An Up-to-Date Overview of the AmEx Marriott Cards Lineup
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Marriott Bonvoy co-branded credit cards in the U.S. are issued by two issuers: Chase and American Express. The current lineup includes four cards for individuals and one card for businesses: Chase offers the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless and Bold cards, while American Express offers the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant, and Marriott Bonvoy Business Card.
This article focuses on the American Express Marriott lineup, as Amex cards serve a different purpose than Chase cards. Generally speaking, Chase Marriott cards are entry-level with lower annual fees and simpler offerings, while Amex Marriott cards are more geared toward the mid-tier, premium, and business segments. This means better elite status perks, richer benefits at network hotels, and, in the case of the Amex Brilliant Bonvoy, a much more premium package than what Chase currently offers in the Marriott family.
The real question isn’t just which card has the most attractive offer, but which one provides the best combination of annual fee value, elite night credits, free night potential, and long-term Marriott Bonvoy benefits.
What Cards Are in the Current Amex Marriott Lineup?
The current U.S. Amex Marriott lineup consists of three cards:
- Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Business Card
Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card
The Bevy is the middle card in the family. American Express content describes it as the “elevate everyday spending” Marriott card, with 6X points at Marriott hotels, 4X points at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets on up to $15,000 in combined purchases per calendar year, and 2X on other purchases. It also includes complimentary Gold Elite status, 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year, and 1,000 bonus points per paid eligible stay at eligible Marriott properties booked directly with Marriott.
American Express’ own travel content also describes the Bevy as having a $250 annual fee.
The Bevy also has a meaningful spend-based kicker: cardholders can earn one Free Night Award after spending $15,000 in eligible purchases in a calendar year. That makes the Bevy more interesting than it first appears, but it also creates a built-in question: do you want a Marriott card that asks you to spend for a free night, or would you rather pay a higher fee and get one automatically?
For readers who want the full deep dive on whether the current Amex offer Marriott setup makes sense here, your existing Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card review is the natural companion piece.
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card
The Brilliant is the premium personal card. American Express currently lists it with a $650 annual fee, and its card-benefits pages highlight the core reasons people pay that price: $300 in annual dining credits, complimentary Platinum Elite status, 25 Elite Night Credits each calendar year, an annual Free Night Award worth up to 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, and a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credit. American Express’ current public card snippets also show a limited-time welcome offer of 200,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points.
Screenshot from the Marriott page
This is where the Marriott Bonvoy American Express benefits story becomes much stronger. Platinum Elite status is materially better than Gold because it opens the door to lounge access at participating properties, 4 p.m. late checkout at most brands, better room upgrades, and eligibility for annual choice benefits if you earn enough total elite nights.
If you do not care about lounge access, late checkout, or elite-night acceleration, the annual fee can feel steep quickly.
For readers focused specifically on the Amex Brilliant Bonvoy, your existing Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex Card review is the right internal follow-up.
Marriott Bonvoy Business Card
The Marriott Bonvoy Business Card is the Amex option for small-business owners, freelancers, and sole proprietors who want Marriott rewards without paying Brilliant-level pricing. American Express currently shows it with a $125 annual fee. It earns 6X points at Marriott hotels, 4X at restaurants worldwide, U.S. gas stations, wireless services purchased directly from U.S. service providers, and U.S. shipping purchases, and 2X on everything else. It also includes a 7% room-rate discount under the Amex Business Card Rate when booking directly through eligible Marriott channels, complimentary Gold Elite status, 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year, one annual 35,000-point Free Night Award after renewal, and an additional 35,000-point Free Night Award after $60,000 in calendar-year spend.
This card is less flashy than the Brilliant, but it is often more practical. It has a manageable annual fee, a straightforward annual free-night structure, and a better everyday earning mix for some business owners than the personal Marriott cards. It is also one of the cleaner options for people who want Marriott-specific benefits without trying to justify a premium-fee card.
The Quick Comparison
Here is the fastest way to compare the current Amex Marriott lineup:
| Card | Annual Fee | Elite Status | Elite Night Credits | Free Night Structure | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Amex | $250 | Gold Elite | 15 | Free Night Award after $15,000 annual spend | Mid-tier users who want Marriott rewards without going premium |
| Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex | $650 | Platinum Elite | 25 | Annual Free Night Award up to 85,000 points | Frequent Marriott travelers who will use premium benefits |
| Marriott Bonvoy Business | $125 | Gold Elite | 15 | Annual 35,000-point Free Night Award after renewal, plus another after $60,000 spend | Small-business owners who want practical Marriott value |
This table captures the basic trade-off: the Bevy is the middle ground, the Brilliant is the premium play, and the Business card is the practical low-fee workhorse.
Which Amex Marriott Card Has the Best Value?
For most readers, the best value comes down to one of two cards.
If you stay with Marriott often enough to use lounge access, late checkout, elite-night acceleration, and a large annual free-night certificate, the Brilliant can be the strongest value despite the high fee. That is because its American Express Marriott Bonvoy benefits are materially better than what the Bevy or Business card offers, especially if Platinum status changes how you travel.
If you do not need Platinum status, the Business card is arguably the cleanest long-term value proposition. Its annual fee is much lower, it still gives Gold status and 15 elite nights, and the annual free-night certificate is much easier to justify than the Bevy’s spend-triggered free-night model. That does not make the Bevy bad, but it does make the Bevy the most awkward card in the lineup for many people.
Is the Bevy the Weakest Card in the Family?
For many readers, yes.
That is not because the Bevy is a bad card in isolation. It earns well on restaurants and supermarkets, gives Gold Elite status, and includes 15 elite-night credits. But the value gap between it and the Brilliant is meaningful, while the annual fee gap is also meaningful. And compared with the Business card, the Bevy asks for more annual-fee commitment without giving you an automatic annual free night. Instead, you have to spend $15,000 in a calendar year to earn one.
That is why the Bevy often makes the most sense for someone who specifically wants a personal Marriott Amex card, does not want to jump to a $650 fee, and values its dining-and-supermarket earning profile. For everyone else, the choice often snaps toward either the Brilliant or the Business card.
How the Elite-Night Credits Change the Decision
One of the biggest reasons to hold any Marriott co-branded Amex card is the built-in elite-night credit boost.
The Bevy and Business cards each provide 15 Elite Night Credits per calendar year, while the Brilliant provides 25 Elite Night Credits. Those nights can be extremely useful if you are chasing Platinum, Titanium, annual choice benefits. American Express explicitly highlights the 25-night boost on the Brilliant, and its importance goes well beyond the card itself because those nights can shorten the gap to higher tiers.
What About Free Nights and Top-Off Value?
Free nights are a major part of the equation across all three cards, but they are not structured the same way.
The Brilliant gives you an annual certificate worth up to 85,000 points after renewal. The Business card gives you an annual certificate worth up to 35,000 points, plus another one after $60,000 in annual spend. The Bevy gives you one Free Night Award after $15,000 in annual spend. That makes the Brilliant the strongest pure free-night card, the Business card the best low-fee recurring-certificate option, and the Bevy the spend-triggered middle card.
Final Verdict
If you want the short answer:
- Get the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex if you want the strongest premium American Express Marriott Bonvoy benefits and know you will use Platinum status, lounge access, dining credits, and a large free-night certificate.
- Get the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card if you want the cleanest low-fee value play in the family.
- Get the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Amex only if its specific mix of annual fee, Gold status, and dining/supermarket earnings fits your wallet better than the other two.
For many travelers, the real battle is between the Brilliant and the Business card. The Brilliant is the better premium travel tool. The Business card is the better simple-value card. The Bevy sits in the middle, but for a lot of readers, “middle” is not always the most compelling place to be.
