Card comparison
Which card is better between Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express?
Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card is the better overall pick over Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express because it leads on Madeen's weighted scorecard (60 vs 40) across categories, bonus, benefits, and fee.
Effective rate Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card
Annual fee Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express
Welcome bonus Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card
Benefits value Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card
Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card is the stronger overall pick between Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express because it leads on Madeen's weighted scorecard (60 vs 40) across categories, bonus, benefits, and fee. Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express split the win across categories, fees, and bonuses. Madeen's snapshot favors checking dining, grocery, and travel rows — not just each card's headline top category — before you pick a primary.
Choose A if
Choose Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card when its strongest categories, bonus, or perks match how you actually spend.
Choose B if
Choose Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express when the fee, welcome bonus, or issuer ecosystem fits better than the headline winner.
Full comparison
How do Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express compare across all spend categories?
Across all five spend categories, Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express trade wins row by row. Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card peaks at 4% effective; Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express peaks at 2.1%. Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card wins the headline effective-rate view in this pair.
| Category / metric | Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card | Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dining | 3x points (3%) | 3x points (2.1%) | Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card · 0.9 pts |
| Grocery | 1x points (1%) | 2x points (1.4%) | Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express · 0.4 pts |
| Gas | 1x points (1%) | 2x points (1.4%) | Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express · 0.4 pts |
| Travel | 4x points (4%) | 3x points (2.1%) | Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card · 1.9 pts |
| Other | 1x points (1%) | 2x points (1.4%) | Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express · 0.4 pts |
| Welcome bonus | ~$1500 estimated | ~$700 estimated | Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card |
| Est. annual benefits | $2229/yr | $679/yr | Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card |
| Annual fee | $795 | $650 | Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express |
| Holistic overall | 60 pts (cat 20, bonus 14, benefits 19, fee 7) | 40 pts (cat 20, bonus 6, benefits 6, fee 8) | Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card |
Madeen take
How to think about this pair
Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express split the win across categories, fees, and bonuses. Madeen's snapshot favors checking dining, grocery, and travel rows — not just each card's headline top category — before you pick a primary wallet card.
Strategy
Use Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card when Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in travel and can earn 4x points. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement. Travel perks may add value beyond the earn rate.. Use Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express when Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 3x points. The welcome bonus can help if you.
Hold both?
Some users carry both cards when one wins dining and the other wins groceries — but only if you will actually use each card for its winning category.
Welcome bonus playbook
If you are chasing a welcome bonus, Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card leads on catalog bonus value. For long-term category earn after the bonus, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express is the stronger keeper in this pair — but only if its annual fee still makes sense for your spend.
Madeen analysis
Which card has stronger benefits: Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card or Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express?
Madeen estimates $2229 annual benefit value on Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card versus $679 on Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express. Credits only matter if you will use them.
Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card
Total est. value: $2,229/yr
Credits and perks only help if you will actually use them in a typical year.
- $500 Southwest Airlines Credit $500/yr
- $250 Shops at Chase credit $250/yr
- $300 Annual Travel Credit $240/yr
- $120 in Lyft credits $120/yr
- $300 Annual Dining Credit $120/yr
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express
Total est. value: $679/yr
Credits and perks only help if you will actually use them in a typical year.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck $120/yr
- $100 Marriott Bonvoy Property Credit $100/yr
- Priority Pass™ Select $99/yr
- Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance $40/yr
- Marriott Bonvoy® Platinum Elite Status $35/yr
Welcome bonus
Which welcome bonus is stronger for Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card or Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express?
If you are chasing a welcome bonus, Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card leads on catalog bonus value. For long-term category earn after the bonus, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express is the stronger keeper in this pair — but only if its annual fee still makes sense for your spend. Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card lists 150k Chase Ultimate Rewards; Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express lists 100k Marriott Bonvoy.
Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card
150k Chase Ultimate Rewards
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express
100k Marriott Bonvoy
Caps & conditions
Caps and earn limits
Both Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express carry structured reward caps in the catalog. Compare the category that matters most before assuming the headline multiplier lasts all year.
Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card
- 4x points on flights purchased direct
- 3x points on dining worldwide
- 4x points on hotels purchased direct
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express
- 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines
- 3X points at restaurants worldwide
Who should pick which
Scenario playbook
Cashback-first user
Pick Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card
Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card is the better cashback-style pick because it has the cleaner effective-rate and fee blend for this pair.
Travel & points user
Pick Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card
Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card is the stronger travel-style pick because it combines better reward value with more travel-friendly positioning.
No annual fee priority
Pick Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card
Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card is easier to keep for no-fee users because it has the lighter annual-fee burden in this pair.
Heavy dining spend
Pick Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card
For restaurant and dining-coded spend, the winner is whoever posts the stronger dining effective rate after caps and exclusions — see the category matrix for the current snapshot.
Heavy grocery spend
Pick Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express
Supermarket and grocery coding can differ from superstores and delivery, so compare the grocery row before you optimize a weekly shopping basket.
Welcome bonus chaser
Pick Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card
If you are chasing a welcome bonus, Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card leads on catalog bonus value. For long-term category earn after the bonus, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express is the stronger keeper in this pair — but only if its annual fee still makes sense for your spend.
Fee-sensitive keeper
Pick Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express
When you want the card that is easiest to keep year two, annual fee often matters more than a narrow category edge.
Decision guide
Which card is better between Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express?
Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card is the better overall pick because it leads on Madeen's weighted scorecard (60 vs 40) across categories, bonus, benefits, and fee. Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express split the win across categories, fees, and bonuses. Madeen's snapshot favors checking dining, grocery, and travel rows — not just each card's headline top category — before you pick a primary wallet card.
When should you pick Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card over Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express?
Choose Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card if Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in travel and can earn 4x points. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement. Travel perks may add value beyond the earn rate.. Best for travel-heavy spend when the $795 fee fits your usage; confirm issuer terms before applying.
Strengths
- Strongest Madeen category is travel at about 4% effective (4x points).
- That travel rate ranks higher than about 99% of cards we track in the category.
- No foreign transaction fee listed.
Tradeoffs
- $795 annual fee requires enough spend in bonus categories to offset.
- Multiple caps, activations, or exclusions may limit headline earn rates.
When should you pick Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express over Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card?
Choose Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express if Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 3x points. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement. Travel perks may add value beyond the earn rate.. Best for dining-heavy spend when the $650 fee fits your usage; confirm issuer terms before applying.
Strengths
- Strongest Madeen category is dining at about 2.1% effective (3x points).
- That dining rate ranks higher than about 80% of cards we track in the category.
- No foreign transaction fee listed.
Tradeoffs
- $650 annual fee requires enough spend in bonus categories to offset.
- Marriott Bonvoy value depends on how you redeem, not straight cash back.
Common questions about Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card vs Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express
Which card is better between Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express?
Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card is the stronger overall fit because it leads on Madeen's weighted scorecard (60 vs 40) across categories, bonus, benefits, and fee. The overall winner depends on your spend mix — use the scorecard rows and scenario playbook to see where each card actually wins.
Which card wins on dining: Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card or Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express?
Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card leads dining at 3% effective versus 2.1%.
Which card is better for cashback users: Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card or Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express?
Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card is the better cashback-style pick between Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express.
Which welcome bonus is stronger between Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express?
If you are chasing a welcome bonus, Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card leads on catalog bonus value. For long-term category earn after the bonus, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express is the stronger keeper in this pair — but only if its annual fee still makes sense for your spend.
Which card has stronger benefits: Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card or Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express?
Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card leads on estimated annual benefit value in the Madeen snapshot.
Which card has the lower annual fee: Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card or Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express?
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express has the simpler fee story in this pair ($795 vs $650). Annual fee only wins if you use the rewards and credits that justify it.
Is Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card or Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express better for travel spend?
Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card is the stronger travel-style pick between Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express in this snapshot.
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Reviewed by Madeen editorial review
Catalog snapshot 2026-05-01
Updated 2026-06-13
Content tier Premium depth
Madeen compares cards you add to your wallet using published catalog rules — no bank login required. Issuer pages control current fees, caps, exclusions, and eligibility; Madeen does not issue cards, make approval decisions, or provide financial advice. Madeen may earn compensation from apply links. Affiliate disclosure