Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card vs. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
These two cards immediately check a few boxes depending on your issuer and rewards program preferences. If you’re a loyalist to Amex or Marriott, both of these cards will benefit those consumers the most. You may also add United Airlines loyalists to the list, as the partnership between Marriott and United makes transferring points from Marriott Bonvoy to United’s MileagePlus program even more valuable. The few key places where these cards start to differ substantially include affordability, benefits and long-term value. The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex card is Marriott’s premier consumer card and it has the price tag and benefits spread to match. Though you’ll have to pay a fairly steep $650 annual fee, your welcome offer value is higher than what you’d get with the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy (paired with a higher required spend) and you get access to ongoing benefits present on a few of the best travel cards. Examples of these benefits include annual statement credits, premium lounge access, up to $100 for Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fees and more.
Essentially, you get what you pay for with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant. With the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy you’ll pay a lower, though still relatively high $250 annual fee and still get a welcome offer of sizable value that will recoup your annual fee cost easily for the first year. A major difference to note on this point is that after you receive your welcome offer, there aren’t any extra statement credits or rewards windfalls to continue to recoup the annual fee after the first year. This factor is unlike the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant, which still offers ongoing annual credits beyond the initial welcome offer that could let you easily rebound on most of an even higher annual fee each year. In this case, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant wins out on long-term value, even if it loses a bit of ground on the affordability front.
Interestingly, the two cards have the same ongoing APR and no intro APR offers on purchases and balance transfers, so both will prove expensive if you have to carry a balance. If you want a card that’s going to give you the most luxurious travel benefits, lounge access and offer long-term value for a higher cost, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant may be the best pick for you. If you’re still a Marriott loyalist and frequent Marriott properties enough to make the most of the rewards program benefits, but you could live without the extra travel bells and whistles, the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy is a solid choice as a mid-level hotel card.
Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card vs. Hilton Honors American Express Card
Most obviously one of the biggest determining factors in choosing between these two cards will be what hotel properties you stay with most often: Hilton or Marriott. Both cards are issued through American Express, so if you prefer Amex benefits both of these cards would meet that criteria. Based on Bankrate’s most recent point valuations, Hilton Honors points are slightly less valuable than Marriott Bonvoy points. However, the difference is marginal, with Hilton Honors point values coming in at an average of 0.6 cents per point compared to Marriott Bonvoy’s 0.7 cents per point.
One major place where the Hilton Honors Amex card wins out is affordability. This card doesn’t charge an annual fee, which is significant when compared against the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy’s $250 annual fee. The two cards both have the same ongoing APR and no intro offers so carrying a balance would be expensive on either card. In exchange for no annual fee, you’ll get even less in terms of travel protections and benefits, but the Hilton Honors Amex card does have more everyday spending categories in which you can earn points toward your hotel stays.
If you’re trying to decide between these two hotel cards, start first with deciding which suite of hotel properties you prefer more. Next, evaluate how often you spend on travel. If you’re an infrequent traveler and don’t want to shell out the extra cash for more benefits and protections, you may want to steer away from options like the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy. But if you want to rack up points for future travel on purchases like groceries and gas, the Hilton Honors Amex card may be one of the best choices for you. If you prefer a Marriott property, you may want to stick to choosing a Marriott card, but you may only want to choose the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy if you can make the most of what you get for the annual fee.
Best cards to pair with this card
Your most ideal card to pair with the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy might be a more affordable, general travel card that covers some of the bases the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy misses. One example is the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, which still offers a decent rewards rate (earns miles) on hotel purchases when booked through Capital One’s travel portal, but also offers up to $100 credit for Global Entry/TSA PreCheck — for a significantly less hefty $95 annual fee (See Rates & Fees) when compared to the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy.