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Earn 100,000 Points And A Free 85,000 Point Award Night On The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant AMEX
Limited time welcome bonus
Through 5/18 only, you can earn 100K Marriott bonus points plus an 85K award night for opening the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant AMEX and spending $5,000 in 3 months.
The 85K award night will be awarded within 8-12 weeks of meeting the spend threshold. It will be valid for 1 year from the date of issuance, though Marriott will typically extend certificates for an extra year if you ask for it.
You will also be able to add up to 15K points to the certificate to use it at hotels going for up to 100,000 points per night, which includes nearly all Marriott hotels, from Bora Bora to the Maldives and from Herzliya to Sydney.
Comparison to previous welcome bonus:
The standard welcome bonus is 75K points with no bonus night.
Annual fee:
$450
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant AMEX, please visit here.
Welcome bonus terms:
You won’t get the welcome bonus on this card if:
- You have or had an active JPMorgan Ritz-Carlton in the past 30 days.
- You were approved for a Chase Marriott Boundless or Chase Marriott Bold in the past 90 days.
- You received a points upgrade offer from a Chase Marriott card in the past 24 months.
- You have or previously had this card or the Starwood Luxury AMEX.
Annual Marriott Statement Credit
This card comes with $300 in annual Marriott statement credits that will reimbursed for spending at Marriott hotels.
In my experience, this credit also works for buying Marriott gift cards online, but this can change at any time. It’s best to wait for a promotion like this for 20% off gift cards, as that means you can get $375 in gift cards, plus you’ll earn 6 points per dollar spent on gift cards!
Card earnings:
- 2 points per dollar everywhere.
- 3 points per dollar on airfare
- 3 points per dollar at US restaurants
- 6 Marriott points per dollar at Marriott hotels.
- There are no foreign transaction fees.
Global Entry/TSA Pre-Check:
Cardholders will get reimbursed for Global Entry/TSA Pre-Check charges every 4 years. Those programs make flying so much easier!
Priority Pass membership:
You can enroll here for a Priority Pass membership.
You can then use lounges and bring in 2 free guests.
See the Priority Pass site for their complete list of lounges.
Unfortunately, AMEX Priority Pass membership no longer includes access to Priority Pass Restaurants.
AMEX Offers:
Earn statement credits at stores that you register for in your AMEX account.
Premium AMEX Protections And Lost Item Protection:
- My favorite AMEX benefit is return protection. If you need to return an item up to $300 and a store won’t take it back due to a time limited or final sale policy, AMEX will gladly refund you thanks to return protection. Nearly all of the time you’ll even be able to keep the item, but if you are asked to send it back, the return shipping will be free. This benefit is valid for $1,000 of returns per card per calendar year. Additionally, if a store charges a restocking fee to return an item then AMEX will cover that cost, up to $300/item, as part of their return protection coverage.
- Trip delay insurance will reimburse expenses due to a flight delay, up to $500 of coverage for 6+ hour delays.
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance covers trips cancelled or delayed due to weather, terrorism, jury duty, or sudden illness or injury with up to $10,000 of coverage per trip and $20,000 per rolling 12 month period.
- Baggage Insurance covers lost, stolen, or damaged luggage on plain, train, ship, or bus tickets paid for on the card.
- If your item, up to $10,000, is lost, stolen, or broken within 90 days you’ll be covered! Many cards offer stolen item protection, but that claim requires a police report to be filed and often has a cap of just $1,000 on other cards.
- If a store charged a restocking fee to return an item then AMEX will cover it, up to $300/item, as part of their return protection coverage.
- You get an additional year of warranty coverage, double the original manufacturers warranty, and if you have any issue in the extended warranty year they’ll pay to have it fixed or refund your entire purchase price without a hassle. This benefit is far more valuable than warranty benefits offered by other banks.
- If you need to dispute a charge there’s nobody who makes it easier or as pain-free as American Express does. It’s the easiest dispute resolution process in the industry by leaps and bounds and you can do it all online.
- Complimentary Shoprunner 2 day free shipping and return shipping on hundreds of websites.
- See this post to see just how amazing AMEX benefits can be.
Spend threshold:
You’ll need to spend $5,000 within 3 months.
You can pay your federal taxes for a 1.87% fee. If you overpay your taxes you can request a refund or apply it to your next year’s taxes.
My local natural gas company allows me to prepay up to $1,000 on a credit card for a $1.65 flat fee. That’s a great way to earn miles and help meet a spend threshold. My electricity supplier allows me to pay with a credit card for free as long as I am enrolled in autopay.
Airline transfer bonus:
You can transfer increments of 60K Marriott points into 25K airline miles or 27.5K miles with United.
Additionally, airlines often have their own bonuses for hotel point transfers.
Marriott has dozens of valuable airline transfer partners, such as Aegean, Alaska, American, JAL, Qantas, and dozens more!
Miles from these airlines can be very valuable and hard to get from other sources. For example JAL miles allow you to book awards on Emirates, AA, and BA with discounted or no fuel surcharges as well as mileage bargains. Alaska miles opens up bargains on airlines like Cathay Pacific and Qantas with no fuel surcharges and they allow 2 free stopovers on awards.
Premium internet access:
Cardholders get free premium in-room internet at Marriott hotels.
Elite status:
This card offers Gold Elite status, which gives 25% bonus points, 2pm late checkout, a points amenity, room upgrades, and more.
If you spend $75K/year on this card you’ll earn Platinum status, which gives 50% bonus points, 4pm late checkout, a points or breakfast amenity, suite upgrades, lounge access, and more.
You’ll also get 15 elite night credits for having the card.
You can get 15 elite night credits for having a Marriott consumer card and 15 elite night credits for having a Marriott business card. You can combine those nights with promotional nights to reach higher elite tiers.
You can’t get 2 sets of 15 elite night credits if you only have consumer or only have business cards.
Card Convertibility:
You can convert this card to the Marriott Bonvoy AMEX with a $95 annual fee. Converting or cancelling within 12 months may cause a clawback of your bonus points and status.
Anniversary night:
Cardholders will receive a free night upon every card anniversary valid at hotels that cost up to 50K points. Anniversary nights expire 12 months after they post to your account.
You will also be able to add up to 15K points to these certificates, for use at hotels that go for up to 65K points.
Will you apply for this limited time offer? Where will you use the free nights?
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant AMEX, please visit here.
Would I be eligible if I now have the Bonvoy Visa personal, and in the past, I had the amex bonvoy and amex starwoods personal and business cards? I never had their luxury cards, but I have had all their other ones. With their lifetime rules…..do you think I would be denied the bonus if I get this card? And if I apply and wouldn’t be eligible because of my other cards, would I get a pop-up message before they check my credit? Ty.
Worth The whooping AF?
With a $300 (or more with a promo) Marriott gift card, it’s not that whopping if you’ll use that.
.. and there is your answer
Dan you didn’t give us the button line, is it worth it?
For the bonus? Sure.
Not clear. I already have an Amex consumer and business card (30 elite night credits). Would I get an additional 15 elite night credits with this card (so 45)?
No.
Would you get this or the Amex Platinum?
Completely different cards and benefits.
can I upgrade my current bonvoy amex and get this promotion?
No.
Dan, is it even worth the bother considering how lousy the bonvoy program has become?
It’s still a big signup bonus. Can get for a year and then decide.
When will You also be able to add up to 15K points to these certificates?
Should be later this week.