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Compare the Features and Benefits of Hilton Honors Surpass® Credit Card and
Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card

Detailed Comparison Overview

Key Facts
Annual Fee
Avg. Min. Credit Score
Ongoing APR
Balance transfers fees
Best Multiplier
Avg. Point Value
(Learn More)
Bonus Offer
Rating
Review
Key features
Unique Card Benefits
Grants Hotel Status
Trip Protections
Secondary Car Rental CDW Waiver
Extended Warranty
Purchase Protection
No Fees for Authorized Users
No Foreign Transaction Fees
Annual Statement Credits
Grants Car Rental Status
Amex Offers
Earns Transferable Points
Travel and Emergency Assistance Services
Free Access to Credit Score
Annual Fee
$150 (Rates and fees)
Avg. Min. Credit Score
Good-Excellent
Ongoing APR
20.24%-29.24% (Variable)
Balance transfers fees
-
Best Multiplier
12x Hotels

At Hilton portfolio properties when you book direct with Hilton or the hotel. Otherwise, earn 3X points

6x Gas Stations

U.S. gast stations

6x Dining Out / Food Delivery

U.S. dining, including takeout and delivery

6x Groceries

U.S. Supermarkets. * American Express defines a supermarket as offering a wide variety of food and household products such as meat, fresh produce, dairy, canned and packaged goods, household cleaners, pharmacy products and pet supplies. (Superstores, convenience stores and warehouse clubs are NOT considered supermarkets.)

4x Online Retail Shopping

U.S. Online Retail Shopping

3x All Other Eligible Purchases
Avg. Point Value
(Learn More)
$0.005
Bonus Offer
Earn 165,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on eligible purchases within the first six months of Card Membership (Terms apply).
Rating
YBCC Card Rate Stars Filled
YBCC Card Rate Stars Empty
(4.08) Our Review

Our ratings are determined by the authors and editors on our team. Each individual card feature is compared against all other cards we offer and the total score is an average of those 4 ratings.

Review

With a relatively low $150 annual fee, The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card comes with some valuable benefits, including Gold Elite status, which gets you free breakfast (or a daily food and beverage credit) on all stays at full-service Hilton hotels and resorts.

You can redeem Hilton Honors points and Free Night Rewards for a room like this with room with a private plunge pool in Mexico

Waldorf Astoria Pedregal – Cabo, Mexico

With Hilton Honors points having an approximate value of 0.5 cents per point, you are earning roughly 6% back on Hilton stays and 3% back on select categories in the US: gas stations, gas, and groceries. Remember you’ll earn 3X Hilton Honors points on other eligible purchases, so that would be worth about a 1.5% return on spend.

Hilton Surpass Credit Card dining bonus category
The Hilton portfolio also has some amazing hotels and resorts at which you can spend your Hilton Honors points and Free Night Reward certificates. You can get value of rooms that sell for over $1,000 a night and include the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi and the Waldorf Astoria Pedregal in Los Cabos. You could easily make a case that simply being able to earn the lucrative Free Night Reward certificates is reason enough to hold this card.

View from an infinity pool at the Waldorf Astoria Pedregal in Los Cabos, Mexico - Bookable with Hilton Honors points and Free Night Rewards.
While we don’t recommend the Hilton Honors Surpass card as your only credit card, it certainly is worth more than its annual fee if you frequently stay at Hilton portfolio hotels and resorts.

Rates and fees for the Hilton Honors Surpass® Credit Card

Read more
Unique Card Benefits
yes
Grants Hotel Status
yes
Trip Protections
yes
Secondary Car Rental CDW Waiver
yes
Extended Warranty
yes
Purchase Protection
yes
No Fees for Authorized Users
yes
No Foreign Transaction Fees
yes
Annual Statement Credits
yes
Grants Car Rental Status
yes
Amex Offers
yes
Earns Transferable Points
no
Travel and Emergency Assistance Services
no
Free Access to Credit Score
no
Annual Fee
$0
Avg. Min. Credit Score
670-850
Ongoing APR
20.24%-27.24% (Variable)
Balance transfers fees
-
Best Multiplier
3x Hotels

Earn 3X at Marriott Bonvoy properties booked direct. Earn 2X on all other hotel bookings.

2x Groceries
2x Streaming Services

Select Streaming services

2x Cable / Internet / VOIP Phone
1x Everything Else
Avg. Point Value
(Learn More)
$0.006
Bonus Offer
Earn 60,000 Points + 1 Free Night after spending $2,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months from account opening. 1 Free Night valued up to 50,000 points. Certain hotels have resort fees.
Rating
YBCC Card Rate Stars Filled
YBCC Card Rate Stars Empty
(3.4) Our Review

Our ratings are determined by the authors and editors on our team. Each individual card feature is compared against all other cards we offer and the total score is an average of those 4 ratings.

Review

There’s a Marriott credit card for everyone, and the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card is the most affordable one of the bunch. The main standouts of the card are that there’s no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. Whether you’re a travel newbie or want to downgrade your Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card with a $95 annual fee, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card is best for those wanting to avoid extra fees that come with other Marriott credit cards.

But when it comes to benefits, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold underperforms compared to its more expensive family members. It offers just 5 elite night credits (as compared to 15 with the Boundless, which qualifies you for entry-level Silver elite status in the Marriott Bonvoy program. At this level, you’ll be earning 10% bonus points on Marriott purchases and priority late checkout, which won’t move the needle for most travelers looking for real added-value benefits at hotels.

marriot-bonvoy-bold

On the flip side, the earning rate at Marriott presents quite a sizable return. Thanks to the complimentary Silver elite status, you’ll be earning 14x total points on purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy in the following fashion: 10x points for holding a Marriott Bonvoy member account, 3x points with the Bonvoy Bold credit card, and 1x points for Silver elite members. Although still, with the Boundless card you’d earn 6X at Marriott and therefore 17X total points.

On everyday expenses, the rewards rate is less impressive as Marriott Bonvoy points aren’t as valuable as other loyalty currencies. We estimate that Marriott Bonvoy points are worth 0.6 cents each. In that sense, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold offers 2x points (1.2% return) on each dollar spent for select streaming, and internet, cable, and phone service purchases, and 1x (0.6% return) points on all other eligible purchases. You can certainly do much better with another travel rewards card or another Marriott Bonvoy credit card.

Although Marriott Bonvoy points have been devalued over the years, the good news is that they can be redeemed for Marriott’s enormous portfolio worldwide. As the largest hotel chain in the world, you’d be hard-pressed not to find a Marriott hotel no matter where you’re traveling. Another solid option of Marriott Bonvoy points is to transfer them at a 3:1 ratio to more than three dozen airline loyalty programs.

As a co-branded card with Chase, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold does excel in offering a number of travel and purchase protections, which can be quite valuable if you’re stuck in a travel emergency. Finally, card members can activate a DoorDash DashPass membership for one year, if enrolled by December 31, 2024. This can be a great way to save money on food delivery fees and find extra value from this no-annual-fee card.

In all, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold is not the most compelling option out there, but it provides two main purposes. First, if you need an introduction to the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program but don’t want to pay an annual fee, this card can help you earn Marriott points on eligible purchases. Finally, this Chase card is a good downgrade option if you were thinking about canceling the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card.

If you’re thinking about other options, be sure to compare the options in Marriott’s portfolio — there are 4 other cobranded cards to consider! If you’re searching for a general rewards card that will help you save on travel no matter the airline or hotel brand, the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card is a fantastic option. With no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, the Capital One miles earned on the card are worth 1 cent each toward travel and more, or they can even be transferred to Capital One’s airline and hotel partners for more value.

Read more
Unique Card Benefits
yes
Grants Hotel Status
yes
Trip Protections
yes
Secondary Car Rental CDW Waiver
yes
Extended Warranty
yes
Purchase Protection
yes
No Fees for Authorized Users
yes
No Foreign Transaction Fees
yes
Annual Statement Credits
no
Grants Car Rental Status
no
Amex Offers
no
Earns Transferable Points
yes
Travel and Emergency Assistance Services
yes
Free Access to Credit Score
yes

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