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The new Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful and Bevy cards are identical in their welcome bonus offers, earnings, and Marriott benefits.
Amex; Insider
There are two new Marriott credit cards: The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card and Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card.
These are mid-range cards with unique benefits and a Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card annual fee.
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card has also received an extensive refresh, making it worth significantly more per year.
Read Insider’s guide to the best travel rewards credit cards.
Marriott has unveiled two new credit cards — the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card and Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card — for a market they’ve previously underserved: customers looking for a mid-range hotel credit card. Both offer unique benefits we’ve never before seen on a Marriott credit card. And their welcome bonus offers are sky-high, as well. You’ll earn Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card.
To boot, the beloved Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card has received an enormous features overhaul (including an annual fee hike). The card can now provide frequent Marriott travelers with thousands of dollars in value each year. Its bonus has also jumped to Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card.
There are also new offers on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card, Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card, and Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card to round out a big day for Marriott. Let’s take a look at these latest developments to see if any of these cards are a fit for your lifestyle.
We’re focused here on the rewards and perks that come with each card. These cards won’t be worth it if you’re paying interest or late fees. When using a credit card, it’s important to pay your balance in full each month, make payments on time, and only spend what you can afford to pay.
Introducing 2 new Marriott credit cards: Bonvoy Bevy and Bonvoy Bountiful
Aside from the issuing bank, the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card and Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card are nearly identical. They both earn Marriott points at similar rates, they incur the same Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card annual fee, and they offer the same Marriott-centric benefits.
They also currently offer the same welcome bonus:
Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card — Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card (worth around Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card in travel).Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card — Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card (worth around Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card in travel).
Here’s what you can expect when opening either of these cards.
Earning rates
The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card earns points at the following rates:
6 Marriott points per dollar at Marriott hotels4 Marriott points per dollar at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $15,000 in combined purchases each year (then 2x)2 Marriott points per dollar on all other eligible purchases
There’s a minor difference in earning with the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card; instead of restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets, the 4x category is grocery stores and dining (with no geographic restrictions).
Other Marriott cards have similar earning rates. The big difference is in the second bullet. These cards offer 4 points per dollar on restaurants/U.S. supermarkets or dining/groceries. That’s higher than most other Marriott credit cards. For example:
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card earns 3 points per dollar on dining and groceries on up to $6,000 in combined purchases each yearThe premium Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card earns 3 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide — though there is no $15,000 spending capThe Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card earns 4 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers, and on U.S. purchases for shipping
However, this is hardly a major selling point for these new cards. Insider’s valuations estimate Marriott points value to be 0.7 cents each, on average.
1,000 bonus points per Marriott stay
This is a feature never before seen on a Marriott card. With the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card and Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card, you’ll receive 1,000 bonus points each time you have an eligible stay with Marriott and pay with your card. Per Insider’s valuations, this is a value of around $7 per stay. That’s not an overwhelming value, but it may incentivize customers to break up a single stay of multiple nights into more than one stay.
Marriott counts consecutive nights as a single stay — even if you booked each night independently with unique confirmation numbers. Still, if both you and a travel buddy had one of these cards, you could each book alternate nights and receive 1,000 bonus points per night. A bit of a hassle, but an easy way to rack up several thousand Marriott points.
Complimentary Gold elite status
Marriott Gold elite status comes with benefits such as:
25% bonus points on staysEnhanced room upgrade (not to a suite, though)2 p.m. late checkout when availableA welcome gift of between 250 and 500 pointsFree Wi-Fi
Marriott Gold status is relatively weak in the world of hotel elite status, but some cardholders may find it useful. You’ll otherwise have to stay 25 nights per calendar year to earn it.
You can also achieve Gold elite status by holding either The Platinum Card® from American Express or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express**.
Free Night Award worth up to 50,000 points
Surprisingly, the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card and Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card are the only annual fee-incurring Marriott cards that don’t come with an automatic Free Night Award after renewing your account each year.
However, you can still earn an annual Free Night Award with a bit of elbow grease. By spending $15,000 on purchases per calendar year, you’ll earn a certificate worth up to 50,000 Marriott points. Per Insider’s valuations, this certificate is worth an average of $350 — more than enough to completely offset your card’s annual fee.
If you don’t think you’ll spend $15,000 in a year to unlock a free night certificate, consider the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card or Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card instead. Both of these cards award a free night worth up to 35,000 points after each card anniversary — no additional spending required.
If you’ll have no problem meeting that $15,000 spending requirement each year, this card could make a lot of sense for your situation.
15 elite night credits
Both cards come with an automatic 15 elite night credits each calendar year. This is a standard feature on all Marriott cards (even the no-annual-fee Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card), and can help you to achieve higher-tier elite status more easily.
For example, Platinum elite status requires that you stay at least 50 nights per calendar year. But if you hold either the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card or Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card, you’ll only need to stay 35 nights.
Even if you have more than one Marriott personal credit card, you’ll still only receive a total of 15 elite night credits. However, if you hold both a personal Marriott credit card and the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, you’ll receive 30 elite night credits per year (40 nights if the personal card is the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card).
5 changes to the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card is the highest-tier Marriott credit card on the market — and for better or worse, the card has become even more “premium.”
New applicants will receive Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card. That’s worth an average of Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card in travel.
The card will now charge a Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card annual fee — the highest fee (by far) of any hotel credit card. If you opened the card prior to September 22, 2022, this increased fee will hit your account on renewal dates after January 1, 2023. If you open the card today, you’ll pay that fee straightaway.
Here’s what you’ll get for that price tag.
Up to $300 in annual dining statement credits (previously up to $300 in annual Marriott credits)
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card previously offered $300 in Marriott credits per year to be used toward room rates, onsite restaurants, spa, etc. You could use the entire $300 chunk at once if you like, or use it as incrementally as you wanted. In other words, the card would reimburse your first $300 in Marriott spending each year.
You’ll no longer receive Marriott credits. Instead, you’ll be reimbursed up to $25 in worldwide restaurant spending each month (you can’t use the full $300 at once). If you’ll maximize this perk each month, you’ve effectively negated $300 of the annual fee — meaning your yearly out-0f-pocket comes to $350. If the following benefits are worth that to you, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card is a keeper.
Complimentary Platinum elite status (previously Gold elite status)
Platinum elite status is an extremely useful hotel status that comes with benefits such as:
50% bonus points on staysFree suite upgrades when availableFree breakfast at most Marriott hotels4 p.m. late checkout when available
This is a solid credit card benefit — and depending on your upcoming travel plans, could itself be worth the annual fee. Some fancy Marriott resorts charge $50+ per person for breakfast.
Free Night Award worth up to 85,000 points (previously 50,000 points)
Per Insider valuations, this card’s 85,000-point Free Night Award is worth an average of $595. It’s effectively a free night at a five-star hotel once per year.
This free night certificate is perhaps the biggest incentive to pay the increased annual fee.
25 elite night credits (previously 15 credits)
Again, elite night credits are helpful when you’re trying to achieve a lofty hotel elite status.
Because the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card already comes with automatic Platinum elite status, these 25 elite night credits are only helpful for those trying to achieve:
Titanium elite status (75 nights required per calendar year)Ambassador elite status (100 nights and $20,000 in Marriott spending required per calendar year)
You could pair these 25 nights with the 15 nights you’ll receive from the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card to receive a whopping 40 automatic elite night credits per year.
Annual Earned Choice Award
Each calendar year (beginning in January 2023), you’ll receive an “Earned Choice Award” after spending $60,000 on purchases. You can choose from:
Five Suite Night Awards$750 off a bed from Marriott Bonvoy BoutiquesFree Night Award with a redemption value of up to 85,000 points
The card will continue to offer Priority Pass Select membership**, up to a $100 property credit for qualifying charges at Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis hotels (you must use a special rate and book at least two consecutive nights), and the identical earning rates.
New Marriott Bonvoy Boundless, Bold, and Business offers
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card-annual-fee Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card and no-annual-fee Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card have also launched new offers, but they’re not nearly as exciting as the others:
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card: Earn Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (worth about Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card in Marriott stays)Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card: Earn Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card (worth about Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card in Marriott stays)
In addition, Marriott’s small-business card, the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, also has an elevated welcome bonus offer of Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card.
For occasional Marriott guests, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card offers the best combination of a modest annual fee and decent benefits, including an annual Free Night Award after your card anniversary valid at hotels that cost up to 35,000 Marriott points. That one benefit alone is more than enough to offset the card’s annual fee — read our Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card review for the full analysis.
The Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card is really only suited to those who are completely opposed to paying an annual fee but want to earn Marriott points from their spending. Usually, the welcome bonus offer is only 30,000 points after meeting minimum spending requirements, so if this card’s been on your list, now is the time to apply. Here’s our review of the Marriott Bonvoy Bold with all the card details.
If you can qualify for a small-business card, the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card is an excellent choice. Cardholders also receive an annual Free Night Award (up to 35,000 points) and similar perks to the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card. The Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card has a Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card annual fee. Check out our Marriott Bonvoy Business card review to learn more.
Important application rules
Before you apply for Marriott’s new cards, you need to ensure you’re eligible. Marriott credit cards have finicky application rules:
If you have (or have had in the last 30 days) any Chase Marriott Bonvoy credit card, you are not eligible for the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® CardIf you have (or have had in the last 30 days) any Amex Marriott Bonvoy credit card, you are not eligible for the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ CardYou are not eligible if you’ve received a bonus from the alternate issuer in the past 24 months OR if you were approved by the alternate issuer in the past 90 days
And here are the application rules for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card:
If you already have the card, you aren’t eligible for another.You are not eligible if you’ve received a bonus from a Chase Marriott card in the past 24 months OR if you were approved for a Chase Marriott card in the past 90 days.
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card, Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card, and Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card also have similar restrictions.
Bottom line
Amex and Chase have each debuted a new Marriott credit card — the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card and Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Card. They exist as midrange cards for Marriott loyalists, and are best suited for those who make at least $15,000 per year in spending.
Additionally, Amex and Marriott have tweaked and added features to the high-end Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card. Its annual fee has seen a big increase — but many benefits are notably more valuable, making the card worthwhile to frequent travelers.