Card comparison

Chase Marriott Boundless vs Amex Marriott Brilliant

Two Marriott Bonvoy cards compared

Verified July 2026

TL;DR — quick verdict

The Chase Marriott Boundless ($95) undercuts the Amex Marriott Brilliant ($650) on annual fee. Pick the Chase Marriott Boundless for everyday Marriott Bonvoy hotels spending (6x); pick the Amex Marriott Brilliant for everyday Marriott hotels spending (6x).

At a Glance

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card

Annual Fee
$95
Signup Bonus
125,000 points
Network
Visa
Points Currency
Marriott Bonvoy
Earning Rates
All Other Purchases 2x
Grocery, Gas, Dining 3x
Marriott Bonvoy Hotels 6x

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card

Annual Fee
$650
Signup Bonus
150,000 points
Network
Amex
Points Currency
Marriott Bonvoy
Earning Rates
Marriott Hotels 6x
All Other Purchases 2x
Restaurants And Airline Flights 3x

Category Breakdown

How they compare across key categories

Annual Fee

Chase Marriott Boundless wins

Chase Marriott Boundless $95 vs Amex Marriott Brilliant $650

Welcome Bonus

Amex Marriott Brilliant wins

Chase Marriott Boundless: 125,000 points after $3,000 in 3 months vs Amex Marriott Brilliant: 150,000 points after $8,000 in 6 months

=

Top Earning Rate

Tie

Chase Marriott Boundless: 6x on Marriott Bonvoy hotels vs Amex Marriott Brilliant: 6x on Marriott hotels

Perks & Credits

Amex Marriott Brilliant wins

Chase Marriott Boundless: 4 listed benefits vs Amex Marriott Brilliant: 5 listed benefits

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Transfer Partners

Tie

Chase Marriott Boundless: Marriott Bonvoy (earn directly) vs Amex Marriott Brilliant: Marriott Bonvoy (earn directly)

Perks & Benefits

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit

  • Annual Free Night Award
  • Automatic Silver Elite Status
  • Elite Night Credits
  • Airline Statement Credits ($100)

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express

  • Brilliant Dining Credit ($300)
  • Free Night Award
  • Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite Status
  • Elite Night Credits
  • Global Entry/TSA PreCheck Credit ($120)

Which Is Right for You?

Get the Chase Marriott Boundless if...

  • Lower $95 annual fee
  • Earns 6x on Marriott Bonvoy hotels
  • Earns 3x on grocery, gas, dining
  • Annual Free Night Award

Get the Amex Marriott Brilliant if...

  • Premium benefits to offset the $650 fee
  • Earns 6x on Marriott hotels
  • Earns 3x on restaurants and airline flights
  • Brilliant Dining Credit ($300)

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Chase Marriott Boundless or Amex Marriott Brilliant better?

The Chase Marriott Boundless ($95) undercuts the Amex Marriott Brilliant ($650) on annual fee. Pick the Chase Marriott Boundless for everyday Marriott Bonvoy hotels spending (6x); pick the Amex Marriott Brilliant for everyday Marriott hotels spending (6x). Both earn transferable rewards, so many points collectors hold one from each ecosystem.

Which has the lower annual fee, the Chase Marriott Boundless or Amex Marriott Brilliant?

The Chase Marriott Boundless has the lower annual fee at $95, versus $650 for the Amex Marriott Brilliant.

Which card earns points faster?

The Chase Marriott Boundless earns up to 6x on Marriott Bonvoy hotels, while the Amex Marriott Brilliant earns up to 6x on Marriott hotels.

Can I have both the Chase Marriott Boundless and the Amex Marriott Brilliant?

Yes. They're issued independently, so you can hold both and earn Marriott Bonvoy and Marriott Bonvoy side by side.

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Need More Points?

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The Business Platinum Card from American Express

Business · Annual fee $895

US only

200,000 points

after $20,000 in 3 months

  • Hotel credit ($600)
  • Dell credit ($1150)
  • Adobe credit ($250)
Learn more & apply

American Express Business Gold Card

Business · Annual fee $375

US only

200,000 points

after $15,000 in 3 months

  • ChatGPT Business Statement Credit ($300)
  • FedEx, Grubhub and Office Supply Statement Credit ($240)
  • Walmart+ Statement Credit ($155)
Learn more & apply

The Platinum Card from American Express

Personal · Annual fee $895

US only

175,000 points

after $12,000 in 6 months

  • Hotel credit ($600)
  • Digital entertainment credit ($300)
  • Uber Cash and One credit ($320)
Learn more & apply

American Express Gold Card

Personal · Annual fee $250

US only

100,000 points

after $8,000 in 6 months

  • Dining credit ($120)
  • Resy credit ($100)
  • Disney Streaming credit ($120)
Learn more & apply

Chase Sapphire Preferred

Personal · Annual fee $95

100,000 points

after $5,000 in 3 months

  • Chase Travel hotel credit ($100)
  • Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit ($120)
  • DoorDash DashPass ($120)
Learn more & apply

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Personal · Annual fee $795

100,000 points

after $6,000 in 3 months

  • Travel credit ($300)
  • The Edit hotel credit ($500)
  • Dining credit ($300)
Learn more & apply

Credit card approval subject to eligibility. Terms and conditions apply. American Express cards shown are available to US residents only.