American Express offers Hilton travelers many choices when it comes to cobranded credit cards. There are currently four different Hilton-branded cards on the market, including three personal cards and one small business card:
- Hilton Honors Card from American Express
- Hilton Honors Ascend Card from American Express
- Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
- Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express
Each of these cards are currently offering their best-ever welcome bonuses so there’s never been a better time to apply for them. However, given all the options, it can be a tricky to decide which one you should get. Today we’ll dive right in and take a closer look at the differences between these four cards.
Card Overview
| Card | Annual Fee |
| Hilton Honors Amex | $0 (See Rates & Fees) |
| Hilton Ascend Amex | $95 (See Rates & Fees) |
| Hilton Honors Business Amex | $95 (See Rates & Fees) |
| Hilton Aspire Amex | $450 (See Rates & Fees) |
| Card | Welcome Bonus |
| Hilton Honors Amex | 75,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months |
| Hilton Ascend Amex | 125,000 points after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months |
| Hilton Honors Business Amex | 125,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months |
| Hilton Aspire Amex | 150,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months |
| Card | Earning Rates |
| Hilton Honors Amex | 7x at Hilton hotels
5x at US restaurants, US supermarkets and US gas stations 3x on all other purchases Terms Apply |
| Hilton Ascend Amex | 12x at Hilton hotels
6x at US restaurants, US supermarkets and US gas stations 3x on all other purchases Terms Apply |
| Hilton Honors Business Amex | 12x at Hilton hotels
6x on wireless services purchased directly from US service providers and on US purchases for shipping, at US restaurants, on flights booked directly with airlines and through Amex Travel and on car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies 3x on all other purchases Terms Apply |
| Hilton Aspire Amex | 14x at Hilton hotels
7x at US restaurants, flights booked directly with airlines and car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies 3x on all other purchases Terms Apply |
| Card | Annual Travel Credits |
| Hilton Honors Amex | N/A |
| Hilton Ascend Amex | N/A |
| Hilton Honors Business Amex | N/A |
| Hilton Aspire Amex | Up to $250 in statement credits for purchases at participating Hilton resorts
Up to $250 in statement credits for incidentals from an airline of your choice Up to a $100 credit for incidentals every time you book at least a two-night paid stay at Waldorf Astoria and Conrad properties |
| Card | Elite Status |
| Hilton Honors Amex | Automatic Hilton Honors Silver
Upgrade to Gold by spending $20,000 in a calendar year |
| Hilton Ascend Amex | Automatic Hilton Honors Gold
Upgrade to Diamond by spending $40,000 in a calendar year. |
| Hilton Honors Business Amex | Automatic Hilton Honors Gold
Upgrade to Diamond by spending $40,000 in a calendar year. |
| Hilton Aspire Amex | Automatic Hilton Honors Diamond |
| Card | Free Night Certificates |
| Hilton Honors Amex | N/A |
| Hilton Ascend Amex | One weekend night after spending $15,000 in a calendar year |
| Hilton Honors Business Amex | One weekend night after spending $15,000 in a calendar year
Second weekend night when you spend $60,000 on the card in a calendar year |
| Hilton Aspire Amex | One weekend night when you open your card, and another every year after you renew
Second weekend night when you spend $60,000 on the card in a calendar year |
| Card | Lounge Access |
| Hilton Honors Amex | N/A |
| Hilton Ascend Amex | 10 Priority Pass visits a year |
| Hilton Honors Business Amex | 10 Priority Pass visits a year |
| Hilton Aspire Amex | Priority Pass select membership, with up to 2 free guests |
| Card | Other Benefits |
| Hilton Honors Amex | No foreign-transaction fees (See Rates & Fees)
Car rental insurance (secondary) Access to Amex Offers |
| Hilton Ascend Amex | No foreign-transaction fees (See Rates & Fees)
Car rental insurance (secondary) Access to Amex Offers |
| Hilton Honors Business Amex | No foreign-transaction fees (See Rates & Fees)
Car rental insurance (secondary) Access to Amex Offers |
| Hilton Aspire Amex | No foreign-transaction fees (See Rates & Fees)
Car rental insurance (secondary) Baggage loss and damage insurance Travel accident insurance Premium roadside assistance |
As you can see, the spread in costs and benefits between these cards is pretty significant. However, unless you’re on the market for a business credit card, in which case your only option is the Hilton Honors Business Card, for most people, the Hilton Honors Aspire Card will be the clear winner.
Reasons to Get the Aspire
Despite having the highest annual fee among the entire family of cards, the Hilton Aspire offers the greatest maximization potential and is the only one that is effectively guaranteed to more than pay for itself year after year. The card’s up to $500 in cumulative annual travel credits — up to $250 toward airline incidentals and up to a $250 statement credit to spend at Hilton resorts — are as good as cash for most people since the resort credit is good toward room rates and many readers have had success using the airline credit to buy certain airline gift cards. That means that at the end of every year, you’ll get back the entire annual fee, plus an extra $50. On top of that, the card offers an annual free weekend night at almost any Hilton property worldwide (and another one after you spend $60,000 on the card in a calendar year), automatic top-tier Hilton Diamond status and unlimited Priority Pass lounge access.
All of that is before you even factor in its 150,000-point welcome bonus, which is worth $900 according to TPG’s valuations, and impressive earning rates: 14x points at Hilton properties; 7x points on flights booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel, on car rentals booked directly with select car rental companies and at US restaurants; and 3x points on everything else. 14 points per dollar is a 8.4% return on Hilton spending, but when you factor in the 100% point bonus (or 20 points per dollar at most Hilton properties) that comes with Diamond status, you’ll actually be earning 34 points per dollar on most Hilton stays, which is a terrific 20.4% return.
Reasons to Consider Hilton’s Other Cards
Considering that most people should be able to get full value from the travel credits, the only arguments you can make against the Aspire Card is that you have to pay the full $450 up front and that you have to be able to comfortably spend $4,000 in the first three months (an average of $1,334 per month) to get the welcome bonus. So, if you’re looking for a cheaper card, you’ll need to pick between the Hilton Honors Card (with no annual fee) or the Ascend Card (with a $95 annual fee). Both of these cards’ welcome bonuses and earning rates are pretty generous for their annual fees. Deciding which one is best for you ultimately depends on your personal spending habits and what other travel rewards credit cards you already have.
If you’re a frequent Hilton guest, you’ll benefit from the Ascend Card’s higher return on Hilton spending and higher level of elite status. However, if you have The Platinum Card® from American Express, you already get automatic Hilton Gold status, as well as a full Priority Pass membership. So, for Platinum card holders, the Ascend would only makes sense if you can benefit from the higher return on Hilton spending or plan on meeting the spend requirements for Diamond or the weekend night award. However, if you don’t have the Amex Platinum, then the Ascend is a great mid-tier pick.
How to Get 350,000+ Hilton Points
Although the majority of benefits overlap, if it’s just a large sum of Hilton points you’re after, you don’t necessarily need to consider these cards as mutually exclusive. Unlike some other cobranded cards out there, Amex considers each of the Hilton cards as separate products. This means that although Amex typically allows you to earn only one welcome bonus per “lifetime” per card type, you’re able to earn the welcome bonus on each of the Hilton cards. If you apply for all three of the personal cards, you can earn a whopping 350,000 points — or 475,000 if you also pick up the business card. Just note that all of the Hilton cards are credit cards, as opposed to charge cards like the American Express® Gold Card and the Amex Platinum, and you’re only allowed to have a total of five Amex credit cards open at any one time.
Bottom Line
The Hilton Honors Aspire Card makes a very compelling case for itself. Whether you stay Hilton properties just once per year or basically live at them, you should have no problem maxing out the travel benefits and coming out ahead with the card. Aside from the up to $500 in annual travel credits, it has the highest number of bonus points, the best earning ratio, the highest elite status level, an annual award night without a spending requirement and more. However, if you’re not willing to take the numerical leap associated with the Aspire’s annual fee, you could get a good return from the basic Hilton Honors Card and Ascend cards as well.
For more information on the Hilton cards, check out the following posts:
- Which Hilton Credit Card Is Best for Family Travelers?
- Hilton Ascend vs. Hilton Aspire: Which Card Is Right for You?
- Amex Increases Welcome Bonuses Across All of Its Hilton Credit Cards
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Amex, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Ascend Amex, click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Business Amex, click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Aspire Amex, click here.
Featured photo courtesy of Hilton Los Cabos.
0 coment�rios: