On October 19, 2023, American Express announced refreshed versions of their premium and mid-tier Hilton Honors cards. For the no annual fee Hilton Honors card, there were no benefit changes. Instead it received a new sleek card design and the same benefits as before. As has been the case for some time, American Express offers three personal Hilton Honors credit cards to choose from.

Hilton Honors Card (no annual fee)
Hilton Honors Surpass® Card (mid-tier card; $150 annual fee)
Hilton Honors Aspire® Card (premium card; $550 annual fee)

Which Hilton card is right for you? See a side by side comparison of all three cards.

The Hilton Honors Card is American Express’ no annual fee Hilton product. The Hilton portfolio span more than 7,000 properties around the world, covering everything from budget-friendly hotels to five-star luxury resorts. So if you need a quick boost of Hilton Honors points and don’t want to pay an annual fee, this may be the card for you.

On top of earning 100,000 Hilton Honors points after meeting the minimum spending requirements, you also get perks such as complimentary Hilton Honors Silver Status, which gets you the fifth night free on award stays of five or more consecutive nights and no foreign transaction fees.

Who is this card for?

This card is a great option for people who want a quick Hilton Honors points boost. One of the main highlights of the card is the complimentary Hilton Silver Status (with the chance to move to Gold Status after meeting a minimum spend requirement). This is the only way for many people who don’t travel frequently to get access to status and the benefits it provides. You’ll also benefit from higher earning rates on stays with Hilton, at U.S. restaurants, supermarkets and gas stations.

You can apply for the Hilton Honors Card from American Express here.

Card Features

Bonus Offer

You’ll earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first six months. That’s good enough for a free night at many properties or several nights at a mid or low-tier property.

You can redeem 80,000 points for an award night at the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai. (Photo courtesy Hilton Hotels)

Annual Fee

This card has no annual fee.

Earning Rates

The earnings rate on stays at Hilton properties are very good, so frequent stays at Hilton properties can quickly supercharge your points balance. You’ll earn:

7 points per $1 spent at Hilton properties
5 points per $1 spent at U.S. restaurants, supermarkets and gas stations
3 points per $1 on all other spending

This card also comes with complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status, which further enhances the earnings rate on Hilton stays. Silver status earns a 20% bonus over Member status, which is 12 points per $1 spent. So when you combine the earnings rates from the card and status, you’ll earn 19 points for every dollar spent at Hilton properties.

If you have a Hilton points goal you are striving to achieve, then using this card to pay for dining, groceries and gas can really help you reach that goal quickly.

You’ll earn bonus points at Hilton properties, but also at U.S. restaurants, grocery stores and gas stations.

However, if you have no specific Hilton goal in mind, you may want to think twice about using the card for anything other than Hilton stays. Hilton points are typically valued at 0.5 cents per point. So getting 5x points equals a return of 2.5%. There are other cards you could use on dining, groceries and gas that give you a greater return and/or more flexibility.

Other No Annual Fee Card Options

Dining – The Capital One® SavorOne℠ Cash Rewards Credit Card and the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi both earn 3% on all dining purchases.
Gas – The Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi earns 4% cash back on gas purchases while the Wells Fargo Propel American Express® Card earns 3x points at gas stations.

Because a standard room at one of Hilton’s luxury hotels can cost up to 110,000 points per night, spending on these other cards may be more valuable than earning Hilton points.

Redeeming Points

Hilton allows you to redeem points for gift cards, merchandise, and premium rooms. You can also transfer points to airlines at a rate of 10:1. None of these options are very enticing, in my opinion, so I would always look to redeem for standard award nights.

Hilton now uses a variable award chart, so you can never be totally sure how much an award night is going to cost. However, you can get a pretty good idea by looking into some of your desired properties.

When searching a property, check the “Use Flexible Dates” box to see how much an award night will cost over several weeks. For example, the Hilton Austin will cost 70,000 per night anytime on dates in March 2024. Below is an example search of standard award night costs for the Hilton Austin.

You can also consider using Hilton’s Points & Money option which allows you to book a night using both points and cash. The tool has a convenient slider that shows you how much cash would be needed if you spend less points.

Hilton Points & Money — The slider tool allows you to play around with different points/cash options.

Card Benefits

Hilton Honors Silver Status

As long as your account is open and in good standing, you’ll receive complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status. The perks of this status are the increased earnings rate on Hilton stays and the fifth night free on award stays of five or more consecutive nights. Plus, if you spend $20,000 in a calendar year and you can earn an upgrade to Hilton Honors Gold status through the end of the next calendar year.

Fifth Night Free

When redeeming points for a standard room award, every fifth night is free.

No Foreign Transaction Fees

For those who travel internationally, this card does not charge foreign transaction fees.

Other Travel Benefits

The card carries secondary collision damage waiver but no trip delay reimbursement or lost baggage insurance. If you’re renting a car, you should always try to use a card that provides primary collision damage waiver like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® or Chase Sapphire Reserve®.

Amex Offers

Amex Offers is a free program that saves you money or earns you points on shopping, dining and more. You choose offers from brands you love and get discounts in the form of statement credits or as extra points.

To redeem an offer, simply select the offer you want to add to your card. Then use your card to pay and see the savings or points add up on your statement.

Purchase Protection

This benefit covers your new purchases for 90 days against damage or theft up to $1,000 per occurence and $50,000 per account per calendar year. As always, make sure you read the fine print for benefit terms and conditions. But you’ll sleep easy knowing your new, big purchases are covered.

Return Protection

If you try to return an item purchased entirely with your Hilton Honors Card and the merchant won’t take it back, American Express may refund the full purchase price. This applies to eligible items within 90 days from the date of purchase. Coverage is capped at $300 per item up to a maximum of $1,000 per calendar year per Card account. Not all purchases are eligible for coverage, so read the list of exclusions.

ShopRunner Membership

Cardholders get a complimentary ShopRunner membership. ShopRunner is a third-party service that gives you free two-day shipping and free returns at 100+ online stores. A membership is normally $79 a year. Remember to enroll with ShopRunner after receiving your card.

Who should look for another card?

This card gives a pretty solid value for a no fee card, but if you stay at Hilton hotels at least a few times per year, consider the Hilton Honors Surpass® Card. That card has a higher welcome bonus, complimentary Hilton Gold Status, higher earning rates, $200 in annual Hilton credits and a free weekend night when you spend $15,000 or more in a calendar year. You can get all of those benefits for only $150 per year.

If you don’t want to be locked into one rewards program, then a flexible points card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card may be a better fit. It also has a $95 annual fee and comes with 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months. These points can be used in a variety of ways, including transferring to Hyatt, Marriott and IHG for hotel stays.

Bottom Line

American Express offers a trio of great Hilton-branded cards, and there’s likely a card to suit everybody’s unique needs. The Hilton Honors Card is certainly worth considering if you have an aversion to paying annual fees. With a lucrative sign-up bonus, nice earning rates and several valuable perks, it’s a great option for those who visit Hilton properties or are looking to quickly build their Hilton points balance. While it doesn’t offer the flexibility of a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred®, it could make your next stay at a Hilton property even more rewarding.

For even greater benefits and value, you could also consider the other two Hilton Honors cards. The $150 Hilton Honors Surpass® Card includes complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Status and Hilton credits to offset the annual fee. Additionally, the $550 Hilton Honors Aspire® Card comes with complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond Status, a free night reward, $400 in Hilton resort credits and $200 in airline flight credits.

Apply here for the Hilton Honors Card from American Express.