Is the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant worth it in 2026?
Worth it for year 1 — the welcome bonus clears the fee — but the recurring credits don't cover the fee on their own. Bank the bonus and cancel or downgrade before the second annual fee posts.
Assumes you use every recurring credit and value points at 2.0¢. Adjust for your spend in the calculator →
The year-one math
- Welcome bonus150,000 pts × 2.0¢ · 100k after $6k, +50k after $8k
- +$3,000
- Recurring credits (if fully used)
- +$330
- Annual fee
- −$650
- Year-one value
- +$2,680
- Ongoing (year 2+, no bonus)credits − fee
- −$320
Recurring credits
- Dining Credit$300/yr
- Global Entry / TSA PreCheck$30/yr
Apply for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant
The application happens on Marriott Bonvoy's site. Then track every recurring credit — and your real keep/churn verdict — in the iOS app.
FAQ
Is the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant worth it in 2026?
Churn it. Worth it for year 1 — the welcome bonus clears the fee — but the recurring credits don't cover the fee on their own. Bank the bonus and cancel or downgrade before the second annual fee posts. This assumes you use every recurring credit and value points at 2.0¢ — adjust both in the calculator for your own situation.
Should I cancel my Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant?
If you won't use enough of the credits, yes. The recurring credits net −$320 against the fee, so year 2+ is negative unless the welcome bonus or a one-time perk justified year 1.
How is "worth it" calculated?
Year-one value = welcome bonus value (points × cents-per-point) + the annualized value of the card's recurring credits − the annual fee. It's the same model the PointsCraft iOS app uses to show what your wallet is actually worth.