Many top rewards credit cards include annual fees. In exchange for this up-front cost, you can unlock higher earning rates, additional travel perks and annual rewards.
That said, many issuers (and their cobranded loyalty program partners) offer no-annual-fee products that can still be decent options for more casual travelers.
If you’re looking for a hotel credit card in this category, you should know about the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card and the Hilton Honors American Express Card. Both of these cards get you instant low-level status and award you valuable hotel points with every purchase, all without an annual fee (see rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Amex).
Here’s a head-to-head comparison of the Marriott Bonvoy Bold and Hilton Honors Amex to help you decide which may be the best choice for your needs.
Related: Best hotel credit cards
Marriott Bonvoy Bold vs. Hilton Honors Amex comparison
| Card | Marriott Bonvoy Bold | Hilton Honors Amex |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome offer | Earn 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points and a free night reward (valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. Certain hotels have resort fees. | Earn 100,000 Hilton Honors points after spending $2,000 in purchases within the first six months from account opening. This offer ends Jan. 8, 2025. |
| Annual fee | $0 | $0 (see rates and fees) |
| Earning rates |
|
|
| Per-point value (based on TPG’s October 2024 valuations) | 0.85 | 0.6 |
| Benefits |
|
|
*Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
**Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered, and geographic restrictions apply. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
Marriott Bonvoy Bold vs. Hilton Honors Amex welcome offer
Both Marriott and Hilton offer these no-annual-fee cards with compelling bonus offers. If you’re a big fan of travel and enjoy the comfort of a name-brand hotel, you may want to consider one of these lucrative bonuses.
The Marriott Bonvoy Bold is currently offering 60,000 bonus points after cardholders spend $2,000 on purchases in the first three months. These bonus points alone are enough for a free night (or more) at many Marriott properties — which now number more than 8,000 worldwide across over 30 brands in around 140 countries worldwide. Plus, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold’s current bonus also offers a free night reward of up to 50,000 points in value — making the current welcome offer the best we’ve seen on this card. Certain hotels have resort fees.
Daily Newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts
If you use the free night award for the full 50,000 points, the Bold’s welcome bonus is worth $935, per TPG’s October 2024 valuations. That’s a solid value for a card with no annual fee.
The Hilton Honors Amex is currently offering new cardholders 100,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after they spend $2,000 in purchases within the first six months from account opening. This offer ends on Jan. 8, 2025.
The Hilton Honors Amex’s welcome bonus is worth $600, per TPG’s October 2024 valuations. We’ve previously seen 130,000 total bonus points offered on this card, but this was earned in increments of 80,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first three months of card membership, and then 50,000 more bonus points after spending $5,000 total in the first six months. (Offer no longer available.)
Considering that this 100,000 points bonus kicks in after spending $2,000 in six months, the current offer is easier to earn than the highest we’ve found in the past.
Winner: Marriott Bonvoy Bold. It’s currently offering a more valuable welcome bonus, especially if you utilize the welcome offer’s free night award for the full 50,000-point allotment.
Related: This month’s best welcome offers
Marriott Bonvoy Bold vs. Hilton Honors Amex benefits
With the Marriott Bonvoy Bold, you’ll automatically earn Bonvoy Silver status. Silver status isn’t too exciting, but it comes with a few perks, including a 10% bonus on points earned for Marriott stays, priority late checkout (when available) and complimentary Wi-Fi. Check out our guide to Marriott Bonvoy elite status for more information.
The Hilton Honors Amex includes complimentary Silver status for all cardholders. Like Marriott, Hilton Silver is also somewhat unexciting, giving you a 20% point bonus and elite rollover nights. However, Hilton’s fifth night free on award stays is also only available to elite members, so this perk alone can be valuable if you have enough points (and vacation time) for a stay of at least five nights.
Plus, both the Bold and Hilton Amex offer pathways to higher tiers.
The Bold gives you 5 elite night credits per year to help you work toward higher status and more perks when staying with Marriott. With the Hilton Amex, you get automatic Gold status after spending $20,000 on the card in a year. For anyone who plans to use either card frequently, this can be a great option to unlock an elite tier that’s much more lucrative. However, you might be sacrificing value by not making those purchases with a card that’s good for everyday spending.
Both cards come with no foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees for the Hilton Honors Amex), so you can use the card when traveling outside the U.S. without incurring fees. Beyond that, the cards come with a moderate list of travel and purchase benefits — though one card stands out in this category.
The Marriott Bonvoy Bold and Hilton Honors Amex both include purchase protection*. Where they differ is that the Bold card includes baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement and trip delay reimbursement coverage – a solid package of extra perks for a card with no annual fee. The Hilton Honors Amex offers extended warranty* and car rental insurance.**
*Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
**Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered, and geographic restrictions apply. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
Winner: Marriott Bonvoy Bold. It has more travel protections and an easier path to higher elite status.
Earning points with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold vs. Hilton Honors Amex
With every swipe, tap, dip or online purchase with either card, you can earn points redeemable for free hotel nights (among other redemption options, which we’ll discuss later). Each one works a little differently here.
With the Marriott Bonvoy Bold, you’ll earn 3 points per dollar on eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy, 2 points per dollar spent at grocery stores and on ride-hailing, select food delivery, select streaming, internet, cable and phone services and 1 point per dollar on other purchases.
However, keep in mind that the 3 points per dollar you earn with the Bold on Marriott purchases are added to the 10 points per dollar you earn as a Marriott Bonvoy member and another 1 point per dollar you get with automatic Silver status, which brings the total points per dollar spent with Marriott to 14 when you use the card. That’s an 11.9% return on your spending when using TPG’s October 2024 valuation of Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.85 cents per dollar.
Meanwhile, the Hilton Honors Amex awards 7 points per dollar on eligible purchases made directly with Hilton Hotels and Resorts. This includes paying for your room and on-site spending at restaurants and spas.
Like the Bold with Marriott purchases, however, the Hilton Honors Amex actually earns more than the base rate when you transact with Hilton. In addition to the 7 points per dollar netted with the Hilton Honors Amex, cardholders will get an additional 12 points per dollar spent, thanks to the complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status. Thus, you’re looking at a total of 19 points per dollar, or an 11.4% return on your spending when using TPG’s October 2024 valuation of Hilton Honors points at 0.6 cents per dollar.
The Hilton Amex really shines in comparison to the Bold when it comes to non-hotel spending. You’ll earn 5 points per dollar at U.S. restaurants (including takeout and delivery), U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations and 3 points per dollar everywhere else.
Winner: Hilton Honors Amex. It comes with much better earnings rates in popular spending categories.
Related: The best no annual fee credit cards
Redeeming points with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold vs. Hilton Honors Amex
The Marriott Bonvoy Bold awards points that can be used for Marriott stays, transfers to airline partners and other redemptions. However, using your points for free nights at Marriott hotels usually gives you the best value.
TPG managing editor Matt Moffitt recently redeemed 78,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for a two-night stay at Caro & Selig Tegernsee, a mountain town an hour south of Munich.
Marriott uses a dynamic pricing model, which means that redemption rates fluctuate based on various factors, including cash rates. You can use a combination of Marriott Bonvoy points and cash for your next stay by utilizing the Marriott Cash + Points rate, which can offer a good deal if you’re low on points or if it provides better value than booking with only points.
If you’re redeeming points for five consecutive nights under the same reservation at the same Marriott hotel, you’ll be eligible for the “Stay for 5, Pay for 4” benefit, which allows Marriott Bonvoy members to get the lowest point-value free for every five consecutive nights redeemed with Marriott Bonvoy points. This perk is automatically applied to eligible bookings and can help you stretch your points for longer stays if you have the ability to do so.
Hilton Honors redemptions aren’t all that different from Marriott’s. Free stays at Hilton typically fluctuate, so it’s important to do your research to find the best value for your points.
Similar to Marriott, your fifth night is free on award stays with Hilton elite status, which is an automatic perk on the Hilton Honors Amex and can stretch your points further.
TPG credit cards editor Emily Thompson maximized her Hilton Honors points by taking advantage of the loyalty program’s fifth-night free perk on her trip to London.
Hilton Honors also offers the option to book with points and cash if you prefer — but in any case, you should consult the program’s Points Explorer tool to get a feel for how much your award stays will cost.
You risk getting a much lower value per point when you redeem Marriott or Hilton points for anything other than free nights, so be sure to crunch the numbers to make sure you get the best value per point on every redemption.
Winner: This one is a tie. Since both loyalty programs utilize dynamic reward pricing and offer similar benefits with these cards, it’s up to you to determine if you get more value from stays at Marriott or Hilton properties.
Should I get the Marriott Bonvoy Bold or Hilton Honors Amex?
Both the Marriott Bonvoy Bold and Hilton Honors Amex can offer solid value for casual travelers loyal to either Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors. The card that’s best for you is going to depend on which brand you prefer and how you’ll utilize each card’s respective perks. If you’re firmly against paying an annual fee, either option could be a good choice to add to your wallet.
Related: How to choose a hotel credit card
Bottom line
For no-annual-fee travel rewards cards, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card and Hilton Honors American Express Card deliver ongoing value through useful benefits and valuable redemption opportunities.
If you’re a fan of one of these loyalty programs but don’t want to pay an out-of-pocket cost for a cobranded card, either of these cards could be a good pick. However, frequent travelers could find that it’s worth applying for a cobranded card with a higher annual fee to access many more benefits.
To learn more, read our full reviews of the Marriott Bonvoy Bold and the Hilton Honors Amex.
Apply here: Marriott Bonvoy Bold
Apply here: Hilton Honors Amex
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Amex, please click here.
