by Daniel | Last Updated September 22nd, 2022
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Today American Express announced the release of the new Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card.
This new card is is mid priced hotel rewards credit card that is aimed at providing customers a way to accumulate points more efficiently.
Amex also announced some substantial new updates to the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card, specifically the annual fee which now almost as expensive as the Amex Platinum.
Who Are These Cards Good For?
So both of these cards are directly focused at anybody looking to take advantage of the hotel related benefits at Marriott Properties.
And according the their website they have 30 different brands and over 8,100 properties across 139 countries and territories.
So its safe to say that there no shortage of hotel options to choose from.
Annual Fee
Now let’s that a look at what the annual fee is for each of these cards.
And starting first with the new Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American ExpressCard the annual fee is $250, which is not too bad considering the sign-up bonus that comes with this card.
Next up the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card has had quite a large price increase to its annual fee.
Previously it costs $450 on an annual basis whereas now it has jumped to $650 a year! Which is a $200 price increase and makes it almost as expensive as the Platinum Amex.
So let’s continue on and see what changes have actually been made to this card to warrant such a large price increase.
Sign-up Bonus
Now when it comes to the sign-up bonus of these cards, they both offer the ability to earn quite a lot of Marriott Bonvoy points.
And these points are worth approximately 0.8 cents per point.
Starting first with the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American ExpressCard it is possible to earn 125,000 Marriott Bonvoy Bonus Points if you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of card ownership.
So this sign-up bonus is worth about $1,000, or about 4 times the cost of the annual fee which is pretty good!
Now with the substantially more expensive Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card there is the ability to earn 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy Bonus Points if you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of opening the account.
So this sign-up bonus is worth $1,200, which is not quite 2x the cost of the annual fee.
And in terms of value for money, the New Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card has a better sign-up bonus.
Points Earning Potential
Now an important aspect of a good hotel rewards credit card is it’s ability to earn points form every day spending.
So let’s have a look at how these cards differ.
Starting first with the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card there are quite a few options for earning points.
The highest points earning potential is 6x points for purchases that are made at any hotels that are participating with Marriott Benvoy.
Then it is possible to earn 4x points for purchases made at restaurant worldwide and then for take out and delivery within the US.
Purchase made at US grocery stores will also earn 4x points, and then everything else will earn 2 points per dollar spent.
Next up with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card, it is possible to earn the same 6x points for purchases made at hotels that are participating in Marriott Bonvoy.
Then interestingly enough it has a lower points earning potential of 3x points for restaurant purchases made worldwide.
Now slight different to the new Bevy card is the possibility to earn 3x points on flights that are booked directly with airlines.
Then everything else will earn 2 points per dollar spent.
So as you can see there is new Bevy Card Is more suitable for everyday spending as it includes a higher points earning potential from restaurants and grocery store purchases.
Whereas the Brilliant card is geared more toward travel as it offers the ability to earn 3x points on flights.
Now it’s also worth noting that when you transfer Marriott Points to any one of 38 different participating airlines Marriot will gift you an additional 5,000 bonus miles for every 60,000 points you transfer.
Benefits And User Perks
So now let’s take a look at what each card offers in terms of benefits and if there is any reason to pay $200 more for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card
So starting first with the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American ExpressCard there is the Free Night Award.
Basically, if you manage to spend $15,000 on the card within a 12-month period it will be possible to get one free night at a Marriott property that has a redemption level at or under 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.
And seeing that 50,000 Marriott Bonvey points are worth around $400 makes this a pretty valuable benefit.
Next up, it possible to earn 1,000 bonus points each time you stay at least one night at a Marriott property.
And for this to be valid you must book directly with the property.
Then there is complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status.
And this provides you with increased points earning potential when staying at Marriot Hotels, late check-out and room upgrades if available.
Finally it is possible to earn 15 Elite Night Credits to help you reach the next status level
Now with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card, there are quite a few more benefits to be had— as you would expect for a card that cost $400 more on an annual basis.
A new benefit that has been added to this card is a $300 Dining Statement credit.
And this is provided in $25 allotments each month.
So assuming you eat out just once a month, it shouldn’t be too hard to take advantage of this benefit.
It will also bring the annual fee down to a more reasonable $350.
Another new benefits that will come into effect at the start of 2023 is the New Earned Choice Award.
Basically, if you spend $60,000 within a calendar year there is the choice of the following benefits to choose from:
- Five Suite Night Awards
This gives you the ability to upgrade from a Premium room or Standard suite if booked in advance and if it is available. - $750 Off a Bed from Marriott Bonvoy Boutiques
This provides a $750 discount when you purchase one of the 15 different mattress and box spring sets from Marriott retail brands. - Free Night Award with a redemption value up to 85K points
This free night award is worth around $680.
Now something that this card previously had is the Free Night Award.
And this is available upon card renewal for the following year.Previously this was valid for a free night at a Marriott property with a redemption level at or under 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.
It is now valid for a redemption level of 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, which is a fair bit more valuable.
Another enhanced benefit is the possibility to receive 25 Elite Night Credits which helps to bring you to a higher level of elite status with Marriott Bonvey.
Previously this was limited to 15 Elite Night credits.
It is now possible to receive ComplimentaryMarriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite Status.
And this makes it possible to earn 5x points on hotels purchases from Marriott hotels, a welcome gift upon arrive and 4pm late checkout.
Now similar to the old card there is still a $100 Marriott Bonvoy Property Credit that can be used at the Ritz Carlton or St Regis when you book a minimum of 2 nights.
There is the same $100 credit for use on either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.
And finally there is a complimentary Priority Pass Select Membership that is worth $429.
So all up this card offers a ton of value, especially if you spend at least $60,000 on the card each year.
Even if you don’t spend the $60k, the benefits easily cover the cost of the annual fee.
Insurance Coverage
Now let’s take a look at what insureance related coverage becomes with each card and what the difference is.
- Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance
And starting first with the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American ExpressCard there is Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance.
And this is secondary coverage.
- Baggage Insurance Plan
Next up is a Baggage Insurance Plan that provides a combined maximum coverage of $3,000 for checked and carry-on baggage if it is lost damaged or stolen. - Trip Delay Insurance
With Trip Delay Insurance it is possible to receive up to $300 per trip if it is delayed for more than 12 hours.
And this allows for a maximum of 2 claims per 12 month period - Purchase Protection
Next up is Purchase Protection that provides 90 days of coverage for new purchases that are lost, stolen or accidentally damaged.
And this covers up to $10,000 per occurrence and $50,000 per calendar year. - Extended Warranty
And finally the Extended warranty provides you with 1 additional year of coverage on warranties that are 5 years or less.
Next up, let’s take a look at what the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card has to offer.
- Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance
There is similar Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance that provides Secondary coverage up to a total of $75,000. - Cell Phone Protection
An additional benefit that only comes with this card is Cell Phone Protection.
This covers up to $800 per claim, with a maximum of 2 claims per 12 month period.
And each claim incurs a $50 deductible fee. - Baggage Insurance Plan
The Baggage Insurance Plan offers the same combined $3,000 coverage for both checked checked and carry-on bags. - Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance
Another benefit with the Brilliant card that is not offered with the new Bevy card is Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance.
Basically this covers up to $10,000 per covered trip and a total of $20,000 per car per year. - Trip Delay Insurance
The Trip Delay insurance is better with the Brilliant card.
Basically it provides up to $500 per covered trip if it is delayed by just 6 hours, and has a maximum of 2 claims per 12 month period. - Return Protection
Exclusive to this card is return protection which provides 90 days of coverage on new purchases that a merchant wont take back.
And this covers up to $300 per item and a maximum of $1,000 per card per year. - Purchase Protection
The purchase protection is the same as what you get with the new Bevy card. - Extended Warranty
This is also the same as the Bevy card.
APR
Now finally let’s just take a quick look at what the APR is for these cards and what fees are charged for late or returned payments.
And both of these cards have the same rates and fees.
So the current APR for Purchases is between 18.74% to 27.74%
Getting a cash advance will have an APR of 28.24% and will also incur a fee of $10 or 5% of the amount if each advance, which amount ends up being more.
Then there is a Penalty APR of 29.99% which usually comes into effect if there are any late or retuned payments, with each penalty incurring a fee of up to $40.
And neither card has any foreign transaction fees.
Final Thoughts
So that pretty much covers everything there is to know about the new Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American ExpressCard and the latest updates to the Brilliant card.
And from what I can see both cards offer some great benefits.
The new Bevy card seems like a good card to use for everyday purchases and makes its even easier to earn a ton of points.
And whilst the Brilliant card has become substantially more expensive on an annual basis, it does offer a lot of nice benefits that can quite easily offset the high annual fee.
In terms of choosing a card, it really depends on how much you feel comfortable spending and more importantly, which benefits you will actually make use of.
Now if these cards don’t quite interest you, check out my review here where I review and compare three of the best premium create cards available now.