Bonvoy Brilliant vs SW Priority

Marriott Bonvoy vs Southwest Rapid Rewards — Bonvoy Brilliant vs SW Priority — here's what separates them. The key question: does Bonvoy Brilliant's $650 annual fee earn back enough over SW Priority's $149?

Quick Answer

For year-one net value (welcome bonus minus annual fee), Bonvoy Brilliant comes out ahead at ~$830 even at a higher $650 annual fee vs $149. Bonvoy Brilliant sits in Marriott Bonvoy; SW Priority sits in Southwest Rapid Rewards. The right pick still depends on which credits and category multipliers fit your spending pattern — full breakdown below.

Our Verdict

Bonvoy Brilliant wins for most people.

Despite the higher $650 annual fee (vs $149), Bonvoy Brilliant delivers ~$2,375 in first-year value through its welcome bonus (~$1,480) and $1545/yr in tracked credits. SW Priority trails at ~$1,118.

Exception: Choose SW Priority instead if you won't realistically use the Bonvoy Brilliant credits — at $0 utilization, the higher fee math inverts.

Top Match

Bonvoy Brilliant

Highest first-year value among the 2 cards you're comparing — $2,375 after annual fee.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card

Amex

Bonvoy Brilliant

Annual Fee

$650/yr

Signup Bonus

185,000 Marriott Bonvoy

Bonus Value

~$1,480

Benefits Value

~$1,545/yr

Spend Req.

$6,000 / 6mo

Rewards Currency

Marriott Bonvoy

Network

Amex

Card Type

Personal

Benefits

✈️ travel credit

Global Entry / TSA PreCheck

$120/yr

🍽️ dining credit

Dining Credit

$300/yr

🏨 hotel credit

Property Credit

$100/use

Annual Free Night Reward

$425/yr

🏛️ lounge

Priority Pass Select

$200/yr

status

Marriott Platinum Elite

$400/yr

25 Elite Night Credits

Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority Card

Chase

SW Priority

Annual Fee

$149/yr

Signup Bonus

75,000 Rapid Rewards

Bonus Value

~$938

Benefits Value

~$329/yr

Spend Req.

$3,000 / 3mo

Rewards Currency

Southwest Rapid Rewards

Network

Visa

Card Type

Personal

Benefits

✈️ travel credit

$75 Southwest Travel Credit

$75/yr

🛫 airline credit

4 Upgraded Boardings Per Year

$160/yr

🎁 other

7,500 Anniversary Bonus Points

$94/yr

Quick winners by category

The fast answer if you came here looking for one specific thing.

✈️

Best for Travel

Bonvoy Brilliant

Wins on bigger travel credit ($300 vs $100) you can actually spend on flights and hotels.

🍽️

Best for Dining

Bonvoy Brilliant

Dedicated dining credit plus strong restaurant earning multiplier.

🛋️

Best for Lounge Access

Bonvoy Brilliant

Includes Priority Pass access — the other card has none.

🌱

Best for Beginners

SW Priority

Lower $149 annual fee makes the math safer for newer cardholders.

🏆

Best Overall Value

Bonvoy Brilliant

~$2,375 of first-year value after annual fee — wins the math.

👑

Best for Premium Travel

Bonvoy Brilliant

Premium hotel credits, top-tier lounge access, and travel insurance built in — the luxury-travel pick.

🧾

Biggest Credit Stack

Bonvoy Brilliant

Bigger statement-credit stack (~740/yr in tracked credits) — high ceiling if you use them.

What it's worth for your spending

Estimated first-year value (welcome bonus + benefits − annual fee) for four common spending profiles.

ProfileBonvoy BrilliantSW Priority
Light spender, building credit$2,641$1,294
Everyday family ($40K/yr spend)$3,221$1,658
Frequent traveler (2-3 trips/yr)$3,329$1,658
Premium traveler (5+ trips/yr)$4,031$2,018

Year-one value = welcome bonus + tracked benefits + estimated points value from spending − annual fee. Points valued at 1.5¢ each (transferable) or 1¢ each (cashback). Real-world value depends on how you redeem.

Side-by-side: every spec that matters

Higher value highlighted in green per row.

Bonvoy BrilliantSW Priority
Welcome bonus
185,000 Marriott Bonvoy (~$1,480)
75,000 Rapid Rewards (~$938)
Annual fee
$650/yr
$149/yr
Authorized user fee
$0
$0
Transfer partners
None (single program)
None (single program)
Travel credits
$120/yr
$235/yr
Lounge access
Priority Pass only
None
Dining rewards
4x
4x at restaurants worldwide
1x
Grocery rewards
2x
1x
Hotel rewards
$525/yr
6x at Marriott Bonvoy hotels
1x
Travel insurance
Comprehensive
Included
Cell phone protection
Included
Not standard
Foreign transaction fee
$0
$0
Mobile wallet
Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay
Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay
Network
Amex
Visa

Who should get the Bonvoy Brilliant?

  • You're a frequent traveler willing to absorb a $650 annual fee for premium credits and lounge access.
  • You eat out regularly and want bonus points on restaurants worldwide.
  • You stay at a specific hotel chain enough that loyalty-status perks compound.
  • You book aspirational hotels and want elite status, suite upgrades, and resort credits without earning them through stays.
  • You fly enough that airport lounge access alone justifies the annual fee.
  • You take 10+ flights a year and want Centurion / Priority Pass / Sapphire / Capital One Lounge access — not just the marketing line, but actually visiting lounges.
  • You enjoy stacking multipliers, calendaring statement credits, and treating your wallet like a small portfolio — the extra cognitive load is worth real $ to you.

Who should get the SW Priority?

  • You travel or dine out enough that a $149 fee pays back via credits and category multipliers.
  • You fly a specific airline 4+ times per year and want elite-style perks (free bags, priority boarding).
  • You're under Chase 5/24 (≤ 4 new personal cards in the last 24 months) — that window is precious, so prioritise the Chase application now.

Break-Even Analysis

At what annual spend does one card permanently beat the other?

Bonvoy Brilliant wins at all practical spend levels

Bonvoy Brilliant wins at virtually every annual spend level in ongoing (year 2+) math. The combination of its credits ($1545/yr) and category multipliers means SW Priority doesn't close the gap even at $30,000/yr in annual card spend. Year-one bonus value for Bonvoy Brilliant is the exception — that first-year math may point differently.

Break-even calculated on year-2+ ongoing value (benefits + earning − annual fee). Year-one welcome bonus math is separate — see the value scenarios table above.

Frequently asked questions

Which has a better welcome bonus, Bonvoy Brilliant or SW Priority?

Bonvoy Brilliant currently offers the stronger welcome bonus by estimated cash value (~1,480 vs ~938). Welcome bonus offers change frequently — check the current offer on each card's detail page before applying.

Is the Bonvoy Brilliant worth the 650 annual fee?

For first-year cardholders the answer is usually yes — the welcome bonus (~1,480) and statement credits alone typically cover the 650 fee several times over. After year one, the math depends on your spending patterns. Use our Annual Fee Calculator with your actual numbers to verify before renewing.

Is the SW Priority worth the 149 annual fee?

For first-year cardholders the answer is usually yes — the welcome bonus (~938) and statement credits alone typically cover the 149 fee several times over. After year one, the math depends on your spending patterns. Use our Annual Fee Calculator with your actual numbers to verify before renewing.

Can I have both the Bonvoy Brilliant and the SW Priority?

Yes — these cards are from different issuers (Amex and Chase), so holding both is fine. Each card has its own welcome bonus and benefits with no overlap rules between the two issuers.

Which card is better for transferring points to Hyatt?

Neither card transfers points to World of Hyatt. Only Chase Ultimate Rewards, Bilt Rewards and the co-branded World of Hyatt card transfer to Hyatt at 1:1. To stack Hyatt points without leaving these two ecosystems you'd need to add a Chase Sapphire or Bilt card alongside.

Which card has better airport lounge access?

Bonvoy Brilliant includes Priority Pass. SW Priority doesn't include lounge access — you'd need to pay for it separately or upgrade to a premium card.

Which card has the better overall value?

Based on first-year math (welcome bonus + tracked statement credits − annual fee), Bonvoy Brilliant comes out ahead at ~2,375 of net value vs ~1,118 for the other card. After year one, the better card for YOU depends on how naturally you'll use the credits and category bonuses.

Does Chase's 5/24 rule affect approval for these cards?

Yes — SW Priority is issued by Chase, so the 5/24 rule applies. If you've opened 5 or more cards in the last 24 months, Chase will likely deny your application. Bonvoy Brilliant is issued by Amex and isn't subject to 5/24.

Which card has the easier minimum spend requirement?

SW Priority has the easier bar — 3,000 in 3 months — vs 6,000 in 6 months for Bonvoy Brilliant. Don't manufacture spend just to hit a higher threshold — if you can't reach it through normal spending, the card isn't the right fit right now.

How does CreditPoints compare {cardA} and {cardB}?

Every comparison uses the same fixed methodology: welcome offer value (bonus × current points valuation minus AF), category earning rates, annual fee vs benefit math, transfer-partner depth + redemption value, lounge tier, travel protections, and foreign transaction handling. Card facts come from issuer pages (verified via Playwright on the "Last reviewed" date), card-program award charts, and TPG monthly valuations. Nothing on this page is paid-placement — the Quick Winners, Real-World Scenarios, and Comparison Table are deterministic outputs from the data, not editorial opinion.

How often is the information on this comparison updated?

The comparison data regenerates on every site build (typically multiple times per week as offers change). Welcome offer terms, annual fees, and category multipliers are verified against issuer pages and refreshed as part of the catalog. Welcome bonuses, annual fees, and benefits can change at any time at the issuer's discretion — always confirm current terms on the issuer's application page before applying. The "Last reviewed" date in the trust strip below shows the most recent manual methodology + data-source audit.

Alternatives Worth Considering

If neither card is quite right, these are the next closest options.

Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard

Citi

AA Executive

$595/yr~$1,600 bonus

Citi alternative with American Airlines AAdvantage and ~$1,950 first-year value.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Capital One

Venture X

$395/yr~$1,388 bonus

Broader transfer-partner network (17+ partners via Capital One Miles) than either card above.

Bilt Palladium Card

Bilt

Bilt Palladium

$495/yr~$1,100 bonus

Broader transfer-partner network (10+ partners via Bilt Rewards) than either card above.

Ready to apply?

Click through to the issuer's secure application page. Welcome bonus offers are confirmed at the time of approval, not at click time.

Amex

Bonvoy Brilliant

Welcome: 185,000 Marriott Bonvoy · ~$1,480 est. value

Apply for Bonvoy Brilliant

Chase

SW Priority

Welcome: 75,000 Rapid Rewards · ~$938 est. value

Apply for SW Priority

Run your own numbers

These calculators use the same data this comparison runs on — plug in your spending and see net value.

How we compare these cards

Every pair on CreditPoints is evaluated against the same fixed set of criteria, regenerated on every build from verified card-level data. Nothing in this section changes based on who you are or how you got here.

Factors we evaluate

  • Welcome offer value (bonus points × current valuation, minus annual fee)
  • Earning rates per spend category (dining, travel, groceries, gas, base)
  • Annual fee vs benefit math (statement credits + perks priced to value)
  • Transfer partner depth + redemption flexibility (programs, ratios, sweet spots)
  • Lounge access (network tier, guest policy, in-airport coverage)
  • Travel protections (trip cancellation, baggage, rental-car CDW, cell phone)
  • Hotel and airline benefits (free nights, status, elite-night credits)
  • Foreign transaction fees + chip+PIN support for international use

How we evaluate rewards programs

We score transferable-points ecosystems (Chase UR, Amex MR, Citi TY, Capital One Miles, Bilt) by partner count + redemption value at each partner's sweet spot. Co-brand programs are evaluated against the loyalty program's published award chart and the realistic point earn rate from typical category spend.

How we evaluate transfer partners

Transfer-partner quality outranks transfer-partner quantity. A single 1:1 partner with strong sweet spots (Hyatt via Chase UR, ANA via Amex MR) often beats a dozen 2:1 partners with little redemption upside.

How we evaluate annual fees

An annual fee is justified only when the card's first-year value (welcome bonus + activated credits + benefits) clearly exceeds the AF for the typical reader profile. Our four spending scenarios (beginner, everyday, traveler, premium) show whether the math works for your situation.

How we evaluate travel benefits

Statement credits are priced at face value only when the activation barrier is low (broad-merchant credits, auto-redeem credits). High-friction credits (single-vendor, expiring monthly, claim-required) are discounted because most cardholders don't capture them.

Recommendations on this page are intended as educational guidance and are not financial advice. Always confirm current offer terms on the issuer's site before applying.

Last reviewed

2026-05-29

Data sources

Issuer pages (verified via Playwright on this date), TPG monthly valuations, public award charts.

Editorial note: CreditPoints may earn a commission when you apply through some of the links on this page, but the side-by-side ranking, Quick Winners and Real-World Scenarios are algorithmic and identical for all readers. We never accept payment to change ordering.

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