If you love the consistency of branded resorts or regularly stay at Hilton or Marriott Hotel property, carry one of their properties co-branded hotel credit card might be a good idea.
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card And Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card are two mid-tier products with plenty of perks, including free nights every year, the chance to earn tons of points, and automatic status for additional benefits every time you stay at a participating property .
But which one is better? Here’s a closer look at how these cards work so you can decide which one is better for you.
Compare Marriott Bonvoy Boundless and Hilton Surpass
Here’s a quick summary of each card’s most important features to help you directly compare features and benefits:
| Feature | Marriott Bonvoy Unlimited | Hilton Honors American Express Pass |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome Welcome | Earn three free nights (each worth up to 50,000 points) after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Some hotels have resort fees. | Earn 130,000 bonus points and a free night reward after spending $3,000 in card purchases in the first six months of card membership. Offer ends July 31. |
| Income ratio |
|
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| Elite status | 15 elite nights per year, automatic Silver status | Automatic Gold status |
| Free Night | Free night award on card anniversary, worth up to 35,000 points. Some hotels have resort fees. | Free night reward after spending $15,000 on the card in a calendar year |
| Other benefits |
|
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| Annual fee | $95 | $150 annual fee (see rates and fees) |
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless vs. Hilton Amex Surpass Welcome Offer
The Bonvoy Unlimited three free nights (each worth up to 50,000 points) after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening — worth up to $1,275, based on TPG June 2024 valuation.
With Hilton passesyou can start with a 130,000 bonus points offer and a free night reward after spending $3,000 on purchases with the card in your first six months of card membership. The offer ends July 31. The points here are worth $780, based on TPG’s valuation.
Winner: Tie. Which welcome offer is more valuable depends on whether you take full advantage of the free nights they offer.
Related: Here are the best credit card welcome offers
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless vs. Hilton Amex Surpass benefits
When you have Bonvoy UnlimitedYou’ll earn one free night each year on your account anniversary after paying the annual fee. This is worth a vacation worth up to 35,000 pointsalthough you can supplement the certificate with up to 15,000 bonus points to score higher-priced rooms. With an annual fee of $95, the free night award alone makes the card worth keeping if you stay at a qualifying Marriott property once per year.
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With Hilton passesyou can also enjoy a free night, but it’s not automatic. You’ll have to spend at least $15,000 on the card in a calendar year to earn it, which means a minimum of $1,250 per month. And since the Hilton Surpass isn’t necessarily a best card for everyday spendingYou may have to sacrifice some rewards when purchasing those products.
That means, you can use the free night on almost any property in the Hilton Honors portfolio (with just a few exceptions), potentially giving the award an outstanding value .
Bonvoy Boundless cardholders receive it automatically Silver Elite Status thanks to the 15 complimentary night credits that come with the card (if you also have a Marriott business card, you can earn these credits for a total of 30 nights). Those 15 nights put you more than halfway toward Gold status, and you can earn an additional credit for every $5,000 you spend on the card. And if you spend at least $35,000 on the card in a calendar year, you’ll automatically be upgraded to Marriott Gold status.
As a Hilton Surpass cardholder, you automatically receive Hilton Honors Gold Award. You’ll then be upgraded to Diamond status if you spend at least $40,000 in a calendar year on the card. Elite status at both hotel brands comes with a list of benefits that improve as you move up the tiers—but Hilton Gold is significantly more valuable than Marriott Silver.
Both cards are ignored. foreign transaction fees (see Hilton Surpass exchange rates and fees), and each has additional benefits.
Bonvoy Boundless included purchase protection, Baggage delay insurance, Lost baggage insurance And trip delay insurance. Users also have access to the free Visa Concierge service.
The Hilton Surpass comes with a much more limited set of protections. However, the biggest benefit here is the ability to earn up to $200 in statement credits each calendar year (up to $50 per quarter) on eligible Hilton purchases. By taking full advantage of this benefit, you’ll get a positive return on the Hilton Surpass’ $150 annual fee (see rates and fees).
Winner: Pass Hilton. While Bonvoy Boundless has good benefits, its free Hilton Surpass Gold status and up to $200 statement credit on eligible Hilton purchases give it a leg up over the competition compete.
Related: Compare the best hotel elite status categories and how to achieve them
Earning Points on Marriott Bonvoy Boundless vs. Hilton Amex Surpass
If you’re a loyal Marriott or Hilton customer, you may prefer one brand’s points over another. But if you’re not loyal to any particular hotel, here’s a breakdown of how to earn points on both cards.
With Boundless BonvoyYou’ll earn 6 points per dollar spent at Marriott properties plus 3 points per dollar spent at grocery stores, gas stations, and restaurants in the U.S. (up to $6,000 spent per year). Plus, you’ll earn 2 points per dollar on other travel purchases and everywhere else.
Meanwhile, if you have Pass the HiltonYou’ll earn 12 points per dollar spent at Hilton properties, 6 points per dollar spent at restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations in the U.S., 4 points per dollar on U.S. online retail purchases, and 3 points per dollar everywhere else.
As for bonus categories, that’s almost double what you get with the Marriott card. Even at slightly lower values (0.6 cents per point for Hilton vs. 0.85 cents per point for Marriott, according to TPG’s June 2024 valuation), you can still win points if you use your Hilton Surpass card regularly.
Winner: Pass Hilton. You’ll get more rewards with Hilton Surpass.
Related: How and why you should maximize your hotel stay by using multiple loyalty programs
Redeem points on Marriott Bonvoy Boundless vs. Hilton Amex Surpass
The best value for Marriott and Hilton points usually comes from redeeming hotel nights. You have other options, but hotel stays usually give you the highest value per point. Unfortunately, both programs no longer have award charts.
Most Marriott stays cost between 5,000 and 100,000 points per night, but the program has flexible award pricing, meaning the cost of its more than 8,000 hotels and resorts can vary.
According to TPG’s valuations, you’ll get about 0.85 cents per point on average, but the value you get depends on the hotel, date, and other factors.
According to TPG pricing, Hilton award stays typically cost between 5,000 points and 95,000 points per night, with an average value of about 0.6 cents per point. However, some specialty properties charge as much as 150,000 points per night. While the program doesn’t have a published award chart, you can get an idea of how much your stay will cost with Hilton. Point discovery tool.
If you’re running low on points, both programs have the ability to combine cash and points for bookings. However, if you’re a serious destination enthusiast like the TPG credit card writer Augusta Stoneyou should calculate the value you get for each point for each redemption to ensure they are meaningful. Ultimately, Marriott has nearly 40 airline transfer partners; While transferring points to transfer partners is often the best way to get maximum value, you should use your Marriott points for Marriott stays.
Winner: Bonvoy Boundless. Even though Marriott uses flexible pricing, you’ll still get more value with their points.
Related: 29 best Marriott hotels in the world
Should I buy the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless or the Hilton Amex Surpass?
The Bonvoy Unlimited And Hilton passes are two popular hotel rewards cards with similar costs and benefits. While Marriott points are worth a bit more, the valuable benefits and better earning rate on the Hilton Surpass make this the better card for everyone but Marriott loyalists.
Bottom line
Marriott and Hilton offer attractive credit cards that can help you earn free hotel stays quickly. Depending on your travel habits and spending tendencies, you may benefit from one or even both of these cards.
Savvy travelers may not want to leave home without one. To learn more, read our full reviews Bonvoy Unlimited And Hilton passes.
Register here: Marriott Bonvoy Unlimited
Register here: Hilton Honors Surpass
Related: Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful vs. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless
For Hilton Amex Surpass rates and fees, click This.
