In case you keep at a resort even semi-frequently, a cobranded resort card could be a nice choice. These resort playing cards have annual charges that vary from zero to a number of hundred {dollars}. Though playing cards with annual charges are inclined to have higher incomes charges, no-annual-fee choices nonetheless present worth.
Two huge resort chains, Marriott and Hilton, every provide a compelling no-annual-fee card price contemplating: the Marriott Bonvoy Daring® Credit score Card (see charges and costs) and the Hilton Honors American Specific Card (see charges and costs).
Each playing cards get you entry-level elite standing and have comparable bonus classes that will help you earn factors with each buy.
Let’s evaluate the Marriott Bonvoy Daring to the Hilton Honors Amex and decide which one is greatest suited to your wants.
Marriott Bonvoy Daring vs. Hilton Honors Amex comparability
| Card | Marriott Bonvoy Daring | Hilton Honors Amex |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome provide | Earn 30,000 bonus factors after spending $1,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. | Earn 100,000 bonus factors after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. |
| Annual charge | $0 | $0 |
| Incomes charges |
|
|
| Per-point worth (based mostly on TPG’s November 2025 valuations) | 0.7 | 0.5 |
| Advantages |
|
|
*Eligibility and profit ranges range by card. Phrases, situations and limitations apply. Go to americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for particulars. Insurance policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Firm.
**Eligibility and Profit degree varies by Card. Phrases, Circumstances and Limitations Apply. Please go to americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for extra particulars. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Firm. Automobile Rental Loss or Injury Protection is obtainable by American Specific Journey Associated Companies Firm, Inc.
Marriott Bonvoy Daring vs. Hilton Honors Amex welcome provide
New Marriott Bonvoy Daring cardholders can earn 30,000 bonus factors after spending $1,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
The Daring’s welcome bonus is price $210, per TPG’s November 2025 valuations.
However, new Hilton Honors Amex cardmembers can earn 100,000 bonus factors after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership.
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Based on TPG’s November 2025 valuations, the Hilton Honors Amex’s welcome bonus is price $500.
Winner: Tie. It is dependent upon your choice for Marriott or Hilton properties, though Hilton’s bonus is price barely extra.
Associated: This month’s greatest welcome provides
Marriott Bonvoy Daring vs. Hilton Honors Amex advantages
Each playing cards present entry-level elite standing, which is useful when getting began with a loyalty program. The Marriott Bonvoy Daring supplies computerized Silver Elite standing, which incorporates fundamental perks like a ten% bonus on factors earned for Marriott stays, precedence late checkout (when out there) 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 night time free on award stays.
Fortunately, each playing cards additionally provide a pathway to greater elite standing. The Bonvoy Daring provides you 5 elite night time credit yearly that will help you earn a better standing. The elite night time credit earned from this card will be stacked with elite night time credit earned from the Marriott Bonvoy Enterprise® American Specific® Card to carry you nearer to greater elite standing with Marriott.
The Hilton Amex grants cardmembers computerized Gold standing by the tip of the following calendar 12 months after they spend $20,000 on the cardboard in a calendar 12 months.
For anybody who plans to make use of both card incessantly, this could be a nice choice to unlock an elite tier that is way more rewarding. Nonetheless, you is perhaps 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 need to use both card when touring exterior the U.S. with out incurring charges. Each playing cards additionally include a good checklist 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 supplies buy safety*, prolonged warranties* and automobile rental insurance coverage.**
That is very true when contemplating that no-annual-fee playing cards sometimes do not include in depth journey protections.
*Eligibility and profit ranges range by card. Phrases, situations and limitations apply. Go to americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for particulars. Insurance policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Firm.
**Eligibility and Profit degree varies by Card. Phrases, Circumstances and Limitations Apply. Please go to americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for extra particulars. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Firm. Automobile Rental Loss or Injury Protection is obtainable by American Specific Journey Associated Companies Firm, Inc.
Winner: Marriott Bonvoy Daring. It has extra journey protections and a neater path to greater elite standing and not using a minimal spending requirement.
Incomes factors with the Marriott Bonvoy Daring vs. Hilton Honors Amex
With the Marriott Bonvoy Daring and being an Elite member, you possibly can earn extra factors on Marriott stays. This will increase the incomes potential for Marriott purchases to 14 factors per greenback spent when utilizing the Bonvoy Daring.
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 U.S. eating places and spas.
Just like the Bonvoy Daring, the Hilton Honors Amex earns extra than simply the bottom factors with Hilton purchases. Because of their complimentary Hilton Honors Silver standing, cardmembers additionally earn an extra 12 factors per greenback spent, for a complete of 19 factors per greenback spent (a 9.5% return on spending, in accordance with November 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. fuel stations and three factors per greenback spent all over the place else.
Regardless of Hilton Honors factors being valued barely lower than Bonvoy factors, the cardboard provides extra alternatives to earn factors. Nonetheless, we do not suggest 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 in style spending classes.
Associated: One of the best no-annual-fee resort bank cards
Redeeming factors with the Marriott Bonvoy Daring vs. Hilton Honors Amex
As a Marriott Bonvoy Daring cardholder, you possibly can, after all, redeem factors for Marriott stays. Or, you possibly can switch them to an extended checklist of airline companions. Nonetheless, utilizing your factors without spending a dime nights at Marriott motels sometimes provides the most effective worth.
Marriott has a dynamic pricing mannequin for its redemptions, which implies charges fluctuate based mostly on numerous elements, together with money charges. To stretch your factors additional, you possibly can maximize the Marriott Money + Factors fee, which lets you break up the associated fee between factors and money. In case you’re brief on factors, this might help you cowl your total keep.
Better of all, Marriott additionally supplies a free night time profit on award bookings. When redeeming factors for a keep of 5 consecutive nights, you may be eligible for the “Keep for five, Pay for 4” profit, which provides members the lowest-cost award night time without spending a dime.
TPG bank cards author Chris Nelson lately obtained nice worth redeeming 136,000 Bonvoy factors for a seven-night keep on the AC Resort Cape City Waterfront and used the fifth-night-free perk to get one night time free, which might have price over $2,000 for the overall keep.
Hilton Honors redemptions are fairly just like Marriott Bonvoy’s, since award nights are additionally dynamically priced.
The Hilton Honors program additionally provides a fifth free night time on award stays to elite members, so it is best to analysis totally different dates to your most well-liked property to maximise the worth of your hard-earned factors. Not like Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors has a nifty software, Factors Explorer, that will help you discover award costs based mostly on location or kinds of holidays you are taken with.
TPG bank cards author Augusta Stone lately 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, make sure that to calculate what number of factors you may 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 tremendous dear 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 seek out redemptions to your factors.
Ought to I get the Marriott Bonvoy Daring or Hilton Honors Amex?
The Marriott Bonvoy Daring and Hilton Honors Amex are entry-level cobranded resort playing cards that provide respectable worth for being no-annual-fee bank cards. In case you’re not after top-tier elite standing and are in search of simply the fundamentals or are simply beginning out with a resort bank card, you possibly can’t go fallacious with both choice. The selection comes right down to which model you like and whether or not both card’s restricted perks can be of use to you.
Associated: How to decide on a resort bank card
Backside line
The Marriott Bonvoy Daring Credit score Card and Hilton Honors American Specific Card can jump-start you on a path to greater elite standing. And it is good that each playing cards provide some journey protections.
Frequent vacationers could discover it worthwhile to think about including a cobranded card with a better annual charge to their pockets for entry to extra advantages.
As a frequent traveler, I don’t have a cobranded resort card. Nonetheless, I do have the American Specific Platinum Card®, which supplies me with Gold elite standing with each Marriott and Hilton and makes the cardboard price it (enrollment required). This could possibly be a card price contemplating if you need elite standing with each manufacturers and premium journey perks. Nonetheless, these playing cards are a stable selection to start out your loyalty journey with both program.
To be taught extra, learn our full evaluations 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.
