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With no annual fee, high rewards rates, and some handy travel benefits, the Hilton Honors™ American Express credit card is a great hotel rewards card for frequent and occasional travelers alike. However, points earn their highest value when redeemed for Hilton hotel stays, so frequent Hilton patrons can make the most out of this card.
Quick Review
The Hilton Honors™ American Express card is a no-annual-fee credit card that offers high rewards rates, flexible point redemption, and some useful insurance benefits and payment options through American Express.
You’ll earn Hilton Honors Bonus Points in three categories:
- 7 points per dollar on Hilton bookings and incidentals
- 5 points per dollar at US restaurants/supermarkets and on gas purchased at US gas stations
- 3 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases
Automatic enrollment in Silver-level membership also nets you 10 base points per dollar and a 20% total point bonus when you book Hilton hotel rooms, which stack with your bonus points when you pay with your Hilton Honors™ Amex.
In other words, that’s a total of 17 points per dollar on Hilton purchases—a rate that beats out several other hotel cards and blows general travel rewards cards out of the water.
You can also earn and redeem extra points with select car rental companies, and transfer your points to over three dozen airline partners. A small bundle of American Express benefits—like payment plans and purchase protection—add to this card’s versatility.
But the Hilton Honors™ American Express card does have its limitations. You can’t transfer balances to this card (making it unhelpful if you want to consolidate your credit card debt) and the purchase APR is steep, ranging from 19.49%–28.49% (variable). The value of points also changes based on how you redeem them, so more versatile options like using points on Amazon purchases may not earn you the best per-point value.
It’s also worth noting that international travelers will earn fewer points on their food and gas purchases, though they do get the benefit of no foreign transaction fees.
In all, the Hilton Honors™ American Express card offers plenty of value if you regularly stay at Hilton hotels, especially if you travel by rental car. Even if you’re not currently a Hilton Honors member, the $0 annual fee and high rewards rates make this card a good investment for your future vacations if you’re looking for a loyalty program to join.
Hilton Honors™ American Express Card Important Details
Basic Card Details
- Credit card issuer: American Express
- Annual fee: $0
- Purchase APR: 19.49%–28.49% (variable)
- Rewards rate: 3%–7%
- Welcome bonus: 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points when you spend $1,000 in first 3 months and a $100 statement credit for Hilton purchases made in first year
- Grace period: 25 days after end of billing period
Additional Information
- Bonus points on vehicles rented from Alamo, Enterprise, or National
- Special benefits for families when you book travel through American Express Travel
- Travel assistance through the Global Assist Hotline
- Insurance coverage for rental vehicles, plus coverage and extended warranties for qualifying purchases
- Statement credits from participating retailers through Amex Offers
- Instant card number sent upon approval
- Free ShopRunner membership for the lifetime of your account
- Make small statement payments or break up purchases over time with Pay It Plan It
- Send money or split purchases with Venmo and PayPal users with Send & Split
Hilton Honors™ American Express Card Feature Breakdown
In this section, we’ll go over the Hilton Honors™ Card’s fees, interest rates, rewards, and notable features so you can decide whether it’s worth adding to your wallet.
Fees
- Annual fee: $0
- Cash advance fee: $10 or 5% of advance amount (whichever is greater)
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Late payment fee: Up to $40
Interest Rates
- Purchase APR: 19.49%–28.49% (variable)
- Cash advance APR: 28.24% (variable)
- Penalty APR: 29.99% (variable)
Rewards
With the Hilton Honors™ Card, you earn Hilton Honors Bonus Points in three levels:
- 7x Hilton Honors Bonus Points per dollar on Hilton purchases, including bookings and incidentals
- 5x Hilton Honors Bonus Points per dollar at restaurants and supermarkets in the US, and on gas purchased at US gas stations
- 3x Hilton Honors Bonus Points per dollar on all other eligible purchases
The 5-point category notably excludes grocery purchases made at warehouse clubs, superstores, and convenience stores, as well as purchases of meal-kit delivery services.
Through the Drive Off with Savings program, you’ll earn 500 Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each eligible car you rent from Alamo, Enterprise, or National, plus an additional 500 points per rental day (for a maximum of 4,500 rental-period bonus points). The primary cardholder must also be the primary driver for this benefit to apply.
Bonus points you earn with your card will not contribute towards elevating your Hilton Honors membership status.
Redeeming Rewards
Hilton Honors points can be redeemed in the following ways:
- Pay for Hilton hotel stays (with no blackout dates)
- Pay for Lyft rides
- Rent vehicles with Alamo, Enterprise, and National
- Shop at Amazon or select retailers through the Hilton Honors Shopping Mall
- Transfer your points to 30+ airline rewards programs
- Purchase tickets to exclusive dining, sporting, and entertainment events through Hilton Honors Experiences
- Donate points to charity via PointWorthy
If you want to convert your points to miles, you can transfer your points to any of the following Hilton airline partners:
- Aeroflot Russian Airlines
- Aeromexico
- Aeroplan
- AirAsia
- Alaska Airlines
- ANA / All Nippon Airways
- Cathay Pacific
- Asiana Airlines
- Avianca Airlines
- British Airways
- China Eastern Airlines
- Delta Airlines
- Emirates
- Ethiopian Airlines
- Etihad Airways
- Eurowings
- EVA Air
- Finnair
- Air France-KLM
- Frontier Airlines
- Garuda Indonesia
- Hainan Airlines
- Hawaiian
- Japan Airlines
- Jet Airways
- LAN Airlines
- Malaysia Airlines
- Philippine Airlines
- Qantas Airways
- Qatar Airways
- Saudi Arabian Airlines
- Singapore Airlines
- South African Airways
- Turkish Airlines
- United Airlines
- Virgin Atlantic Airways
- Virgin Australia
Hilton Honors Status Upgrades
With the Hilton Honors™ Amex card, you automatically receive complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status for your account. With Silver status, you earn 11 Base Points per dollar (10 Base Points for basic membership plus a 20% point bonus as a Silver member) and these points stack with your bonus points when you pay for eligible purchases with your card.
Your Silver status will remain for the lifetime of your Hilton Honors™ American Express card account, though it can be revoked by American Express. If that does happen, you can re-qualify by earning enough Base Points to achieve Silver status again.
If you spend at least $20,000 in eligible purchases in a year, you may be upgraded to Hilton Honors Gold status. Though only the primary cardholder will receive the upgrade, purchases made by authorized users will contribute to it. Your Gold status will expire two years after it is earned unless you continue to spend at least $20,000 per year or otherwise qualify by earning enough Base Points.
Welcome Bonus
If you charge $1,000 to your Hilton Honors™ Amex in your first 3 months, you’ll earn 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points. You can also earn a $100 statement credit when you spend at least that much at Hilton properties in your first year.
Cash Advance
You can use your Hilton Honors™ American Express card to take out cash advances, but it wouldn’t be a great choice. Cash advances you take out with your card are subject to 28.24% APR and a fee of either $10 or 5% of the amount of your advance (whichever is greater), making withdrawing money from an ATM on this card a very expensive option.
Travel Benefits
The Hilton Honors™ Card offers a few travel benefits, courtesy of American Express:
- Destination Family: Get special benefits, like joining rooms or early check-in, when you book your family vacation through American Express Travel.
- Global Assist Hotline: Get travel assistance and referrals to emergency services, courtesy of American Express.
- Price matching: If you book a hotel stay through amextravel.com and later find a better online rate for your room, American Express will reimburse you for the difference.
- Car rental theft/damage coverage: When you forgo the rental company’s coverage and charge the full cost of the vehicle to your card, you’ll be covered for the theft or damage to your rental vehicle.
You’ll also get access to exclusive entertainment and dining events through the following American Express programs:
- American Express Access
- American Express Early Access
- American Express Experiences
- Card Member Performances
Other Benefits
As an American Express card, the Hilton Honors™ Amex card comes with some special features, including two forms of insurance coverage for your purchases:
- Extended warranties: Extend the warranty on a qualifying purchase by an additional year, for manufacturers’ warranties of five years or less.
- Purchase protection: Get reimbursed for damage or theft of eligible purchases within 90 days of purchase, for up to $50,000 per year.
You also get access to some special deals:
- Amex Offers: Earn statement credits with select retailers when you activate deals through Amex Offers.
- Complimentary ShopRunner membership: Enroll in a free membership to ShopRunner for as long as your Hilton Honors™ Card account remains open.
Lastly, the Hilton Honors™ American Express credit card offers flexible ways to pay:
- Instant card number: Start making purchases before your card arrives physically.
- Pay It Plan It: With Pay It, you can make payments of less than $100 to your outstanding balance. With Plan It, you can break up a purchase of over $100 into interest-free payments over time (with a flat fee).
- Send & Split: Send money and split payments with Venmo and PayPal users through the American Express mobile app.
- Spending limits: Place a spending limit on authorized users’ cards.
Credit Reporting
American Express reports to the major credit bureaus: TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax. Credit reporting is an important part of maintaining an up-to-date credit report and keeping your credit score gleaming.
Authorized Users
You can add authorized users to your Hilton Honors™ Amex card for no additional fee. Authorized users must be at least 13 years old and must never have had an American Express account in default.
With the spending limits functionality, you can control how much your authorized users are allowed to spend on the card.
Customer Service
If you have any questions about your Hilton Honors™ American Express card, you can contact American Express customer service through the following phone numbers:
- Existing cardholders: (800) 528-4800
- Checking application status: (877) 239-3491
You can also contact American Express by mail at the following address:
American Express
P.O. Box 981535
El Paso, TX 79998-1535
Should You Get the Hilton Honors™ American Express Card?
FinanceJar verdict
The Hilton Honors™ American Express card offers great rewards rates with no annual fee or foreign transaction fees, and American Express offers a beneficial spread of policies, protections, and benefits.
The Hilton Honors™ American Express is a recommendable option for members of the Hilton Honors loyalty program, or those who frequently stay in hotels and aren’t currently involved in a specific program. However, non-hotel travelers may benefit more from non-branded rewards cards that offer more points for flexible redemption options.
Who is this card for?
- Hilton Honors members: If you’re already a Hilton Honors member, you’ll appreciate the boost in points you earn through hotel stays and everyday spending, plus the jump up to Silver membership status. This card is definitely useful to have on hand, as you’ll earn plenty of points on your everyday purchases that can be used toward your next Hilton stay.
- Domestic travelers: If you only travel within the US, you won’t need to worry about missing out on earning US-only points. Plus, the ability to earn points on gas, grocery, and dining expenses, and to earn and redeem points with select rental car agencies makes this a great card to have on a road trip.
Comparable Cards
Here’s a look at how the Hilton Honors™ Amex compares to other hotel rewards cards.
