Marriott Bonvoy Boundless vs. Bonvoy Brilliant: Is mid-tier or premium best for you?

The Marriott Bonvoy program is unique in that it has credit card partnerships with two different issuers: Chase and American Express.

If you’re in the market for a new card, you may be torn between the mid-tier Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card issued by Chase and the premium Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card.

Deciding between a mid-tier and premium credit card is challenging enough. But when two different banks issue those cards with different application rules, the decision becomes even harder.

Today, we’re demystifying the decision and helping you determine whether the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless or the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card makes more sense for you.

Bonvoy Boundless vs. Bonvoy Brilliant comparison

	Bonvoy Boundless	Bonvoy Brilliant
Welcome offer	Earn 125,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in your first three months from account opening.	Earn 185,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 within your first six months of card membership.
Annual fee	$95	$650 (see rates and fees)
Bonus categories	6 points per dollar on purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels 3 points per dollar on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on gas stations, grocery stores, and dining 2 points per dollar on other travel purchases 2 points per dollar on all other purchases	6 points per dollar on purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program 3 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with the airline 2 points per dollar on all other purchases
Free night award	1 free award night (up to 35,000 points) every year after the account anniversary	1 free award night (up to 85,000 points) every year after account anniversary (certain hotels have resort fees)
Elite status	Complimentary Silver Elite status; earn Gold after spending $35,000 on purchases in a calendar year	Complimentary Platinum Elite status
Benefits	15 elite night credits a year 1 elite night credit toward elite status for every $5,000 spent Complimentary premium Wi-Fi at Marriott Bonvoy properties Travel protections Purchase protections No foreign transaction fees	25 elite night credits a year Up to $300 (up to $25 per month) statement credit for eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide $120 statement credit every 4 years for Global Entry or up to $85 every 4½ years for TSA PreCheck Earned Choice Award after spending $60,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year Up to a $100 luxury property credit valid on eligible stays of two nights or more at Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis hotels Complimentary Priority Pass Select membership Complimentary ShopRunner membership Travel protections* Purchase protections** Cellphone protection** No foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees) Enrollment required for select benefits

*Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

**Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

Bonvoy Boundless vs. Bonvoy Brilliant welcome offer

The Bonvoy Boundless is currently offering new applicants 125,000 Bonus Points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Conversely, the Bonvoy Brilliant is currently offering new applicants the ability to earn 185,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months. This offer ends Oct. 2.

Both Boundless and Brillant give you bonus points that can be used on any hotel stay, with no cap on the points cost. You also have the option to use these points to top off your airline miles, which we’ll discuss below.

Regarding eligibility, the Bonvoy Boundless is subject to Chase’s 5/24 rule, so you’ll probably automatically be rejected if you’ve opened five or more credit cards in the last 24 months. Additionally, American Express limits you to earning the welcome bonus on a given card to once per lifetime. So, if you’ve already earned a bonus on the Bonvoy Brilliant, you won’t be eligible for a new bonus.

On top of these issuer restrictions, Bonvoy has its own set of eligibility requirements. Make sure to check all of these and ensure you’re eligible before applying for either card.

Winner: Bonvoy Brilliant. It offers more points.

Related: Are you eligible for a new Marriott Bonvoy card?

Bonvoy Boundless vs. Bonvoy Brilliant benefits

Both cards are geared toward those who stay at Marriott Bonvoy portfolio properties, so you can expect to find a variety of benefits relating to Marriott property stays, among other benefits.

The Bonvoy Boundless is a mid-tier credit card that offers useful benefits with just a $95 annual fee. It comes with complimentary Silver Elite status with the option to earn Gold Elite status after spending $35,000 on purchases in a calendar year.

With the Boundless, you’ll also get 15 elite night credits a year, one elite night credit toward elite status for every $5,000 spent, complimentary premium Wi-Fi at Marriott Bonvoy properties, travel protections (baggage delay, lost luggage reimbursement, trip delay reimbursement), purchase protection and no foreign transaction fees.

As a premium credit with an annual fee of $650, the Bonvoy Brilliant offers higher-tier benefits such as complimentary Platinum Elite status and 25 elite night credits every year.

The card offers a plethora of statement credits that minimize the annual fee and includes up to $300 (up to $25 per month) credit for eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide, $120 statement credit for Global Entry or up to $85 TSA PreCheck, and up to $100 luxury property credit valid on eligible stays of two nights or more at Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis hotels. Enrollment required for select benefits.

An earned choice award after spending $60,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year, Priority Pass Select membership to over 1,600 lounges and complimentary ShopRunner membership are even more reasons why this card outperforms the Boundless in this category. Enrollment is required for select benefits.

Additionally, the Brilliant comes with travel protections such as car rental insurance*, baggage insurance**, trip cancellation and interruption insurance^ and trip delay insurance^ as well as shopping protections, including purchase protection**, return protection and cellphone protection^.

*Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered, and geographic restrictions apply. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

**Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

^Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

Winner: Bonvoy Brilliant. The Brilliant has far more benefits that easily offset its steep annual fee.

Earning points with the Bonvoy Boundless vs. Bonvoy Brilliant

The two cards share earning 6 points per dollar on purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels and 3 points per dollar spent when dining out (the Brilliant at restaurants worldwide and the Boundless on dining purchases on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year, along with gas stations and grocery stores).

They both earn 2 points per dollar spent on most other purchases, with the Brilliant earning an elevated 3 points per dollar on flights booked directly with the airline.

These earning structures are comparable to other hotel cobranded cards. Still, you’ll likely get a better earning rate using a more general travel card for purchases outside of Marriott.

Winner: Bonvoy Brilliant. It doesn’t cap earnings on dining and earns 50% more points when booking flights directly with an airline.

Related: Best credit cards for Marriott stays

Redeeming points with the Bonvoy Boundless vs. Bonvoy Brilliant

Both Bonvoy credit cards earn Marriott points through credit card spending, which are automatically deposited into your Bonvoy account.

You can redeem these Bonvoy points for hotel stays and Marriott Bonvoy Moments, buy merchandise with Marriott shopping and transfer them to over 35 airline programs.

Most of the time, your best redemption option for maximum value is hotel stays. However, since Marriott uses a dynamic pricing model, the number of points you’ll need for a stay depends on the hotel, room type, occupancy, and cash rate.

One way to maximize your points is to take advantage of Bonvoy’s fifth-night-free perk. This perk allows you to book a stay with points for five nights and only pay for four nights.

TPG credit card writer Chris Nelson used this benefit recently for his stay at the JW Marriott Sao Paulo, where he paid with points for four nights and got the fifth night free.

Winner: Tie. Both cards earn Bonvoy points and have the same redemption options.

Transferring points with the Bonvoy Boundless vs. Bonvoy Brilliant

You can transfer your Bonvoy points to any of Marriott’s 39 airline partners. Most transfers to airlines are 3 Marriott points to 1 airline mile. Marriott also gives 5,000 bonus airline miles for every 60,000 Marriott points you transfer to most airline partners, except for American Airlines AAdvantage, Avianca LifeMiles, and Delta SkyMiles.

This can be a good use of your points in some specific instances, such as transferring them to American Airlines AAdvantage totake advantage of sweet spots. However, you’ll usually get a lower value from your points if you transfer them to airlines, so we generally recommend avoiding this option except to top off your miles balances when needed.

In addition, you can easily transfer points between Marriott Bonvoy accounts, whether between two accounts belonging to the same person or transferring points to a friend or family member. Point transfers are free and can be completed online.

Winner: Tie. Both cards have access to the same transfer partners and can transfer to friends and family.

Should I get the Bonvoy Boundless or the Bonvoy Brilliant?

The Bonvoy Boundless, with a reasonable $95 annual fee, is the best choice for those starting with Marriott Bonvoy and travelers who stay at Marriott properties a few times a year. Conversely, with a much higher $650 annual fee, the Bonvoy Brilliant is best for Marriott loyalists who want Platinum Elite status and can maximize benefits like up to $300 in dining credits.

Related: Why you may want multiple Bonvoy cards

Bottom line

Once you’ve confirmed that you are eligible to apply for either Chase’s Bonvoy Boundless or Amex’s Bonvoy Brilliant, the choice comes down to your travel habits and how often you stay at Marriott properties. If you want to start with Marriott, consider the lower annual fee Bonvoy Boundless. But if you’re committed to Marriott, you can’t go wrong with the Bonvoy Brilliant and its plethora of benefits to help elevate your hotel stays.

For more details on these cards, see our full reviews of the Bonvoy Boundless and the Bonvoy Brilliant.

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Apply here: Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card

Apply here: Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card

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For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex, click here.