Wow! New 100,000 Plus Bonus From Marriott

 

American Express and Marriott just announced a new credit card and a new bonus for a popular one. Let's break them down to see which would be the better choice. 

First, the new credit card is the American Express Marriott Bonvoy Bevy. I was curious what the word Bevy means. From dictionary.com, bevy is described as a group of women. It would be used the same way as posse which means a group of men. Interesting choice. 

This new card comes with the following benefits:

• 125,000 point bonus 
• $4,000 minimum spend 
• $250 annual fee 
• 1,000 Marriot bonus points per stay 
• 6x points at Marriott 
• 4x points at restaurants and grocery stores 
• 2x points on everything else 
• 1 FREE night valued at 50,000 points after spending $15,000 in a calendar year 

Most notably is the absence of a FREE night on your anniversary. Now the FREE night is based on your spending. Ouch. 

The annual fee is $250 which is higher than other cards in this category. 

The second bonus is on the popular Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant credit card. Let's look at the offer: 

• 150,000 point bonus 
• $5,000 minimum spend 
• $650 annual fee 
• 6x points at Marriott 
• 3x points on flights and restaurants 
• 2x points on everything else 
• complimentary Platinum status 
• $300 dining credit 
• FREE night certificate (85,000 points) on your anniversary 
• $100 Global Entry or TSA credit 
• $100 Marriott property credit 
• Priority Pass lounge membership 

Yes, the annual fee increased by $200, ouch. But you will get Platinum status which includes late check out and 50% more points on hotel stays. The $300 hotel credit is now a dining credit which may be easier to use if you tend to use points for hotels. 

I do still think there is value in this card with the Global Entry, FREE night certificate, property credit, lounge access and the increased bonus. But you will have to work a bit harder to use the benefits to get your money's worth here. 

Remember you can only apply for an American Express credit card once in a lifetime.