Hilton Honors American Express Business card review 2024

Our quick take: The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card * The information for the The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. (terms apply, see rates and fees) is geared toward small business owners, freelancers and entrepreneurs who want to earn rewards for free hotel stays and get elite status perks at Hilton hotels that can make travel more comfortable or affordable.

Pros:

• Earn 12 points for every dollar you spend on Hilton purchases
• Earn 6 points per dollar at U.S. gas stations, on U.S. wireless telephone services, U.S. shipping purchases, U.S. restaurants, flights booked with airlines or through AmexTravel.com and car rentals booked direct
• Earn 3 points per dollar on all other purchases
• Complimentary Hilton Gold elite status
• 10 free visits annually to Priority Pass airport lounges worldwide
• Earn a free night reward when you spend $15,000 on your card in a calendar year
• Earn a second free night reward when you spend an additional $45,000 on your card in a calendar year
• Free employee cards
• No foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees)

Cons:

• Hilton Honors points are worth less than many competing hotel loyalty programs
• Some card benefits require large amounts of annual spending to access
• $195 annual fee (see rates and fees)

Current welcome bonus: Earn 175,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases with your Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer expires 1/8/25.

Best for: Business owners who want to earn Hilton points on their business expenses, as well as business travelers who want access to elite perks when they fly or stay in Hilton hotels.

Digging into the Hilton Honors Amex Business card

While Hilton offers several credit cards, The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card * The information for the The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. is the only option for small business owners and entrepreneurs. However, many Hilton fans opt to have both The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card * The information for the The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. and a personal Hilton credit card in order to earn rewards on both their personal and business expenses.

But The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card * The information for the The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. is worth having as a standalone business card, particularly if you want to earn free hotel stays while enjoying some elite benefits. This business credit card will only set you back $195 per year, yet you’ll earn Hilton points for every dollar your business spends.

You’ll also receive Gold elite status — the middle tier of Hilton status, which comes with a complimentary continental breakfast each morning of your stay — just by having The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card * The information for the The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. . Other major card member benefits include 10 Priority Pass airport lounge passes each year, a free night reward when you spend $15,000 on your card within a calendar year and another free night reward when you spend an additional $45,000 within a calendar year.

If you’re able to snag that second free night reward with $60,000 in annual spending total, you’ll also receive complimentary Hilton Diamond elite status along the way, as the card awards Diamond status for $40,000 in spending each calendar year.

Advantages of the Hilton Honors Amex Business card

Hilton Gold elite status means you’ll enjoy elite benefits like free breakfast, room upgrades, milestone bonuses and more. However, this status also earns 80% bonus points on paid stays. This means that instead of earning just the standard 10 Hilton points per dollar that all Hilton Honors members earn when they stay at Hilton hotels, you’ll earn 18 points for every dollar you spend just for your stay.

On top of that, paying with The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card * The information for the The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. earns another 12 points per dollar on Hilton purchases. This means that, at the end of the day, having Gold status and paying with your Hilton credit card will net you 30 total points for every dollar you spend at Hilton properties.

Also, this card offers some unique protections and card member perks. You’ll receive extended warranty protection on eligible items that come with a manufacturer’s warranty of five years or less, as well as purchase protection on items you buy with the card. So if an item is damaged or stolen within 90 days of buying it, you can be reimbursed up to $1,000 per occurrence, with a cap of $50,000 in claims per year.1

And if your baggage is lost, stolen or damaged while you’re traveling, the baggage insurance coverage on The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card * The information for the The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. will cover you for up to $1,250 per carry-on bag and $500 per checked bag. (Note that the maximum aggregate limit for covered persons per trip is $10,000 in New York State.)2

Disadvantages of the Hilton Honors Amex Business card

The biggest downside of The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card * The information for the The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. is that it charges a $195 annual fee that isn’t waived the first year, which may or may not be worth it depending on how often you take advantage of your card member benefits. If you don’t stay at Hilton hotels often enough to use the Gold elite status perks, you may be better off with another business credit card that offers different benefits.

Also, some of the card member perks on The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card * The information for the The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. require a very high level of annual spending. For example, you’ll earn a free night reward when you spend $15,000 on the card in a calendar year, which is only an average of $1,250 per month. Yet you won’t earn a second free night reward until you spend an additional $45,000 within a calendar year, a much higher $5,000 monthly average.

Finally, you definitely won’t want to carry a balance on The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card * The information for the The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. , since its APR is a 20.49% - 29.49% Variable depending on your creditworthiness (see rates and fees). That means if you don’t pay your balance in full every month, you’ll end up paying much more in interest than you’ll get in perks and rewards from having the card in the first place.

Other credit cards similar to the Hilton Honors Amex Business card

If you want to earn Hilton Honors points but you don’t necessarily want or need a business credit card, you should look at Hilton credit cards for consumers. Fortunately, there are three options to choose from, depending on the benefits you want and how much you’re willing to pay in fees.

The Hilton Honors American Express Card earns fewer points and comes with limited perks, but it has no annual fee (see rates and fees). You can also opt for the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass? Card, which features many of the same benefits as The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card * The information for the The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. , including Gold elite status and 10 free Priority Pass lounge passes.

You could also apply for 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. . This luxury travel credit card will set you back $550 per year, but you’ll get benefits like automatic Hilton Diamond elite status, a $250 airline fee credit, a $250 resort credit, Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership and a free night reward each year. This card also comes with a generous welcome bonus and a higher earning rate on Hilton purchases and other bonus categories.

And if you’re not specifically looking for Hilton perks, you might consider a broader American Express business travel card. Both the American Express? Business Gold Card * The information for the American Express? Business Gold Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. and The Business Platinum Card? from American Express * The information for the The Business Platinum 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. earn Membership Rewards? points that can be transferred to any of 21 airline and hotel partners, including Hilton itself if you decide you want Hilton points.

You’ll even get two Hilton points for every one Membership Rewards point you transfer from either of these cards. But with so many possible transfer partners, you’ll likely find even more value with one or more of the other options.

Should you get the Hilton Amex Business Card?

You should take the time to compare The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card * The information for the The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. to the other personal Hilton cards to see if its features fit your needs and spending habits, as well as other flexible travel credit cards that let you book hotel stays not only with Hilton, but also with any other hotel brand. Make sure you consider all your options until you find the right fit.

But if you’re a business owner who wants to snag some elite Hilton benefits and also earn points that can score you or your employees a free Hilton stay down the line, The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card * The information for the The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card has been collected independently by CNN Underscored. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. may fit the bill.

¹When an American Express? Card Member charges a Covered Purchase to an Eligible Card, Extended Warranty can provide up to one extra year added to the Original Manufacturer’s Warranty. Applies to warranties of five (5) years or less. Coverage is up to the actual amount charged to your Card for the item up to a maximum of $10,000; not to exceed $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

²Baggage Insurance Plan coverage can be in effect for Eligible Persons for eligible lost, damaged, or stolen Baggage during their travel on a Common Carrier (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus) when the entire fare for a Common Carrier Vehicle ticket for the trip (one-way or round-trip) is charged to an eligible Account. Coverage can be provided for up to $1,250 for carry-on Baggage and up to $500 for checked Baggage, in excess of coverage provided by the Common Carrier (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus). For New York State residents, there is a $10,000 aggregate maximum limit for all Covered Persons per Covered Trip. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.