Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex vs The Ritz-Carlton Credit — which is worth it to you?
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card ($650/yr) and the The Ritz-Carlton Credit Card ($450/yr) side by side: credits, earning rates against a flat 2% cash-back baseline, and protections — with your spending deciding which card actually wins each category.
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex charges $650 a year against the The Ritz-Carlton Credit's $450, so it starts $200 behind. Both earn Marriott Bonvoy points, and a point from one is worth the same as a point from the other. What separates them is rates and credits.
Both cards pay a bonus on dining (3x vs 3x) and flights (3x vs 3x).
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex comes with 3 statement credits, the biggest being $300 Brilliant Dining Credit, $100 Ritz-Carlton / St. Regis Property Credit and Global Entry / TSA PreCheck Credit ($30/yr). The The Ritz-Carlton Credit has 3 statement credits: $300 Annual Travel Credit, $100 Ritz-Carlton / St. Regis Property Credit and Global Entry / TSA PreCheck Credit ($30/yr). All of these are face values, and a credit only really pays out if it covers something you were buying anyway.
Both cards carry Elite Night Credits, elite status, extended warranty, lost luggage, lounge access, no foreign transaction fees, purchase protection, rental car collision coverage, return protection, trip cancellation and trip delay. The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex alone has American Express Venue Collection Concessions Credit, Brilliant Earned Choice Award and cell phone protection; the The Ritz-Carlton Credit alone has baggage delay, emergency evacuation, emergency medical, Ritz-Carlton Club Level Upgrade Certificates, roadside assistance and travel accident insurance.
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card
American Express · $650 annual fee · earns Marriott Bonvoy points
Earning rates
- 6x Marriott Bonvoy hotels
- 3x Restaurants worldwide
- 3x Scheduled airline flights (direct)
- 2x Everything else
Statement credits (3)
- $300 Brilliant Dining Credit — Up to $25/month in statement credits (up to $300/yr) for eligible restaurant purchases worldwide.
- $100 Ritz-Carlton / St. Regis Property Credit — $100 credit per booking (2-night minimum, booked at the '$100 Property Credit' Member rate) toward on-property dining, spa, and recreational activities at The Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis.
- Global Entry / TSA PreCheck Credit — $120 Global Entry credit every 4 years (~$30/yr) or up to $85 TSA PreCheck credit every 4.5 years.
Full Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card breakdown — 15 more benefits on the full page.
The Ritz-Carlton Credit Card
Chase · $450 annual fee · earns Marriott Bonvoy points
Closed to new applicants.
Earning rates
- 6x Marriott Bonvoy hotels
- 3x Dining worldwide
- 3x Scheduled airline flights (direct)
- 3x Select car rental companies
- 2x Everything else
Statement credits (3)
- $300 Annual Travel Credit — $300 per calendar year in statement credits for airline incidentals — lounge day passes/memberships, seat upgrades, baggage fees, and in-flight wifi/entertainment/meals.
- $100 Ritz-Carlton / St. Regis Property Credit — $100 credit per booking (2-night minimum) toward on-property dining, spa, and recreational activities at The Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis.
- Global Entry / TSA PreCheck Credit — $120 Global Entry application-fee credit every 4 years (~$30/yr), or TSA PreCheck instead.
Full The Ritz-Carlton Credit Card breakdown — 19 more benefits on the full page.
Card data verified against issuer sources: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card on 2026-08-21, The Ritz-Carlton Credit Card on 2026-08-27.
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