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Whether you're a big fan of Hilton Honors or just stay at hotels a few times a year and would like to get some extra perks, there are numerous Hilton co-branded credit cards. But these choices could feel daunting. Which Hilton credit card is right for you?
Should you aim for a card with no annual fee to save money? Or should you splurge for extra perks? And what exactly do you get if your card has an annual fee that you wouldn't get on a less expensive card?
American Express currently offers four credit cards: Hilton Honors American Express Card, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, and The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card. Here's a look at the differences between these cards, so you can decide which one is right for you.
Hilton Amex: No Annual Fee With Modest Perks
The Hilton Amex is a great starter card for those who stay infrequently with Hilton and want a few perks without an annual fee (Rates & Fees). Even though this is Hilton's entry-level card, that doesn't mean its devoid of perks; it even comes with complimentary elite status.
- Earn 80,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- 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.
Hilton Amex Card feature benefits
- Automatic Silver status, offering perks like 20% bonus points on stays and access to the “fifth night free” benefit
- Earn 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.
Even though it doesn't charge an annual fee, the Hilton Amex won't leave you empty-handed. Obviously, it lacks noteworthy perks offered by its more expensive counterparts, and there's no path to earning a Hilton Free Night Reward, no matter how much you spend on the card each year. But you can protect your purchases, use the card confidently on all of your trips, and get the fifth night free on points stays — all from a card that's free to keep.
Our full Hilton Amex Card review has more details.
Hilton Surpass: The Best Mid-Tier Hotel Status Automatically
For a modest $150 annual fee(Rates & Fees), the Hilton Surpass offers what we think is the best mid-tier hotel status. Cardholders get complimentary Hilton 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 — though not to suites, unfortunately.
- Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- 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.
- $150 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
- 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 Gold status
- Earn top-tier Hilton Diamond status from $40,000 on 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
- 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 for $150 year after year is excellent. Hilton's Gold status is better than the corresponding mid-tier status in other hotel programs, you'll continue to have access to the fifth night free on award stays, and you've got a path to earning free nights and top-tier status. However, the next card down changes the value proposition on those benefits.
See our full Hilton Surpass review for more information.
Hilton Aspire: Get Paid To Hold Top-Tier Status
You didn't read that wrong. The Hilton Aspire offers top-tier Hilton Diamond status, and this card will essentially pay you to keep it in your pocket year after year. On top of upgrades to suites, 100% bonus points on paid stays, and resort credits, you'll also get annual airline credits, lounge access at airports, and a free night reward. Those perks are worth well more than the card's $550 annual fee.
- 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 for money spent 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 2+ nights at Conrad and Waldorf Astoria properties
- Access to Amex Offers
- No foreign transaction fees
- Baggage insurance plan
- Secondary car rental 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 top-tier status. It's even harder to find a card that offers so many benefits that you'll be paid to keep the card in your wallet by using the built-in benefits. If you can use half of these perks, you'll easily justify the card's $550 annual fee.
Details on this impressive list of perks can be found in our Hilton Aspire review.
Hilton Business Card: Quality Perks for Business Owners Who Like Hilton
Whether you're a true road warrior, run a corner store, or are a gig worker, the Hilton Business Card can add perks to your next hotel stay. It carries a $195 annual fee (Rates & Fees) and underwent numerous changes on March 28, 2024.
- 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
Hilton Business Card feature benefits
- Complimentary Hilton Gold status
- Move up to top-tier Hilton Diamond status from $40,000 on eligible purchases on your card in a calendar year
- Up to $240 in Hilton spending credits annually (available as up to $60 per quarter)
- Complimentary Executive status with National Car Rental Emerald Club
- 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 have (or had in the past) one of these cards, that will restrict your eligibility for the welcome bonuses on these cards. That's because American Express has a once-per-lifetime rule on each of its cards. For example, these terms are listed on the Hilton Amex card:
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.
If you've had this particular card in the past or currently have it in your wallet, you're not eligible for the welcome bonus. However, that doesn't restrict your ability to earn the welcome bonus on another Hilton credit card — or to earn the bonus on each one at some point.
Luckily, American Express uses a pop-up message to let you know you're not eligible for a welcome offer before you submit your application. This way, you can decide if you want to submit your application or not.
These cards are also subject to Amex's maximum of five credit cards for any person. And the issuer doesn'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
Yes, Hilton credit cards can add a pile of points to your rewards balance, thanks to their welcome bonuses, but they also can do much more. Each card offers some level of elite status, providing bonus points earnings on paid stays and access to the valuable “fifth night free” on points redemptions. You also can claim mid-tier or top-tier elite status, just by holding the right card. The ongoing perks can justify paying the annual fee to keep a Hilton card in your wallet year after year.
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), and The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card (Rates & Fees)
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