Credit Card News

Marriott Bonvoy Unveils New Cobranded Cards From Amex, Chase

In a much-expected move, Marriott Bonvoy has announced the launch of two new cards that will join their cobranded line up. These cards are the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express card and the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful Card from Chase. Both the Bevy and Bountiful cards earn 6x Marriott Bonvoy Points on purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy properties, 4x points on purchases at restaurants worldwide as well as at U.S. supermarkets (up to $15,000 in combined restaurant and supermarket spending per year), and 2x points on all other purchases.

Additionally, cardholders will earn 1,000 bonus points with each qualifying stay and can unlock a Free Night Award worth up to 50,000 points once they make $15,000 in purchases in a year. Lastly, while either card option provides customers with complimentary Gold Elite status, they’ll also receive 15 Elite Night Credits per calendar year, helping put them that much closer to attaining even higher status. The new Marriott Bonvoy Bevy from American Express has an annual fee of $250, as does the  Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful from Chase.

As far as welcome bonuses go, the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy and Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful are both currently offering new cardholders 125,000 bonus points after they make $4,000 in purchases on their respective new card within their first three months. This offer is set to be available through January 11th, 2023 for the Bevy, while the Bountiful lists the offer as valid through the more generic window of “January 2023.”

Despite the new card offerings being the big headline, Marriott Bonvoy has also announced some changes to the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express card. Now, the card will include Complimentary Platinum Elite status and 25 Elite Night Credits each calendar year. Elsewhere, upon card renewal, customers will earn a One Free Night Award, redeemable for up to 85,000 points at participating properties.

Also new is that cardholders can enjoy up to $300 in statement credits per year ($25 per month) triggered by dining purchases at restaurants worldwide. Previously, this $300 credit applied to Marriott Bonvoy purchases instead. Starting in January 2023, those who spend $60,000 on the card will be able to choose an Earned Choice Award, which includes either 5 Five Suite Night Awards (for upgrades), $750 off a bed from Marriott Bonvoy Boutiques, or a Free Night Award with a redemption value up to 85,000 points. Finally, the annual fee for the Brilliant is increasing from $450 to $650.

With a lot to dissect in these announcements, it’s hard to say whether Marriott Bonvoy fans will be happy with these new card options or the changes to the Brilliant card. In the case of the latter, there are a couple of areas where it’s easy to imagine customers might not be pleased — starting with the $200 fee hike. Additionally, while dining credits are arguably easier to use than a Marriott credit, dividing it down into $25 per month increments could be a nuisance to some cardholders. Regardless of which option you’re interested in, there’s a lot to explore. So, if you are considering any one of these cards, be sure to do your research and make your call while these enhanced welcome offers last.