There are numerous journey rewards bank cards with annual charges starting from zero to a number of hundred {dollars}. Bank cards with annual charges are likely to have higher incomes charges, extra journey perks and annual advantages.
Whereas many factors and miles fanatics favor the perks that include premium playing cards, no-annual-fee cobranded playing cards can nonetheless be an honest possibility for informal vacationers.
If a no-annual-fee resort bank card is in your radar, think about the Marriott Bonvoy Daring® Credit score Card (see charges and costs) and the Hilton Honors American Categorical Card (see charges and costs). Each playing cards get you entry-level elite standing and have comparable bonus classes that can assist you earn factors with each buy.
Let’s examine the Marriott Bonvoy Daring and Hilton Honors Amex that can assist you determine which entry-level card most closely fits your wants.
Marriott Bonvoy Daring vs. Hilton Honors Amex comparability
| Card | Marriott Bonvoy Daring | Hilton Honors Amex |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome supply | Earn 60,000 bonus factors and a free evening award price as much as 50,000 factors after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. Sure accommodations have resort charges. | Earn 100,000 bonus factors plus a $100 assertion credit score after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. |
| Annual charge | $0 | $0 |
| Incomes charges |
|
|
| Per-point worth (primarily based on TPG’s June 2025 valuations) | 0.7 | 0.5 |
| Advantages |
|
|
*Eligibility and profit ranges fluctuate by card. Phrases, circumstances and limitations apply. Go to americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for particulars. Insurance policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Firm.
**Eligibility and Profit stage varies by Card. Phrases, Circumstances and Limitations Apply. Please go to americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for extra particulars. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Firm. Automotive Rental Loss or Harm Protection is obtainable via American Categorical Journey Associated Providers Firm, Inc.
Marriott Bonvoy Daring vs. Hilton Honors Amex welcome supply
The no-annual-fee Marriott and Hilton playing cards each have compelling bonus presents.
The Daring’s welcome bonus is price as much as $770, per TPG’s June 2025 valuations.
Day by day Publication
Reward your inbox with the TPG Day by day publication
Be part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s specialists
This is among the finest presents we have seen on this card, so in the event you’re available in the market for a no-annual-fee Bonvoy card, we advocate making use of now.
Alternatively, new Hilton Honors Amex cardmembers can earn 100,000 bonus factors plus a $100 assertion credit score after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership.
This is among the finest presents for this card, so it is a good time to use in the event you’re enthusiastic about doing so.
In accordance with TPG’s June 2025 valuations, the Hilton Honors Amex’s welcome bonus is price $600. That is a bit lower than the Daring’s present welcome supply.
Winner: Bonvoy Daring. Its extra beneficial welcome bonus makes this card the clear winner.
Associated: This month’s finest welcome presents
Marriott Bonvoy Daring vs. Hilton Honors Amex advantages
Each playing cards present entry-level elite standing, which is beneficial when seeking to begin a dedication with a resort loyalty program. The Marriott Bonvoy Daring offers automated Silver Elite standing, which incorporates fundamental perks like a ten% bonus on factors earned for Marriott stays, precedence late checkout (when obtainable) and complimentary Wi-Fi.
The Hilton Honors Amex’s complimentary Silver standing additionally contains comparable entry-level perks, together with a 20% level bonus and elite rollover nights. These are helpful when making an attempt to maximise Hilton’s fifth evening free on award stays.
Fortunately, each playing cards additionally supply a pathway to increased elite standing. The Bonvoy Daring provides you 5 elite evening credit yearly that can assist you earn the next standing. The elite evening credit earned from this card might be stacked with elite evening credit earned from the Marriott Bonvoy Enterprise® American Categorical® Card to convey you nearer to increased elite standing with Marriott.
The Hilton Amex grants cardmembers automated Gold standing via the top of the subsequent calendar yr after they spend $20,000 on the cardboard in a calendar yr.
For anybody who plans to make use of both card continuously, this could be a nice choice to unlock an elite tier that is rather more rewarding. Nevertheless, you could be sacrificing worth by not making these purchases with a card that is good for on a regular basis spending.
Equally, each playing cards don’t have any international transaction charges, so you should utilize both card when touring exterior the U.S. with out incurring charges. Each playing cards additionally include an honest record of journey and buy protections, with the Marriott Bonvoy Daring taking the lead.
The Daring comes with baggage delay insurance coverage, misplaced baggage reimbursement and journey delay reimbursement protection, together with buy safety. These are spectacular advantages in comparison with the Hilton Honors Amex, which solely offers buy safety*, prolonged warranties* and automobile rental insurance coverage.**
That is very true when contemplating that no-annual-fee playing cards usually do not include intensive journey protections.
*Eligibility and profit ranges fluctuate by card. Phrases, circumstances and limitations apply. Go to americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for particulars. Insurance policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Firm.
**Eligibility and Profit stage varies by Card. Phrases, Circumstances and Limitations Apply. Please go to americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for extra particulars. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Firm. Automotive Rental Loss or Harm Protection is obtainable via American Categorical Journey Associated Providers Firm, Inc.
Winner: Marriott Bonvoy Daring. It has extra journey protections and a neater path to increased elite standing and not using a minimal spending requirement.
Incomes factors with the Marriott Bonvoy Daring vs. Hilton Honors Amex
The Marriott Bonvoy Daring earns factors on the following charges:
- 3 factors per greenback spent on eligible purchases at properties collaborating within the Marriott Bonvoy program
- 2 factors per greenback spent on groceries; ride-hailing providers; choose meals supply providers; and choose streaming, web, cable and telephone providers
- 1 level per greenback spent on different purchases
It is essential to keep in mind that though this card earns 3 factors per greenback spent on Marriott purchases, being a Marriott Bonvoy member provides you a bonus 11 factors per greenback spent on Marriott purchases, due to Silver Elite standing.
This brings the incomes potential for Marriott purchases as much as 14 factors per greenback spent when utilizing the Bonvoy Daring, a 9.8% return on spending based on TPG’s June 2025 valuations.
In the meantime, the Hilton Honors Amex earns 7 factors per greenback spent on eligible purchases made immediately with Hilton portfolio properties. This contains paying for the room and on-site spending at US eating places and spas.
Just like the Bonvoy Daring, the Hilton Honors Amex earns extra than simply the bottom factors with Hilton purchases. Due to their complimentary Hilton Honors Silver standing, cardmembers additionally earn a further 12 factors per greenback spent, for a complete of 19 factors per greenback spent (a 9.5% return on spending, based on TPG’s June 2025 valuations).
The Hilton Honors beats the Marriott Bonvoy Daring on non-hotel spending as you earn 5 factors per greenback spent at U.S. eating places (together with takeout and supply), U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gasoline stations and three factors per greenback spent in all places else.
Regardless of Hilton Honors factors being valued barely lower than Bonvoy factors, the cardboard presents extra alternatives to earn factors. Nevertheless, we do not advocate utilizing a resort bank card for nonbonus spending until you are making an attempt to earn elite standing or a welcome bonus.
Winner: Hilton Honors Amex. It comes with higher incomes charges in well-liked spending classes.
Associated: One of the best no-annual-fee resort bank cards
Redeeming factors with the Marriott Bonvoy Daring vs. Hilton Honors Amex
Marriott has a dynamic pricing mannequin for its redemptions, which suggests charges fluctuate primarily based on numerous components, together with money charges. To stretch your factors additional, you may maximize the Marriott Money + Factors charge, which lets you cut up the fee between factors and money. Should you’re brief on factors, this might help you cowl your complete keep.
Better of all, Marriott additionally offers a free evening profit on award bookings. When redeeming factors for a keep of 5 consecutive nights, you will be eligible for the “Keep for five, Pay for 4” profit, which supplies members the lowest-cost award evening without cost.
TPG bank cards author Chris Nelson not too long ago redeemed 47,000 Bonvoy factors per evening for a three-night keep on the JW Marriott Resort Beijing.
Hilton Honors redemptions are fairly much like Marriott Bonvoy’s, since award nights are additionally dynamically priced.
The Hilton Honors program additionally offers a fifth free evening on award stays as an elite member, so it is best to analysis totally different dates on your property of curiosity to get the very best worth on your hard-earned factors. Not like Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors has a nifty software, Factors Explorer, that can assist you discover award costs primarily based on location or sorts of holidays you are focused on.
TPG bank cards author Augusta Stone not too long ago redeemed 130,000 Hilton Honors factors for a two-night keep at Cover by Hilton London Metropolis. It is a nice redemption because the property is inside strolling distance of the Tower Bridge.
As a rule of thumb, be sure to calculate what number of factors you will want for a keep to assist decide if redeeming factors is price it versus paying money. I’ve amassed practically 800,000 Bonvoy factors and am considering redeeming them for a keep within the normally costly Maldives or transferring my factors to an airline to redeem for premium-cabin airfare.
Associated: The bank cards that assist gasoline my luxurious journey
Winner: Marriott Bonvoy Daring. Marriott has extra properties in whole, so it must be simpler to search out redemptions on your factors.
Ought to I get the Marriott Bonvoy Daring or Hilton Honors Amex?
Associated: How to decide on a resort bank card
Backside line
Frequent vacationers may discover it worthwhile to use for a cobranded card with the next annual charge to entry many extra advantages.
As a frequent traveler, I don’t have a cobranded resort card. Nevertheless, I do have The Platinum Card® from American Categorical, which offers me with Gold elite standing with each Marriott and Hilton and makes the cardboard price it (enrollment required). This might be a card price contemplating in order for you elite standing with each manufacturers and premium journey perks.
That stated, in the event you’re simply beginning out, these playing cards are a sensible choice to begin your loyalty journey with both program.
To be taught extra, learn our full critiques of the Marriott Bonvoy Daring and the Hilton Honors Amex.
Apply right here: Marriott Bonvoy Daring
Apply right here: Hilton Honors Amex
For charges and costs of the Hilton Honors Amex, please click on right here.
