Hilton Honors Amex Card review: Solid perks for 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 Hilton’s entry-level cobranded product. It offers bonus points on Hilton stays, complimentary Silver elite status and basic perks for no annual fee (see rates and fees). However, other …

Mar 3, 2025 - 18:08

Hilton Honors Amex Card review: Solid perks for 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 Hilton’s entry-level cobranded product. It offers bonus points on Hilton stays, complimentary Silver elite status and basic perks for no annual fee (see rates and 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 8,000 properties in more than 140 countries, providing ample opportunities to earn and redeem points.

If you’re a beginner looking for a card with some Hilton perks, you may want to look at the Hilton Honors American Express Card.

It is a great option for travelers looking to get started with Hilton Honors thanks to generous category bonuses and travel and purchase protections (terms apply).

We recommend that applicants generally have a good credit score of 670 or higher to increase their chances of being approved.

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

Hilton Honors Amex pros and cons

Pros	Cons
Complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status No annual fee No foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees) Terms apply	Low points-earning (except for Hilton stays) No annual free night award

Hilton Honors Amex welcome offer

New Hilton Honors Amex cardmembers can earn 70,000 bonus points and a free night reward after spending $2,000 on purchases in your first six months of card membership. Offer ends April 29.

According to TPG’s February 2025 valuations, Hilton points are worth 0.6 cents apiece, which means this welcome offer is worth $420 in points, plus the value of a free night reward.

You could consider this the best-ever offer on the regular Hilton Amex card, though it depends on how you value it. The bonus points alone are not the highest amount we have seen offered on this card. However, if you place a high value on the free night reward, it could become the no-annual-fee card’s top welcome bonus.

Hilton Honors Amex benefits

The Hilton Honors Amex features a few notable perks beyond the welcome offer. Given that this card doesn’t have an annual fee, I can’t fault it for being light on benefits.

large pool surrounded by palm trees and lounge chairs — HILTON

Here’s an overview of what this card has to offer (enrollment is required for select benefits; terms apply):

Elite status: Cardmembers automatically receive Hilton Honors Silver elite status, which provides member discounts, a 20% points bonus on paid stays, elite rollover nights, a fifth night free on award stays and more. You can upgrade to Hilton Honors Gold status through the end of the next calendar year if you spend $20,000 on the card in a calendar year. 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: Through the Amex Experiences program, you can get exclusive access to ticket presales and cardmember-only events, as well as Broadway shows, concert tours, sporting events and more.
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 spent on stays at Hilton hotels and resorts (including paying for your room and on-site spending at restaurants and spas)
5 points per dollar spent at U.S. restaurants (including takeout and delivery)
5 points per dollar spent at U.S. gas stations and U.S. supermarkets
3 points per dollar spent on other eligible purchases

Overwater bungalows at Hilton Moorea — KYLE OLSEN/THE POINTS GUY

Given TPG’s February 2025 valuation of Hilton points at 0.6 cents apiece, you’ll earn a 4.2% base return at Hilton properties. However, with the bonus points you’ll receive with Silver elite status, you’ll earn 12 points per dollar spent on eligible Hilton purchases on top of the card earnings. This bumps your return 19 points per dollar — or an impressive 11.4% return on your spending.

In addition, you’ll receive a 3% return on spending at U.S. grocery stores, U.S. gas stations and U.S. restaurants (including takeout and delivery) and a 1.8% return on all other eligible purchases.

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, giving you an idea of how much a given award ticket might cost.

checking into a hotel — HISPANOLISTIC/GETTY IMAGES

You can also transfer your Hilton Honors points to over 25 airline loyalty programs worldwide. I don’t recommend this method unless you need to transfer Honors points to top off an airline account for a specific award. The transfer ratio is normally terrible, costing you thousands of points for a small return of airline miles.

My 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, thanks to your Hilton Silver status.

TPG director of travel content Eric Rosen has utilized the fifth-night-free benefit to maximize the value of his points for a stay at the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal. Thanks to this feature, he was able to save 120,000 Hilton points on his stay.

Which cards compete with the Hilton Honors Amex?

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

If you like Hilton but want more perks: The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card earns more at Hilton properties than the Hilton Honors Amex, provides automatic Gold status and has a spend-based pathway to earn an annual free night reward. This card comes with a low $150 annual fee (see rates and fees). To learn more, check out our full review of the Amex Hilton Surpass card.
If you want flexible rewards: The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earns bonus miles on all hotels, vacation rentals and car rentals booked through Capital One Travel. These miles can be transferred to Capital One’s 15-plus transfer partners for maximum value. To learn more, check out our full review of the Capital One Venture Rewards.
If you prefer Marriott: The Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card is an option if you frequently stay at Marriott properties. You’ll earn bonus points on Marriott stays, Silver elite status and receive travel and shopping protections. To learn more, check out our full review of the Marriott Bonvoy Bold card.

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

Is the Hilton Honors Amex worth it?

You might assume the Amex Hilton Honors card is worth it by default since it has no annual fee, but it depends on what you’re looking for. I believe you’ll like this card if entry-level elite status and fair earning categories are sufficient for you. However, if you’re looking for flexible rewards or more Hilton perks, I recommend going for a mid-tier Hilton card or general travel rewards card.

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. It may not be the ideal card for everyone, though it may be the right card for you if you stay with Hilton a couple of times a year and want to earn Hilton points.

Apply here: Hilton Honors American Express Card

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.