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American Express Hilton Honors Aspire Card vs Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card

Both are American Express cards. Here is every spend category, ranked by what each card actually returns.

Best card by category Card terms as of Oct 29

Everything else

  1. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card 1.5% 2x base rate
  2. Hilton Honors Aspire Card 1.2% 3x base rate

Dining

  1. Hilton Honors Aspire Card 2.8% 7x
  2. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card 2.3% 3x

Flights

  1. Hilton Honors Aspire Card 2.8% 7x
  2. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card 2.3% 3x

Hotels

  1. Hilton Honors Aspire Card 5.6% 14x
  2. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card 4.5% 6x

Car rental

  1. Hilton Honors Aspire Card 2.8% 7x
  2. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card 1.5% 2x base rate

What the numbers are doing

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card tops everything else at 1.5% only because this table values its points at 0.75 cents each. Value them at one cent and Hilton Honors Aspire Card wins that category instead.

The table is earn rate only — annual fees are not netted out of it. These cards charge Hilton Honors Aspire Card $550 and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card $650 a year, so a thin lead in one category may not cover the difference.

Where they differ: Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card takes everything else; Hilton Honors Aspire Card takes dining, flights, hotels and car rental.

pointslipEveryday
Pass content preview
CategoryBest card
Everything elseMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card1.5%
DiningHilton Honors Aspire Card2.8%
FlightsHilton Honors Aspire Card2.8%
HotelsHilton Honors Aspire Card5.6%
Car rentalHilton Honors Aspire Card2.8%

Content preview. Apple Wallet controls the layout; visible categories vary by device. Categories that rank the same as Everything else are left off; every other category is in pass details.

Every category, every card

Everything else

  1. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card — 1.5%
  2. Hilton Honors Aspire Card — 1.2%

Dining

  1. Hilton Honors Aspire Card — 2.8%
  2. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card — 2.3%

Flights

  1. Hilton Honors Aspire Card — 2.8%
  2. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card — 2.3%

Hotels

  1. Hilton Honors Aspire Card — 5.6%
  2. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card — 4.5%

Car rental

  1. Hilton Honors Aspire Card — 2.8%
  2. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card — 1.5%
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