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Marriott credit cards: 125k bonus points & $200 in credits


(CNN) —  

CNN Underscored reviews financial products such as credit cards and bank accounts based on their overall value, but does not review all financial companies or all available financial offers. We may receive compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as CreditCards.com, and this compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site.

With travel likely to begin opening up in the next few months, you might be starting to think about your next vacation — even if it’s just a short drive away. And since the Marriott hotel chain has such a large presence both domestically and globally, you may be considering whether a Marriott credit card makes sense for you.

If it does, there’s probably never been a better time to score a terrific welcome offer, because American Express is offering increased bonuses on its Marriott credit cards right now.

For a limited time until May 12, 2021, new card members can earn 125,000 Marriott bonus points with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card after you make $5,000 in purchases within the first three months after opening the account. Plus, you can also earn up to $200 in statement credits for eligible purchases made on your new card at U.S. restaurants within the first six months of card membership.

Meanwhile, also through May 12, 2021, the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card is offering 100,000 Marriott bonus points after you make $5,000 in purchases within your first three months of card membership, plus you can earn up to $150 in statement credits for all eligible purchases made on your new card within your first three months of card membership.

You’ll get excellent value with both of these card offers, so deciding which offer to choose probably depends on which card is right for you. Let’s dive into the details of each card.

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant is a card for people who frequently find themselves at Marriott hotels, as it comes with a slew of elite perks, but also a high $450 annual fee. However, one of the best features of the card is up to $300 in statement credits annually for Marriott purchases. If you can use those credits in full each year, you’re effectively only paying a net annual fee of $150.

The card earns 6 points for every dollar you spend on eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, 3 points per dollar at US restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines, and 2 points per dollar on all other purchases.

You also get 15 elite night credits with the Marriott Brilliant Amex, which means you’ll get automatic Silver elite status every year you have the card, and you can upgrade to Gold elite status by spending $35,000 on the card each year.

When it comes to the welcome bonus, you might be wondering how much 125,000 Marriott points are worth. Based on the point valuations of frequent flyer website The Points Guy, Marriott points are worth 0.8 cents apiece, making this bonus worth $1,000. Add in the up to $200 in credits for eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants in your first six months as a card member, and it’s clear this bonus is a sizable haul.

Redeem 60,000 points from the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant credit card for a night at the Marriott Miami Edition.

PHOTO: Marriott Hotels

Redeem 60,000 points from the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant credit card for a night at the Marriott Miami Edition.

Plus, at the start of your second year with the card (and every year thereafter), you’ll get a complimentary award certificate that can be used at any Marriott hotel for one night costing 50,000 points or less. This means you can use it at any category 1 through 5 property on the Marriott award chart, plus off-peak and standard redemptions at category 6 hotels, and off-peak redemptions for category 7 properties.

Learn more about the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card.



Read More: Marriott credit cards: 125k bonus points & $200 in credits

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