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American Express Hilton Honors 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 Card 1.2% 3x base rate

Dining

  1. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card 2.3% 3x
  2. Hilton Honors Card 2.0% 5x

Groceries

  1. Hilton Honors Card 2.0% 5x
  2. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card 1.5% 2x base rate

Gas

  1. Hilton Honors Card 2.0% 5x
  2. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card 1.5% 2x base rate

Flights

  1. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card 2.3% 3x
  2. Hilton Honors Card 1.2% 3x base rate

Hotels

  1. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card 4.5% 6x
  2. Hilton Honors Card 2.8% 7x

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 Card wins that category instead.

The table is earn rate only — annual fees are not netted out of it. These cards charge Hilton Honors Card $0 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, dining, flights and hotels; Hilton Honors Card takes groceries and gas.

pointslipEveryday
Pass content preview
CategoryBest card
Everything elseMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card1.5%
DiningMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card2.3%
GroceriesHilton Honors Card2.0%
GasHilton Honors Card2.0%
FlightsMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card2.3%
HotelsMarriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card4.5%

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 Card — 1.2%

Dining

  1. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card — 2.3%
  2. Hilton Honors Card — 2.0%

Groceries

  1. Hilton Honors Card — 2.0%
  2. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card — 1.5%

Gas

  1. Hilton Honors Card — 2.0%
  2. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card — 1.5%

Flights

  1. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card — 2.3%
  2. Hilton Honors Card — 1.2%

Hotels

  1. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card — 4.5%
  2. Hilton Honors Card — 2.8%
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