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 Surpass Card $150/yr, Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card $0/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card on gas stations, Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card on grocery stores.
Card data as of September 27, 2026.
Annual Fee
Welcome Bonus
| Category | Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card | Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| Dining | 6X | 1X |
| Gas Stations |
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card wins in 10 of 10 categories. The Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card leads in 0.
Gas Stations
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 6X vs 1X
Dining
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 6X vs 1X
Grocery Stores
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 6X vs 2X
Online Shopping
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 4X vs 1X
Streaming
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 3X vs 2X
Telecom
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 3X vs 2X
Cable Tv
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 3X vs 2X
Ridesharing
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 3X vs 2X
Food Delivery
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 Surpass Card vs 1X on the other card.
Published annual fees: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card $150/yr, Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card $0/yr — a $150 difference before welcome offers and credits.
| 6X |
| 1X |
| Grocery Stores | 6X | 2X |
| Online Shopping | 4X | 1X |
| Cable Tv | 3X | 2X |
| Food Delivery | 3X | 2X |
| Ridesharing | 3X | 2X |
| Streaming | 3X | 2X |
| Telecom | 3X | 2X |
| Everything Else | 3X | 1X |
Network
Key Benefits
Pros
Cons
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 3X vs 2X
Everyday purchases
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 3X on all other spending vs 1X
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 Surpass Card | Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $202 Credits (our usable estimate): $120 − Annual fee ($150) Ongoing: $172 Year one: $692 | Rewards: $97 Credits (our usable estimate): $23 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $120 Year one: $435 | Close — depends on how much of the credits you use | Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $806 Credits (our usable estimate): $120 − Annual fee ($150) Ongoing: $776 Year one: $1,296 | Rewards: $386 Credits (our usable estimate): $23 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $409 Year one: $724 | Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card | Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card |
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card costs $150/yr — that's $150 more than the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card (no annual fee). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $150 in annual value from the card's higher earn rates and benefits.
Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $150 fee gap means the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card needs roughly $150 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on gas stations and dining and everyday spend.
Get the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass 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.
