Hilton Cards Comparison: Which Card Is Right for You?

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All information about the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by MileValue.

If you’ve traveled, you’ve probably stayed in a Hilton property.

With a portfolio of 24 brands spread across more than 7,600 properties in 126 countries, you’ll never be far from a Hilton.

And with some of the most luxury hotels on offer, having a co-branded Hilton credit card can unlock valuable perks, making award stays more frequent while earning you points on everyday spending. Not to mention, you can also enjoy complimentary elite status as a cardholder.

Let’s look at Hilton’s one business and three consumer cards, to see which one is best suited to you. We’ll also consider whether a general travel rewards card might be a better option for you over a co-branded Hilton card.

American Express Hilton Honors Credit Cards’ Perks and Benefits

Here’s a comparison of the perks and earning rates for each Hilton credit card.

	Hilton Honors American Express Card	Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card	Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card	The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
Annual Fee	$0 (see rates & fees)	$150 (see rates & fees)	$550	$195 (see rates & fees)
Earning Rates	•  7X points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio •  5X points on purchases at U.S. restaurants •  5X points on groceries at U.S. supermarkets •  5X points on gas at U.S. gas stations •  3X points on all other eligible purchases	•  12X points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio •  6X points for each dollar of eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants •  6X points on groceries at U.S. supermarkets •  6X points on gas at U.S. gas stations •  4X points on U.S. online retail purchases •  3X points on all other purchases	•  14X points on direct purchases with hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio •  7X points on flights booked directly with airlines or AmexTravel.com and car rentals booked directly with select car rental companies •  7X points on dining purchases at U.S. restaurants •  3X points on all other purchases	•  12X points on direct purchases with hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio •  5X points on all other purchases on the first $100,000 spent in purchases per calendar year (3X points thereafter)
Free night reward	None	After spending $15,000 within a calendar year	Carriers get one free night per year and are able to earn a second night after spending $30,000 on the card and a third night after spending $60,000 on the card.	None
Complimentary Hilton Honors Status	Silver	Gold	Diamond	Gold
Additional Perks	No foreign transaction fees	•  Spend $40,000 in a calendar year using your card and receive complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond Status through the end of the next calendar year •  Up to $200 annual statement credit for eligible direct purchases with a property in the Hilton portfolio, given in quarterly $50 increments •  Complimentary National Car Rental® Emerald Club Executive® status (enrollment required) •  No foreign transaction fees	•  Up to $400 annual statement credit for eligible direct purchases with participating resorts in the Hilton portfolio, given in biannual $200 increments •  $199 annual CLEAR Plus membership statement credit •  Up to $200 annual statement credit for eligible airfare purchases made directly with an airline or through AmexTravel.com, given in quarterly $50 increments •  Complimentary National Car Rental® Emerald Club Executive® status (enrollment required) •  No foreign transaction fees	•  Up to $240 annual statement credit for eligible direct purchases with participating resorts in the Hilton portfolio, given in quarterly $60 increments •  National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status •  No foreign transaction fees
Insurance Perks	Car rental loss and damage insurance	Car rental loss and damage insurance	•  Car rental loss and damage insurance •  Baggage insurance plan	•  Car rental loss and damage insurance •  Baggage insurance plan

Hilton Honors Status Tiers

All co-branded Hilton cards offer complimentary elite status to their cardholders.

Before jumping into a review of each card in detail, here’s a table to reference back to when considering the benefits of each Hilton Honors status level.

Status	Perks	Requirements
Basic account holder (Hilton Honors member)	Guaranteed Hilton Honors discount rate. The ability to earn points toward free nights, travel partners and more. No resort fees on reward stays. Digital check-in and check-out. The ability to choose your room. Digital room key. Free Wi-Fi Access to exclusive Hilton Honors Experiences	Sign up for an account
Hilton Honors Silver Status	20% bonus points on stays. Free bottled water. Fifth night free during reward stays. Elite rollover nights. All-inclusive spa discount.	Earn 10 qualifying nights in a calendar year, Earn four qualifying stays in a calendar year, earn 25,000 base points in a calendar year, or hold the Hilton Honors American Express Card.
Hilton Honors Gold Status	All the benefits included with Hilton Honors Silver Status. 80% bonus points on stays. Space-available room upgrades. Daily food and beverage credit or continental breakfast (varies by brand and region). Milestone bonuses.	Earn 40 qualifying nights in a calendar year, earn 20 qualifying stays in a calendar year, earn 75,000 base points in a calendar year, or hold the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card or The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card.
Hilton Honors Diamond Status	All the benefits included with Hilton Honors Gold Status, 100% bonus points on stays, executive lounge access, Diamond status extension, premium Wi-Fi, 48 hour room guarantee, elite status gifting	Earn 60 qualifying nights in a calendar year, earn 30 qualifying stays in a calendar year, earn 120,000 base points in a calendar year, or hold the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.

Hilton Honors American Express Card

If you’re an infrequent guest at Hilton properties, The Hilton Honors American Express Card could be a great fit for you. With a $0 annual fee (see rates & fees), it’s easy to keep in your wallet while benefiting from its perks.

This card offers complimentary Hilton Honors Silver Status. This unlocks a range of perks, including the fifth night for free during reward stays, elite rollover nights, a 15% all-inclusive spa discount and 20% bonus base points on stays.

For a $0 annual fee card,it includes a wide range of bonus spending categories, making it easy to earn Hilton points on everyday expenditure—whether it’s dining, gas or groceries. It’s also handy for handling those annoying purchases that fall outside of typical bonus spending categories, as it earns 3X points on non-bonus category spending.

If you charge the cost of your rental car to the card, you’ll enjoy coverage under its car rental loss and damage insurance plan of up to $50,000 in the event of damage or theft.

Pros

• 7X points on direct purchases with hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio
• 5X points on purchases at U.S. restaurants
• 5X points on groceries at U.S. supermarkets
• 5X points on gas at U.S. gas stations
• 3X points on all other purchases
• Complimentary Hilton Honors Silver Status
• No foreign transaction fees
• Car rental loss and damage insurance

Cons

• No statement credit perks
• No annual free night rewards

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card

If you’ll stay more than once a year at a Hilton property, the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card can make your stays a touch more luxurious for an annual fee of $150 (see rates & fees).

You’ll receive complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Status by holding the card. Typically, you’d need a minimum of 40 qualifying nights, 20 qualifying stays or 75,000 base points to qualify for Gold status, which makes this perk highly lucrative. As a Gold member, you’ll enjoy a daily food and beverage or continental breakfast credit (varies by brand and region), space-available room upgrades, milestone bonuses and 80% bonus base points on stays.

This card also offers an annual statement credit up to $200 for eligible direct purchases with a property in the Hilton portfolio, given in up to $50 quarterly increments. This perk alone could allow you to offset the card’s annual fee.

If you spend $15,000 with your card in a calendar year, you’ll also receive a free night reward. And if you hit $40,000 in spending on the card within a calendar year, you’ll be upgraded to Hilton Honors Diamond Status through the end of the next calendar year.

Whether you’re venturing abroad or staying within the U.S., you’ll enjoy complimentary National Car Rental® Emerald Club Executive® status. Plus, the Surpass card charges no foreign transaction fees, making it easy to use when abroad.

You’ll earn 6X points per dollar spent at U.S. gas stations, supermarkets and restaurants. You’ll also earn 12X points on direct purchases with hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio.

For the semi-frequent Hilton guest, offsetting the Surpass card’s annual fee should be a breeze.

Pros

• 12X points on direct purchases with hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio
• 6X points on dining purchases at U.S. restaurants
• 6X points on groceries at U.S. supermarkets
• 6X points on gas at U.S. gas stations
• 4X points on U.S. online retail purchases
• 3X points on all other purchases
• Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Status
• Spend $40,000 in a calendar year using your card and receive complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond Status through the end of the next calendar year.
• Free night reward when you charge $15,000 to your card in purchases within a calendar year
• Up to $200 annual statement credit for eligible direct purchases with a property in the Hilton portfolio, given in up to $50 quarterly increments. Eligible purchases include direct bookings made with Hilton and incidentals charged to your room and paid using your card.
• Complimentary National Car Rental® Emerald Club Executive® status (enrollment required)
• No foreign transaction fees
• Car rental loss and damage insurance

Cons

• Free night reward requires a minimum spend of $15,000.
• Up to $200 credit is issued quarterly, making it difficult to maximize.

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

If you want access to the best of the best when staying with Hilton, you can’t go wrong with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.

As a cardholder, you’ll receive complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond Status. You’d normally need 60 qualifying nights, 30 qualifying stays or 120,000 base points to qualify for Diamond Status. That makes this perk alone significantly valuable. As a Diamond member, you’ll enjoy executive lounge access, premium Wi-Fi, 48 hour room guarantees, Diamond Status extension, 100% bonus points on stays and elite status gifting.

Each calendar year, you’ll receive up to $400 in statement credits toward eligible direct purchases with participating resorts in the Hilton portfolio, given in up to $200 biannual increments. Additionally, you can receive up to $200 in annual statement credits for eligible airfare purchases made directly with an airline or through AmexTravel.com, given in up to $50 quarterly increments.

So, not only will you save on your stay, but also on your flight there. And while commuting through the airport, you can benefit from expedited security clearance, with an annual $199 statement credit toward CLEAR® Plus membership. 

As an Aspire cardholder, you’re entitled to an annual free night reward. You can also receive a second free night reward after charging $30,000 to your card within a calendar year and an additional third free night reward after charging $60,000 to your card within a calendar year.

You’ll earn 14X points on direct purchases with hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio and 7X points on flights booked directly with airlines or AmexTravel.com and car rentals booked directly with select car rental companies. You’ll also earn 7X points per dollar spent when dining at U.S. restaurants or ordering takeout and delivery.

The insurance limits are more extensive with the Aspire card, with a car rental loss and damage insurance coverage limit of $75,000. Likewise, you’ll receive up to $3,000 in coverage under the baggage insurance plan.

With such a wide range of perks, the frequent Hilton guest shouldn’t have much trouble offsetting the Aspire Card’s annual fee of $550.

Pros

• 14X points on direct purchases with hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio.
• 7X points on flights booked directly with airlines or AmexTravel.com and car rentals booked directly with select car rental companies.
• 7X points on dining purchases at U.S. restaurants.
• 3X points on all other purchases.
• Complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond Status.
• Up to $400 annual statement credit for eligible direct purchases with participating resorts in the Hilton portfolio, given in up to $200 biannual increments. Eligible purchases include direct bookings made with Hilton and incidentals charged to your room and paid using your card.
• Annual free night reward. Receive a second free night reward after charging $30,000 to your card within a calendar year and an additional third free night reward after charging $60,000 to your card within a calendar year.
• $199 annual CLEAR Plus membership statement credit.
• Up to $200 annual statement credit for eligible airfare purchases made directly with an airline or through AmexTravel.com, given in up to $50 quarterly increments.
• Complimentary National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status (enrollment required).
• Receive up to $100 property credit when you use your card to book through HiltonHonorsAspireCard.com or by calling Hilton Honors at (855) 292-5757, for a minimum stay of two-nights at Waldorf Astoria® Hotels & Resorts and Conrad® Hotels & Resorts.
• No foreign transaction fees.
• Car rental loss and damage insurance. 
• Baggage insurance plan.

Cons

• Up to $200 flight credit is issued quarterly, making it difficult to maximize.
• Less opportunity to earn on typical everyday expenses compared to the Surpass card, due to narrow bonus spending categories.

The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

Perhaps you’re on the road or traveling abroad frequently for work. If that’s the case, The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card could make your stays more luxurious while enabling you to earn Hilton points on your spending, for an annual fee of $195 (see rates & fees).

As a cardholder, you’ll receive complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Status. If you reach a minimum spend of $40,000 with your card within a calendar year, your status will be upgraded to Diamond through the end of the next calendar year.

When staying at Hilton properties, you can benefit from the card’s up to $240 annual statement credit for eligible direct purchases with participating resorts in the Hilton portfolio, given in up to $60 quarterly increments. This perk alone could offset the card’s annual fee.

The Hilton Business card earns 12X points on direct purchases with hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio, in addition to 5X points on the first $100,000 spent on all other purchases per calendar year (3X points thereafter). This high spending cap makes it perfect for small business owners.

In addition to car rental loss and damage insurance, the business card includes a baggage insurance plan. That said, the baggage insurance limits are lower than those seen on the Aspire card, with a maximum coverage limit of $1,250 for carry-on baggage and $500 for checked baggage.

Overall, this card is a solid choice for small business owners who make use of Hilton properties while traveling.

Pros

• 12X points on direct purchases with hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio
• 5X points on all other purchases on the first $100,000 spent in purchases per calendar year (3X points thereafter).
• Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Status. Spend $40,000 within a calendar year and receive complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond Status through the end of the next calendar year.
• Up to $240 annual statement credit for eligible direct purchases with participating resorts in the Hilton portfolio, given in up to $60 quarterly increments. Eligible purchases include direct bookings made with Hilton and incidentals charged to your room and paid using your card.
• National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status.
• Baggage insurance plan.
• Car rental loss and damage insurance. 
• No foreign transaction fees.

Cons

• Insurance limits are slightly lower than those on the Aspire card.

Which Hilton Credit Card Is Best for You?

First things first: there is no single best Hilton credit card.

Instead, there’s only the best Hilton credit card for you.

With this in mind, you need to first consider how often you stay at Hilton properties and the degree to which you could use the prospective card’s perks.

Generally speaking, the more often you stay at Hilton properties and the greater the degree to which you can use a card’s perks, the higher the annual fee on the card can be.

This is because through frequent usage and maximization of the card’s perks, you’ll be able to offset a card’s annual fee—often by a longshot—giving you the greatest return on your spending.

Therefore, annual fees should factor the least in your decision-making process.

However, if you’re averse to paying an annual fee or don’t stay at Hilton properties enough to justify paying an annual fee, the Hilton Honors American Express Card will be your best bet.

This card is the equivalent of “set it and forget it”—once it’s in your wallet, you’ll automatically enjoy the benefits of complimentary Hilton Honors Silver Status on all subsequent stays. But you won’t have to stress about offsetting its annual fee through frequent usage.

If you stay in Hilton properties more than once in a blue moon and aren’t put off by a low-tier annual fee, the Hilton Honors Surpass Card could be a great fit.

Technically, the Surpass card’s annual up to $200 Hilton property credit alone could allow you to offset the annual fee by $50 every year. However, you’d need to stay at a Hilton property at least once every quarter to maximize the full $200 worth of this perk, as it’s issued in up to $50 quarterly credits. And if you’re staying that often at Hilton properties, you’d probably be better off with the Aspire card anyway.

Therefore, you’re more likely going to offset the Surpass Card’s annual fee through utilizing its wide range of everyday spending categories plus maximizing the benefits of complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Status. The 80% bonus point boost on earned base points in addition to the daily food and beverage credit can amount to significant savings every year. Plus, if you hit $15,000 in spending within a calendar year, the free night reward will help offset the card’s annual fee even further.

If you want all the bells and whistles when it comes to a Hilton card and you stay often enough with Hilton properties to justify it, the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card will be your best fit.

Its up to $400 annual Hilton property statement credit is much easier to use as it’s given in up to $200 biannual increments—a perk that an Aspire cardholder should be able to use every year. This perk alone offsets the annual fee by $400.

Combined with complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond Status, up to $200 flight statement credit, a $199 CLEAR Plus membership credit and a free night reward (with the ability to earn a second and third free night reward), you can reap a huge amount of value from the Aspire card.

And if you’re a small business owner who stays semi-frequently at Hilton properties, signing up for The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card would be a wise option. That way, you can benefit from Gold status, up to $240 annual Hilton property statement credits and a range of insurance perks. 

Hilton Credit Card vs. General Travel Rewards Card: Which Is Better?

Perhaps you’re planning your next trip and have decided you want to stay in a Hilton. So you should open a Hilton credit card, right?

Not so fast.

Hilton credit cards have their place, but you need to understand when a Hilton credit card would benefit you more than a general travel rewards credit card and vice versa.

For instance, let’s say you’ve racked up a significant number of Hilton points for your upcoming trip, only to find out that your prospective Hilton property is fully booked. Now what’s the plan?

This is where a general travel rewards card can help.

A general travel rewards card earns a transferable points currency. Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou points, Capital One miles and American Express Membership Rewards are all examples of transferable points currencies. You can transfer these points to the card issuer’s airline and hotel partners to make award bookings, just as if you had earned the given airline’s or hotel’s loyalty points in the first place.

However, not only can you get a much greater redemption value than the typical 1 cent per point you get in an airline or hotel portal, but you also enjoy increased flexibility. So, when worse comes to worse and your prospective Hilton property is fully booked, you could transfer your Amex points (for example) to Marriott Bonvoy instead and use them for an award booking at a nearby Marriott property.

Not to mention, some general travel rewards cards even come with complimentary hotel elite status.

If you’re looking for status with Hilton (or Marriott for that matter) but want to stay flexible with your points, you could apply for The Platinum Card® from American Express or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express. That way, you’ll enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Status (and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status), plus access to 21 hotel and airline transfer partners, giving you maximum flexibility.

Nevertheless, that’s not to say that a Hilton card has no place in your wallet. 

If you often stay with Hilton, opening a co-branded Hilton credit card could enable you to earn more Hilton points as well as take advantage of Hilton property credits and free night rewards. Likewise, stomaching the Amex Platinum Card’s annual fee of $695 (see rates & fees) isn’t for everyone. Instead, you could pay just $150 for the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card and still enjoy complimentary Gold Status.

Whether you’re better suited to a general travel rewards card or a co-branded Hilton card ultimately comes down to your wider credit card strategy, travel goals and spending habits.

Fund Your Next Hilton Vacation With a Co-branded Hilton Card

Earning Hilton points on everyday expenditure helps toward funding your next vacation. Likewise, free night rewards, complimentary elite status and hundreds of dollars worth of property credits can make staying at Hilton properties more affordable and a more frequent possibility.

No matter how often you stay at Hilton properties, there’s a card suited to you with an annual fee you can handle—whether that’s $0 or $550.

Just keep in mind the value of a general travel rewards card over a Hilton credit card when making your decision.

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.