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The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card is a solid hotel card for small business owners who enjoy staying at Hilton Hotel properties, either for work or pleasure.
As you spend on the card, you'll earn Hilton Honors points. These points can be redeemed for free hotel nights at any Hilton property in the world, including luxury property brands like Waldorf Astoria and Conrad. By having this card in your wallet, you'll also have complimentary benefits like Hilton Honors elite status and airport lounge access.
The card has a modest $95 annual fee (see rates and fees) — but is the card worth it? Select reviews the Hilton Business Amex card, analyzing its welcome bonus offer, rewards earned from spending and APR to help you decide if it fits in your wallet.
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card review
Welcome bonus
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card is currently offering a welcome bonus of 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors Business Card within the first three months of Card Membership.
Keep in mind that you'll also earn Hilton Honors points as you spend on the card to reach these spending thresholds. Hilton Honors points are valued by many at a modest 0.5 cents per point.
This welcome offer is solid and has a manageable minimum spend threshold for business owners. Compared to other travel credit cards with a modest annual fee, the Hilton Business card bonus offers a great return on your initial spend.
Benefits and perks
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card has plenty of benefits for its cardholders. First, as you spend on the card, you'll earn:
- 12X Hilton Honors points for every dollar spent directly with hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio.
- 6X Hilton Honors points for every dollar spent at U.S. gas stations, on U.S. purchases for shipping, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers, on flights booked directly with airlines or with Amex Travel, on car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies and at U.S. restaurants.
- 3X Hilton Honors points for every dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
If you value Hilton Honors points at half a cent per point, this means you earn 6% back on Hilton purchases, 3% back on the 6X categories and 1.5% back on all other eligible purchases. This is a solid return — but if you redeem your Hilton rewards for less than that, your spending return diminishes as well.
When you have the Hilton Business card, you'll get:
- Complimentary Hilton Honors™ Gold status. This includes benefits like: Food and beverage credit at select Hilton properties, room upgrades when available, free Wi-Fi, fifth night free when booking with points, free bottled water and the ability to choose your room.
- Spend your way to Diamond status. If you plan on spending heavily with the Hilton Business Card, keep in mind that you can earn Diamond status by spending $40,000 in a calendar year.
- Up to two Free Night Rewards. You can earn a Free Night Reward after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases on your card in a calendar year. And you can earn a second Free Night Reward after spending $60,000 on eligible purchases on the card in a calendar year. Note that this certificate can be redeemed at any Hilton property around the globe, no matter how expensive the nightly rate is, as long as there is award availability.
- Complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership. You'll receive a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership, which is good for up to 10 lounge visits per year at any Priority Pass airport lounge.
- Rental car insurance.*
- No foreign transaction fees; see rates and fees
The card's stand-out benefit is definitely the possibility to earn two weekend night awards. You can use these at any Hilton property in the world, including luxurious Waldorf Astoria properties, where some stays can cost more than $1,000 per night. And as you are spending, you are still earning Hilton Honors points. So if you're heavily using the card, be sure to keep track of both of your weekend night certificates and points balance. With enough spending, you can easily put together a luxurious hotel stay between the certificates and Hilton points you earn.
How to earn and redeem Hilton Honors points
The two best ways to earn Hilton Honors points is by either staying at Hilton hotels or by spending on Hilton co-branded credit cards.
For most, the more realistic way to earn hoards of Hilton Honors points is by earning a welcome bonus and spending on a Hilton co-branded credit card like the Hilton Business card. However, you are not restricted to just one Hilton credit card. If you are able to be approved for multiple Hilton credit cards and meet multiple welcome offer thresholds, your points balance will skyrocket.
Once you earn the points, the fun part is redeeming them for a free hotel stay. Hilton Honors points have no blackout dates on when you can redeem points, so you never have to worry about whether you can use them or not.
Keep in mind that the Hilton Honors loyalty program operates on 'dynamic pricing', which means that prices for award nights will fluctuate based on demand. This means that one Saturday night could be 30,000 points per night, while the next Saturday night could be 82,000 points for the same room. The amount of points you pay typically correlates with the cash price of the room.
But before you book your next Hilton room with points, there are a few things to keep in mind:
- Estimated value: While there is no confirmed value from Hilton, many travel rewards enthusiasts estimate Hilton Honors points to be worth roughly at 0.5 cents per point. It isn't 'bad' per se to redeem them for less, but it is a good benchmark to remember when redeeming your points.
- Fifth night free: You are able to enjoy a fifth night free when you book five consecutive nights at any Hilton hotel when you use points. This is a great way to stretch the value of your points even farther, since you're essentially getting a 20% discount on five night stays.
- Points + money option: When you're booking a room using points, you may find yourself without enough points to cover the cost of the entire room. You'll have the option to cover the rest of the room cost with cash.
- Transfer your points to airline or train loyalty programs: You can transfer your Hilton points to a list of different airline and train loyalty programs. However, the value you'll realize is pretty low, so it is best to use your Hilton Honors points strictly at Hilton hotel properties.
Rates and fees
The card has a $95 annual fee. It does not have any foreign transaction fees*.
This is a modest annual fee for a business travel credit card, and it delivers solid perks in return. By not having foreign transaction fees it can be your go-to card when you travel outside the U.S.
If you plan on carrying a balance month to month, this card may not be the best. It has a high interest rate range of 20.99% - 29.99% variable APR on purchases*. If you want to avoid accruing interest, consider a credit card with a 0% introductory APR offer.
The late payment fees can be up to $39*.
*See rates and fees.
Card comparison
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card is a great card for a small business owner to help save on future Hilton stays. But, is it the best credit card for you?
Select analyzed two other travel credit cards to see how they match up with one another.
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card vs. Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card
The Marriott Bonvoy Business Card is a strong competitor to the Hilton Business card.
The card has a slightly higher annual fee at $125 per year (see rates and fees), but the benefits and spending categories can deliver value to justify the fee.
With this card, you'll earn:
- 6X Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy® program
- 4X points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide, U.S. gas stations, shipping providers and wireless phone services purchased directly from service providers
- 2X points per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases
You'll also receive Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status with your Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, which includes priority late checkout when available and 25% bonus points on stays and you'll avoid foreign transaction fees.
If you are deciding between the two, it really comes down to preference of where you like to stay more: Hilton or Marriott. However, if hotel loyalty program status is important to you, the Hilton Business Amex is a better choice as you can spend your way to Diamond status and receive automatic gold status. Also, keep in mind both cards are currently running limited time welcome offer bonuses, so be sure to check both to see which one you value more.
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card vs. World of Hyatt Business Credit Card
The World of Hyatt Business Credit Card gives small business owners the opportunity to earn Hyatt points on their purchases.
The annual fee is $199 which is double the cost of the Hilton Business Card. But in return, cardholders can earn extremely valuable rewards.
As you spend on the card, you'll earn:
- 9X total points at Hyatt: 4X points per dollar spent at Hyatt hotels & 5X points per dollar spent as a World of Hyatt member
- 2X points per dollar spent in your top three spend categories each quarter through 12/31/24, then your top two categories each quarter
- 2X points per dollar spent on fitness club and gym memberships
- 1X point on all other purchases.
If you are deciding between the two cards, it is important to analyze the destinations you visit. Hilton has a much larger portfolio of hotel properties, which gives more flexibility to use rewards. But if you have specific destinations in mind with Hyatt property locations, it may not matter.
It is also worth noting that Hyatt works on an award chart system, which lists exactly how much a hotel room will cost when using points. With Hilton, it is dynamic, meaning that the cost can fluctuate based on demand and price. In general, Hyatt points provide much more value than Hilton points, but you'll earn less Hyatt points per dollar spent on the Hyatt Business card compared to the Hilton Business card.
With the Hyatt card, you'll automatically have World of Hyatt Discoverist status as long as the account is open. And to complement your stay at Hyatt properties, you'll get up to $100 in Hyatt statement credits each year you have the card. And you'll get valuable travel insurance coverage, including trip cancellation/interruption insurance and rental car insurance. Hyatt points are worth more than Hilton points
Who the Hilton Business Card is best for
The Hilton Business Amex is a great credit card for small business owners looking to save on future hotel stays, without having to keep track of a long list of benefits. The Hilton Business Card offers a few effective benefits focused on delivering real value on spending, during hotel stays and when traveling.
Many travel cards for business owners, like The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, come with a nearly endless amount of perks. While useful, some business owners may prefer simplicity and a more modest annual fee.
In addition, this credit card is great for someone who wants hotel elite status, but doesn't travel enough to earn it through repeated stays.
Lastly, if you are regularly traveling outside of the U.S., either for business or pleasure, this card is great as it will help you avoid foreign transaction fees.
Bottom line
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card is a great business card if you already visit, or plan on visiting Hilton properties in the future. Having Hilton Honors Gold status, the ability to earn two weekend night certificates that can be used at any Hilton property around the world, Priority Pass lounge access and earning rewards for your spending for a modest $95 annual fee is a solid value proposition.
However, if you really desire to maximize all your business purchases — consider a strategy with multiple credit cards. Not only can you earn hundreds of thousands of travel rewards, you can also give yourself additional spending power to grow your business, or even possibly reward your best performing employee with a vacation, paid for completely using travel rewards.
Read more
For rates and fees for The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees for the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, click here.
For rates and fees for the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card, click here.
*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
