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Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant vs Capital One Venture X: Which Is Better In 2025?
July 1, 2025
Editor's Picks
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card: This card is ideal for frequent travelers loyal to the Marriott Bonvoy program who value premium hotel benefits and travel perks.
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: This card is an excellent choice for travelers seeking premium benefits and simple, high-value rewards on travel and all other purchases.
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Breakdown
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Why We Like It
This section breaks down why the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® (See Rates & Fees) is one of our favorite high-end travel cards.
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- Cardholders automatically receive valuable Platinum Elite status, unlocking premium perks like room upgrades and lounge access at Marriott properties.
- The card offers a suite of valuable credits and an annual free night award that can significantly enhance your travel experiences.
- It features a strong rewards program that accelerates point earnings on hotel stays, dining, and flights.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
Pros
- Automatic Platinum Elite status provides access to valuable hotel perks like room upgrades, late checkout, and lounge access at participating properties.
- An annual free night award and monthly dining credits provide consistent value throughout the year.
- Accelerated points-earning on travel and dining, plus airport lounge access through a Priority Pass™ Select membership (enrollment required).
Cons
- The card comes with a premium price tag, making it essential to use its full suite of benefits to offset the cost.
- Its value is heavily concentrated within the Marriott Bonvoy ecosystem, making it less suitable for travelers who aren't loyal to the brand.
- The rewards program can be complex due to dynamic award pricing, and some credits are distributed in monthly increments, which may not suit all spending styles.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Breakdown
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Why We Like It
Let's break down the valuable perks and rewards that make the Capital One Venture X Rewards (See Rates & Fees) a compelling choice for travelers.
- It offers access to a global network of airport lounges, including exclusive Capital One Lounges.
- You can earn miles on every purchase and redeem them flexibly for travel.
- The card includes valuable annual travel credits and comprehensive travel protections for peace of mind on your trips.
Pros
- Valuable annual travel credits and complimentary access to a global network of airport lounges.
- High rewards rates on travel booked through the Capital One portal, plus a consistent flat rate of miles on all other spending.
- Comprehensive travel insurance and purchase protections, plus no foreign transaction fees.
Cons
- The annual fee may be difficult to justify for infrequent travelers.
- Maximizing rewards and credits requires using the Capital One Travel portal, which can limit booking flexibility.
- Less ideal for travelers with strong loyalty to a single airline or hotel brand.
Capital One Venture X Rewards vs Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express®
Categories
When deciding which is better, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant or Capital One Venture X, it's crucial to understand that each card is tailored for different types of travelers and spending habits.
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card: This card is designed for frequent travelers who are loyal to Marriott properties. It excels at providing premium travel benefits, elite status, and luxury hotel perks for those who often stay with the hotel chain.
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Ideal for luxury travel, this card is best for frequent travelers who want to maximize rewards and enjoy premium benefits, especially when booking through the Capital One Travel portal. It suits users who value flexibility over loyalty to a single hotel brand.
Redemption
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card: Points are primarily redeemed for stays and upgrades across Marriott's extensive portfolio of hotels and resorts. You can also transfer points to a variety of airline partners for award flights.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Miles offer flexible redemption options, including booking travel through the Capital One Travel portal or covering recent travel purchases as a statement credit. For even greater value, miles can be transferred to numerous airline and hotel loyalty programs.
Travel Perks
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card: The travel ecosystem is built for the dedicated Marriott loyalist. Its value is concentrated within the Marriott Bonvoy program, with miles primarily used for stays and upgrades across their global properties. For air travel, miles can be transferred to numerous airline partners. Cardholders enjoy access to a worldwide network of airport lounges and pay no foreign transaction fees on international purchases.
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: This card offers a more flexible travel ecosystem centered on the Capital One Travel portal. It allows you to earn and redeem miles on a wide variety of travel purchases, including flights, hotels, and car rentals, without being tied to a single brand. For maximum value, miles can also be transferred to an extensive list of airline and hotel partners. The card provides entry to Capital One's own branded lounges as well as a partner lounge network and also comes with no foreign transaction fees.
Compare Top Rated Credit Cards with Kudos
To make an informed decision, you can use a financial companion like Kudos, a tool that helps you compare thousands of credit cards based on your personal spending habits.
- Test drive credit cards: Simulate the rewards and benefits of any card using your actual spending data before you apply, with no impact on your credit score.
- Welcome offer guarantee: If you find a better welcome offer within three months of applying, Kudos will match it.
- Approval odds analysis: Get a detailed, personalized analysis of your likelihood of being approved for a card based on your credit report.
- Kudos Boost rewards: Earn extra rewards on top of your credit card points when you shop at participating stores.
- Sign-up bonus tracking: Monitor your progress toward earning a new card’s sign-up bonus for free.
Who Should Choose the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express®?
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card is tailor-made for frequent travelers who are loyal to the Marriott portfolio and seek to maximize their stays with premium benefits. This cardholder typically stays at Marriott properties several nights a year, dines out regularly enough to leverage the up to $25 monthly dining credit, and values the automatic Platinum Elite status that unlocks perks like room upgrades and late checkout. Ultimately, it's the ideal choice for someone who wants their hotel loyalty to be rewarded with both elevated travel experiences and valuable statement credits, making the annual fee a worthwhile investment. Terms Apply.
Who Should Choose the Capital One Venture X Rewards?
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is tailored for frequent travelers who seek luxury benefits without the complexity of other premium cards. This user profile typically maximizes value by booking flights, hotels, and rental cars through the Capital One Travel portal to earn 5X to 10X miles on their spending. While the card carries a $395 annual fee, its annual travel credits and anniversary bonus miles make it a financially sound option for those who can leverage its travel-centric perks.
Alternatives to Consider
If our detailed Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant vs. Capital One Venture X comparison has led you to conclude that neither card is the perfect match, other excellent options are available. Several alternative travel rewards cards offer unique benefits that might better align with your spending habits and travel goals.
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Tips for Application Success
Before You Apply
- Check your credit score - You will generally need good to excellent credit for approval.
- Plan your spending - Make sure you can naturally meet the minimum spend to earn the Welcome Offer.
- Review your card history - Amex rules may prevent you from earning a Welcome Offer if you've had this card before.
Application Strategy
- Assess your loyalty - Consider if the card's benefits align with brands or booking portals you frequently use.
- Time your application - Apply before a large planned purchase to help meet the spending requirement for the Welcome Offer.
- Look beyond the Welcome Offer - Evaluate ongoing credits and perks to ensure the card provides long-term value for you.
Our Methodology
We evaluate nearly 3,000 credit cards across the U.S. market — far more than the ~150 cards commonly featured on sites that focus only on products tied to affiliate commissions. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive, unbiased view of the credit card landscape so you can make confident, data-driven decisions.
Our editorial team combines deep industry experience with rigorous verification standards. While our experts surface the most relevant recommendations in our guides, you can also explore the full dataset yourself through our card explorer tool, which includes thousands of cards — more than 95% of which do not provide us with commissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which card is better for loyal Marriott guests?
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card is specifically designed for travelers who frequently stay with the Marriott family of brands, offering benefits and rewards tailored to enhance those stays.
Which card offers more flexible travel rewards?
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card generally provides more flexible rewards, as its miles can be used for a wide variety of travel purchases, not just those with a single hotel chain.
How do the reward-earning structures compare?
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card excels at earning points on spending within the Marriott ecosystem and on other select categories, while the Capital One Venture X card offers a simple, flat-rate of earning miles on every purchase.
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Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are those of Kudos alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
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