Link: Apply now for the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
Hotel credit cards are among the most underrated credit cards out there, given the perks that they can offer, including elite status and free nights.
While I’ve historically been primarily loyal to Hyatt and Marriott, Hilton has grown on me a lot in recent years, thanks to the number of new luxury hotels the group has opened, and also thanks to how easy it is to earn points and status with Hilton’s co-branded credit cards.
I’ve reviewed all three personal Hilton credit cards, including the:
- Hilton Honors American Express Card (review)
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (review)
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card (review)
In this post, I wanted to take an in-depth look at the one business credit card issued by Hilton and American Express, which is potentially a great option if you have a small business.
The information and associated card details on this page for the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by OMAAT and has not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
In this post:
Hilton Honors Business Card Basics For November 2024
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card is the one Hilton American Express small business credit card. How does this card compare to the personal versions of the card, and how does it compare to other business credit cards?
In this post, I wanted to take a closer look at the welcome offer, annual fee, return on spending, perks, and more.
Earn 175,000 Hilton Honors Points
For applications through Wednesday, January 8, 2025, the Hilton Business Card has a limited time welcome offer of 175,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after spending $8,000 within the first six months. I value Hilton Honors points at 0.5 cents each, so to me, the points are worth $875. That’s a fantastic offer for this card, and better than the previous offer, which was for up to 130,000 points.
Eligibility For Bonus & Amex Application Restrictions
The welcome offer on the Hilton Business Card is not available to those who currently have the card, or those who have had the card in the past, in line with Amex’s “once in a lifetime” rule. You are eligible for the bonus if you have had any of the personal Hilton credit cards, though, as those are all considered to be separate products.
I find that Amex cards are fairly easy to be approved for, for those with excellent credit. Just make sure you know Amex’s general application restrictions, including:
- You can be approved for at most two Amex credit cards in a 90-day period
- You can generally have at most five American Express credit cards at any point; this doesn’t include hybrid cards
Also keep in mind that if it’s a concern, opening Amex business cards doesn’t count toward Chase’s 5/24 limit.
Annual Fee
The Hilton Business Credit Card has a $195 annual fee, and you can add authorized users to the card at no extra cost. (Rates & Fees)
Earning Honors Points With The Hilton Business Card
The Hilton Business Card has a lucrative return on Hilton spending, and on top of that, is one of the best hotel credit cards for everyday spending, up to a certain limit. In addition to the points you earn through spending, you can earn Hilton Diamond status if you spend enough on the card.
What’s the rewards structure on the card like?
12x Hilton Points At Hilton Hotels
The Hilton Business Card offers 12x Hilton Honors points on eligible Hilton purchases. I value Hilton points at ~0.5 cents each, so to me, that’s like a 6% return on hotel spending, which is excellent.
5x Hilton Points On Other Purchases
The Hilton Business Card offers 5x Hilton Honors points on all other purchases made using the card, on the first $100,000 spent every calendar year. After that, you earn 3x points on everyday spending. Based on my valuation of Hilton Honors points, that’s like a 2.5% return on everyday spending (of the first $100K), which is quite attractive.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
The Hilton Business Card has no foreign transaction fees (Rates & Fees), so it’s an excellent card for purchases abroad, especially for stays at Hilton properties.
Hilton Business Card Benefits
The Hilton Business Card offers a few benefits that potentially more than justify the annual fee. Under what circumstances are these perks worth taking advantage of?
Up to $240 in Hilton credits per year
The Hilton Business Card offers a benefit that will more than justify the annual fee for those who stay at Hiltons regularly. The card offers up to $240 in statement credits annually for Hilton stays.
The way this works, you get up to $60 in statement credits each quarter for purchases made directly with a property in the Hilton portfolio with your card. So as long as you spend at least $60 per quarter on a Hilton stay — whether it’s on room rates or incidentals when redeeming points — this card will net you $240 per year in statement credits.
Hilton Honors Gold Status
Just for having the Hilton Business Amex you receive complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status. For someone who occasionally stays at Hiltons, Gold status is excellent, as it offers the following benefits:
- Free breakfast and/or executive lounge access (you get a food & beverage credit in lieu of this at properties in the United States)
- Late check-out, subject to availability
- Preferred rooms
- 80% points bonus
- Fifth night free on award stays
Hilton Honors Diamond Status With Spending
You can earn Hilton’s top-tier Diamond status for spending on this card. If you spend $40,000 on the card in a calendar year you’ll earn top tier Hilton Honors Diamond status, which comes with the following perks:
- Guaranteed executive lounge access for properties with lounges
- Free breakfast at properties without lounges (you get a food & beverage credit in lieu of this at properties in the United States)
- Room upgrades, including up to suites, at the hotel’s discretion
- Late check-out, subject to availability
- 100% points bonus
National Emerald Club Executive Status
The Hilton Business Card offers National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status for as long as you have the card, as long as you enroll. National is my favorite major rental car company, and this status gets you Executive Area Access in the United States and Canada, letting you pick your car from the lot. You can register for this through your online account using the card. (Enrollment required)
Amex Offers
One of my favorite features of Amex cards is access to Amex Offers, which offers savings on purchases with all kinds of retailers. There’s huge value to be had in getting as many Amex cards as possible, so that you can get these offers on multiple cards.
Amex Offers could save you hundreds of dollars per year. You can access these offers by logging into your account and scrolling down to the bottom of your account summary page.
Is The Hilton Business Amex Worth It?
Given Hilton’s huge global footprint, I think it’s absolutely worth having a Hilton credit card. The Hilton Business Card is the only business card in the portfolio, so if you’re looking for a Hilton card for your business spending, this is the best bet.
Ultimately I think this is a card that’s pretty easy to justify. For one, if you stay at Hiltons at least once per quarter, then the up to $240 in Hilton credits should more than cover the annual fee, and make this card a no-brainer.
Beyond that, the card offers Gold status, which comes with perks like free breakfast and more. Even if you just stay at Hilton properties occasionally, that should more than make up for the annual fee. The card could also be worth spending money on, given the 5x points that you can earn, plus the ability to spend your way toward Diamond status.
Below I wanted to share a few more thoughts on the card.
Card Showdown: Hilton Surpass Vs. Hilton Business
The Hilton Surpass Card is essentially the personal version of the Hilton Business Card, so which is more lucrative? Both cards offer Hilton Honors Gold status, 12x points on Hilton spending, and National Emerald Club Executive status, but beyond that, there isn’t too much overlap.
What are the key differences between the Hilton Business and Hilton Surpass?
- The Hilton Surpass Card has a $150 annual fee (Rates & Fees), while the Hilton Business Card has a $195 annual fee
- The Hilton Surpass Card offers up to $200 in Hilton credits per year, while the Hilton Business Card offers up to $240 in Hilton credits per year
- The Hilton Surpass Card lets you earn up to one free night award per year (for spending $15,000), while the Hilton Business Card has no such benefit
- The cards have different rewards structures — the Hilton Surpass Card offers 6x points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations, 4x points on U.S. online retail purchases, and 3x points on other purchases, while the Hilton Business Card offers 5x points on purchases of up to $100,000 each calendar year, and 3x points thereafter
I don’t think there’s a right or wrong answer as to which card is more lucrative. I’d say one big deciding factor is what your spending profile looks like, as the rewards structures are different.
Bottom Line
The Hilton Business Card is the only co-brand business card offered by Amex and Hilton, and it offers some valuable perks. On the most basic level, if you stay at Hiltons with any frequency, you could earn up to $240 in Hilton credits per year. On top of that, the card offers Hilton Honors Gold status, National Emerald Club Executive Status, and a great return on spending.
If you’ve been considering applying for this card but haven’t done so yet, now would be the time to do so, given the welcome offer that’s available.
If you want to learn more about the Hilton Business Card or apply, follow this link.
The following links will direct you to the rates and fees for mentioned American Express Cards. These include: The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card (Rates & Fees), and Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (Rates & Fees).
Also, the value seems to be less than 0.5cpp in most cases… at least in France/Switzerland
The Surpass now has Diamond status.
Seems more attractive than the business version
Hilton "status" is virtually useless in the US as hotels do not recognize it. The food/beverage credit is next to worthless with the inhouse prices charged and fewer and fewer US hotels offer executive lounges. A recent trip to San Antonio cost $51/night to park and a recent trip to The Wit in Chicago cost $71/night to park with a $35 late check-out fee! Now, compared to the Berlin Hilton (a frequent stop for us,...
Hilton "status" is virtually useless in the US as hotels do not recognize it. The food/beverage credit is next to worthless with the inhouse prices charged and fewer and fewer US hotels offer executive lounges. A recent trip to San Antonio cost $51/night to park and a recent trip to The Wit in Chicago cost $71/night to park with a $35 late check-out fee! Now, compared to the Berlin Hilton (a frequent stop for us, we have granddaughters there) features immediate recognition of Diamond status and offered upgrade. Exec lounge features snacks and drinks and a buffet breakfast (it has EVERYTHING) is included. We are Hilton loyalists, but the US Hiltons clearly put profit over people.
$8k is a lot of spend on a card that's not called Sapphire or Amex. The 175k in points is great but there is some missed opportunity in putting that much spend on such a card.
I do agree that Hilton cards do offer some good value but on redemptions, they seem to be more expensive to use than say IHG points at some locations.