Partners

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Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant and Marriott Bonvoy Boundless cardholders have access to the same transfer partners at the same transfer ratio. Neither card provides any advantage when it comes to transferring points to Marriott's partners.

Annual Fees

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card has a $650 annual fee.

You can offset a big chunk of it with the annual $300 in statement credits towards eligible restaurant purchases and the 80K free night award can be worth anywhere from $300 to $600 if used properly (as in Marriott's high-end properties).

If you frequent The Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis, you can also sweep up a $100 property credit an unlimited amount of times for every 2+ day stay. This can add exceptional value to the card.

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card has a $95 annual fee.

The annual 35K free night award alone is worth $200 to $300 depending on the redemption which makes it very easy to make up for this card's annual fee.

Card Value Calculator

Calculate how many Marriott Bonvoy Points you can earn with the Marriott Brilliant versus the Marriott Boundless side by side based on your spend. Calculate the average cash value of the points, the transfer of points to partners, and the cash value of each card.

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