Overview of Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
The Hilton Honors American Express business card is a handy hotel business card. With mid-range Hilton Gold elite status and Hilton credit, it offers premium benefits. If Hilton is your company’s preferred hotel chain, this card could be a valuable addition to your wallet. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐
*The card rating is based on the opinion of the TPG editorial staff and is not influenced by the card issuer.
The Hilton Honors business card is built for small business owners, but you don’t need a busy office or dozens of employees to apply. A side job or consulting gig that requires travel is more than enough to qualify for a small business card.
One of the best benefits of the Hilton Business Card is automatic Hilton Gold elite status. From free breakfast to room upgrades (subject to availability), this card can provide meaningful benefits from the start.
With a $195 annual fee (see rates and fees), the card offers a few useful benefits for Hilton loyalists. Candidates approved for the Hilton Honors Business typically have a credit score of at least 670.
The card was recently renewed, which brought changes to benefits and an increase in the annual fee. Let’s take a closer look at the Hilton Business Card to see if it’s right for your wallet.
Advantages and disadvantages of Hilton Amex Business Card
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Hilton Amex Business Card welcome offer
New candidates for the Amex Hilton Business card can earn 175,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership.
TPG values those 175,000 bonus points at $1,050. This is very close to the highest offer we’ve seen on this card (180,000 points), so now is a good time to apply.
Please note that Amex has a ‘once per lifetime’ policy on card offers and states the following:
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You may not be eligible for a welcome offer if you have or have had this card or previous versions of this card. You may also not qualify for a welcome offer based on several factors, such as your history with credit card balance transfers, your history as an American Express Card member, the number of credit cards you have opened and closed, and other factors. If you are not eligible for a welcome offer, we will notify you before we process your application so that you have the opportunity to withdraw your application.
Hilton Amex Business card benefits
For $195 per year (see rates and fees), the Hilton Business offers a range of benefits and advantages.
- Up to $240 in statement credits: Earn statement credits on eligible Hilton purchases, split up to $60 per quarter. Eligible purchases include room reservations at Hilton hotels and incidentals such as dining or spa treatments.
- Free elite status from National Car Rental: Cardholders receive National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status. Enrollment in the complimentary Emerald Club program is required. Benefits include guaranteed upgrades, access to cars in the Executive Area and no fees for a second driver.
- Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Elite Status: With Gold status, you’ll earn an 80% points bonus on Hilton stays, the fifth night free with award redemptions, elite-tier rollover nights, free breakfast or food and beverage credits at all hotels, room upgrades (where available) and more .
- Upgrade to Diamond status: You can achieve Diamond Elite status if you spend $40,000 on your card in a calendar year. Diamond status comes with even more benefits, like better upgrades (where available), executive lounge access, 48-hour room guarantee and more – but if you want this level of status, you’re probably better off applying for Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, which offers Diamond status as a built-in benefit.
- Travel protections: Baggage insurance*, secondary car rental loss and damage insurance**, access to the Global Assist Hotline# and extended warranty* and purchase protection* are available to cardholders.
- Expense management tools: As a Business Cardholder, you have access to tools like the American Express Business app, QuickBooks integration, Vendor Pay, and more.
Registration is required for certain benefits.
Related: Your Complete Guide to Store Protections on American Express Cards
The information for the Hilton Aspire card was independently collected by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been verified or provided by the card issuer.
*Eligibility and benefit level vary by card. Terms and conditions and restrictions apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more information. The policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
**Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Not all vehicle types or rental cars are covered and geographic restrictions apply. Terms and conditions and restrictions apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more information. The policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
#Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms and conditions and restrictions apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more information. Cardholders are responsible for fees charged by third party service providers.
Earn points with the Hilton Amex Business Card
With the Hilton Business card you earn 12 points per dollar at Hilton Hotels and Resorts – a 7.2% return on your spend according to TPG valuations. You’ll also earn 5 points per dollar on all other purchases up to $100,000, and 3 points per dollar after that.
As with Hilton’s other credit cards, you get the best return on Hilton purchases. For your other business-related expenses, you get a return on your expenses of 1.8%-3%.
Other cards such as the American Express® Business Gold Card or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offer better value. Additionally, Amex Membership Rewards allows you to transfer points to Hilton, making the Amex Business Gold a great addition to this card.
Related: 10 Considerations for Your Small Business Credit Card Strategy
Redeem points with the Hilton Amex Business Card
As with most hotel loyalty programs, the best value comes from using your points for hotel bookings.
You can redeem your Hilton Honors points in several ways. Hotel redemptions offer the best value, while Hilton event discounts, Hilton Honors Experiences, and Amazon purchases offer poor value.
Although Hilton Honors does not have a published rewards table, the Points Explorer tool can show you the price range for redeeming rewards for the next 30 days. This can help you know what to expect when considering locations to use your points.
TPG editor-in-chief Matt Moffitt likes to redeem his Hilton Honors points to book three- and four-star hotels abroad. These properties typically offer a higher redemption value than those in the US, and he aims to book a five-night stay since he only has to pay for four, thanks to the elite status that comes with Hilton cobranded cards.
If you want to maximize your Hilton redemption options, check out these three guides:
Which cards compete with the Hilton Amex Business Card?
The Hilton business card is the only business card offered by Hilton, but it has stiff competition from other cobranded hotels and standard business cards.
- If you want a Marriott hotel business card: The Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card offers automatic Gold Elite status with Marriott Bonvoy, up to 7% off eligible bookings made directly with Marriott at participating properties for cardholders and a free night (worth up to 35,000 points) on each account anniversary. You’ll also receive 15 elite night credits per year to help you reach higher status levels; the card has an annual fee of $125 (see rates and fees). For more information, read our full review of the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Business card.
- If you want a Hyatt hotel business card: The World of Hyatt Business Credit Card has a $199 annual fee and offers entry-level Discoverist status for you and up to five employees, up to $100 in annual spending credits with Hyatt, and two benefits you can unlock by spending: elite status and earns a 10% points discount. For more information, read our full review of the World of Hyatt Business card.
- If you want flexible points to use outside of your Hilton stays, The American Express® Business Gold Card doesn’t offer hotel status, but instead earns American Express Membership Rewards points, which you can transfer to Hilton, as well as use with more than 20 hotel and airline partners. You’ll earn 4 points per dollar in your top two spending categories each billing cycle, on up to $150,000 in purchases per calendar year. The card has an annual fee of $375 (see rates and fees). For more information, read our full review of the Amex Business Gold card.
For additional options, check out our list of the best business credit cards and the best American Express cards.
Related: How to Apply for an Amex Business Card
Is the Hilton Amex Business Card worth it?
The Hilton business card is best for those who spend a lot at Hilton hotels and can take advantage of the free Gold status. However, this card doesn’t offer valuable earning rates on everyday spending and lacks free night certificates that come with other hotel cards. If you’re looking for a credit card with higher travel benefits and elite status, Amex offers better options.
In short
You may be hesitant to pay an annual fee on a credit card or wonder if the $195 annual fee (see rates and fees) is worth it on the Hilton business card. Consider how much value you get from the card’s automatic Hilton Gold status, as that could be a deciding factor in whether this card is right for you. For business travelers who regularly stay at Hilton, there are nice things about the Hilton Business card. Others choose a different hotel card or business card.
Submit your application here: Hilton Honors Amex Business Card
For rates and fees for the Amex Hilton Business card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Business card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Gold card, click here.
