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The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card of new doesn't look like the Hilton Business Card of old. That much is for sure. But despite the Hilton Business Card‘s recent overhaul, it still offers compelling value. After all, the card's new headline benefit can more than justify the cost of keeping it in your wallet every year. And that's just one of many reasons it deserves your attention.
Let's take a balanced look at the Hilton Business Card to help you decide if it's the right product to reward your business spending.
- Welcome Offer: Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors Business Card within the first six months of Card Membership.
- Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on eligible Hilton purchases.
- 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.
- 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.
- You may receive an upgrade to Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status through the end of the calendar year if the total eligible purchases on your Card Account during a calendar year reach $40,000 or more.
- As a Hilton Honors American Express Business 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.
- Terms apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 12X Hilton Honors points on 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
Page Contents
- Hilton Business Card Pros
- Hilton Business Card Cons
- Hilton Business Card Welcome Offer
- Hilton Business Card Benefits
- Hilton Business Card Earning Rates
- Redeeming Points With the Hilton Business Card
- Hilton Business Card Application Restrictions
- Cards That Compete With the Hilton Business Card
- Final Thoughts
Hilton Business Card Pros
- Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status.
- Enjoy up to $240 back each year ($60 per quarter) for eligible purchases made directly with Hilton.
- Earn 12x Hilton Honors Bonus Points on eligible Hilton purchases.
- Earn 5x Hilton Honors points on everyday spending for the first $100,000 of annual purchases, then 3x.
Hilton Business Card Cons
- Hilton Honors points are hard to redeem for outsized value.
- Quarterly Hilton statement credits may be hard to keep track of.
- The Hilton Business Card has lost benefits in recent history.
Hilton Business Card Welcome Offer
Collecting a welcome offer on the Hilton Business Card is a convenient way to stock up on Hilton Honors points. As a new applicant, you can earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors Business Card within the first six months of Card Membership.
In recent redemptions, AwardWallet users have redeemed Hilton Honors points for 0.59¢ apiece, making the welcome offer worth $767 towards Hilton stays.
Related: American Express Card Offer History: Best-Ever Offers and When You Should Apply
Hilton Business Card Benefits
It's not a secret that the Hilton Business Card has a shorter list of benefits now than it did before the early 2024 changes. Here's a look at what the card offers now:
Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Elite status
Several cards offer Hilton Honors Gold status as a headline benefit — Hilton Business Card included. Even if you're not a true Hilton loyalist, it's still easy to realize value after a couple of stays. The perks are enough to land Hilton Gold at the top of our rankings of best mid-tier elite status.
For instance, Gold members can enjoy an 80% bonus on top of the ten base points per dollar spent that you'll earn on most Hilton purchases. Lump in the 12X bonus points you'll earn on eligible Hilton purchases with the Hilton Business Card, and you're looking at earning 30X points per dollar spent.
Moreover, Hilton Gold entitles you to choose MyWay benefits, which often include a choice of complimentary breakfast, food and beverage credits, or bonus points. Hilton Gold members also enjoy complimentary space-available upgrades, a fifth night free on reward stays, and more. Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
If the perks of Hilton Gold aren't enough, you can spend your way to Diamond status. To reach top-tier Hilton Diamond, you'll need to spend $40,000 on your Hilton Business Card in a calendar year.
National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status
The only thing better than complimentary elite status with one brand is complimentary status with two brands. Card Members can enroll for National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status, which offers a pathway to faster Free Rental Days, a better choice of cars, and guaranteed upgrades on rentals in the United States and Canada.
Related: How To Get Rental Car Elite Status for Free
Up to $240 in statement credits at Hilton properties each year
To get the most out of your Hilton Business Card, you'll need to familiarize yourself with the card's newest benefit: quarterly statement credits. Each year you carry the card, you can get up to $240 back for eligible purchases made directly through Hilton — broken down into $60 per quarter.
When maximized, the full value of the statement credits eclipses the Hilton Business Card‘s $195 annual fee (Rates & Fees).
You can use the statement credits to offset the cost of a room reservation, to cover purchases like room reservations at Hilton properties, or incidental charges such as meals or spa services.
No foreign transaction fees
The Hilton Business Card doesn't levy foreign transaction fees (Rates & Fees). When a card charges 2%–3% foreign transaction fees for purchases made outside the U.S., it wipes out any gains from picking up points on overseas spending. Luckily, you won't pay those fees on this card.
Travel insurance and purchase protection
- Baggage Insurance Plan: When you purchase a fare on a common carrier such as a plane, train, ship, or bus with your Hilton Business Card, your baggage is covered against loss, damage, or theft — up to $1,250 for carry-on baggage and up to $500 for checked baggage. This coverage is in excess of that provided by the common carrier.
- Global Assist® Hotline: You can access a 24/7 hotline when traveling more than 100 miles from home for emergency assistance and coordination services, including medical and legal referrals, emergency cash wires, and missing luggage assistance. The costs for these services are billed to the Card Member.
- Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance: Get coverage for damage or theft of a rental car when you use your Hilton Business Card to cover the entire rental cost and decline the collision damage waiver (CDW) at the rental agency counter. The coverage is secondary and does not include liability coverage, and is not valid on vehicles rented in Australia, Italy, or New Zealand.
- Extended Warranty: Extend the original manufacturer's warranty on eligible purchases up to one additional year. This benefit applies to warranties of five years or less on covered purchases made in the United States or its territories or possessions.
- Purchase Protection: Protect covered purchases against theft or damage for up to 90 days from the purchase date. Coverage is limited to $1,000 per occurrence and up to $50,000 per account per calendar year.
- Add employee Hilton Business Cards to monitor spending.
- Auto-categorize expenses in Intuit QuickBooks.
- Take advantage of Vendor Pay by Bill.com.
- Get a comprehensive year-end summary to analyze spending.
Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
Hilton Business Card Earning Rates
Unless your business spends a pretty penny on Hilton purchases, the Hilton Business Card‘s earning rates may leave a lot to be desired. No dedicated bonus categories exist for common business purchases such as advertising, shipping, internet, or cable. Instead, Card Members are limited to two categories:
- 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on eligible Hilton purchases.
- 5X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on the first $100,000 in other purchases each calendar year, 3X points thereafter.
Related: The Best Credit Cards to Pay for Advertising and Shipping
Redeeming Points With the Hilton Business Card
It's easy to redeem Hilton Honors points. American Express automatically deposits the points into your account, which you can use in multiple ways. Luckily, as long as there's activity in your Hilton account every 24 months, your points won't expire.
Hotel stays
The best way to redeem your Hilton points for top value is to book award nights at Hilton properties worldwide. Each Hilton point is worth about 0.59¢ when redeemed this way.
Hilton's portfolio of hotels and resorts is massive, so there's something for everyone. Whether you want to splurge for a night or two at a luxury property or spend the bare minimum number of points for a free night at a budget-friendly hotel, your options are seemingly endless.
For example, you could use the 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points courtesy of the Hilton Business Card‘s welcome offer to secure a few nights at the Hilton Bali Resort.
Related: Tips on Earning and Maximizing 100,000 Hilton Honors Points
Other Hilton point redemption options
You'll always get the most value out of your points by booking award stays, but there are other, less valuable ways to redeem your Hilton points, including:
- VIP access to concerts, dining, sporting events through Hilton Honors experiences.
- Lyft rides.
- Amazon products or other merchandise through Hilton's online shopping mall.
- Alamo, National, or Enterprise car rentals.
- Transferring points to British Airways Executive Club or Air France/KLM Flying Blue.
Generally, the value you get for your points on non-hotel redemptions is abysmal. So, to get the most out of your hard-earned points, redeem them for free nights at Hilton properties.
Hilton Business Card Application Restrictions
American Express only allows you to earn the welcome offer once per lifetime on each card. So, if you currently hold, or have held a specific Amex card in the past, you won’t be eligible to receive the welcome offer for that card again. As per the Hilton Business Card application page:
“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.”
Moreover, you can only hold five credit cards from Amex at any time and won't be approved for more than two cards within 90 days.
And, finally, Amex includes the following language about the business for which you're applying:
“By submitting this application, you, as an individual and the Authorizing Officer of the Company, (a) are requesting us to open an Account in the name of the Company, (b) are requesting that we issue Card(s) as you direct, (c) are agreeing to be jointly and severally liable with the Company for all charges to the account, and (d) are REPRESENTING THAT ALL CARD(S) ISSUED ON THE ACCOUNT WILL ONLY BE USED FOR COMMERCIAL OR BUSINESS PURPOSES.”
If you think you don't qualify for a business credit card, think again. Selling items online, pet sitting, freelancing, and other paid services can help you qualify for the Hilton Business Card.
Related: Understanding Rewards Credit Card Application Rules and Restrictions
Cards That Compete With the Hilton Business Card
(Terms apply)
- 6x Marriott Bonvoy points on each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program.
- 4x Marriott Bonvoy points on each dollar of eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping
- 2x Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card points per dollar on all other eligible purchases
(Terms apply)
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com.
- Earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more.
- Earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on each eligible purchase with U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers.
- Earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on each eligible purchase with U.S. electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers.
- Earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on each eligible purchase with U.S. shipping providers.
- 1.5X earning rates are subject to a cap of $2 million in purchases per calendar year.
(Terms Apply)
- Earn 2X points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. 2X applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter. Terms and limitations apply.
- If you want a business hotel card and aren't loyal to Hilton, try the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card. You'll earn 6X at Marriott Bonvoy properties and 4X in several key business spending categories. You'll also receive complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status as a cardholder and a free night award on each account anniversary, worth up to 35,000 points. Learn more in our detailed Marriott Bonvoy Business Card review.
- If you want Hilton Gold status and more flexibility for your points, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express offers both. You can enroll for complimentary Gold status with both Hilton and Marriott, claim hundreds of dollars in annual spending credits, get top-notch travel perks (including lounge access), and can transfer your points to 21 airline and hotel programs, including Hilton Honors. See our full Business Platinum Card review for more details. Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
- If you want Hilton points without an annual fee, The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is a solid option for earning points without paying an annual fee (Rates & Fees). You'll earn 2x on the first $50,000 of annual purchases without worrying about spending categories (and 1x thereafter) and can transfer these points to Hilton and other rewards programs for travels. Our Blue Business Plus review has more information.
Related: The Best Small Business Credit Card Offers This Month
Final Thoughts
The Hilton Business Card‘s bread and butter are three-fold: annual statement credits worth up to $240, complimentary Gold status, and 12x points per dollar on eligible Hilton purchases.
For some businesses, this trio of benefits is more than sufficient. After all, the statement credits alone outweigh the Hilton Business Card‘s $195 annual fee (Rates & Fees).
For other businesses, the Hilton Business Card may be worth passing on. Outside of giving you an easy opportunity to come out ahead on the annual fee, the card has very little to offer. The earning rates are lackluster — especially for businesses who prefer dedicated spending categories for everyday expenses such as internet or advertising.
And because of the Hilton Business Card‘s recent overhaul, former staple benefits such as complimentary Priority Pass airport lounge visits or free night certificates after eligible spending are now a thing of the past. Now, there's less to be excited about, but the card can still be a valuable wallet addition for the right type of business.
- Welcome Offer: Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors Business Card within the first six months of Card Membership.
- Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on eligible Hilton purchases.
- 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.
- 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.
- You may receive an upgrade to Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status through the end of the calendar year if the total eligible purchases on your Card Account during a calendar year reach $40,000 or more.
- As a Hilton Honors American Express Business 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.
- Terms apply.
- Rates & Fees
- 12X Hilton Honors points on 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
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card (Rates & Fees), Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees), The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees), and The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express (Rates & Fees)
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