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American Express Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card vs The Platinum 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. The Platinum 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. The Platinum Card 2.0% 1x base rate

Flights

  1. The Platinum Card 10.0% 5x, capped
  2. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card 2.3% 3x

Flights · portal

  1. The Platinum Card · American Express Travel 10.0% 5x

Hotels

  1. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card 4.5% 6x
  2. The Platinum Card 2.0% 1x base rate

Hotels · portal

  1. The Platinum Card · American Express Travel 10.0% 5x

What the numbers are doing

The Platinum Card's 5x on flights runs out: it applies to the first $500,000 of flights spend a year, and everything past that earns 1x.

The Platinum 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.

The table is earn rate only — annual fees are not netted out of it. These cards charge Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card $650 and The Platinum Card $895 a year, so a thin lead in one category may not cover the difference.

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Pass content preview
CategoryBest card
Everything elseThe Platinum Card2.0%
DiningMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card2.3%
FlightsThe Platinum Card10.0%
Flights · portalThe Platinum Card · American Express Travel10.0%
HotelsMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card4.5%
Hotels · portalThe Platinum Card · American Express Travel10.0%

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. The Platinum Card — 2.0%
  2. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card — 1.5%

Dining

  1. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card — 2.3%
  2. The Platinum Card — 2.0%

Flights

  1. The Platinum Card — 10.0%
  2. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card — 2.3%

Flights · portal

  1. The Platinum Card · American Express Travel — 10.0%

Hotels

  1. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card — 4.5%
  2. The Platinum Card — 2.0%

Hotels · portal

  1. The Platinum Card · American Express Travel — 10.0%
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