Hilton Honors Amex Card review: High welcome bonus and no annual fee

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

Hilton Honors American Express Card overview

The Hilton Honors American Express Card is the brand’s no-annual-fee (see rates and fees) entry-level product. Featuring 7 points per dollar on eligible Hilton purchases and complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status, the card is a solid option for new cardholders loyal to the hotel chain or those looking to avoid annual fees. However, other travel cards offer more points flexibility and bigger perks. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐

*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

The Hilton Honors program covers over 7,000 hotels in more than 120 countries, providing plenty of chances to earn and redeem points.

If you’re a beginner looking for a credit card with some Hilton perks, you may want to look at the Hilton Honors American Express Card. It has no annual fee and comes with a nice welcome offer, generous category bonuses and travel and purchase protections, making it a great option for travelers looking to get started with Hilton Honors.

While the two other Hilton consumer cards recently underwent refreshes to their benefits and annual fees, the only change to this card was a new card design, shown below.

Here’s everything you need to decide if the card is right for your wallet.

Hilton Honors Amex welcome offer

New applicants for the Amex Hilton Honors card can earn 100,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after spending $2,000 in purchases within the first six months of card membership. Offer ends Jan. 17, 2024.

The highest-ever offer we’ve seen on this card we have seen on this card has been 130,000 bonus points with a $5,000 spending requirement, and although the current offer is 30% less, it also has a much lower spending requirement. If you’ve been on the fence due to the high spending required, now might be a good time to apply.

TPG values Hilton points at 0.6 cents apiece, which means this bonus is worth $600, all for no annual fee and just a $2,000 spending threshold.

Hilton Honors Amex benefits

The Hilton Honors Amex features a few notable perks and benefits beyond the welcome bonus.

large pool surrounded by palm trees and lounge chairs — HILTON

Here’s an overview of what this card has to offer:

- Elite status — Card members automatically receive Hilton Honors Silver elite status, which provides member discounts, a 20% points bonus on paid stays, no resort fees on award stays, and a fifth night free on award stays. If you spend $20,000 on the card in a calendar year, you can upgrade to Hilton Honors Gold status, which TPG values at $1,220. It’s worth pointing out that other Hilton credit cards offer Gold status automatically, meaning spending $20,000 to get there isn’t a good value.
- Entertainment — Get exclusive access to ticket presales and cardmember-only events, along with Broadway shows, concert tours, sporting events and more through the American Express Experiences program.
- ShopRunner — Free two-day shipping on eligible items at a network of more than 100 online stores after signing up at shoprunner.com/americanexpress. Enrollment is required in advance.
- Extended warranty* — The card comes with an extended warranty that adds up to one year to an original manufacturer’s warranty of five years or less.
- Purchase Protection* — Purchase protection covers items accidentally damaged, stolen or lost if you paid for them with your card. This benefit covers purchases for up to 90 days and covers up to $1,000 per item — up to $50,000 per calendar year.
- Car rental insurance** — When you use the card to reserve and pay for a car rental and decline the rental company’s insurance, you’re covered against damage and theft — up to $50,000. This benefit is secondary coverage to your own auto insurance and doesn’t include liability.

*Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.

**Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered, and geographic restrictions apply. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

Earning points on the Hilton Honors Amex

With the Hilton Honors Amex, you’ll earn 7 Hilton Honors points per dollar on stays at Hilton hotels and resorts (including paying for your room and on-site spending at restaurants and spas), 5 points per dollar at U.S. restaurants (including takeout and delivery), 5 points per dollar at U.S. gas stations and U.S. supermarkets, and 3 points per dollar on other purchases.

Given TPG values Hilton points at 0.6 cents apiece, you’ll earn a 1.8% return on daily purchases and a 4.2% return at Hilton hotels — though you’ll get an extra 12 points per dollar from your Hilton Honors Silver elite status, bumping your return to 11.4%.

KYLE OLSEN/THE POINTS GUY

If you’re looking for higher earning opportunities covering a wider swath of travel purchases, including flights and rental cars, you won’t get that with this card.

Redeeming points on the Hilton Honors Amex

You’ll get the best value for your Hilton points for hotel and resort stays, even with the chain’s lack of published award charts. How many points you need for a hotel room fluctuates, so you won’t know the final price until you go to make a reservation. The Points Explorer tool can show you what other guests have paid recently.

You can also transfer your Hilton Honors points to over 40 global airline loyalty programs and Amtrak. However, unless you need to transfer Honors points to top off an airline account for a specific award, using them for this purpose isn’t a good idea. The transfer ratio is normally terrible, losing thousands of points.

Our advice? Stick to hotel room redemptions to get the best value for your rewards.

You’ll do even better when you redeem points for a stay of five nights or longer. That’s because you get a fifth night free on stays using points.

hotel pricing using points, showing the 5th night is free — HILTON.COM

This hotel near Niagara Falls charges 29,000 points, but you’ll see in the image that the fifth night is free — resulting in a final price of 116,000 points for five nights.

To learn more about redeeming Hilton points (and doing so at a great value), read the following guides:

Which cards compete with the Hilton Honors Amex?

The Amex Hilton Honors card has natural competitors with “Hilton” in their names, but a general travel credit card also may do better in your wallet. Here are options you should consider.

If you like Hilton but want more perks, The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card earns a higher 12 points per dollar at Hilton hotels, provides automatic Gold status, and you can earn a free night reward by spending $15,000 on purchases in a calendar year. You’ll also get up to $200 in statement credits toward Hilton purchases annually (up to $50 each quarter), and the card has a low $150 annual fee (see rates and fees). For more information, please read our full review of the Amex Hilton Surpass card.
If you want flexible rewards with no annual fee, The Amex EveryDay^® Credit Card earns 2 American Express Membership Rewards points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 of purchases per year, then 1 point per dollar) and 1 point per dollar on other purchases. You can use these points with Hilton and over a dozen airline and hotel programs. You won’t get any benefits with Hilton but will have options with your points while still not paying an annual fee (see rates and fees). For more information, please read our full review of the Amex EveryDay card.
If you want a hotel card without an annual fee, regardless of brand, The Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card is an option if you want a hotel credit card without an annual fee and aren’t tied to Hilton. You’ll earn 3 points per dollar at Marriott Bonvoy properties, complimentary Silver Elite status (and 15 elite night credits to help you reach higher status levels with Marriott), and other travel and shopping protections. For more information, read our full review of the Marriott Bonvoy Bold card.

The information for the Amex EveryDay card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

For additional options, see our list of the best hotel credit cards and American Express cards.

the outdoor area of a hotel set in the woods, showing tables and chairs set around outdoor fire pits — HILTON

Is the Hilton Honors Amex worth it?

You might assume the Amex Hilton card is worth it by default since it has no annual fee. It depends on what you’re looking for, though. If entry-level elite status, a good welcome bonus and fair earning categories are sufficient, you’ll like this card. If you’re looking for flexible rewards or more Hilton perks, go for one with an annual fee.

Bottom line

The Hilton Honors American Express Card is a good starter card for those looking to maximize the benefits of Hilton’s loyalty program without paying an annual fee — especially with the increased welcome bonus. It may not be the right card for everyone, though it may be the right card for you if that’s what you seek.

Apply here: Hilton Honors Amex with 100,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the card within your first six months of card membership. Offer ends Jan. 17, 2024.

For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Amex Card, click here.

For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Amex Surpass Card, click here.

For rates and fees of the Amex EveryDay Credit Card, click here.