Marriott Bonvoy Boundless vs. Hilton Amex Surpass: Which hotel card is better?

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

If you love the consistency of brand-name resorts or regularly stay at Hilton or Marriott properties, carrying one of their cobranded hotel credit cards may be a good idea.

The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card and Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card are two mid-tier products with a variety of perks, including annual free nights, opportunities to earn a plethora of points and automatic status for additional benefits every time you stay at a participating property.

But does one stand out above the other? Here’s a closer look at how these cards work so you can decide which is better for you.

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless vs. Hilton Surpass comparison

Here’s a quick summary of the most important features of each card to help you compare features and benefits head-to-head:

Feature	Marriott Bonvoy Boundless	Hilton Honors American Express Surpass
Welcome offer	Earn three free nights (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first three months from account opening. Certain hotels have resort fees.	Earn 130,000 bonus points and a free night reward after spending $3,000 in purchases on the card in the first six months of card membership. Offer ends July 31.
Earning rates	6 points per dollar at Marriott properties 3 points per dollar at grocery stores, gas stations and restaurants (on the first $6,000 in combined purchases each calendar year) 2 points per dollar on other travel purchases and everywhere else	12 points per dollar at Hilton properties 6 points per dollar on dining at U.S. restaurants, groceries at U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations 4 points per dollar on U.S. online retail purchases 3 points per dollar everywhere else
Elite status	15 elite nights every year, which grants automatic Silver status	Automatic Gold status
Free nights	Free night award on your card’s annual anniversary, worth up to 35,000 points. Certain hotels have resort fees.	Free night reward after spending $15,000 on the card in a calendar year
Other benefits	No foreign transaction fees Purchase protection Baggage delay insurance Lost luggage reimbursement Trip delay reimbursement	No foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees) Up to $200 every calendar year (up to $50 each quarter) in statement credits for eligible Hilton purchases
Annual fee	$95	$150 annual fee (see rates and fees)

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless vs. Hilton Amex Surpass Welcome offer

The Bonvoy Boundless comes with a welcome of three free nights (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first three months from account opening — worth as much as $1,275, based on TPG’s June 2024 valuations.

With the Hilton Surpass, you can start with an offer of 130,000 bonus points and a free night reward after spending $3,000 in purchases on the card in the first six months of card membership. Offer ends July 31. The points here are worth $780, based on TPG’s valuations.

Winner: Tie. Which welcome offer is more valuable depends on whether you maximize the free nights they provide.

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless vs. Hilton Amex Surpass benefits

When you have the Bonvoy Boundless, you’ll earn a free night every year on your account anniversary after paying your annual fee. This is valid for a stay worth up to 35,000 points, though you can supplement the certificate with up to 15,000 extra points to snag higher-priced rooms. With a $95 annual fee, the free night award alone makes the card worth keeping if you stay at an eligible Marriott property once per year.

With the Hilton Surpass, you 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, translating to a minimum of $1,250 monthly. And since the Hilton Surpass isn’t necessarily the best card for everyday spending, you could be sacrificing some rewards on those purchases.

That said, you can use the free night for virtually any property in the Hilton Honors portfolio (with just a few exceptions), potentially giving the award an outsize value.

Bonvoy Boundless cardholders get automatic Silver Elite status by virtue of the 15 elite night credits awarded on the card (if you also have a Marriott business card, you can stack these credits for a total of 30 nights). These 15 nights put you more than half of the way to Gold status, and you can earn an additional credit for every $5,000 you spend on the card. And if your spending on the card hits at least $35,000 in a calendar year, you’ll automatically be upgraded to Marriott Gold status.

As a Hilton Surpass cardmember, you get automatic Hilton Honors Gold status. You are then 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 to higher tiers — but Hilton Gold is significantly more valuable than Marriott Silver.

Both cards waive foreign transaction fees (see Hilton Surpass rates and fees), and each comes with additional benefits.

Twin King Privilege Room. HOTEL DE BOURGTHEROULDE, AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION/MARRIOTT.COM

The Bonvoy Boundless includes purchase protection, baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement coverage and trip delay reimbursement insurance. Users also have access to complimentary Visa Concierge service.

The Hilton Surpass comes with a much more limited set of protections. However, the biggest perk here is the ability to get up to $200 in statement credits every calendar year (up to $50 each quarter) for eligible Hilton purchases. By taking full advantage of this perk, you’ll get positive value from the Hilton Surpass’s $150 annual fee (see rates and fees).

Winner: Hilton Surpass. While the Bonvoy Boundless has good benefits, the Hilton Surpass’s complimentary Gold status and up to $200 in statement credits for eligible Hilton purchases have it edging out its competition.

Earning points on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless vs. Hilton Amex Surpass

If you’re a Marriott or Hilton loyalist, you likely prefer one brand’s points over another. But if you’re not loyal to any specific hotel, here’s a breakdown of what earning looks like on both cards.

With the Bonvoy Boundless, you get 6 points per dollar spent at Marriott properties plus 3 points per dollar spent at U.S. grocery stores, U.S. gas stations and U.S. restaurants (up to $6,000 in combined spending each year). In addition, you’ll earn 2 points per dollar on other travel purchases and everywhere else.

Young casually clothed woman online shopping from her domestic kitchen — PEKIC/GETTY IMAGES

Meanwhile, if you have the Hilton Surpass, you earn 12 points per dollar spent at Hilton properties, 6 points per dollar spent at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations, 4 points per dollar on U.S. online retail purchases and 3 points per dollar everywhere else.

For bonus categories, that’s roughly double what you’d get with the Marriott card. Even with a slightly lower value (0.6 cents per point for Hilton versus .85 cents per point for Marriott, according to TPG’s June 2024 valuations), you’ll probably come out ahead with points if you use the Hilton Surpass card regularly.

Winner: Hilton Surpass. You’ll rack up more rewards with the Hilton Surpass.

Redeeming points on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless vs. Hilton Amex Surpass

The best value for Marriott and Hilton points usually comes from redeeming for hotel reward nights. You do have other options, but hotel stays typically give you the highest value per point. Unfortunately, both programs no longer have award charts.

The majority of Marriott stays cost between 5,000 and 100,000 points per night. However, the program imposes dynamic award pricing, meaning the cost of all its 8,000-plus hotels and resorts can vary.

According to TPG’s valuations, you will get about 0.85 cents per point on average, but the value you get depends on the hotel, dates and other factors.

Hilton award stays typically cost anywhere from 5,000 points to 95,000 per night, with an average value of about 0.6 cents per point, according to TPG’s valuations. However, some specialty properties charge up to 150,000 points per night. While the program doesn’t have published award charts, you can get a feel for how much your stay will cost with Hilton’s Points Explorer tool.

If you’re running low on points, both programs feature the ability to combine cash and points to book a room. However, if you’re a serious travel points enthusiast like TPG credit cards writer Augusta Stone, you should calculate the value you’re getting per point for every redemption to make sure these make sense. Finally, Marriott has almost 40 airline transfer partners; while transferring points to transfer partners is usually the best way to get maximum value, you’re better off using your Marriott points for Marriott stays.

Winner: Bonvoy Boundless. Despite Marriott’s use of dynamic pricing, you’ll still get more value with their points.

Should I get the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless or Hilton Amex Surpass?

The Bonvoy Boundless and Hilton Surpass are two popular hotel rewards cards with similar costs and benefits. Although Marriott points are worth slightly more, the valuable benefits and better earning rate on the Hilton Surpass make it the better card for all but Marriott loyalists.

Bottom line

Marriott and Hilton offer compelling credit cards that can fast-track your path to free hotel visits. Depending on your travel habits and spending trends, 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 of the Bonvoy Boundless and Hilton Surpass.

Apply here: Marriott Bonvoy Boundless

Apply here: Hilton Honors Surpass

For rates and fees of the Hilton Amex Surpass, click here.