Hilton Honors American Express Card 2024 review: Elite status and no annual fee
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BLUEPRINT
Updated 2:19 p.m. UTC March 7, 2024
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The Hilton Honors American Express Card (terms apply, rates & fees) offers plenty of perks for Hilton regulars like high rewards within the brand, plus elevated earnings on dining at U.S. restaurants, groceries at U.S. supermarkets and at U.S. gas stations and Silver elite status, too.
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Hilton Honors American Express Card
Hilton Honors American Express Card basics
- Annual fee: $0.
- Welcome bonus: 70,000 Hilton Honors points plus a Free Night Reward after spending $2,000 in purchases in the first six months of card membership. Offer ends 7/31/2024.
- Rewards: 7 Hilton Honors points per $1 on eligible purchases charged directly with hotels or resorts in the Hilton Portfolio, 5 points per $1 on eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations and 3 points $1 on all other eligible purchases.
- Other perks and benefits: Complimentary Hilton Honors™ Silver status, secondary car rental loss and damage insurance¹, extended warranty², and purchase protection³.
- Does the issuer offer a preapproval tool? Yes.
- Recommended credit score: Good, Excellent.
About the Hilton Honors American Express Card
The Hilton Honors American Express Card offers some decent perks for those who enjoy staying at Hilton properties. With no annual fee, cardholders get automatic Hilton Honors Silver status and a solid welcome bonus of 70,000 Hilton Honors points plus a Free Night Reward after spending $2,000 in purchases in the first six months of card membership. Offer ends 7/31/2024.
Silver status offers perks including an additional 20% on base Hilton Honors points you earn during your stay at a qualifying Hilton property and a fifth night free on rewards booking of five nights or more. Plus, you can earn your way to Gold status once you spend at least $20,000 on eligible purchases within a calendar year.
Aside from earning points for eligible Hilton Honors stays, this card may be appealing to those for whom dining out or grocery shopping at U.S. supermarkets make up a big part of the monthly budget. That’s because you can earn 7 Hilton Honors points per $1 on eligible purchases charged directly with hotels or resorts in the Hilton Portfolio, 5 points per $1 on eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations and 3 points $1 on all other eligible purchases. There are no spending limits like other credit cards may have, making it a great choice if you spend a good amount in these categories.
International travelers can also make use of this card since it doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees. Other travel perks include secondary car rental loss and damage insurance¹ and access to the Global Assist® Hotline⁴ (when more than 100 miles from home) if you need assistance during your trip.
Those looking for more luxury benefits or who are particularly loyal to the Hilton brand may find some shortcomings with this card. For instance, you won’t get airport lounge access, nor credits towards travel expenses like TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. Frequent visitors to Hilton properties may want a card that grants higher status — like the $150-a-year Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (terms apply, rates & fees), which automatically upgrades you to Hilton Honors™ Gold status.
Still, if you want to earn points you can redeem for the occasional free stay and aren’t interested in paying an annual fee, the Hilton Honors American Express Card is worth a look.
Pros
- No annual fee: You can earn rewards redeemable for Hilton hotel stays and take advantage of other benefits without having to pay an annual fee, unlike some other rewards cards.
- Automatic Silver status: Cardholders will receive benefits such as the fifth night free on award stays and a 20% earnings bonus on base points earned with qualifying Hilton Honors stays.
- High welcome bonus: 70,000 Hilton Honors points plus a Free Night Reward after spending $2,000 in purchases in the first six months of card membership. Offer ends 7/31/2024.
Cons
- No elite hotel perks: The card only provides Silver status by default, which gives a points bonus. But you’ll need to earn your way up to Gold status if you want to be eligible for perks such as room upgrades and food and beverage credit for stays in the U.S.
- Lower earnings rates: Compared to other Hilton co-branded cards, cardholders won’t earn as many points for eligible purchases at a participating Hilton property.
- Limited travel protections: Cardholders only get secondary insurance protection, and there are no luxury features such as airport lounge access or eligible upgrades.
Rewards
Cardholders can earn rewards on eligible Hilton stays, everyday spending, and a welcome bonus after meeting purchase criteria. The Hilton Honors Amex earns 7 Hilton Honors points per $1 on eligible purchases charged directly with hotels or resorts in the Hilton Portfolio, 5 points per $1 on eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations and 3 points $1 on all other eligible purchases.
You can also earn 70,000 Hilton Honors points plus a Free Night Reward after spending $2,000 in purchases in the first six months of card membership. Offer ends 7/31/2024.
Using government data and other publicly available information, we estimate that a household in the U.S. that would be in the market for this card has around $25,087 in annual expenses that can be charged to a credit card. Here’s how our sample household’s rewards could break down:
| SPENDING CATEGORY | SPENDING AMOUNT | POINTS PER DOLLAR | POINTS EARNED |
|---|---|---|---|
Hilton stays
| $868
| 7 points
| 6,076 points
|
U.S. supermarkets
| $4,942
| 5 points
| 24,710 points
|
U.S. restaurants
| $3,526
| 5 points
| 17,630 points
|
U.S. gas stations
| $3,009
| 5 points
| 15,045 points
|
Other
| $12,742
| 3 points
| 38,226 points
|
TOTAL
| $25,087
| 101,687 points
|
In the above example, the cardholder earns a total of 101,687 points per year. We estimate the value of a Hilton point to be 0.05 cents, but it’s possible to get more value when redeeming them to book Hilton stays, especially at peak travel times when cash prices run high.
You’ll get even greater value from your points if you take advantage of the fifth night free perk when booking reward stays of five nights or more. Rooms can start as low as 5,000 points at budget properties for one night or up to 100,000 points or more per night at luxury resorts.
Perks
The Hilton Honors American Express Card offers several benefits that improve your stay at Hilton properties and qualifying purchases, including automatic Silver status, travel insurance, and purchase protection³.
- Automatic Hilton Honors Silver status: Cardholders can earn a 20% bonus on base points at eligible Hilton stays. You will also get a fifth night free if you book at least five nights using points.
- Purchase protection³: Any eligible purchases are covered against theft or accidental damage for up to 90 days.
- Extended warranty²: Get up to an additional year of protection on your eligible purchase when the original manufacturer’s warranty is five years or less.
- Car rental loss and damage insurance¹: If you rent a car, you will receive secondary coverage against damage or theft (secondary coverage means it kicks in after your own personal insurance).
- Global Assist Hotline⁴: Get 24/7 access to a hotline you can call to coordinate emergency legal or medical assistance when traveling more than 100 miles from home. Note, you’ll be responsible for any costs charged by third-party service providers.
How the Hilton Honors American Express Card compares to other rewards cards
Although the Hilton Honors American Express Cards offers plenty of benefits, there may be other cards that are a better fit for your situation. Here are some cards to consider
Hilton Honors American Express Card vs. Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card charges an annual fee of $150. But that sum could be worth it if you often stay at Hilton properties. Unlike the Hilton Honors American Express Card, you will automatically receive Gold status with the Surpass, which offers benefits such as upgrades, food and beverage credits in the U.S. and free breakfast when staying at overseas locations.
Cardholders will also earn richer rewards of 12 Hilton Honors bonus points per $1 on eligible purchases at participating hotels or resorts within the Hilton portfolio, 4 points per $1 on eligible U.S. online retail purchases, 6 points per $1 on eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations and 3 points per $1 for other eligible purchases. Plus, you have the ability to earn a Free Night Reward from Hilton Honors after spending $15,000 on the card in a calendar year. Enrollment is required for select benefits.
Hilton Honors American Express Card vs. Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card * The information for the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
If you’re considering a hotel card but want access to a wider range of properties than what Hilton offers, consider the Marriott Bonvoy Bold credit card. Marriott is the largest hotel chain in the world, so you’re likely to find accommodations wherever your travels might take you.
The Marriott Bonvoy Bold card, like the Hilton Honors Amex, has an annual fee of $0 and earns elevated rewards on spending within the brand. However, the Marriott Bonvoy Bold doesn’t have much rewards power with other spending categories, earning 3 points per $1 on purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy program, 2 points per $1 on other travel purchases (from airfare to taxis and trains) and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.
There’s an attractive welcome bonus for new Marriott Bonvoy Bold cardholders: 30,000 points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
Both cards are a good fit for the casual traveler whose habits involve occasional hotel stays, and choosing between one or the other will come down to which hotel chain you prefer.
Hilton Honors American Express Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card earns flexible rewards that you can use to travel without having to pledge loyalty to a particular brand. There’s a welcome offer of 60,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
For ongoing rewards, you’ll earn 5 points per $1 on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3 points per $1 on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 2 points per $1 on all other travel purchases and 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.
And with a $95 annual fee, the Sapphire Preferred offers plenty of benefits for travel — including an up to $50 statement credit each year toward hotel stays booked through Chase, 25% additional value when redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards® points for travel through the issuer’s travel portal, and 1:1 point transfer to multiple hotel and airline partners, including IHG, Marriott and Hyatt.
In short, the Sapphire Preferred is a better choice for anyone willing to pay a moderate annual fee in exchange for robust travel perks and the flexibility of not being tied down to any one hotel or airline brand.
Should you get the Hilton Honors American Express Card?
Those who want a rewards credit card with no annual fee and prefer Hilton properties will find this card likely suits those needs. But more frequent travelers will get more value out of a card like the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card, even with its $150 annual fee.
Finally, those who want to use their rewards to travel any way they’d like will fare better with a more general purpose travel rewards card that allows points to be redeemed for hotel stays, airfare or other options without being locked into a particular brand.
Hilton Honors American Express Card summary
| HILTON HONORS AMERICAN EXPRESS CARD DETAILS | |
|---|---|
Annual fee
| $0
|
Rewards
| 7 Hilton Honors points per $1 on eligible purchases charged directly with hotels or resorts in the Hilton Portfolio, 5 points per $1 on eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations and 3 points $1 on all other eligible purchases
|
Welcome bonus
| Earn 70,000 Hilton Honors points plus a Free Night Reward after spending $2,000 in purchases in the first six months of card membership. Offer ends 7/31/2024
|
APR
| 20.99% to 29.99% variable APR on purchases
|
Foreign transaction fees
| None
|
Other perks and benefits
| Complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status; secondary car rental loss and damage insurance; extended warranty; purchase protection
|
Methodology
Our credit cards team has spent hours analyzing hundreds of travel credit cards. We took a deep dive into the details of each product and that analysis, combined with our years of experience covering credit cards, informed us as we developed these credit card rankings. We factored the following into our analysis:
- Annual fees.
- Travel reward rates.
- Value of rewards.
- Redemption options.
- Additional benefits that a card may offer for travelers, such as travel insurance.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
The credit limit you’ll receive for the Hilton Honors American Express card will depend on several factors, including your credit profile and income. Most rewards cards like the Hilton Honors Amex require good to excellent credit, which FICO typically defines as a credit score of 670 and higher.
Hilton Honors points can be redeemed at varying amounts depending on the Hilton stay you want to book. To determine how much your points could be worth, divide the cash price you would pay for the hotel stay by the amount of points needed. An average redemption value should yield about a half cent per point, although this can vary based on the cash equivalent price of the room.
While you may be able to earn a Free Night Reward as part of the welcome bonus — and you can get your fifth night free through Hilton’s Silver status if you book a stay of five nights or more using rewards — this card does not provide an annual free night like some hotel cards offer.
Hilton Diamond status is the highest membership level for the Hilton Honors program. You can automatically receive this status if you own the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card * The information for the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. (terms apply) or earn it via staying 60 cumulative nights, 30 stays, or earning 120,000 Base Points.
All information about Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by Blueprint.
For rates and fees for the Hilton Honors American Express Card please visit this page.
For rates and fees for the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card please visit this page.
¹Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance can provide coverage up to $50,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
²When an American Express® Card Member charges a Covered Purchase to an Eligible Card, Extended Warranty can provide up to one extra year added to the Original Manufacturer’s Warranty. Applies to warranties of five (5) years or less. Coverage is up to the actual amount charged to your Card for the item up to a maximum of $10,000; not to exceed $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
³When an American Express® Card Member charges a Covered Purchase with their Eligible Card, Purchase Protection can help protect their Covered Purchases for up to 90 days from the Covered Purchase date if it is stolen or accidentally damaged. The coverage is limited up to $1,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
⁴You can rely on Global Assist Hotline 24 hours a day / 7 days a week for medical, legal, financial or other select emergency coordination and assistance services while traveling more than 100 miles away from your home. Third-party service costs may be your responsibility. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.
*The information for the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card and Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
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