Is The Hilton Business Credit Card Worth The Annual Fee?

Link: Apply now for the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

Hotel credit cards are often underrated, given the welcome bonuses and valuable perks that they can offer. The Hilton Business Card is Hilton’s only small business credit card, and it’s a great example of how valuable hotel credit cards can be.

While you can read a full review of the Hilton Business Card here, in this post, I want to share nine reasons you should consider applying for this $195 annual fee card (Rates & Fees). In no particular order…

175,000 Hilton Honors bonus points

Through April 29, 2025, the Hilton Business Card has a limited time welcome offer of 175,000 Hilton Honors points after spending $8,000 within the first six months. Personally, I value Hilton Honors points at ~0.5 cents each, meaning that the 175,000 Honors points are worth $875 to me. I’d consider that to be a solid welcome offer on a card that’s worth holding onto.

Card doesn’t report to personal credit

Assuming your account remains in good standing, the Hilton Business Card shouldn’t report to your personal credit, at least based on the reports that I’ve seen (and my own personal experience). For example, if you’re trying to stay under Chase’s 5/24 limit, then applying for this business card shouldn’t count toward that.

Hilton Honors Gold status

Arguably the best ongoing perk of the Hilton Business Card is the hotel elite status that it offers. Specifically, you receive Hilton Honors Gold status for as long as you have the card. This is in my opinion the most valuable mid-tier hotel status out there, as it offers perks like complimentary breakfast, a daily food & beverage credit, and/or executive lounge access, plus bonus points, room upgrades, and much more.

Hilton Honors Diamond status with spending

The Hilton Business Card offers Hilton Honors Diamond status if you spend $40,000 on the card in a calendar year. I don’t want to say that that this is a no-brainer, but some people will find this to be worthwhile.

Hilton Honors Diamond offers some incremental perks, like more bonus points, potentially better upgrades, guaranteed lounge access at many brands (rather than subject to availability for Gold members), and more.

Up to $240 in Hilton credits per year

The Hilton Business Card offers a benefit that will in and of itself more than justify the annual fee, for those who stay at Hiltons with any frequency. 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.

12x Honors points on Hilton stays

The Hilton Business Card can be a great card to use for spending at Hilton-family properties, as you earn 12x Honors points per dollar spent. Based on my valuation of 0.5 cents per Hilton Honors points, that’s like a 6% return on Hilton spending, in addition to the points you usually earn for your stay.

Up to 5x Honors points on everyday spending

The Hilton Business Card has what’s arguably the best return on non-bonused spending of any Hilton Honors credit card. The card offers 5x points on everyday spending, up to $100,000 per calendar year. That’s a solid return on spending, especially if this also allows you to earn Hilton Honors Diamond status.

National Emerald Club Executive status

Just for having the Hilton Business Card, you can receive National Emerald Club Executive status for as long as you’re a cardmember (Enrollment required). I consider National Car Rental to be the best major rental car agency in the United States, and having Executive status gets you access access to a larger selection of cars, lets you rack up rewards faster, and more.

Access to Amex Offers

You can never underestimate the value of the Amex Offers program, which offers savings for purchases with select retailers. The Amex Offers program saves me hundreds of dollars per year, and for many cards the program alone more than justifies the annual fee I pay. The more Amex cards you have, the more Amex Offers you’ll have access to.

Looking for a personal card instead?

If you’ve had the Hilton Business Card, and/or are simply looking for a personal card, consider the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card (review). There are lots of great perks to the card, and for that matter, there’s a lot of overlap between the two products. You’re even potentially eligible for the welcome offers on both cards.

Bottom line

The Hilton Business Card is a potentially lucrative business card. In addition to the great welcome offer, the card offers Hilton Honors Gold status just for being a cardmember, which is useful. The annual fee is super easy to justify if you stay at Hiltons at least once per quarter, since you can earn up to $240 in Hilton credits per year.

If you have the Hilton Business Amex, what has your experience been with the card?

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).