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With 7,000+ properties in 120+ countries, Hilton has established itself as a premier hotel brand that is accessible to every type of traveler. Plus, it doesn’t matter if you’re just an occasional guest at Hilton properties or if Hilton hotel rooms have become your second home — you’re sure to appreciate the value of having the right Hilton credit card.
Whether it’s the special treatment you receive during your stay due to having Hilton Honors elite status, or enjoying the free hotel nights you’ve earned, there are benefits to be realized with a Hilton-branded card in your wallet.
If you’ve chosen Hilton as your preferred brand and still haven’t made the plunge to secure a Hilton-branded card, it’s your lucky day.
Our article today is focused on you, the Hilton loyalist, and contains information that can help you select the right card to enhance and maximize your existing Hilton relationship. We’ll also talk about the value a general travel rewards card could offer a Hilton fan.
Before we expand on the benefits of Hilton-branded cards and how a travel rewards card can add value for a Hilton loyalist, let’s look at a summary of the cards we’ll be discussing in our article.
| Rewards Card | Earnings | Hilton Benefits | Annual Fee |
| Hilton Honors American Express Card |
|
| $0 (rates and fees) |
| The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card |
|
| $95 |
| Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card |
|
| $450 |
| The Platinum Card® from American Express |
|
| $695 (rates and fees) |
| American Express® Gold Card |
|
| $250 (rates and fees) |
| The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card |
|
| $95 (rates and fees) |
| The Business Platinum Card® from American Express |
|
| $695 (rates and fees) |
| American Express® Business Gold Card |
|
| $295 (rates and fees) |
Now, let’s move on and take a look closer at each of our featured cards to determine the level of benefits each one can provide the Hilton devotee.
Bottom Line: Hilton-branded cards may deliver the best value for Hilton loyalists. A travel rewards card could be a better choice for those who only stay at Hilton properties occasionally or if Hilton is not their preferred hotel brand.
American Express offers 3 personal Hilton Honors-branded cards, all of which come with complimentary elite status, elevated earnings at Hilton properties, and bonus-earning categories that help your points stash add up quickly.
If you prefer not to pay an annual fee but are still interested in elevated points earnings and elite status with Hilton Honors, the entry-level Hilton Honors card deserves your attention.
We like that the card offers elevated rewards at Hilton properties but also offers 3x points on everyday purchases. Earning points on purchases you’re already making and securing reward Hilton hotel nights in the process is a win-win.
The Hilton Surpass card kicks the earnings up a notch and gives complimentary airport lounge access, Hilton Honors elite status, and the opportunity to earn free hotel night certificates.
The Hilton Surpass card strikes a nice balance between annual fee outlay and corresponding benefits. It also provides strong bonus category earnings that make it easy to accumulate Hilton Honors points that can be redeemed for additional reward hotel nights.
The Hilton Aspire card packs in a ton of value for the traveler who favors the Hilton brand. With complimentary top elite status, hundreds of dollars in statement credits, free hotel nights, worldwide airport lounge access, and elevated earnings, it’s a card that pays for itself in value delivered.
Learn more about earning Hilton Honors points and maximizing your points at redemption time.
Bottom Line: There’s a Hilton-branded card for every level of Hilton guest. Plus, each card comes with elevated earnings at Hilton brands, additional bonus spending categories, complimentary Hilton Honors elite status, and travel/shopping benefits.
The best travel rewards cards can also provide Hilton benefits. Here are 2 of the cards we like best for earning rewards that allow you to secure free hotel nights with Hilton in addition to many other travel benefits.
Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of up to 125k (or 150k) points with the Amex Platinum. The current public offer is 80,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)
The Amex Platinum card is considered royalty among travel rewards cards. The card is built for the frequent traveler who values premium travel perks such as worldwide airport lounge access, elevated rewards earning on flight purchases, and complimentary hotel elite status. Note that some benefits require enrollment, so be sure to explore your American Express account to get the most out of your card.
This is just a sampling of the core benefits that come with the Amex Platinum card.
It’s important to note that prepaid Hilton reservations made through Amex Travel could result in a forfeit of any elite benefits associated with your Hilton Honors status.
Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of up to 90,000 points with the Amex Gold card. The current public offer is 60,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)
The Amex Gold card earns valuable Membership Rewards points on everyday purchases, and you’ll find it easy to turn those rewards into reward Hilton hotel nights.
Spending $25,000 on the Amex Gold card in 4x points-earning categories each year can translate into 100,000 Membership Rewards points.
You’ll also find that Membership Rewards points earned on the card can be transferred to airline partners where you can receive even greater value by booking award flight tickets.
Bottom Line: If you stay at Hilton just occasionally and are not a Hilton loyalist, a travel rewards card could be an alternative that offers the opportunity to secure reward Hilton hotel nights and even Hilton Honors elite status while not locking you into the program.
If you own a business, it makes economic sense to earn rewards on every purchase you make. If you’re a business owner who frequents Hilton properties, a Hilton-branded card supplemented by a general travel rewards card could be a wise combination.
You could receive complimentary elite status, elevated earnings, reward hotel nights, and much more.
Here are our choices for the best business credit cards for Hilton fans.
The frequent business traveler who stays at Hilton properties will appreciate the perks of the Hilton Business Amex card. Paying your business expenses with the card can result in elevated elite status and additional free hotel night certificates.
The card also has a much lower annual fee than comparable business credit cards with similar benefits.
Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a huge welcome bonus offer of up to 170,000 points with the Amex Business Platinum. The current public offer is 120,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)
The Amex Business Platinum card heavily rewards the business owner who spends a lot on flights, wants the extra perks of elite status, and values worldwide lounge access.
Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a huge welcome bonus offer of up to 110,000 points with the Amex Business Gold card! The current public offer is 70,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)
The Amex Business Gold card rewards your 2 highest business spending categories each statement period with 4x points.
If you’re a business owner and spend a lot on flights, the earnings and redemption structure of the Amex Business Gold card could prove beneficial.
Bottom Line: A wise business owner can benefit greatly from a business credit card that earns rewards on every purchase. While we’ve mentioned a few cards that may be appropriate for Hilton loyalists, check out our article on additional business credit cards that would pair up quite nicely with a Hilton card.
Every Hilton-branded card, the Amex Platinum card, and the Amex Business Platinum card come with complimentary Hilton Honors elite status. With all this conversation about elite status, however, it’s fair to wonder what the actual value of having status might be.
We’ve written several articles that describe the value of Hilton Honors elite status, but here’s a snapshot of what you can expect at each level.
Benefits start when you join the Hilton Honors loyalty program and increase as you make your way to top Diamond Elite status (which comes complimentary with the Hilton Aspire card).
Here are a few of the benefits compared:
| Benefits | Member
0-9 nights/year | Silver Elite
10-39 nights/year | Gold Elite
40-59 nights/year | Diamond Elite
50-74 nights/year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points Towards Free Nights | X | 20% | 80% | 100% |
| No Resort Fees on Award Stays | X | X | X | X |
| Late Checkout | X | X | X | X |
| Fifth Standard Rewards Night Free | – | X | X | X |
| 2 Bottles of Water | – | X | X | X |
| Elite Tier Rollover Nights | – | X | X | X |
| Space Available Room Upgrade | – | – | Up to Executive Room type | Up to 1-Bedroom Suite room type |
| Complimentary Breakfast at All Hotels (Or a Food and Beverage Credit in the U.S.) | – | – | X | X |
| Unlimited Milestone Bonuses | – | – | X | X |
| Executive Lounge Access | – | – | – | X |
| Diamond Status Extension | – | – | – | X |
| 48-Hour Room Guarantee | – | – | – | X |
| Elite Status Gifting | – | – | – | X |
Bottom Line: Every Hilton-branded card, the Amex Platinum card, and the Amex Business Platinum card, all offer complimentary Hilton Honors elite status; just make sure you’re enrolled through your American Express account.
If you frequent Hilton properties, by all means, consider a Hilton-branded card for the elevated rewards earnings, Hilton Honors elite status, free hotel nights, and related benefits. If you’re also a frequent traveler, adding a general travel rewards card to supplement a Hilton card can be a smart move.
As always, you’ll want to match reward structures with your spending mix, select a card with benefits you can use, and make sure the card offers redemption options that you find valuable.
Also worth noting is that we haven’t included any Chase personal or Chase business credit cards in this article due to the fact that Hilton is not a Chase transfer partner. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve®, and the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card, however, are some of the best travel rewards cards available and worthy of consideration as a partner card for a Hilton-branded card.
To learn more about Hilton-branded cards and our picks for the best travel rewards cards, check out our related articles.
The information regarding The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Card, click here.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, click here.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, click here.
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Christine ran her own business developing and managing insurance and financial services. This stoked a passion for points and miles and she now has over 2 dozen credit cards and creates in-depth, detailed content for UP.
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