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CNNU Money editors awarded this card 4.6 stars as the best American Express no-annual-fee hotel card.
Pros:
- Earn 7 points for every dollar you spend on Hilton purchases
- Earn 5 points per dollar at US restaurants, US supermarkets and US gas stations
- Earn 3 points per dollar on all other purchases
- Complimentary Silver elite status with the Hilton Honors program
- No foreign transaction fees
- No annual fee
Cons:
- No VIP perks other than Hilton Silver status
- Hilton Honors points are worth less than some competing hotel loyalty programs
Current welcome bonus: Earn 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership.
Best for: Infrequent travelers who want a way to earn Hilton Honors points without paying an annual fee.
Digging into the Hilton Honors American Express card
The Hilton Honors program lets you redeem points for hotel stays at more than 5,000 properties around the world. This includes luxury properties like the Waldorf Astoria and Conrad Hotels and Resorts, yet you can also redeem points for stays at everyday hotels like Hilton Garden Inn and DoubleTree properties. You can book a free night at a roadside motel, or you can save up your points for a once-in-a-lifetime vacation in luxury destinations like the Maldives or Bora Bora. The choice is yours.
If you’re interested in earning free hotel stays at properties like these but you’re not a full-fledged Hilton enthusiast, the Hilton Honors American Express Card could be an exceptional fit. This card lets you rack up points in the Hilton Honors program without paying an annual fee, so it’s a good card to keep for the long haul regardless of how often you travel.
The Hilton Honors American Express Card offers a generous rewards rate on Hilton stays and on regular spending, with 7 Hilton Honors points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged directly with hotels or resorts within the Hilton portfolio, 5 points for each dollar of eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations and 3 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases. However, Hilton Honors points aren’t worth as much as other major hotel loyalty programs, so it’s important to keep in mind the actual value of your rewards.
Hilton is easily one of the best hotel loyalty programs to consider if you’re someone who likes to combine points with other family members before you redeem them. This program lets you pool your points with up to 10 other program members with no fees attached.
Advantages of the Hilton Honors American Express card
With the current offer on the?Hilton Honors American Express Card, you’ll earn?Earn 100,000 points Considering free hotel stays with Hilton start at just 5,000 points per night, it’s easy to see how this bonus could be the starting point for a ton of free travel.
Not only does the Hilton Honors American Express Card earn points in the program with no annual fee, but you’ll also get automatic Silver elite status with the Hilton Honors program. While this is Hilton’s lowest-status tier, you’ll still qualify for benefits like complimentary internet access, late checkout and two complimentary bottles of water whenever you’re staying at a Hilton property.
If you want to climb up toward higher levels of status with more benefits, you can also earn Hilton Gold status when you spend $20,000 on the Hilton Honors American Express Card within a calendar year. However, in that case, you might be better off with the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass? Card (terms apply, see rates and fees), which comes with complimentary Gold status but also carries a $95 annual fee.
Disadvantages of the Hilton Honors American Express card
The biggest disappointment of the Hilton Honors American Express Card is the fact that it comes with meager benefits for travel enthusiasts. You’ll get automatic Hilton Silver status and a few basic hotel loyalty perks, but not much else. The only other benefits of note are secondary auto rental coverage, a Global Assist hotline and no foreign transaction fees.
Also keep in mind that this card is relatively weak when you compare it to other Hilton credit cards that offer bigger welcome bonuses and more generous earning rates. However, all other Hilton credit cards in the American Express portfolio carry an annual fee — the Hilton Honors American Express Card is the only one that doesn’t, which may be more appealing to some people than extra benefits.
It’s also important to keep in mind that not all travel rewards are equal, and Hilton Honors points are worth less than many other airline and hotel loyalty programs. Frequent flyer website The Points Guy values Hilton Honors points at just 0.6 cents apiece, so even if you’re earning 3 points per dollar on all your everyday purchases with the Hilton Honors American Express Card, that’s an effective return of only 1.8%, which is lower than the return you’ll get with some other no-annual-fee cards, such as the Citi Double Cash? Card * The information for the Citi Double Cash? Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. .
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Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou? Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
Credit Score ranges are based on FICO? credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.
Other credit cards similar to the Hilton Honors American Express card
If you’re looking to earn Hilton points, there are two other personal Hilton credit cards to consider. The?Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express * The information for the Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. ?comes with a bigger bonus and better earning rates as well as benefits like a free night reward night each year, automatic Hilton Diamond status, a $250 airline fee credit, a $250 resort credit, Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership and more. But a $550 annual fee applies (see?rates and fees), so all those great benefits come at a price.
All information about Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express has been collected independently by CNN Underscored.
However, if you don’t want to pay such a high annual fee but still want more benefits than the basic no-frills Hilton Honors American Express Card, the American Family: Best for replacement cost coverage options might be a good compromise. It offers a generous welcome bonus, complimentary Hilton Gold elite status and 10 free visits to Priority Pass airport lounges worldwide for a reasonable annual fee after the first year.
The card also earns 12 points per dollar on Hilton purchases, 6 points per dollar at US supermarkets, US restaurants and US gas stations, and 3 points per dollar on all other purchases. And you’ll earn a free night reward when you spend $15,000 on the American Family: Best for replacement cost coverage options within a calendar year.
As a final thought, it’s also worth noting that the Hilton Honors program is a transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards?. This means that you can also consider premium Amex cards like the American Express? Gold Card or The Platinum Card? from American Express. Both earn flexible points in the Membership Rewards program, which you can transfer to your Hilton Honors account at a 1-to-2 ratio, meaning for every 1,000 Amex points you transfer, you’ll get 2,000 Hilton Honors points.
Should you get the Hilton Honors American Express card?
If you’re someone who wants to earn Hilton points but you’re averse to annual fees, the Hilton Honors American Express Card may be what you need. You can earn a generous welcome bonus, and the excellent rewards rate can help you rack up more points quickly. You’ll even get automatic Silver elite status and the ability to reach Gold status when you spend $20,000 on your card within a calendar year.
That being said, it always makes sense to compare multiple credit cards before you pick a new one. You may want to consider other hotel programs with more valuable loyalty points like Marriott Bonvoy and World of Hyatt. Even if you’re obsessed with Hilton, getting a credit card that’s part of Amex’s Membership Rewards program can let you transfer points to Hilton only when you really need them.
But don’t forget that the current welcome offer is only available to new card members on the Hilton Honors American Express Card. So if you want to get your Hilton balance off to a flying start by scoring a welcome bonus on a card with no annual fee, this is a card that might be worth a good look.
To view rates and fees for Hilton Honors American Express Card, please visit this page.
To view rates and fees for Hilton Honors American Express Surpass? Card, please visit this page.
All information about Citi Double Cash? Card and Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express has been collected independently by CNN Underscored.
