In the event you love the consistency of brand-name resorts or repeatedly keep at Hilton or Marriott properties, carrying one in every of their cobranded resort bank cards could also be a good suggestion.
The Hilton Honors American Specific Surpass® Card and Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit score 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 automated standing for extra advantages each time you keep at a collaborating property.
However does one stand out above the opposite? This is a more in-depth take a look at how these playing cards work so you may determine which is best for you.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless vs. Hilton Surpass comparability
This is a fast abstract of a very powerful options of every card that can assist you examine options and advantages head-to-head:
| Characteristic | Marriott Bonvoy Boundless | Hilton Honors American Specific 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 automated 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 charge | $95 | $150 annual charge (see charges and charges) |
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), based mostly 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, based mostly on TPG’s February 2025 valuations.
Winner: Bonvoy Boundless. The welcome provide and assertion credit score present a larger return to new cardholders.
Associated: Listed below are the perfect bank card welcome provides
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless vs. Hilton Amex Surpass advantages
When you might have the Bonvoy Boundless, you will earn a free night time yearly in your account anniversary after paying your annual charge. That is legitimate for a keep value as much as 35,000 factors, although you may complement the certificates with as much as 15,000 further factors to snag higher-priced rooms. With a $95 annual charge, the free night time award alone makes the cardboard value maintaining should you keep at an eligible Marriott property as soon as per 12 months.
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With the Hilton Surpass, it’s also possible to get pleasure from a free night time, but it surely’s not automated. You may need to spend no less than $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 finest card for on a regular basis spending, you might be sacrificing some rewards on these purchases.
That stated, you should utilize the free night time for just about any property within the Hilton Honors portfolio (with only a few exceptions), probably giving the award an outsize worth.
Bonvoy Boundless cardholders get automated Silver Elite standing by advantage of the 15 elite night time credit awarded on the cardboard (should you even have a Marriott enterprise card, you may stack these credit for a complete of 30 nights). These 15 nights put you greater than half of the best way to Gold standing, and you’ll earn an extra credit score for each $5,000 you spend on the cardboard. And in case your spending on the cardboard hits no less than $35,000 in a calendar 12 months, you will mechanically be upgraded to Marriott Gold standing.
As a Hilton Surpass cardmember, you get automated Hilton Honors Gold standing. You’re then upgraded to Diamond standing should you spend no less than $40,000 in a calendar 12 months on the cardboard. Elite standing at each resort manufacturers comes with a listing of advantages that enhance as you progress to increased tiers — however Hilton Gold is considerably extra useful than Marriott Silver.
Each playing cards waive overseas transaction charges (see Hilton Surpass charges and charges) and provide extra advantages.
The Bonvoy Boundless contains buy safety, baggage delay insurance coverage, misplaced baggage reimbursement protection and journey delay reimbursement insurance coverage. Customers even have entry to complimentary Visa Concierge service.
The Hilton Surpass comes with a way more restricted set of protections. Nonetheless, the largest perk right here is the flexibility to stand 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 charge (see charges and charges).
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: Evaluating the perfect resort elite standing tiers and earn them
Incomes factors on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless vs. Hilton Amex Surpass
In the event you’re a Marriott or Hilton loyalist, you doubtless want one model’s factors over one other. However should you’re not loyal to any particular resort, 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 every year). As well as, you will earn 2 factors per greenback on different journey purchases and all over the 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 all over the 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, based on TPG’s February 2025 valuations), you will most likely come out forward with factors should you use the Hilton Surpass card repeatedly.
Winner: Hilton Surpass. You may rack up extra rewards with the Hilton Surpass.
Associated: How and why you must maximize your resort stays through the use of a number of loyalty applications
Redeeming factors on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless vs. Hilton Amex Surpass
The most effective worth for Marriott and Hilton factors normally comes from redeeming for resort reward nights. You do produce other choices, however resort stays usually provide the highest worth per level. Sadly, each applications not have award charts.
The vast majority of Marriott stays price between 5,000 and 100,000 factors per night time. Nonetheless, this system imposes dynamic award pricing, that means the price of all its 8,000-plus accommodations and resorts can range.
In response to TPG’s February 2025 valuations, you will get about 0.85 cents per level on common, however the worth you get relies on the resort, dates and different elements.
Hilton award stays usually price anyplace from 5,000 factors to 95,000 per night time, with a median worth of about 0.6 cents per level, based on TPG’s February 2025 valuations. Nonetheless, some specialty properties cost as much as 150,000 factors per night time. Whereas this system does not have printed award charts, you may get a really feel for a way a lot your keep will price with Hilton’s Factors Explorer device.
In the event you’re working low on factors, each applications characteristic the flexibility 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 ensure these make sense.
Lastly, Marriott has nearly 40 airline switch companions; whereas transferring factors to switch companions is normally one of the best 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 finest Marriott accommodations on the earth
Ought to I get the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless or Hilton Amex Surpass?
The Bonvoy Boundless and Hilton Surpass are two in style resort rewards playing cards with related 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 resort visits. Relying in your journey habits and spending traits, you could profit from one and even each of those playing cards.
Savvy vacationers might not wish 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 right here.
