Charles H. Miller
If you are travelling for business (or leisure?), chances are you will “stumble” on a Hilton property. Beyond Hilton itself, properties under the Hilton Hotels & Resorts umbrella also include such brands as Waldorf Astoria, Conrad, DoubleTree, Embassy Suites, and more. So while staying at one of these hotels, you may also want to get some of the money back. And you can do that with a Hilton HHonors credit card offered by American Express, which awards your hotel stays with points that you can redeem for free nights.
Also read: Hilton HHonors Cards from Citi.
Highlights
- A ton of Hilton HHonors points to start with (sign-up bonus), easy way to earn points
- 15.49% – 19.49% variable APR, based on your creditworthiness
- Numerous travel and shopping benefits
- 3% Balance Transfer Fee (minimum $5)
- 2.7% Foreign Transaction Fee
- $0 or $75 Annual Fee (in case of the Hilton HHonors™ Surpass® Card)
How These Cards Work
Earn points: With Hilton HHonors™ Card from American Express, you earn 7 Hilton HHonors points for each dollar spent on participating Hilton HHonors hotels or resorts; 5 points for each dollar spent at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations; and 3 points on all purchases. Hilton HHonors™ Surpass® Card, on the other hand, gets its members 12 points for Hilton stays; 6 points for every dollar spent at restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations; and, again, 3 points for all other purchases.
Manage points: You can redeem points for award nights at more than 4,200 Hilton hotels and resorts worldwide starting as low as 5,000 points for a night in Category 1 property up to 70,000 points per night in a Category 10 property. Also, points can be used for room upgrades, merchandise in the Hilton HHonors Shopping Mall, car rentals, as well as gift cards (though that’s not the best way to spend your points). Alternatively, you can redeem points for miles with over 60 airline loyalty programs.
Sign-up bonus: With Hilton HHonors™ Card, users earn 50,000 Hilton HHonors bonus points after they spend $750 on purchases with the card within the first 3 months of account opening, while that number goes to 75,000 points with the Hilton HHonors™ Surpass® Card.
Complimentary status: With Hilton HHonors™ Card, users automatically get Silver HHonors status that includes benefits such as a 15% points bonus, free fifth night on standard room stays of five nights or more, and complimentary access to hotel fitness and health clubs. On the other hand, the Hilton HHonors™ Surpass® Card includes Gold status and all of its perks, like a 25% points bonus, room upgrades, and in-room high-speed Wi-Fi. Both cards allow its members to earn their next HHonors status faster.
Online booking bonus: Get a bonus of 500 HHonors points when you use your Hilton HHonors™ card to book the reservation online at one Hilton property.
Travel benefits: These would include the Baggage Insurance Plan, which covers lost, damaged, or stolen baggage when you have used your card to purchase the entire fare. Also, there’s the Roadside Assistance Hotline, car rental loss and damage insurance, as well as travel accident insurance coverage for you and your family on Common Carrier fares charged to your card.
Priority Pass: The Hilton HHonors™ Surpass® Card from American Express includes access to over 700 airport lounges with Priority Pass membership, which usually costs $99. Lounge visits with this membership are subject to a fee of $27 per person per visit.
APR: Variable APR ranging from 15.49% to 19.49%, based on your creditworthiness. You should not carry balance with these cards.
Annual Fee: The Hilton HHonors™ Card from American Express has no annual fee, while the Hilton HHonors™ Surpass® Card costs $75 per year.
Foreign Transaction Fee: For some reason both the Hilton HHonors™ Card and Hilton HHonors™ Surpass® Card have a foreign transaction fee of 2.7%, which is kinda awkward for cards made for travelers.
Costs
- $0 / $75 Annual Fee
- 15.49%-19.49% Variable APR
- 3% Balance Transfer Fee ($5 minimum)
- 2.7% Foreign Transaction Fee
Pros
- Sign-up bonus, which, if used correctly, could be redeemed for free stays at Hilton hotels.
- Those frequently staying at Hilton properties will get rewarded for their stays.
- Because of Hilton’s presence all around the world, this is one of the cards frequents travelers to those hotels will want to carry around on their trips.
Cons
- Credit card for travelers with foreign transaction fee is kinda awkward, to say the least.
- Hilton HHonors points are not as worth as points from some other hotel chains. As you will be able to attest for yourself if you, say, want to redeem them for a gift card.
Head to Head Comparison
Should You Get One of American Express’ Hilton HHonors™ Cards?
If you frequently stay at some Hilton property, the answer is “YES.” You will be spending money on a hotel stay, so why not get something in return. Various Hilton hotels are present all around the world, and with one of these cards, you will be “covered” for your stays. Just make sure not to use these cards too much while traveling abroad, cause that foreign transaction fee could easily kill all the benefits you will earn for your stays.
