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American Express Business Gold Card vs Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card

Both are American Express cards. Here is every spend category, ranked by what each card actually returns.

Best card by category Card terms as of Oct 29

Everything else

  1. Business Gold Card 2.0% 1x base rate
  2. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card 1.5% 2x base rate

Dining

  1. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card 2.3% 3x
  2. Business Gold Card 2.0% 1x base rate

Flights

  1. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card 2.3% 3x
  2. Business Gold Card 2.0% 1x base rate

Flights · portal

  1. Business Gold Card · American Express Travel 6.0% 3x

Hotels

  1. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card 4.5% 6x
  2. Business Gold Card 2.0% 1x base rate

Hotels · portal

  1. Business Gold Card · American Express Travel 6.0% 3x

What the numbers are doing

Business Gold Card tops everything else at 2.0% only because this table values its points at 2 cents each. Value them at one cent and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card wins that category instead.

Business Gold Card lets you choose 2 categories to earn 4x on. This table assumes nothing is chosen yet, so it earns its base rate everywhere; choose in the generator to see where it lands.

The table is earn rate only — annual fees are not netted out of it. These cards charge Business Gold Card $375 and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card $650 a year, so a thin lead in one category may not cover the difference.

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Pass content preview
CategoryBest card
Everything elseBusiness Gold Card2.0%
DiningMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card2.3%
FlightsMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card2.3%
Flights · portalBusiness Gold Card · American Express Travel6.0%
HotelsMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card4.5%
Hotels · portalBusiness Gold Card · American Express Travel6.0%

Content preview. Apple Wallet controls the layout; visible categories vary by device. Categories that rank the same as Everything else are left off; every other category is in pass details.

Every category, every card

Everything else

  1. Business Gold Card — 2.0%
  2. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card — 1.5%

Dining

  1. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card — 2.3%
  2. Business Gold Card — 2.0%

Flights

  1. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card — 2.3%
  2. Business Gold Card — 2.0%

Flights · portal

  1. Business Gold Card · American Express Travel — 6.0%

Hotels

  1. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card — 4.5%
  2. Business Gold Card — 2.0%

Hotels · portal

  1. Business Gold Card · American Express Travel — 6.0%
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iPhone app · not yet released

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