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Whether you're a fan of Hilton Honors or just stay at its properties a few times a year, a Hilton co-branded credit card can unlock valuable perks. But with so many options, choosing a card can feel daunting.
Should you aim for a card with no annual fee to save money? Or should you splurge for extra perks and high-tier elite status?
American Express currently offers four credit cards: three personal cards plus The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card for small business owners. Here's a quick comparison of the three personal cards:
$0Rates & Fees
(Terms apply)
- Earn 7X Points per dollar on eligible purchases charged directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton Honors portfolio of brands
- Earn 5X Points per dollar on eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations
- Earn 3X Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
$0 introductory annual fee, then $150Rates & Fees
(Terms Apply)
- 12X bonus points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio
- 6X bonus points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your card at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations
- 4X bonus points on U.S online retail purchases
- 3X bonus points for all other eligible purchases on your card
$550Rates & Fees
(Terms apply)
- 14X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton Portfolio
- 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com, car rentals booked directly through select rental companies, and at U.S. restaurants
- 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card
Still not sure? Let's take a detailed look at the differences between these cards, so you can decide which one is right for you.
Hilton Amex: Modest Perks With No Annual Fee
The $0 annual fee (Rates & Fees) Hilton Amex is a great starter card for the occasional Hilton visitor. Even though this is Hilton's entry-level card, it still comes with valuable perks like complimentary elite status.
(Terms apply)
- Earn 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points and a $100 Statement Credit after you spend $2,000 on eligible purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 7/29/26.
- No Annual Fee.
- Earn 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio.
- Earn 5X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your Card: at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, at U.S. gas stations.
- Earn 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
- Points don't expire while your Hilton Honors American Express Card is active and in good standing.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- Whenever you travel more than 100 miles from home, Global Assist® Hotline is available for 24/7 emergency assistance and coordination services, including medical and legal referrals, emergency cash wires, and missing luggage assistance. Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers. Other terms and conditions apply.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- Earn 7X Points per dollar on eligible purchases charged directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton Honors portfolio of brands
- Earn 5X Points per dollar on eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations
- Earn 3X Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
Hilton Amex Card feature benefits
- Automatic Hilton Honors™ Silver Status, offering perks like 20% bonus points on stays and access to the fifth night free benefit
- Earn Hilton Honors™ Gold Status by spending $20,000 on eligible purchases with your card in a calendar year
- Access to Amex Offers
- No foreign transaction fees (Rates & Fees)
- Secondary car rental insurance
- Purchase protection
- Extended warranty
- Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
The card does lack the premium perks offered by its more expensive counterparts, and there's no path to earning a Hilton Free Night Reward.
Even though it doesn't charge an annual fee, the Hilton Amex won't leave you empty-handed. It offers extra protections for your purchases, you won't incur foreign transaction fees when you travel, and you'll get the fifth night free when you book stays on points.
Our full Hilton Amex Card review has more details.
Hilton Surpass: Automatic Hilton Gold Status
For a modest $0 introductory annual fee, then $150 annual fee (Rates & Fees), the Hilton Surpass offers what we think is the best mid-tier hotel status. Cardholders get complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status, which offers 80% bonus points on paid stays, elite rollover nights, free breakfast (as a food and beverage credit in the U.S. or free breakfast in other countries), and room upgrades if space is available at check-in.
(Terms Apply)
- Enjoy a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $150 and earn 130,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 7/29/26.
- Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors™ Gold status with your Card. Plus, spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn an upgrade to Hilton Honors Diamond status through the end of the next calendar year.
- Get up to $50 in statement credits each quarter for purchases made directly with a property in the Hilton portfolio on your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card. That's up to $200 in statement credits annually.
- Earn a Free Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
- Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio.
- Earn 6X Points for each dollar of purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations.
- Earn 4X Points for each dollar on U.S. Online Retail Purchases.
- Earn 3X Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
- As a Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card Member, you can enroll to receive complimentary National Car Rental® Emerald Club Executive® status through the link on your American Express online account. After you're enrolled, you can reserve a rental car by calling National Car Rental directly, using your travel service, or by booking online or through the National Car Rental mobile app. Terms apply.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- Whenever you travel more than 100 miles from home, Global Assist® Hotline is available for 24/7 emergency assistance and coordination services, including medical and legal referrals, emergency cash wires, and missing luggage assistance. Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers. Other terms and conditions apply.
- Points don't expire while your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card is active and in good standing.
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- 12X bonus points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio
- 6X bonus points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your card at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations
- 4X bonus points on U.S online retail purchases
- 3X bonus points for all other eligible purchases on your card
Hilton Surpass feature benefits
- Complimentary Hilton Honors™ Gold Status
- Earn Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status when charging $40,000 in eligible purchases on your card in a calendar year
- Earn a Free Night Reward by spending $15,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year
- $50 in statement credits each quarter for purchases made directly with a property in the Hilton portfolio
- Access to Amex Offers
- No foreign transaction fees (Rates & Fees)
- Secondary car rental insurance
- Purchase protection
- Extended warranty
- Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
Complimentary Gold status alone can justify paying $150 year after year. Hilton Gold status is one of the strongest mid-tier hotel statuses available. Plus, you'll have access to the fifth night free on award stays and a path to earning free nights and higher-tier status.
However, the next card in the lineup offers an even stronger set of perks.
See our full Hilton Surpass review for more information.
Hilton Aspire: Diamond Status Plus Many Valuable Credits
The Hilton Aspire offers upper-tier Hilton Diamond status. If you maximize the card's perks, you'll easily come out ahead of the $550 annual fee (Rates & Fees). On top of upgrades to suites, 100% bonus points on paid stays, and resort credits, you'll also get annual airline credits and a Free Night Reward.
(Terms apply)
- Earn 175,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 in purchases on the Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 7/29/26.
- Enjoy an Annual Free Night Reward from Hilton Honors in your first year of Card Membership and every year upon Card renewal.
- Card Members can earn 14X Points on purchases made directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio.
- Card Members can earn 7X Points on purchases of Flights booked directly with airlines or flights booked through American Express Travel, Car rentals purchased directly from select car rental companies, and purchases at U.S. Restaurants.
- Card Members can earn 3X Points on all other eligible purchases.
- $400 Hilton Resort Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits semi-annually for eligible purchases made directly with participating Hilton Resorts on your Hilton Honors Aspire Card. That's up to $400 back annually.
- $200 Flight Credit: Get up to $50 in statement credits each quarter, for a total of up to $200 back each year, on flight purchases made directly with airlines or via AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ using your Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.
- CLEAR+ helps get you to your gate faster by using your face to verify you are you at 55+ airports nationwide. Receive up to $209 per calendar year in statement credits, when you pay for a CLEAR+ Membership (subject to auto-renewal) with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.
- Earn a Free Night Reward from Hilton after you spend $30,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you can earn an additional Free Night Reward from Hilton after you spend an additional $30,000 (for a total of $60,000) in purchases on your Card in the same calendar year.
- $100 Property Credit: Receive up to a $100 credit for qualifying charges at Waldorf Astoria® Hotels & Resorts and Conrad® Hotels & Resorts properties when you book a 2 night minimum stay with your Card at HiltonHonorsAspireCard.com and select the Aspire Card Benefit rate option on the booking page, or call Hilton Honors at 855-292-5757 with the proper booking reference.
- Hilton Honors Aspire Card Members can enjoy complimentary National Car Rental® Emerald Club Executive® status, including perks like Executive Area Access (for full-size reservations and above) in the USA and Canada. Card Members must enroll in the National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status through their American Express online account using their Card. Terms apply.
- Whenever you travel more than 100 miles from home, Premium Global Assist® Hotline§ is available for 24/7 emergency assistance and coordination services, including medical, legal, and financial referrals. Emergency medical transportation assistance may be provided at no cost only if approved and coordinated by Premium Global Assist Hotline. Card Members may be responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.
- Points don't expire while your Hilton Honors American Express Card is active and in good standing.
- $550 annual fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- 14X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton Portfolio
- 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com, car rentals booked directly through select rental companies, and at U.S. restaurants
- 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card
Hilton Aspire feature benefits
- Complimentary Hilton Diamond status
- Receive a Free Night Reward on each account anniversary
- Earn a second Free Night Reward by spending $30,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year, plus another Free Night Reward at $60,000 in spending
- Up to $400 in annual statement credits at Hilton Honors resorts
- Up to $200 in annual statement credits for flight purchases
- Receive up to $100 in on-property credits for stays of two or more nights at Conrad and Waldorf Astoria properties
- Access to Amex Offers
- No foreign transaction fees
- Baggage insurance plan
- Secondary car rental insurance
- Trip Delay Insurance
- Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance
- Purchase protection
- Extended warranty
- Return protection
- Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
It's rare to find a hotel credit card offering automatic high-tier status. It's even rarer to find one with enough built-in perks to more than justify its annual fee. If you can use even a handful of these benefits, the card can easily pay for itself year after year.
Related: Hilton Aspire
Hilton Business Card: Quality Perks for Business Owners Who Like Hilton
If you're a small business owner, the Hilton Business Card can add perks to your next hotel stay. It carries a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $195 annual fee (Rates & Fees) and comes with a slew of benefits.
(Terms apply)
- Limited Time Offer: Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $8,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months of card Membership. Offer ends 7/29/2026.
- Enjoy a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $195.
- Get up to $60 in statement credits each quarter for purchases made directly with a property in the Hilton portfolio on your Hilton Honors American Express Business Card.
- Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors™ Gold Status with your Hilton Honors Business Card. With Hilton Honors™ Gold Status, you can enjoy benefits at hotels and resorts within the Hilton Portfolio. As a Gold member, earn an 80% Bonus on all Base Points you earn on every stay.
- Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on eligible purchases made directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio.
- Earn 5X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on other purchases made using the Hilton Honors Business Card on the first $100,000 in purchases each calendar year, 3X Points thereafter.
- You may receive an upgrade to Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status through the end of the next calendar year if the total eligible purchases that you spend on your Card Account during a calendar year reach $40,000 or more.
- Terms apply.
- 12X Hilton Honors points on eligible purchases made directly with hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio
- 5X Hilton Honors points on the first $100,000 spent per calendar year on other eligible purchases; 3X thereafter
Hilton Business Card feature benefits
- Complimentary Hilton Gold status
- Spend $40,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year to earn Hilton Diamond status
- Up to $240 in Hilton credits annually (available as up to $60 per quarter on eligible purchases)
- Complimentary Executive status with National Car Rental® Emerald Club Executive® Status
- Access to Amex Offers
- No foreign transaction fees (Rates & Fees)
- Secondary car rental insurance
- Baggage insurance plan
- Purchase protection
- Extended warranty
- Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
Who’s Eligible for the Hilton Honors Credit Cards?
If you currently have — or previously had — one of these cards, you may not be eligible to earn its welcome bonus. That's because most American Express cards are subject to a once-per-lifetime rule on welcome offers. For example, the following terms appear on the Hilton Amex:
You may not be eligible to receive a welcome offer if you have or have had this Card or previous versions of this Card. You also may not be eligible to receive a welcome offer based on various factors, such as your history with credit card balance transfers, your history as an American Express Card Member, the number of credit cards that you have opened and closed and other factors. If you are not eligible for a welcome offer, we will notify you prior to processing your application so you have the option to withdraw your application.
Fortunately, being ineligible for one Hilton card's welcome offer doesn't automatically disqualify you from earning a bonus on another Hilton card.
American Express also uses a pop-up message to let you know you're not eligible for a welcome offer before you submit your application. This gives you the opportunity to withdraw your application before it's processed.
These cards are also subject to Amex's maximum of five active credit cards for any person. And the issuer won't approve the same person for more than two credit cards in a 90-day period.
Related: Understanding Rewards Credit Card Application Rules and Restrictions
Our Take
Hilton credit cards can add a pile of points to your rewards balance, thanks to their welcome bonuses. But they can also do much more. Each card comes with some level of elite status, which in turn provides bonus points on paid stays and access to the valuable fifth night free on points redemptions.
If you can maximize the ongoing benefits, a Hilton card's annual fee can easily be worth paying long term.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Hilton Honors American Express Card (Rates & Fees), Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (Rates & Fees), Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card (Rates & Fees), and The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card (Rates & Fees)
