Amex Marriott Brilliant Card, $300 Credit to Convert to $25 Monthly for Dining
Update: Today is the last day to double-dip. That means that new cardholders can use the $300 credit and then the $25 in statement credits per month which kicks in tomorrow. It’s also the last day to use the credit for current cardholders. If you have aMarriott hotel near you, you can try buying a gift card at the front desk. Otherwise you can try a digital gift card from the Marriott website (HT: MtM), especially if you would spend $300 at Marriott anyway.
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card is a premium product with a $450 annual fee (see rates & fees). It has several perks for Marriott loyalists, including an annual $300 total in statement credits for eligible purchases made directly at hotels and timeshare ownership properties participating in Marriott Bonvoy.
But this benefit will soon change, and that’s probably bad news for most. But it could also be a positive for those who were struggling to maximize it. Starting in September, you will get a $25 monthly dining credit instead.
Effective 9/22/22, you can receive up to $300 in statement credits issued to your Card Account for eligible purchases charged to your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card at restaurants worldwide. Purchases by both the Basic Card Member and Additional Card Members on an eligible Card Account are eligible for statement credits. Each Card Account is eligible for up to $25 in statement credits per month, for a total of up to $300 per calendar year in statement credits across all Cards on the Account.
Full Details
The Dining Credit benefit is not valid for the purchase of gift cards or merchandise, or for purchases at non-restaurant merchants including nightclubs, convenience stores, grocery stores, or supermarkets. American Express relies on the merchant to process transactions within the same calendar month that you made the purchase in order to apply the statement credit in the month that it was intended. For example, if you make an eligible purchase on the last day of the month and the merchant doesn’t process that transaction until the next day, the transaction date will reflect the next day’s date and the statement credit would be applied in the following month. Purchases posted after 120 days from the transaction date will not be considered for a statement credit. If American Express does not receive information that identifies your transaction as eligible for this benefit, you will not receive the statement credit. For example, your transaction will not be eligible if it is not made directly with the merchant. You may not receive the statement credit if the transaction was made at a restaurant located within another establishment (e.g., a restaurant inside a hotel, casino, or event venue) if that transaction is not recognized as a purchase at a restaurant. In addition, in most cases, you may not receive the statement credit if your transaction is made with an electronic wallet, through a third party, or if the merchant uses a mobile or wireless card reader to process it. Please allow 8 -12 weeks after an eligible purchase is charged to your Card Account for statement credit(s) to be posted to your Account. To be eligible for this benefit, your Card Account must not be canceled or past due at the time of statement credit fulfillment. For additional information, call the number on the back of your Card.
Guru’s Wrap-up
The total value is not changing. You still get up to $300 in statement credits. But instead of $300 to spend annually at Marriott properties, you get $25 monthly to spend at restaurants worldwide. This new credit gives you more options, but it sucks that it comes as a monthly credit, and it will be one more thing to remember alongside other many other monthly credits offered by Amex cards.
It’s also interesting to see how these credits will work for those who apply now. I guess if you apply before September 22nd, you should get the $300 Marriott credit and then starting on that date, you can start using the $25 monthly restaurant credit.
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