The Hilton Honors American Express Card is Hilton’s entry level personal co-branded credit card. The card has no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees (Rates & Fees), an incredible welcome offer, and offers some basic perks for Hilton stays, including Hilton Honors™ Silver Status.
This post is my in-depth Hilton Honors Amex Card review. I think there’s absolutely merit to picking up this card, given the excellent welcome offer that’s available, which is particularly good for a no annual fee card. That being said, if you stay at Hiltons with any frequency, I think there’s merit to picking up one of the more premium cards, including the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (learn more) or Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card (learn more).
Link: Learn more about the Hilton Honors American Express Card
Hilton Honors Amex Card summary & key details
Before I get into my Hilton Honors American Express Card review, let me briefly summarize the key details of the card:
- Hilton Honors Amex Card annual fee: No annual fee (Rates & Fees)
- Hilton Honors Amex Card welcome offer: 70K Hilton Honors points plus a free night award after spending $2,000 within the first six months (limited time offer for applications through January 13, 2027)
- Hilton Honors Amex Card rewards: 7x Hilton Honors points for spending at Hilton properties worldwide, 5x Hilton Honors points on U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations, and 3x points on all other eligible purchases
- Hilton Honors Amex Card foreign transaction fees: none (Rates & Fees)
- Hilton Honors Amex Card elite status: Hilton Honors™ Silver Status for as long as you have the card, Hilton Honors™ Gold Status if you spend $20,000 on the card in a calendar year
Beyond that, here are what I consider to be some of the major pros and cons of the Hilton Honors American Express Card:
- Hilton Honors Amex Card pros include the huge welcome offer (particularly given the lack of an annual fee), entry level elite status (which gets you a fifth night free on award redemptions, and the no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees (Rates & Fees)
- Hilton Honors Amex Card cons include that there’s not necessarily much value to spending on the card in terms of the rewards structure, and the perks are otherwise quite limited
Hilton Honors Amex Card bonus, eligibility, & fees
To start, let’s take a look at the Hilton Honors American Express Card welcome offer, eligibility, and fee details. After all, these are major considerations that sway decisions when people consider whether or not to apply for a card.
Limited time welcome offer of 70K points + Free Night Reward
Through January 13, 2027, the Hilton Honors American Express Card has a limited time welcome offer of 70,000 Hilton Honors bonus points plus a free night award after spending $2,000 within the first six months. The free night award can be redeemed at a property costing up to 250,000 points, and is valid for 12 months from when it’s issued.
Based on my latest Hilton Honors points valuations, they’re worth 0.5 cents each. That means the points component of the welcome offer is worth $350. However, that doesn’t factor in the value of the free night award, which could be worth a lot more than those points.
I really can’t overstate how great this welcome offer is, given that the card usually only offers the points component of this offer, and not the free night award component, potentially worth well over three times as much as the points. For a no annual fee card, it’s a pretty wild offer.
Hilton Honors credit card eligibility rules
The welcome offer on the Hilton Honors American Express Card is not available to those who currently have this card or those who have had this card in the past, in line with Amex’s “once in a lifetime rule.” You are eligible for the welcome offer if you have had any other Hilton card, though, including any of the personal cards with an annual fee, or the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card (learn more).
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:
- You can be approved for at most two Amex cards in a 90-day period
- You can have at most five American Express credit cards at any point (this doesn’t include hybrid or charge cards)
No annual fee & no authorized user fee
The Hilton Honors American Express Card has no annual fee, and you can even add additional cardmembers at no cost (Rates & Fees).
You can’t beat holding onto a no annual fee card long term. Holding onto credit cards long term helps your credit score, as it helps you increase your average account age. If you’re going to hold onto cards, you might as well make them no annual fee cards whenever possible to minimize your out-of-pocket cost.
Hilton Honors Amex Card rewards structure
The Hilton Honors American Express Card offers some bonus categories for spending, though they’re not quite as robust as you might find on other cards. The card offers anywhere from 3-7x points per dollar spent, depending on the category you’re spending in.
The card also offers some status perks, and you can earn even more status perks if you spend money on the card.
7x points at Hilton properties
The Hilton Honors Amex Card offers 7x Hilton points for eligible spending at Hilton properties globally. This includes all Hilton brands, from Hampton Inn to Waldorf Astoria. I value Hilton points at ~0.5 cents each, so to me, that’s like a 3.5% return on hotel spending. That’s pretty good for a no annual fee card, though ultimately, there are better credit cards for hotel spending.
Keep in mind that these are only the points you earn from credit card spending. That doesn’t include the base points you earn (10x Hilton points at most brands, 5x Hilton points at some brands), plus any elite bonuses you may earn (which range from 20% to 100%, calculated from the base points).
5x points bonus categories
The Hilton Honors Amex Card offers 5x points per eligible dollar spent at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations. That’s the equivalent of a 2.5% return on spending in those categories, which is also great for a no annual fee card.
3x points on other purchases
The Hilton Honors Amex Card offers 3x points on all other eligible purchases, which I value at a return of ~1.5%. There are better cards for everyday spending.
No foreign transaction fees
The Hilton Honors Amex Card has no foreign transaction fees (Rates & Fees), which is great for a no annual fee card. I’ll take it a step further — I’d consider this the best no annual fee Amex card for purchases abroad. Even many Amex cards with annual fees have foreign transaction fees, making this a noteworthy perk of the card.
How to redeem Hilton Honors points for best value
Hilton Honors has a huge global footprint, with thousands of hotels across dozens of brands. Personally I value Hilton Honors points at 0.5 cents each, though there are definitely ways to get more value from points than that by maximizing your Hilton Honors points.
Hilton Honors doesn’t publish an award chart, though generally you’ll find that free night redemptions cost anywhere from 5,000 points to 250,000 points per night (with a vast majority of properties costing somewhere between those amounts). The Hilton Points Explorer tool can be used to check real time award price ranges over the next 30 days, so that’s quite useful.
You can get the most value from your points by redeeming for hotels with standard rooms available, since that gets you the best pricing. Furthermore, Hilton Honors elite members get a fifth night free on award redemptions, which can stretch your points further.
Just as an example, I’ve redeemed points at the Waldorf Astoria Maldives, which costs 250,000 points per night. That’s the equivalent of $1,250 “worth” of points, while the cash rate is typically more than double that. And the value gets even better if you can stay five nights, so that you get the fifth night free.
Beyond Hilton’s managed and franchised properties, I really love how Hilton Honors has a partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH), which opens up redemptions at hundreds of boutique, independent properties, at which you couldn’t otherwise efficiently redeem points. That’s super useful.
For example, I recently redeemed a Hilton free night award at Miramonti Boutique Hotel in the Dolomites, which belongs to SLH, and that was incredible. The hotel would’ve otherwise cost close to $1,000 per night, so it was a great use of the certificate.
Note that while Hilton Honors points can be converted into airline miles, it’s really not a good value. For example, you can convert 10,000 Hilton Honors points into 1,000 airline miles with a variety of partners, but that’s a really inefficient use of points. So if you’re looking to earn airline miles for your credit card spending, you’ll want to consider a different card.
One last thing I really like about Hilton Honors is how the program allows points pooling, so that you can combine your points with those in other accounts, as that makes it easier to unlock redemptions at top properties.
Hilton Honors Amex Card benefits & elite status
Despite having no annual fee, the Hilton Honors American Express Card offers some potentially valuable benefits. You get status just for having the card and can receive elevated status if you spend enough on the card. Let’s look at the details of those benefits.
Hilton Silver elite status for being a cardmember
Just for having the Hilton Honors Amex Card, you get complimentary Hilton Honors™ Silver status. This is Hilton’s entry-level status, and while the perks are limited, it’s nice that they give it to you on a no annual fee card. Hilton Silver status benefits include the following:
- Fifth night free on award stays
- 20% points bonus
- Two bottles of water
- Access to Hilton Honors member discount rates
Hilton Gold elite status with $20K spending
You can earn Hilton’s mid-tier Hilton Honors™ Gold status for spending on the Hilton Honors Amex Card. If you make $20,000 in eligible purchases on the card in a calendar year you’ll earn Hilton Gold elite status, which comes with the following perks:
- Free breakfast and/or executive lounge access (you get a daily food & beverage credit in lieu of this at properties in the United States)
- Late check-out, subject to availability
- Upgrades to preferred rooms on a space available basis
- 80% points bonus
Let me mention that this probably doesn’t typically represent a good value, given that other cards, like the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (learn more), offer this status just for being a cardmember, without any spending requirement.
Purchase & extended warranty protection
The Hilton Honors Amex Card offers some potentially valuable purchase protection and extended warranty coverage. While you’ll want to check your cardmember agreement for all the details, you can potentially expect:
- Purchase protection, offering protection on eligible purchases that are accidentally damaged, stolen, or lost; valid for up to 90 days, and $1,000 per occurrence, and $50,000 per calendar year
- Extended warranty, where you can get up to one extra year added to the original manufacturer’s warranty, for warranties of five years or less
- Secondary rental car coverage, covering damage or theft, when you decline the rental company’s insurance
On top of that, the card offers access to Amex’s Global Assist Hotline, baggage insurance, and more.
Purchase Protection: When an American Express® Card Member charges a Covered Purchase with their Eligible Card, Purchase Protection can help protect their Covered Purchases for up to 90 days from the Covered Purchase date if it is stolen or accidentally damaged. The coverage is limited to up to $1,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
Extended Warranty: When an American Express® Card Member charges a Covered Purchase to an Eligible Card, Extended Warranty§ can provide up to one extra year added to the Original Manufacturer’s Warranty. Applies to warranties of five (5) years or less. Coverage is up to the actual amount charged to your Card for the item up to a maximum of $10,000; not to exceed $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
Car Rental Loss & Damage Insurance: Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance can provide coverage up to $50,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
Global Assist Hotline: Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.
Access to Amex Offers program
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.
What’s especially awesome is that this card has no annual fee, so Amex is basically paying you to have this card when you consider the savings opportunities. (Enrollment required)
Is the no annual fee Hilton Honors Amex Card worth it?
For a no annual fee card, I think the Hilton Honors American Express Card is pretty awesome. The card has a generous welcome offer (enough of an incentive to get the card), it gives you access to Amex Offers (which can save you a lot of money), it offers Hilton Silver elite status (which gets you a fifth night free on awards and bonus points), and more. Furthermore, holding onto some cards for a long time is good for your credit score, and you might as well do that with no annual fee cards, whenever possible.
The bonus categories are pretty solid as well for a no annual fee card, like being able to earn 7x points on Hilton stays, and 5x points on U.S. supermarket, U.S. gas station, and U.S. restaurant purchases. Combine that with no foreign transaction fees, and this is one of the best no annual fee Amex cards to use abroad.
For someone who absolutely doesn’t want to pay an annual fee but who also likes Hilton, I think this is a great card to consider. It could also be a good option if you’re looking to downgrade one of Hilton’s premium credit cards. However, let me do a quick comparison to some other cards, and talk about why it might make sense to get a more premium Hilton card.
Hilton Honors Amex Card vs. Hilton Surpass Card comparison
Some people try to decide between the Hilton Honors Amex Card, which has no annual fee, and the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, which has a $150 annual fee (Rates & Fees). How do the two cards compare?
Personally I’d strongly encourage people to apply for the Hilton Surpass Card over the Hilton Honors Amex Card, despite the higher annual fee. The Hilton Surpass Card offers:
- A much bigger welcome offer, so the first year value is much better
- Hilton Gold elite status for as long as you have the card
- Hilton Diamond elite status when you spend $40,000 on the card in a calendar year
- A free night reward when you spend $15,000 on the card in a calendar year
- Up to $200 in Hilton credits annually — get a $50 statement credit each quarter you can use toward Hilton stays
Keep in mind that with Amex you can typically downgrade a card after 12 months, if it’s not working out for you. So you could always apply for Hilton Surpass Card, and if it’s not working for you, you could later downgrade it to the no annual fee card.
Hilton Honors Amex Card vs. Hilton Aspire Card comparison
Admittedly we’re talking about a big fee difference here, but perhaps some people considering the Hilton Honors Amex Card may also be open to the $550 annual fee (Rates & Fees) Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card (learn more). I think the Hilton Aspire could be well worth it, though many people will be put off by the annual fee. However, the card does offer:
- Hilton Diamond status for as long as you have the card
- Up to $400 in Hilton resort credits annually; get up to $200 in statement credits semi-annually for eligible purchases made directly with participating Hilton resorts
- Up to $200 in flight credits annually; get up to $50 in statement credits each quarter, for a total of up to $200 back each year, on flight purchases made directly with an airline or through AmexTravel.com
- A free night reward on your account anniversary annually, and additional free night awards for passing $30,000 and $60,000 in annual spending
- Up to $219 in CLEAR+ credits annually
- National Emerald Club Executive status for as long as you have the card (Enrollment required)
Honestly, those are some incredibly strong perks. Even if you’re not someone who usually likes cards with high annual fees, this is one of the easiest to justify, thanks to the strong ongoing perks.
What other no annual fee cards should you consider?
If I could recommend just one no annual fee card, I’d recommend the Citi Double Cash® Card (learn more) . The card offers 1x ThankYou points when you make a purchase and 1x ThankYou points when you pay for that purchase. Those rewards can be redeemed for one cent each toward a statement credit, or alternatively, you can potentially get travel rewards. That’s an incredible amount of flexibility to have.
Hilton Honors Amex Card FAQs
Bottom line
The Hilton Honors American Express Card is a great no annual fee card. The card currently has a top notch welcome offer, offers 3-7x points per dollar spent with no foreign transaction fees, gets you Hilton Silver elite status, and gives you access to Amex Offers.
If you want a no annual fee card from Hilton, then obviously this is the card to go with. However, I think there’s a lot of merit to instead picking up the more premium Hilton Surpass Card or Hilton Aspire Card, given their bigger welcome offers and stronger perks. You can always downgrade those cards after a year, if the value isn’t checking out for you.
If you want to learn more about the Hilton Honors American Express Card, follow this link.
The following links will direct you to the rates and fees for mentioned American Express Cards. These include: Hilton Honors American Express Card (Rates & Fees), Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (Rates & Fees), and Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card (Rates & Fees).
I use the card and stay at Hilton just a few times a year.
Well worth its no annual fee cost. :-)
Why not have it?
During the application process, will Amex tell me whether I am eligible for the bonus? I am asking this because in the past when I applied for a Hilton card, a pop up warning indicated that I would not be eligible. That was I guess because a year before that application, I had cancelled my delta Platinum and Gold cards after holding them only for a year.
@ Daniel B -- Yep, if you're not eligible for the welcome offer, you should be informed during the application process. :-)
@Lucky: Thank you!