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Updated June 28, 2018

Hilton Credit Card Review: $0 Annual Fee Worth It?

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Hilton Honors American Express Card is a popular hotel credit card. So what's the catch? Read on to see if the Hilton AMEX is worth applying for.

American Express Hilton
Apply Now

Overall Score

4.0

Rewards

4.5

Fees

4.5

Benefits

3.0
5-point scale (the higher, the better)

Pros and Cons

  • Bonus points
  • No annual fee
  • Honors Silver status
  • Not Visa/Mastercard

Bottom Line

Good secondary credit card to earn points for hotel stays

We have to say: it's rare to find a travel credit card with no annual fee. It's nice to see that the Hilton Honors card from American Express goes against the grain with no annual fee (See Rates & Fees).

What it offers: Earn 70,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points and a Free Night Reward after you spend $1,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 3 months of Card Membership.

That's a straightforward way to save money on your next Hilton hotel stay, but is this card worth the space it will take up in your wallet? Keep reading to see what we like (and dislike) about this card.

We'll also discuss below how this offer compares to other hotel credit cards.

Is Hilton American Express Worth It?

In our opinion: the Hilton Honors Card from American Express could be a smart addition to your wallet if you tend to stay at a Hilton property when you travel and you want a way to save up for future hotel stays.

However, if you want your next new credit card to be an all-around, good-for-everything purchasing tool, you may want to think twice.

We feel the Hilton Honors AMEX is best suited as a secondary card — view it as a supporting actor to the star of your wallet, which should be a credit card that offers a broad set of reward options and a variety of redemption opportunities.

Let's dig into the details about why you should consider packing this card for your next trip and why you may want to leave it at home.

Reasons to Get the Hilton Honors Credit Card

Hilton Cancún
Hilton Cancún © Christian Van Der Henst S. (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr

We've broken down the card's benefits and features that impress us.

  1. You can get a bonus. Earn 70,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points and a Free Night Reward after you spend $1,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 3 months of Card Membership.

    That's a lower threshold than many other travel cards.

  2. You won't pay an annual fee. A lot of travel credit cards charge an annual fee, but not in this case. With this card, you don't have to worry about using it often enough to justify an annual fee.

  3. You'll score points on hotel stays. You can rack up significant rewards if you're an habitual Hilton user. Earn 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio.

  4. You'll earn Hilton Honors points on everyday purchases. You'll earn 5 points for each dollar you charge on eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations.

  5. And you get points elsewhere. The card will give you 3 points per dollar on other eligible purchases.

  6. You can usually find a place to stay with your rewards. You don't have to worry about blackout dates when it comes time to redeem your Hilton Honors points. As long as there's a standard room available, you can redeem your points for it.

    If you're willing to stay at what may be viewed as a lesser hotel (considered a category 1 by Hilton), your points can go further. A category 1 hotel costs 5,000 points a night while a category 2 hotel costs 10,000 points a night. The highest category rated hotels will eat up 70,000 to 95,000 points per night.

  7. You'll get points when you book online. Aside from the points you'll earn when you pay for your hotel stay, you also get a 500-point bonus when you use your card to reserve a room through a Hilton website.

  8. You get travel benefits. This card comes with several features that are designed to make your trip run a little more smoothly, including travel accident insurance, baggage insurance, roadside assistance, and access to the 24-hour global assistance hotline.

  9. You get hotel perks. New cardholders automatically reach Silver Status for their Hilton Honors membership. This means you can get the 5th night free if you redeem your rewards to stay in a standard room for at least 5 nights. Another plus with this status: complimentary access to fitness centers and health clubs during stays (this may not apply for properties with a resort charge). And if you charge $20,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year, you'll get Gold Status through the end of the next calendar year.

  10. No foreign transaction fees (See Rates & Fees). This card comes with no foreign transaction fees for international purchases. If you regularly travel outside the U.S., this is a nice benefit.

  11. Your purchases are protected. Members get complimentary purchase protection on eligible purchases against theft or damage as well as an extended warranty on eligible purchases. You also get return protection in case you need to return an eligible item but the merchant won't take it back. Coverage is determined by the terms, conditions, and exclusions of the card.

REASONS TO LOOK ELSEWHERE

Intrigued by the Hilton Honors card but not sure how much you will benefit? There are reasons the card is a turnoff for some travelers:

  • Your choice of hotels is limited. While you can earn points with this card at places other than Hilton hotels, it's really designed for travelers who prefer Hilton to other brands. If you don't want to be tied to a particular brand, take a look at other cards on the market.

    Related: Hotel Credit Cards

  • There's no introductory rate (See Rates & Fees). A big reason consumers apply for new cards is to get a 0% interest deal for a limited time. You won't find that with this card.

    Related: Credit Cards with 0% APR Promotions

HOW IT COMPARES

It's always smart to shop around. These a few popular alternatives to the Hilton Honors card that also offer the potential for free hotel stays.

Hilton Honors Surpass:

BOTTOM LINE

Hilton Hotel In Belfast
Hilton Hotel In Belfast © William Murphy (CC BY-SA 2.0) via Flickr

A obvious prerequisite for wanting the Hilton Honors card is that you're a fan and, secondly, that you'll have opportunities to stay at Hilton properties in the months and years ahead (the bonus offer will help with that).

When you use your rewards credit cards strategically (by always using this card for Hilton charges as well as charges at restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations while using another rewards card for your other purchases), you can rack up a significant number of rewards that can be redeemed for a future vacation.

Terms and limitations apply.

Next Step: View the issuer's official application, terms, and details

Rebecca Lake is a journalist at CreditDonkey, a credit card comparison and reviews website. Write to Rebecca Lake at rebecca@creditdonkey.com. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for our latest posts.

Editorial Note: This content is not provided by American Express. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by American Express. This site may be compensated through the Advertiser's affiliate programs.

Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. This site may be compensated through the Advertiser's affiliate programs.

For rates and fees of the American Express Hilton card, please click here.

Disclaimer: The information for the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card has been collected independently by CreditDonkey. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.


Hilton Honors American Express Card
Apply for Hilton Honors American Express Card
At American Express' Secure Site
  • Earn 70,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points and a Free Night Reward after you spend $1,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 3 months of Card Membership.
  • Earn 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio.
  • Earn 5X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations.
  • Earn 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
  • Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status with your Card. Plus, spend $20,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn an upgrade to Hilton Honors Gold status through the end of the next calendar year.
  • No Annual Fee.
  • Terms Apply.
  • See Rates & Fees
  • Go to issuer's official application, terms, and details
Intro APR for PurchasesIntro APR for Balance TransferRegular APRAnnual Fee
N/AN/A
20.74% - 29.74% Variable
$0

Compare American Express Hilton to:

Compare American Express Hilton vs Delta SkyMiles Gold
Apply for Delta SkyMiles Gold American Express Card
At American Express' Secure Site
  • Earn 40,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
  • Enjoy a $0 introductory Annual Fee for the first year, then $99.
  • Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights.
  • New: Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
  • Earn 2X Miles on Delta purchases, at U.S. Supermarkets and at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.
  • Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
  • $100 Delta Flight Credit: After you spend $10,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, receive a Credit to use toward future travel.
  • Want even more flexibility? Take up to $50 off the cost of your flight for every 5,000 miles you redeem with Pay with Miles when you book on delta.com.
  • Receive a 20% savings in the form of a statement credit on eligible Delta in-flight purchases after using your Card.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • With Send & Split®, you can send money and split your Card purchases with any other Venmo or PayPal user, directly from the Amex App. Enroll today.
  • Terms Apply.
  • See Rates & Fees
Intro APR for PurchasesIntro APR for Balance TransferRegular APRAnnual Fee
N/AN/A
20.74% - 29.74% Variable
$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99

Compare American Express Hilton vs American Express Platinum
Apply for The Platinum Card from American Express
At American Express' Secure Site
  • Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
  • Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel.
  • $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®.
  • $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 in statement credits each month when you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card® at your choice of one or more of the following providers: Disney+, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
  • $155 Walmart+ Credit: Walmart+ members enjoy shopping perks - both online and in-store - at Walmart. Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) and receive a statement credit that covers the full cost each month. $12.95 plus applicable taxes. Plus Up Benefits not eligible.
  • $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Card.
  • $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. Benefit renews annually.
  • $300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $300 back per calendar year on an Equinox+ subscription, or any Equinox club memberships when you pay with your Platinum Card®. Enrollment required. Learn more.
  • $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR® Plus at 45+ airports nationwide and get up to $189 back per year on your membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Platinum Card®.
  • $100 Global Entry Credit: Receive either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
  • Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually for purchases at Saks Fifth Avenue on your Platinum Card®. Enrollment required.
  • $300 SoulCycle At-Home Bike Credit: Get a $300 statement credit for the purchase of a SoulCycle at-home bike with your Platinum Card®. Must charge full price of bike in one transaction, and an Equinox+ subscription is required.
  • Add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile on the Resy app or website and unlock Global Dining Access by Resy to exclusive tables and events.
  • $695 annual fee.
  • Terms Apply.
  • See Rates & Fees
Intro APR for PurchasesIntro APR for Balance TransferRegular APRAnnual Fee
N/AN/ASee Pay Over Time APR
$695

About CreditDonkey
CreditDonkey is a credit card comparison website. We publish data-driven analysis to help you save money & make savvy decisions.

Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed on this page are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.

†Advertiser Disclosure: Many of the offers that appear on this site are from companies from which CreditDonkey receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). CreditDonkey does not include all companies or all offers that may be available in the marketplace.

*See the card issuer's online application for details about terms and conditions. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accurate information. However, all information is presented without warranty. When you click on the "Apply Now" button you can review the terms and conditions on the card issuer's website.

CreditDonkey does not know your individual circumstances and provides information for general educational purposes only. CreditDonkey is not a substitute for, and should not be used as, professional legal, credit or financial advice. You should consult your own professional advisors for such advice.

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