Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; data as of September 27, 2026. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.
Annual fees: Hilton Honors American Express Card $0/yr, Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card $95/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Hilton Honors American Express Card on hotels, Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card on dining.
Card data as of September 27, 2026.
Annual Fee
Welcome Bonus
| Category | Hilton Honors American Express Card | Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Hotels | 7X | 2X |
| Dining | 5X |
The Hilton Honors American Express Card wins in 5 of 5 categories. The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card leads in 0.
Hotels
Hilton Honors American Express Card earns 7X vs 2X
Dining
Hilton Honors American Express Card earns 5X vs 3X
Grocery Stores
Hilton Honors American Express Card earns 5X vs 3X
Gas Stations
Hilton Honors American Express Card earns 5X vs 3X
Everyday purchases
Hilton Honors American Express Card earns 3X on all other spending vs 2X
Modeled net value (bonus categories at unconditional rates, caps applied). Spend mix: dining 15%, groceries 15%, gas 10%, travel 10%, everything else 50%. Statement credits use the same recurring usable estimates as each card's detail page; first-year-only credits count in year one only. Welcome offers valued at each card's program rate shown on this page.
Modeled value is close across spend levels — especially once statement credits are counted.
| Scenario | Hilton Honors American Express Card | Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|
Modeled value is close across spend levels — especially once statement credits are counted.
Everyday (non-bonus) spend earns 3X on the Hilton Honors American Express Card vs 2X on the other card.
Published annual fees: Hilton Honors American Express Card $0/yr, Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card $95/yr — a $95 difference before welcome offers and credits.
| 3X |
| Gas Stations | 5X | 3X |
| Grocery Stores | 5X | 3X |
| Everything Else | 3X | 2X |
Network
Key Benefits
Pros
Cons
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $182 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $182 Year one: $502 | Rewards: $168 Credits (our usable estimate): $75 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $148 Year one: $148 | Close — depends on how much of the credits you use | Hilton Honors American Express Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $730 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $730 Year one: $1,050 | Rewards: $672 Credits (our usable estimate): $75 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $652 Year one: $652 | Hilton Honors American Express Card | Hilton Honors American Express Card |
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card costs $95/yr — that's $95 more than the Hilton Honors American Express Card (no annual fee). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $95 in annual value from the card's higher earn rates and benefits.
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card includes travel credits, complimentary hotel status. Those perks are not included in the earn-rate scenario table above — compare their dollar value to the $95 fee gap for your own usage.
Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $95 fee gap means the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card needs roughly $95 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on dining and gas stations and everyday spend.
Get the Hilton Honors American Express Card if you:
Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; data as of September 27, 2026. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.
