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At the behest of one of our readers (see comments), who we 100% agree with, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DON’T DO THIS! Now, continue reading.
You can now use your Hilton Honors points to shop at Amazon.com. There are no limits on the transaction size, but the value is poor at best, with one notable exception. See below.
How It Works
Setting up your Amazon account to pay with Hilton Honors points is simple:
- Link your Hilton Account to Amazon
- Shop normally, at the checkout select the pay with Hilton Points option
- The exchange rate is 500 Hilton Honors points = $1 at the Amazon.com checkout
There are some restrictions on what you can use your Hilton Honors points to pay for. You cannot use the one-click option for purchases, as well as the following items:
- Amazon Kindle downloads
- Digital music
- Amazon video titles
- Amazon Appstore apps
- Amazon Fresh items
- Subscribe and Save items
- Prime memberships – except Prime gift memberships
- Pre-order items
- Textbook rentals
- Amazon Allowance
- Reload your gift card balance
Is It Worth It?
This is a bad deal unless you have no other use for these points. Yes, we all love Amazon, but at 500 points to $1 in value, when Hilton typically sells points at a penny a piece, you're exchanging up to $5 of value for $1. However, if you have points expiring, this would be considered an eligible activity to extend the life of your points. Use 500 points, get $1 towards Amazon and extend the life of your points.
Our Take
We see very little value in this partnership unless you are deciding to end your relationship with Hilton and were looking to mop up some of the points in your account. The only redeeming grace would have been if using your points kept the rest of your Hilton points alive, but this transaction does not qualify. Overall you are better off using cash at Amazon and exchanging your points for something else.
Source: Hilton
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.
How do I link my Hilton account with Amazon when based in the UK?
-Every time I try to do this the website just rejects me.
It’s possible that this redemption option is only limited to US accounts. However, I can’t find any terms and conditions that explicitly state that.
I was exploring how to extend my expire date on an orphan HH acct. Will report back if it works.
So, it’s definitely confirmed that exchanging the minimal amount (500?) will extend the expiration date of the points?
I’m not living in USA and I’m not a frequent traveler, so I don’t want to lose all points if I don’t have the chance to stay again in a Hilton hotel in the same year, in that scenario, I will prefer to spend 500 points and get an extra year of points life.
At the time of posting, and at the time of readers posting responses yes. We haven’t heard anything to the contrary.
Tks man!
I’ll definitely track my exp date and report back the results when done.
Rgrds!
ugh. yuch.
Let me be the millennial voice of dissent. I gather Hilton points when I travel for work. Sometimes I’m on a project where I use Hilton for months on end, sometimes I’m on a project where I only use Marriot. When I travel for fun I use AirBnB. Unlike Uber vs a taxi, the value for money isn’t even close to being the same. When I travel for recreation, I am not going to use Hilton points unless I can gather enough points to pay for the entire stay. Logistically, this all means that I am never going to use Hilton awards to travel for fun so the Amazon linked account gives me a way to use my points instead of forgetting about them for a year and losing them.
$.01 in value is better than $.00 always. If you’d never otherwise use them, absolutely go this route — but don’t forget that you can pool Hilton points with others, which means you might be able to cash in for a free room or help someone else cash in: https://awardwallet.com/blog/pool-hilton-honor-points/
I do love that comment at the top of this post! LOL! I agree that it would be just a burn of points. I know that now everyone is in love with how much points they always need to use Hilton points for stays but to me it’s what they are asking for and they are everywhere (usually) I want to stay therefore I will use my points when I can. I do see some people doing this who have excess points and anybody who doesn’t really follow travel blogs/websites, etc much.
I don’t use anything but giftcards from United’s app to pay for my purchases and then I go from Jetblue’s site to get miles with them. I LOVE doing this! I’ve built up SO many miles and I haven’t flown on either yet but I will! :O)
I wonder why mega corporations like Hilton and Amazon even bother with making deals like these. Surely the people who accumulate Hilton Points know their approximate worth and wouldn’t go for a deal like this where they’d get 20% of their value?
You’ve made a very big assumption there.
Doesn’t seem like this is too popular an option!! I haven’t been a fan of the Hilton Honors program anyway.
Although the sentiment is somewhat alluded to in the opening couple of sentences, I have to admit I don’t fully understand why the very first line in this posts doesn’t read: “FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DON’T DO THIS!”
Thomas, I agree. Check the post again 🙂
LOL! Love it! Now that’s a proper opening line!
Teamwork 🙂
Amex has had a “use your mr points, get $25 off ” type promos before. If hilton does something like that, the extra value could be worth it. Otherwise….nope!
Seems like the only good use of this would be for points that you don’t have a lot of and just want to use before closing your account.
It’s good to have more options even though the rate is quite low.
poor use of points, but more options for redemption is always good
bu it’s still no good for me!
I mean I guess its ok for those that have too many Hilton points and don’t wanna stay at Hiltons? Not really sure the purpose of this otherwise.
I’ll never use this kind of useless exchange!
$2 per 1,000 is awful. This is really only any use for getting rid of a few orphan points.
What a waste of points. lol
thanks for the jetblue link!!!
Nice to know it is an option, but still a no go for me.
From a security standpoint, not a great idea. If someone were to get access to your Amazon account, they could easily redeem your hard earned points. Similarly with Chase UR, Amex MR, or Citi TY points!
Excellent point. I’ve linked my accounts for promotions and then have similarly unlinked them as wel.
Horrible redemption ratio, but glad to have this additional option for dormant points. Hope they improve the ratios later on.
Howie, do you know of any program that gives you a good deal when shopping at Amazon?
JetBlue! https://awardwallet.com/blog/earn-3-bonus-jetblue-points-for-amazon-purchases/
pretty useless redemption unless one has some orphan points that are expiring .
Totally agree this is a bad deal – no one should use Hilton points to shop at Amazon.
For once the small print isn’t so small
Yikes. If you had enough Honors points to make the transfer to Amazon actually worthwhile, you might as well just get a hotel room somewhere for a night.
It’s never a bad idea to have options. This could make sense for someone. Will it for me or most? No. But more options is not a bad thing.
i agree that this is a poor use of points. So poor that every blog I’ve read that has covered this topic has agreed and strongly recommended against it. I’m not a huge fan of Hilton but free nights in any hotel are very useful, even if just for positioning prior to Reward flights.
A case where more options is definitely not good. But there probably will be unsuspecting people who don’t know any better (or are too lazy to figure it out).
Nice to have options
A good PSA for a substantial waste of points
Good to know. Thanks!
What a terrible exchange rate, I thought Hilton was customer friendly?
Pretty sure I’ll not be redeeming Hilton points with Amazon.
no thanks
this would be insane
Slightly related… You can earn jetBlue points for shopping at Amazon by going through jetBlue’s shopping portal.
Yes, you can! https://awardwallet.com/blog/earn-3-bonus-jetblue-points-for-amazon-purchases/
nice option to have!
I hope you’re not considering the redemption — the value is horrible!
Considering you can book hotel nights starting at 5,000 points – including Points & Money – I hope very few people take up the Amazon opportunity.
Unfortunately many people – surely non readers – will earn points “for free” from business travel, etc. and will just see this as an opportunity to use their points to save a bit of money.
The exchange rate is bad. But, it is an option when you have points to overcome.
Just don’t do it.
Your Conclusion is the same I made – its kind of useless to spend Points on these things, so yes, I’ll keep mine some time longer!
A interesting way of using up some orphaned points for money off!
There is also an offer on amazon uk where you get £15 off first time purchase of £25 using any amount of amex points.
Wow completely useless if it doesn’t keep your hilton points alive.
I can confirm that it does keep your points alive. I used 1.00 value in points (500) in order to extend my expiration date for a year as I was days away from losing them.