American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card vs Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank Credit Card
American Express · HDFC Bank — side-by-side CardCheck comparison
CardCheck Score BattleDeterministic 0–100 Benchmark Rating
100% Unsponsored MITC Data
American ExpressScoreGood
Annual Fee₹4,500
Max Reward7%
HDFC BankScoreVery Good
Annual Fee₹3,000
Max Reward8%
Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank Credit Card leads overall with a CardCheck Score of 79/100 (+18 pts over American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card).
4-Pillar Head-to-Head Breakdown
American vs MarriottReward Power
35%American35/35
Marriott35/35
Tie (35/35)
Fee Value & ROI
25%American14/25
Marriott18/25
Marriott Wins
Lounge & Travel
20%American4/20
Marriott18/20
Marriott Wins
Forex & Access
20%American8/20
Marriott8/20
Tie (8/20)
01—CardCheck Score & Pillars
- CardCheck Score
- 61
- 79Best
- Rating Verdict
- Good
- Very Good
- Reward Power (35%)
- 35/35
- 35/35
- Fee Value & ROI (25%)
- 14/25
- 18/25
- Lounge & Travel (20%)
- 4/20
- 18/20
- Forex & Access (20%)
- 8/20
- 8/20
02—Basic Info
- Bank
- American Express
- HDFC Bank
- Network
- Amex
- Visa
- Card type
- Regular
- Co-branded
- Best for
- Consistent earner — MR Points on every ₹50 + bonus 1,000 MR for 4 monthly spends
- Marriott hotel loyalists — earn Bonvoy points + complimentary night
03—Fees
- Joining fee
- ₹1,000Best
- ₹3,000
- Annual fee
- ₹4,500
- ₹3,000Best
- Fee waiver
- ₹90,000
- —
- Interest-free days
- 48
- —
04—Interest
- APR (min)
- 42%
- 42%
- APR (max)
- 47.88%
- 42%Best
- Cash advance fee
- 3.5%
- 2.5%Best
05—Rewards
- Reward type
- points
- points
- Min rate
- 1%
- 1%
- Max rate
- 7%
- 8%Best
- Points / ₹100
- 2Best
- 1.33
- Point value
- ₹0.5
- ₹0.75
06—Travel & Lounge
- Domestic lounge / qtr
- —
- 3
- Lounge spend criteria
- —
- No spend condition
- Intl lounge / year
- —
- 12
- Priority Pass
- DreamFolks
07—Forex & Fuel
- Forex markup
- 3.5%
- 3.5%
- Fuel surcharge waiver
08—Features
- Metal card
- Contactless
- UPI linked
09—Eligibility
- Min income / month
- ₹37,500
- ₹1,00,000
- Invite only
Rows won
02of 07
05of 07
| Attribute ↓ | ||
|---|---|---|
01—CardCheck Score & Pillars Differences highlighted | ||
| CardCheck Score | 61 | 79Best |
| Rating Verdict | Good | Very Good |
| Reward Power (35%) | 35/35 | 35/35 |
| Fee Value & ROI (25%) | 14/25 | 18/25 |
| Lounge & Travel (20%) | 4/20 | 18/20 |
| Forex & Access (20%) | 8/20 | 8/20 |
02—Basic Info Differences highlighted | ||
| Bank | American Express | HDFC Bank |
| Network | Amex | Visa |
| Card type | Regular | Co-branded |
| Best for | Consistent earner — MR Points on every ₹50 + bonus 1,000 MR for 4 monthly spends | Marriott hotel loyalists — earn Bonvoy points + complimentary night |
03—Fees Differences highlighted | ||
| Joining fee | ₹1,000Best | ₹3,000 |
| Annual fee | ₹4,500 | ₹3,000Best |
| Fee waiver | ₹90,000 | — |
| Interest-free days | 48 | — |
04—Interest Differences highlighted | ||
| APR (min) | 42% | 42% |
| APR (max) | 47.88% | 42%Best |
| Cash advance fee | 3.5% | 2.5%Best |
05—Rewards Differences highlighted | ||
| Reward type | points | points |
| Min rate | 1% | 1% |
| Max rate | 7% | 8%Best |
| Points / ₹100 | 2Best | 1.33 |
| Point value | ₹0.5 | ₹0.75 |
06—Travel & Lounge Differences highlighted | ||
| Domestic lounge / qtr | — | 3 |
| Lounge spend criteria | — | No spend condition |
| Intl lounge / year | — | 12 |
| Priority Pass | ||
| DreamFolks | ||
07—Forex & Fuel Differences highlighted | ||
| Forex markup | 3.5% | 3.5% |
| Fuel surcharge waiver | ||
08—Features Differences highlighted | ||
| Metal card | ||
| Contactless | ||
| UPI linked | ||
09—Eligibility Differences highlighted | ||
| Min income / month | ₹37,500 | ₹1,00,000 |
| Invite only | ||
| Rows won | 02of 07 | 05of 07 |
Quick Verdict & Key Differences
Verified MITC Data
| Key Specification | American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card | Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank Credit Card |
|---|---|---|
| CardCheck Score | 61/100Good | 79/100Very Good |
| Annual Fee | ₹4,500 | ₹3,000 |
| Fee Waiver Spend | ₹90,000/yr | No waiver |
| Max Reward Potential | 7% | 8% |
| Domestic Lounge Access | Check terms | 3 / quarter |
| International Lounge | None | 12 / year |
| Forex Markup Fee | 3.5% | 3.5% |
Choose American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card if:
Your spending centers around consistent earner — mr points on every ₹50 + bonus 1,000 mr for 4 monthly spends and you want direct partner rewards with American Express.
Choose Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank Credit Card if:
Your spending aligns with marriott hotel loyalists — earn bonvoy points + complimentary night and you prioritize HDFC Bank's redemption benefits.
Popular Comparisons for American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card
Direct side-by-side MITC term matchups
Popular Comparisons for Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank Credit Card
Direct side-by-side MITC term matchups
Frequently asked questions: American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card vs Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank Credit Card
- Which is better: American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card or Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank Credit Card?
- Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank Credit Card holds a higher overall rating with a CardCheck Score of 79/100 (Very Good) compared to 61/100 (Good) for American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card (a lead of +18 points). Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank Credit Card gains its scoring lead primarily through lounge & travel privileges (18 vs 4) and fee value & ROI (18 vs 14) while tying on reward potential and forex & terms.
- How do annual fees and fee waiver spend rules compare?
- American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card charges an annual fee of ₹4,500 with an annual spend threshold of ₹90,000 for renewal fee waiver. In comparison, Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank Credit Card charges an annual fee of ₹3,000 with no official annual spend waiver milestone.
- How do the reward rates and cashback compare between American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank Credit Card?
- American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card offers a base reward rate of 1% and up to 7% on accelerated partner categories. Meanwhile, Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank Credit Card offers a base rate of 1% and up to 8% on eligible spends. Compare net returns against your monthly spend in our Rewards Calculator.
- Which card has better airport lounge access: American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card or Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank Credit Card?
- American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card provides no complimentary airport lounge access. On the other hand, Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank Credit Card provides 3 complimentary domestic lounge visits per quarter (12/year) and 12 international lounge visits/year with Priority Pass.
- Which card is better for international foreign currency spends?
- American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card levies a foreign currency markup fee of 3.5%, while Marriott Bonvoy HDFC Bank Credit Card charges 3.5%. Lower forex markup directly reduces costs when transacting overseas or on international e-commerce platforms.
- Is CardCheck's comparison data unbiased and verified against official bank MITC?
- Yes. All credit card fees, interest rates, lounge visit quotas, and reward calculations on CardCheck are 100% unsponsored and verified directly against each bank's official Most Important Terms & Conditions (MITC).