Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card vs Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card
Annual fees: Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card $550/yr, Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card $0/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card on car rentals, Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card on grocery stores.
Card data as of October 12, 2026.
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire CardAmerican Express · $550/yr
Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit CardChase · No annual fee
Overview
- Annual fee
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card$550Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card$0Lowest
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card200,000 pointsMarriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card45,000 points
- Rewards
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire CardHilton HonorsMarriott Bonvoy Bold Credit CardMarriott Bonvoy
- Foreign transaction fee
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire CardNoneMarriott Bonvoy Bold Credit CardNone
- Network
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire CardAmerican ExpressMarriott Bonvoy Bold Credit CardVisa Signature
Earn ratesPer $1 spent
- Car Rentals
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card7xHighestMarriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card1x
- Dining
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card7xHighestMarriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card1x
- Flights
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card7xHighestMarriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card1x
- Cable TV
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card3xHighestMarriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card2x
- Food Delivery
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card3xHighestMarriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card2x
- Grocery Stores
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card3xHighestMarriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card2x
- Ridesharing
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card3xHighestMarriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card2x
- Streaming
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card3xHighestMarriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card2x
- Telecom
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card3xHighestMarriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card2x
- Everything else
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card3xHighestMarriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card1x
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
- Travel
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
- $400 Hilton resort credit
- $219 CLEAR Plus credit
- $200 flight credit
- $100 Waldorf/Conrad credit · $100 per stay
Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card— - Dining & delivery
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card—Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card
- DoorDash DashPass
Perks & access— means none on record
- Hotel status & programs
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
- Hilton Diamond status included with your card
- Free Night Reward each year with card renewal
- Earn an extra Free Night after $30,000 in annual spend
- Earn a second Free Night after $60,000 in annual spend
Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card- Automatic Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite Status
- 5 Elite Night Credits annually
- Car rental
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
- National Emerald Club Executive car rental status
Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card— - Other perks
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
- Amex Offers
- 24/7 premium travel assistance with medical transport
- Early access to concerts and events
- 24/7 global travel assistance
- Concierge
- Premium Global Assist Hotline for 24/7 travel help
Show 2 more
- Global Dining Access by Resy
- No foreign transaction fees on international purchases
Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card- 24/7 Visa Signature Concierge service
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
- Trip insurance
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
- $10,000 trip cancellation/interruption insurance
- $500 trip delay insurance for 6+ hour delays
Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card- $500 trip delay reimbursement
- Baggage
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
- $3,000 baggage insurance per trip
Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card- Up to $3,000 lost luggage coverage per trip
- Up to $100 a day for baggage delays over 6 hours · up to $500
- Rental car
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
- Car rental insurance (secondary coverage)
Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card- Auto rental coverage up to $60,000
- Purchase & returns
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
- Up to $10,000 per item against damage or theft
- Up to $300 per item if merchant won't accept return
Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card- Purchase protection for new items · up to $500
- Extended warranty
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
- Extended warranty adds up to 1 year
Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card- Extended warranty protection for eligible purchases · up to $1
- Cell phone
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
- $800 cell phone protection with $50 deductible
Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card— - Other protections
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
- Zero liability protection on fraudulent charges
Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card- 24/7 worldwide travel and emergency assistance
- 24/7 roadside dispatch assistance (pay-per-use)
Pros & cons
- Pros
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
- Automatic Hilton Diamond status - highest published tier with room upgrades and executive lounge access
- $400 Hilton resort credit ($200 semi-annually) covers significant portion of annual fee
- $200 airline fee credit ($50 quarterly) for incidentals
- $219 CLEAR Plus credit for expedited airport security
- Up to 3 free night awards annually (anniversary + $30K and $60K spend milestones)
Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card- No annual fee makes it risk-free to hold long-term
- Automatic Silver Elite status with 10% bonus on stays and priority late checkout
- 5 Elite Night Credits annually toward status qualification
- No foreign transaction fees
- 2x earning on everyday categories (groceries, streaming, rideshare, food delivery)
- Cons
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
- $550 annual fee is substantial even with credits
- Resort credit only valid at Hilton resort properties, not standard hotels
- Hilton points valued lower than Hyatt at ~0.5 cents per point
- Diamond Reserve tier introduced in 2026 means Diamond is no longer the absolute top
- The 200K-point welcome offer is limited-time (ends 1/13/2027)
Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card- Only Silver Elite status (Gold and Platinum provide much better benefits)
- Low 1x earning on non-bonus purchases
- Only 5 Elite Night Credits vs 15-25 on premium cards
- No free night award benefit
- No lounge access or premium travel perks
Category-by-Category Winner
The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card wins in 10 of 10 categories. The Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card leads in 0.
Car Rentals
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card earns 7X vs 1X
Flights
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card earns 7X vs 1X
Dining
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card earns 7X vs 1X
Grocery Stores
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card earns 3X vs 2X
Streaming
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card earns 3X vs 2X
Telecom
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card earns 3X vs 2X
Cable TV
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card earns 3X vs 2X
Ridesharing
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card earns 3X vs 2X
Food Delivery
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card earns 3X vs 2X
Everyday purchases
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card earns 3X on all other spending vs 1X
Year One vs Ongoing Value
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 Aspire Card | Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $173 Credits (our usable estimate): $545 − Annual fee ($550) Ongoing: $168 Year one: $968 | Rewards: $97 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $97 Year one: $412 | Close — depends on how much of the credits you use | Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $691 Credits (our usable estimate): $545 − Annual fee ($550) Ongoing: $686 Year one: $1,486 | Rewards: $386 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $386 Year one: $701 | Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card | Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card |
Is the Fee Difference Worth It?
The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card costs $550/yr — that's $550 more than the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card (no annual fee). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $550 in annual value from the card's higher earn rates and benefits.
The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card includes travel credits, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit, complimentary hotel status. Those perks are not included in the earn-rate scenario table above — compare their dollar value to the $550 fee gap for your own usage.
Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $550 fee gap means the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card needs roughly $550 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on car rentals and flights and everyday spend.
What You Give Up
Choosing one card means missing out on these benefits from the other.
Choosing Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card means losing:
- -Global Entry credit
Which Card Is Right for You?
Get the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card if you:
- +Spend $300+/month on restaurants and dining out
- +Prefer a high flat rate across all spending
Get the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card if you:
- +Do most of your spending at grocery stores
The Bottom Line
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 Aspire Card vs 1X on the other card.
Published annual fees: Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card $550/yr, Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card $0/yr — a $550 difference before welcome offers and credits.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card worth the higher annual fee?
- The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card costs $550/yr vs $0/yr for the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $550 gap must be offset by higher earn rates, welcome offers, or credits you will use (the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card also lists travel credits).
- Which card earns more rewards, the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card or Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card?
- The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has a higher base earn rate (3X vs 1X), but both cards have different bonus categories where they excel.
- What benefits does the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card have that the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card doesn't?
- The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card offers travel credits, cell phone protection. The Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card focuses more on earn rates than premium perks.
- Should I get the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card or the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card?
- Use the spend scenarios on this page: the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card has a lower $0/yr fee; the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $550/yr.
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Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; catalog last published October 12, 2026, and each card page shows when its terms were last checked. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.