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American Express Cash Magnet 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. Cash Magnet Card 1.5% 1.5% base rate
  2. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card 1.5% 2x base rate

Dining

  1. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card 2.3% 3x
  2. Cash Magnet Card 1.5% 1.5% base rate

Flights

  1. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card 2.3% 3x
  2. Cash Magnet Card 1.5% 1.5% base rate

Hotels

  1. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card 4.5% 6x
  2. Cash Magnet Card 1.5% 1.5% base rate

What the numbers are doing

The table is earn rate only — annual fees are not netted out of it. These cards charge Cash Magnet Card $0 and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card $650 a year, so a thin lead in one category may not cover the difference.

Where they differ: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card takes dining, flights and hotels. Cash Magnet Card wins nothing outright in this wallet.

pointslipEveryday
Pass content preview
CategoryBest card
Everything elseCash Magnet Card1.5%
DiningMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card2.3%
FlightsMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card2.3%
HotelsMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card4.5%

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. Cash Magnet Card — 1.5%
  2. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card — 1.5%

Dining

  1. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card — 2.3%
  2. Cash Magnet Card — 1.5%

Flights

  1. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card — 2.3%
  2. Cash Magnet Card — 1.5%

Hotels

  1. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card — 4.5%
  2. Cash Magnet Card — 1.5%
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