Opinion: Why Now Is the Best Time to Get the AMEX Bonvoy Brilliant & Business Cards

American Express (AMEX) has been offering elevated sign-up bonuses for many of its top products. The AMEX Gold Card has one of the best sign-up bonuses ever, and the AMEX Platinum Card has been showing different forms of 100k Membership Rewards (MR) points offers for a while. Because AMEX enforces its infamous once-in-a-lifetime rule, you need to correctly time your credit card application if you want to get the highest sign-up bonus available. Right now, there are historic high offers for the AMEX Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card and the AMEX Marriott Bonvoy Business Card, and I doubt the sign-up bonuses on these cards will get any better than the current offers.

Get these two cards right now before the historic high bonuses expire!

Multipliers & Sign-Up Bonus for the AMEX Bonvoy Brilliant Card: Worth up to $1,420

I earn tons of Marriott Bonvoy points by using my American Express Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card. It is currently offering a sign-up bonus of 125,000 Marriott Bonvoy points when you spend $5,000 within your first 3 months of card membership. On top of the elevated offer, a new cardmember can earn up to $200 back at U.S. restaurants. AMEX is not stopping there; Until 12/31/2021, cardmembers will get a monthly statement credit of $20 when they spend more than $20 at restaurants each month. It earns 6X Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar when you book directly with Marriott, 3X points on dining and flights booked directly with airlines, and 2X on all other purchases. Paired with Marriott’s promotions and AMEX offers, it opens doors to endless points-earning opportunities. If you are interested in getting the AMEX Bonvoy Brilliant Card, I advise you to act fast since the elevated offer will expire on 05/12/2021.

The Bonvoy Brilliant Card is a great Teir 4 card. Apply before the offer expires! Photo credit: www.americanexpress.com

Annual Fee & Benefits

The AMEX Bonvoy Brilliant Card does come with a hefty $450 annual fee but offers tons of perks to significantly offset its costs. The card features the following benefits:

• Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status, the mid-tier status offered in Marriott’s member ecosystem

• $300 Marriott Bonvoy statement credit that can be applied towards your room rate

• $100 property credit when booked directly with Marriott and staying a minimum of two nights at Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis properties

• One free night certificate, redeemable for properties worth up to 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night

• Access to Priority Pass lounges

• 15 Elite Night Credits that can prove helpful for chasing Bonvoy status

Looking for a luxury getaway surrounded by gorgeous beaches? The free night certificate from the AMEX Bonvoy Brilliant Card can get you a night at the Ritz-Carlton in Miami, worth $485 a night!

Even if you don’t stay at Marriott properties often, this card is still a must-have in my opinion. It’s a true example of a keeper card that offers benefits that outweigh the annual fee. 

If you’d like to apply for the American Express Bonvoy Brilliant Card, please consider using my referral link. It will continue to help fund my blog operations and help visitors make informed decisions to maximize their rewards. Thank you! http://refer.amex.us/EDWARSwdXp?xl=cp01

Multipliers & Sign-Up Bonus for the AMEX Bonvoy Business Card: Worth up to $1,150

I have another Marriott Bonvoy credit card: the AMEX Marriott Bonvoy Business Card. It is currently offering a sign-up bonus of 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy points when you spend $5,000 within your first 3 months of card membership. On top of the elevated offer, a new cardmember can earn up to $150 back on eligible business purchases made within the first three months of card membership. AMEX is not stopping there; Until 12/31/2021, cardmembers will get a monthly statement credit of $15 when they spend $15 or more on monthly wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. services providers. The eligible purchases include shipping, restaurant, wireless telephone, and gas station purchases made in the U.S. The card earns 6X Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar when you book directly with Marriott, 4X points on dining, U.S. shipping purchases, U.S. wireless telephone services, and at U.S. gas stations. All other purchases earn 2X points. If you are interested in getting the AMEX Bonvoy Business Card, I advise you to act fast since the elevated offer will expire on 05/12/2021.

The Bonvoy Business Card is a great Tier 3 card. Apply before the offer expires! Photo credit: www.americanexpress.com

Annual Fee & Benefits

The Bonvoy Business Card’s annual fee is $125 and offers decent benefits to justify the cost:

• Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status, the low-tier status offered in Marriott’s member ecosystem

• One free night certificate, redeemable for properties worth up to 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night

• 15 Elite Night Credits that will help you achieve a higher Bonvoy status

Craving a trip to national parks and canyons? The free night certificate from the AMEX Bonvoy Business Card can get you a night at the Camby Hotel in Phoenix, worth $247 a night!

As you can see the card’s benefits are less substantial than the ones from the Bonvoy Brilliant Card, but it is a great long-term keeper card due to its annual free night certificate perk. Furthermore, it is absolutely necessary if you want to chase a higher Marriott Bonvoy status because it is the only Marriott business card that is on the market and will grant you an additional 15 Elite Night Credits. Lastly, even though it is a business credit card, it is very likely that you could get it approved. Check out my article on how to apply for a business credit card as a sole proprietor.

If you’d like to apply for the American Express Bonvoy Business Card, please consider using my referral link. It will continue to help fund my blog operations and help visitors make informed decisions to maximize their rewards. Thank you! http://refer.amex.us/EDWARSi04o?xl=cp01

Summary

Both the AMEX Bonvoy Brilliant Card and the AMEX Bonvoy Business Card are great long-term keeper cards, and now their current sign-up bonuses for new cardmembers are absolutely outstanding. The AMEX Bonvoy Brilliant Card is currently offering a sign-up bonus of 125,000 Marriott Bonvoy points and up to $200 back at U.S. restaurants, while the AMEX Bonvoy Business Card is 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy points and up to $150 back on eligible business purchases. The generous sign-up bonuses can yield many nights at mid-tier Marriott properties or two nights at high-end hotels. If you are interested, make sure to apply by 05/12/2021 to secure the high sign-up bonus!