AwardWallet receives compensation from advertising partners for links on the blog. Terms Apply to the offers listed on this page. Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits. The opinions expressed here are our own and have not been reviewed, provided, or approved by any bank advertiser. Here's our complete list of Advertisers.
Offers for the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card are not available through this site. Some offers may have expired. Please see our card marketplace for available offers
Hilton Hotels is one of the largest hotel companies in the world, with more than 7,500 properties. It continues to expand its list of locations through new hotels and unique partnerships. For example, Hilton and SLH hotels entered into a partnership that opened up many more luxury and boutique options for travelers. There are plenty of options to redeem Hilton Honors points at countless locations worldwide, for every type of traveler.
The good news is that there are also many ways to earn Hilton Honors points. You can rack up many points from hotel stays, credit card spending, travel partners, and dining. You can also share points with friends and family and even buy points when needed for that subsequent Hilton redemption.
Let's look at all the options to increase your Hilton Honors points stash.
Earn Hilton Points Through Hotel Stays
One of the most common ways to earn points is by staying at one of the Hilton properties. It can vary how much you can earn based on several factors:
- The amount you are spending at the property during your stay (excluding taxes and fees)
- Brand of the Hilton hotel
- Your status with Hilton
Members earn 10 base points per dollar spent on room rates and eligible incidental charges at most Hilton properties. However, there are a few exceptions:
- Two brands will earn 5 points per dollar: Home2Suites by Hilton and Tru by Hilton.
- LivSmart Studios will earn 3 points per dollar.
If you have Hilton elite status, you'll earn a points bonus based on a multiplier of this base rate.
- Silver: 20% of base rate
- Gold: 80% of base rate
- Diamond: 100% of base rate
Here is a chart that summarizes the intersection of Hilton brands and elite status as they apply to points earned on hotel stays.
| Hotel Brand | Base Rate ( points per $1) | Silver (+20%) | Gold (+80%) | Diamond (+100%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Most Hilton Brands and Home2 Suites properties in China | 10 | 12 | 18 | 20 |
| Home2 Suites and Tru by Hilton | 5 | 6 | 9 | 10 |
| LivSmart Studios by Hilton | 3 | 3.6 | 5.4 | 6 |
As always, make sure that your Hilton Honors number is attached to the reservation. Note that qualifying stays are those booked directly through Hilton. You won't earn points on bookings made through an online travel agency like Expedia or Kayak or a travel portal.
When you book award stays or points and cash stays, you will generally earn points on eligible incidental charges or the cash portion of your booking. Determining all other incidental charges that count towards earning Hilton Honors points varies by brand and type of charge.
Get Hilton elite status with credit cards
Ordinarily, Hilton Honors™ Gold status requires 20 stays or 40 nights, and Hilton Honors™ Diamond status requires 30 stays or 60 nights. However, you can unlock these tiers of Hilton elite status using credit card shortcuts.
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card provides complimentary Gold status and has a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $150 (until 8/13/2025) annual fee (Rates & Fees). Similarly, the The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card offers Gold status for a $195 annual fee (Rates & Fees).
Or, if you want top-tier Diamond status, the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card offers it as part of its $550 annual fee .
(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
(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
- 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
Instead of a Hilton co-branded option, you could also pick up The Platinum Card® from American Express or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express. Both cards let you enroll for Hilton Honors Gold status and keep it for as long as you keep either card in your wallet and pay the annual fee.
(Terms apply)
- Earn 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel® (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year).
- Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel®.
(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.
Related: How to Get Hotel Elite Status for Free (or Almost Free)
Use promotions to earn more Hilton Honors points
Hilton frequent offers members bonus points for stays through promotions. Hilton promotions usually require meeting specific criteria to reach the points, for example, spending a certain number of nights in a Hilton property. Most promotions require registration to earn the bonus points. However, it typically takes very little time to register for these, so we recommend you take the time to do it even if you do not have a trip scheduled.
AwardWallet's list of active reward program promotions includes the latest Hilton Honors promotions. You can also check out your personal offers page for targeted Hilton Honors promotions.
You can also receive points from the MyWay Benefits available to Hilton members. You can get up to 1,000 points per stay, depending on the Hilton property and brand type. If you don't receive your points after a stay, you can follow up with Hilton customer service to get those added to your account.
Build a huge balance of points with meetings and events
One unusual option to gain extra Hilton Honors points is to schedule a meeting or event with a Hilton property. Depending on the size and focus of your event, this can provide a larger number of points.
All eligible charges in the Event Planner Program earn 2 Hilton Honors points per $1 spent, up to $100,000. This program has a long list of terms and conditions, including a list of participating locations, event contract details, and more.
A few items stand out from the Hilton Honors Event Planner Program FAQ page. First, the Hilton Honors member earning the bonus points from the event does not need to be the same person signing the event contract, but must be specified in the contract. Second, there is no cap on the points earned from events. However, there is a limitation on earning points on the first $100,000 per event.
Earn Hilton Honors Points with Credit Cards
One of the easiest ways to earn lots of Hilton Honors points is through spending on a co-branded Hilton credit card. American Express issues a total of four co-branded Hilton credit cards. Each comes with varying levels of perks and annual fees.
Spending on these cards allows you to accumulate Hilton Honors points rapidly. And by meeting spending requirements, you can earn bonus perks like free night certificates and a large welcome bonus.
Better yet, all of the Hilton Amex cards provide some level of elite status. That will score you a range of valuable benefits when staying at properties across the Hilton portfolio.
Related: All the Credit Cards that Earn Hilton Honors Points
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
- 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
- Automatically receive top-tier Hilton Honors Diamond status just for holding this card
- 14X Hilton Honors points per dollar spent at Hilton hotels
- 7X Hilton Honors points on flights booked directly with airlines or through AmexTravel.com, select car rentals, and restaurants
- 3X Hilton Honors points on all other purchases
- Receive a Free Night Reward each cardmember year, valid at almost any Hilton property worldwide
- Earn up to two more Free Night Rewards through spending each year
- See our full Hilton Aspire review for more details and benefits.
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
- Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership.
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150. Offer Ends 8/13/2025.
- 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 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.
- Earn a Free Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
- Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors ™ Gold Status with your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card.
- Spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status through the end of the next calendar year.
- 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.
- 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.
- Rates & Fees
- 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
- Cardholders receive complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status. Spend $40,000 on the card in a calendar year to earn Hilton Honors Diamond status.
- 12X Hilton Honors points per dollar spent at Hilton hotels
- 6X Hilton Honors points at U.S. restaurants, grocery stores, and gas stations
- 4X Hilton Honors points on online retail purchases
- 3X Hilton Honors points on all other purchases
- Earn a Free Night Reward by spending $15,000 in a calendar year.
- See our full Hilton Surpass review for more details and benefits.
Hilton Honors American Express Card
- 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 8/13/2025.
- Earn 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio.
- Earn 5X Points per dollar on 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.
- Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors™ Silver status with your Card. Plus, spend $20,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn an upgrade to Hilton Honors™ Gold status through the end of the next calendar year.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- No 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.
- Rates & Fees
- 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.
- Receive complimentary Hilton Honors™ Silver status for being a cardholder. Spend $20,000 on the card in a calendar year to earn Hilton Honors Gold status.
- 7X Hilton Honors points per dollar spent at Hilton hotels
- 5X Hilton Honors points at U.S. restaurants, grocery stores, and gas stations
- 4X Hilton Honors points on online retail purchases
- 3X Hilton Honors points on all other purchases
- See our full Hilton Amex review for more details.
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
- Limited Time Offer: Earn 150,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $8,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus earn an additional 25,000 Hilton Honors Bonus points after you spend an additional $2,000 in purchases on your Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 8/13/2025.
- 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.
- 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 next 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 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
- Automatically receive Hilton Honors Gold status by having the card. You can reach Diamond status by spending $40,000 on the card during the calendar year.
- 12X Hilton Honors points per dollar spent at Hilton hotels
- 5X Hilton Honors points on all other purchases on the first $100,000 per calendar year. After $100,000, you will earn 3X points per dollar on spending.
- See our full Hilton Business Card review for more details.
Earn points through credit card referrals
Have a friend or family member who wants a Hilton Honors credit card, too? By referring them through American Express, you can earn bonus Hilton points after they've been approved for a new card.
To do so, start by logging into your American Express account. Select “Rewards & Benefits,” then choose “Refer a Friend.” Referral offers and availability varies by card and your relationship with Amex. The person will need to apply for a card using your link in order for you to be eligible to receive any bonus points.
Transfer points earned on other Amex credit cards
You can transfer American Express Membership Rewards to Hilton at a 1:2 ratio. This means transferring 1,000 Amex points would net you 2,000 Hilton Honors points. Transfers must be done in 1,000-point increments.
To transfer Membership Rewards, log in to your American Express account, go to the “Rewards & Benefits” menu, select “Earn & Redeem,” and select “Transfer Points” to start the process.
Amex occasionally offers transfer bonuses to Hilton, typically between 20% and 50%, where you can earn even more Hilton points.
Related: All the Credit Cards that Earn American Express Membership Rewards Points
Transfer points from other partners
Amex Membership Rewards is not the only program that partners with Hilton Honors. Bilt Rewards, Diners Club, and Virgin Atlantic all provide points transfers of their respective loyalty programs to the Hilton Honors.
None are great options for transferring points to Hilton. However, you can utilize this option if you have extra points in one of these program and need more to help cover a redemption with Hilton.
Related: How to Transfer Hilton Points to/from Bank and Airline Partners
Earn Hilton Points With Program Partners
Like most other hotel and airline programs, Hilton allows members to accrue points through various other activities. For instance, you can take a Lyft ride to a restaurant and earn Hilton Honors Bonus Points for both the Lyft ride and the meal! Below is a list of partner programs that offer ways to earn additional Hilton Honors points.
Hilton Honors Dining
The Hilton Honors Dining program allows you to earn Hilton points when dining at certain restaurants. You'll earn up to 8 Hilton Honors points per dollar spent using your registered credit or debit card. You do not have to use a Hilton credit card to receive points through this program.
Use the search tool on the Hilton Honors Dining website to find eligible locations nearby. Not all restaurants participate in dining programs. Also, check if the restaurant has any restrictions, like only being available on specified days of the week.
Hilton Honors/Lyft Partnership
Lyft has partnered with Hilton to offer Lyft riders the chance to earn Hilton Honors points with every ride. After linking your Lyft and Hilton Honors accounts, riders earn 3 Hilton Honors points for every dollar spent on Lyft rides. You would maximize earnings at 30,000 points or by spending $10,000 on Lyft rides during a calendar year. Additionally, Lyft regularly offers discounts or coupons for first-time riders.
You can only link your Lyft account to one loyalty program at a time, so consider whether Hilton Honors is the program you want to earn points on Lyft rides with.
Rental Car Partnerships
Hilton has partnership agreements with three rental car companies. You'll get up to 5,000 Hilton Honors points when you rent a car through Alamo, Enterprise, and National at locations across the world.
Each rental earns a base rate of 500 Hilton Honors points plus another 500 daily points. So a one-day rental earns 1,000 points (500 base + 500 bonus), while a rental of nine or more days earns the maximum 5,000 bonus points.
Be aware that other travel loyalty programs have car rental partnerships, too. Before booking, review the alternative points or miles you could earn through different programs.
Other Ways to Earn Hilton Honors Points
Buy Hilton Points
Although there are many ways to earn Hilton Honors points, sometimes you may be short of the points you need for a redemption. If that's the case, you can buy Hilton points.
Hilton often offers a 100% bonus on their points; this is when you want to buy. Typically, Hilton charges $10 for 1,000 points. After the 100% bonus, the rate drops to $5 per 1,000 points. Because these bonus offers happen so often, we recommend not speculatively buying points. However, this option can be helpful for certain redemptions where the point value at redemption is more than what you paid for the points.
Sharing points from others
If you have other travelers who collect Hilton points, you can band together to use them for redemptions.
First, you can transfer Hilton points to another Hilton Honors member. You are limited to six transfer transactions annually. Also, you can transfer a maximum of 500,000 points from your Hilton account and receive a maximum of 2,000,000 points per calendar year. So you should plan accordingly if needing to transfer Hilton points between others.
You can also pool Hilton points with other Hilton members. A pool can include up to 11 members (including you) and can be used for redemptions by any person in the pool. Each member can perform six pooling transactions annually, and they are subject to the same point received/sent limitations as point transfers are. As with the points transfers, look carefully at your plans to transfer to maximize redemptions.
Final Thoughts
There are so many ways to earn Hilton Honors points. You can stay at Hilton properties to rack up lots of points, but you can also earn they through credit card spending, transferring points from other programs, and even referring people to sign up for one of the Hilton credit cards. Many program partners can help you reach your Hilton point goals, and you can include others in your quest by having them transfer or pool points to you. What ways will you use to increase your Hilton points?
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (Rates & Fees), The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card (Rates & Fees), The Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees), The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees), and Hilton Honors American Express Card (Rates & Fees)
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
