In case you love the consistency of brand-name resorts or frequently keep at Hilton or Marriott properties, carrying considered one of their cobranded hotel credit cards could also be a good suggestion.
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card and Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card are two mid-tier merchandise with a wide range of perks, together with annual free nights, alternatives to earn a plethora of factors and computerized standing for added advantages each time you keep at a collaborating property.
However does one stand out above the opposite? Here is a more in-depth have a look at how these playing cards work so you’ll be able to determine which is healthier for you.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless vs. Hilton Surpass comparability
Here is a fast abstract of an important options of every card that will help you evaluate options and advantages head-to-head:
| Function | Marriott Bonvoy Boundless | Hilton Honors American Categorical Surpass |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome provide | Earn a $150 assertion credit score after making the primary buy within the first 12 months from account opening, and earn 100,000 bonus factors after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. | Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors bonus factors after spending $3,000 in purchases on the cardboard throughout the first six months of card membership. |
| Incomes charges |
|
|
| Elite standing | 15 elite nights yearly, which grants computerized Silver standing | Automated Gold standing |
| Free nights | Free night time award in your card’s annual anniversary, value as much as 35,000 factors. Sure accommodations have resort charges. | Free night time reward after spending $15,000 on the cardboard in a calendar 12 months |
| Different advantages |
|
|
| Annual payment | $95 | $150 annual payment (see rates and fees) |
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless vs. Hilton Amex Surpass Welcome provide
The Bonvoy Boundless comes with a welcome bonus of a $150 assertion credit score after making the primary buy within the first 12 months from account opening, and earn 100,000 bonus factors after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. — value as much as $1,000 (together with the assertion credit score), primarily based on TPG’s February 2025 valuations.
With the Hilton Surpass, you will earn 130,000 Hilton Honors bonus factors after spending $3,000 in purchases throughout the first six months of card membership. The welcome provide is value $780, primarily based on TPG’s February 2025 valuations.
Winner: Bonvoy Boundless. The welcome provide and assertion credit score present a better return to new cardholders.
Associated: Here are the best credit card welcome offers
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless vs. Hilton Amex Surpass advantages
When you’ve gotten the Bonvoy Boundless, you will earn a free night time yearly in your account anniversary after paying your annual payment. That is legitimate for a keep value up to 35,000 points, although you’ll be able to complement the certificates with as much as 15,000 additional factors to snag higher-priced rooms. With a $95 annual payment, the free night time award alone makes the cardboard value maintaining when you keep at an eligible Marriott property as soon as per 12 months.
Each day E-newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Each day e-newsletter
Be part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s consultants
With the Hilton Surpass, you may as well take pleasure in a free night time, however it’s not computerized. You may should spend a minimum of $15,000 on the cardboard in a calendar 12 months to earn it, translating to a minimal of $1,250 month-to-month. And for the reason that Hilton Surpass is not essentially the best card for everyday spending, you possibly can be sacrificing some rewards on these purchases.
That stated, you need to use the free night time for nearly any property within the Hilton Honors portfolio (with just some exceptions), probably giving the award an outsize worth.
Bonvoy Boundless cardholders get computerized Silver Elite status by advantage of the 15 elite night time credit awarded on the cardboard (when you even have a Marriott enterprise card, you’ll be able to stack these credit for a complete of 30 nights). These 15 nights put you greater than half of the way in which to Gold standing, and you may earn a further credit score for each $5,000 you spend on the cardboard. And in case your spending on the cardboard hits a minimum of $35,000 in a calendar 12 months, you will robotically be upgraded to Marriott Gold standing.
As a Hilton Surpass cardmember, you get computerized Hilton Honors Gold status. You might be then upgraded to Diamond standing when you spend a minimum of $40,000 in a calendar 12 months on the cardboard. Elite standing at each lodge manufacturers comes with an inventory of advantages that enhance as you progress to greater tiers — however Hilton Gold is considerably extra worthwhile than Marriott Silver.
Each playing cards waive foreign transaction fees (see Hilton Surpass rates and fees) and provide extra advantages.
The Bonvoy Boundless contains purchase protection, baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement coverage and trip delay reimbursement insurance. Customers even have entry to complimentary Visa Concierge service.
The Hilton Surpass comes with a way more restricted set of protections. Nonetheless, the most important perk right here is the power to rise up to $200 in assertion credit each calendar 12 months (as much as $50 every quarter) for eligible Hilton purchases. By taking full benefit of this perk, you will get constructive worth from the Hilton Surpass’s $150 annual payment (see rates and fees).
Winner: Hilton Surpass. Whereas the Bonvoy Boundless has good advantages, the Hilton Surpass’s complimentary Gold standing and as much as $200 in assertion credit for eligible Hilton purchases have it edging out its competitors.
Associated: Comparing the best hotel elite status tiers and how to earn them
Incomes factors on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless vs. Hilton Amex Surpass
In case you’re a Marriott or Hilton loyalist, you doubtless favor one model’s factors over one other. However when you’re not loyal to any particular lodge, this is a breakdown of what incomes appears to be like like on each playing cards.
With the Bonvoy Boundless, you will earn 6 factors per greenback spent at Marriott properties plus 3 factors per greenback spent at U.S. grocery shops, U.S. fuel stations and U.S. eating places (as much as $6,000 in mixed spending annually). As well as, you will earn 2 factors per greenback on different journey purchases and in every single place else.
In the meantime, if in case you have the Hilton Surpass, you will earn 12 factors per greenback spent at Hilton properties, 6 factors per greenback spent at U.S. eating places, U.S. supermarkets and U.S. fuel stations, 4 factors per greenback on U.S. on-line retail purchases and three factors per greenback in every single place else.
For bonus classes, the Hilton Surpass earns almost double that of the Marriott card. Even with a barely decrease worth (0.6 cents per level for Hilton versus .85 cents per level for Marriott, in keeping with TPG’s February 2025 valuations), you will in all probability come out forward with factors when you use the Hilton Surpass card frequently.
Winner: Hilton Surpass. You may rack up extra rewards with the Hilton Surpass.
Associated: How and why you should maximize your hotel stays by using multiple loyalty programs
Redeeming factors on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless vs. Hilton Amex Surpass
The perfect worth for Marriott and Hilton factors normally comes from redeeming for lodge reward nights. You do produce other choices, however lodge stays sometimes provide the highest worth per level. Sadly, each applications not have award charts.
Nearly all of Marriott stays price between 5,000 and 100,000 factors per night time. Nonetheless, this system imposes dynamic award pricing, which means the price of all its 8,000-plus accommodations and resorts can differ.
In accordance with TPG’s February 2025 valuations, you will get about 0.85 cents per level on common, however the worth you get will depend on the lodge, dates and different components.
Hilton award stays sometimes price anyplace from 5,000 factors to 95,000 per night time, with a mean worth of about 0.6 cents per level, in keeping with TPG’s February 2025 valuations. Nonetheless, some specialty properties cost as much as 150,000 factors per night time. Whereas this system would not have printed award charts, you may get a really feel for the way a lot your keep will price with Hilton’s Points Explorer tool.
In case you’re working low on factors, each applications characteristic the power to mix money and factors to e-book a room. Nonetheless, you must calculate the worth you are getting per level for each redemption to verify these make sense.
Lastly, Marriott has nearly 40 airline switch companions; whereas transferring factors to switch companions is normally one of the simplest ways to get most worth, you are higher off utilizing your Marriott factors for Marriott stays.
Winner: Bonvoy Boundless. Regardless of Marriott’s use of dynamic pricing, you will nonetheless get extra worth with their factors.
Associated: 29 best Marriott hotels in the world
Ought to I get the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless or Hilton Amex Surpass?
The Bonvoy Boundless and Hilton Surpass are two in style lodge rewards playing cards with comparable prices and advantages. Though Marriott factors are value barely extra, the dear advantages and higher incomes charge on the Hilton Surpass make it the higher card for all however Marriott loyalists.
Backside line
Marriott and Hilton provide compelling bank cards that may fast-track your path to free lodge visits. Relying in your journey habits and spending developments, it’s possible you’ll profit from one and even each of those playing cards.
Savvy vacationers could not need to depart dwelling with out one. To be taught extra, learn our full opinions of the Bonvoy Boundless and Hilton Surpass.
Apply right here: Marriott Bonvoy Boundless
Apply right here: Hilton Honors Surpass
Associated: Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful vs. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless
For charges and charges of the Hilton Amex Surpass, click on here.
Trending Merchandise
