Amex Marriott Eligibility Restrictions Reversed
Well, we didn't see this coming, but it's good news in our book. The new Amex Marriott eligibility restrictions from earlier this spring have been reversed. The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card briefly introduced newer, more limiting terms with a limited-time offer this spring. The card offer changed this week, and the terms and conditions changed back too. With the earlier Amex Marriott eligibility restrictions reversed, let's take a look at what changed this time and how applicants can navigate the rules now. Photos courtesy Marriott.
(H/T DDG)
What Were The New Amex Marriott Eligibility Restrictions?
Back on March 12, the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card rolled out a limited-time 200,000-point welcome offer. Buried in the terms were new eligibility restrictions for the card that mirrored those of the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Card. The terms stated that applicants were ineligible for a welcome offer if they had previously held a Brilliant card before or a Chase-issued Marriott card in the last 30 days. Our interpretation: Amex was pretty much forcing consumers to choose their cards over Chase's Marriott cards. Here is how those terms read:
- i) have or have had The Ritz-Carlton® Credit Card from J.P. Morgan, the J.P. Morgan Ritz-Carlton Rewards® Credit Card, the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy® Premier Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Rewards® Premier Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy® Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Rewards® Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy® Premier Plus Business Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Business Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Business® Credit Card from Chase, or the Marriott Rewards Business® Credit Card from Chase in the last 30 days,
- (ii) have acquired the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card from Chase in the last 90 days, or
- (iii) received a new Card Member bonus or upgrade offer for the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card from Chase, or the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card from Chase in the last 24 months.
What Do The Terms Say Now?
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card 200K offer ended this week. And when the current offer was announced yesterday, the prior Amex Marriott eligibility restrictions were reversed. Those terms are admittedly still complex. (We have an entire chart to navigate the rules, which we will be updating next.) But now, the terms & conditions for the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card read as they did before, stating that the welcome offer is not available to applicants who have or have had the Brilliant Card or:
- (i) have or have had The Ritz-Carlton® Credit Card from JPMorgan or the J.P. Morgan Ritz-Carlton Rewards® Credit Card in the last 30 days,
- (ii) have acquired the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card from Chase, or the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card from Chase in the last 90 days, or
- (iii) received a new Card Member bonus or upgrade offer for the Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card from Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card from Chase, or the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card from Chase in the last 24 months.
Amex Marriott Eligibility Restrictions: ToP Thoughts
We are relieved to see the Amex Marriott eligibility restrictions reversed. While the rules are still complicated, this spring's previous update was extremely limiting for consumers. We didn't see a benefit to Marriott or the potential card applicants who would be deterred from applying. Is this a permanent change, or will we see this type of update again with the next increased offer? It's hard to say for sure. What do you think of this update? Come over to our Facebook group and let us know.
