Every Marriott Brilliant Credit in 2026: One Monthly Credit Carries the Whole Card
The $25 monthly dining credit is $300 a year and the most-used monthly credit in MaxWorth's data. Add the $100 Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis property credit and the free night, and the $650 fee comes down to a question of how often you eat out.
Quick answer: The Amex Marriott Brilliant carries 3 recurring credits worth $430 a year at face value against its $650 fee. They produce 13 separate deadlines a year, 1 of them monthly, and 0 of the 3 need enrollment before they pay anything. The calendar below is generated from the same database rows that power the MaxWorth app; every credit links to its own page with the full terms.
The Brilliant has the shortest credit list of any $650 card, and that is why it works: a $25 dining credit that resets on the 1st, a $100 property credit for a two-night Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis stay, a Global Entry credit, and an 85,000-point free night award on renewal. The dining credit counts at restaurants worldwide with no enrollment, which is why it was logged as used by 20% of active Brilliant holders in September 2026, the highest rate of any monthly credit in MaxWorth.
The calendar
| Cycle | Credit | Per cycle | Per year | Enroll | Resets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly | $25 Monthly Dining Credit | $25 | $300 | No | the 1st of each month |
| Annual | $100 Marriott Bonvoy Property Credit | $100 | $100 | No | yearly, per terms |
| Every 4 years | TSA PreCheck/Global Entry Credit | $120 | $30 | No | once per 4 years |
Per cycle is the issuer-stated cap for one period. Resets reads the published terms: credits stated per calendar year reset on January 1, credits stated per cardmember year reset on your anniversary, and where the terms say neither we say so rather than guess.
The ones people miss
- The dining credit is $25 a month, not $300 whenever. Twelve separate deadlines; a month skipped is $25 gone. It is the credit most worth a standing reminder on the 1st.
- The property credit needs a two-night minimum on a special rate, booked direct, at The Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis only. A one-night stay or a points stay does not trigger it.
- The free night award is not in the credit table because it is a certificate, worth up to 85,000 points per night and more at peak properties. It expires a year after it posts.
Does it cover the fee
$300 of dining credit plus the $100 property credit is $400 at face value against $650. The free night award, redeemed at a hotel that would cost $400 or more in cash, closes the gap on its own; Platinum Elite status and the 25 elite night credits are on top. If you will not stay at a Marriott luxury property this year, the dining credit alone leaves you $350 short.
How to run this calendar without a spreadsheet
Add the Amex Marriott Brilliant to MaxWorth and every credit above appears with its cycle already set: the monthly ones on the 1st, the quarterly ones on quarter boundaries, the annual ones on January 1 or your anniversary as the terms dictate. You get a push before each one expires, mark it used when you use it, and the card’s annual-fee ROI runs from what you marked. No bank account is connected at any point. The full card page lists the status perks and protections that this article leaves out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Marriott Brilliant dining credit need enrollment?
No. Eligible restaurant purchases worldwide are credited automatically, up to $25 per month, $300 per year.
When does the Brilliant $100 property credit apply?
On a direct booking of two or more nights at a special rate at The Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis, for qualifying on-property charges. Once per cardmember year.
Which Brilliant credit do people actually use?
The dining credit. In September 2026, 20.1% of active Brilliant holders in MaxWorth logged it as used, the highest rate of any monthly credit tracked. The Global Entry credit, by contrast, is marked skipped by 6.5% of holders because most already have it elsewhere.