7 Hilton Honors Amex Benefits You Didn’t Know About

• Written by Harlan Vaughn
  

  Harlan Vaughn

  Credit cards, travel rewards, investing, loans, personal finance, deposits

  Harlan Vaughn has over a decade of experience covering credit cards and travel rewards content. His work has been featured in Bankrate, Business Insider, BuzzFeed, Forbes Advisor, NerdWallet and more. With millions of points and miles redeemed for travel, Harlan has used credit card rewards to visit incredible destinations including Iceland, Japan, Hawaii, New Zealand and Chile. His mission is to help others maximize their credit card rewards and benefits. Harlan is a dad of three and lives in Memphis, Tennessee. He’s also interested in personal finance, investing and financial independence. When he’s not digging into those topics or earning rewards with a portfolio of nearly 40 active credit cards, you can find him hiking, enjoying live music and traveling with his family.

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• Edited by Jasmin Baron, CCC™
  

  Jasmin Baron, CCC™

  Credit Cards, Travel Rewards, Loyalty Programs, Family Travel, Credit Building, Credit Scores

  Jasmin Baron is a NACCC Certified Credit Counselor™ and CardCritics’ senior editor, responsible for editing and writing credit cards, travel rewards, loyalty program, and other credit-related content. She is passionate about personal finance education and enjoys sharing tips and tricks for making the most of credit card points and miles with her readers. Her expertise in maximizing credit card travel rewards originated from over two decades of aviation industry experience, including 18 years working as a pilot and college professor/flight instructor in her native Canada. Her work has appeared on sites such as CNN Underscored Money, Business Insider, The Points Guy, and point.me. When she’s not planning her next trip with credit card rewards, you’ll probably find her tinkering around in the kitchen, hanging out with her three kids, or playing with her dog, Benji.

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• Last Updated May 4, 2026

There’s a lot to like about the Hilton Honors American Express Card. Because there’s no annual fee, it’s a comfortable place to hang your hat if you don’t want to commit to one hotel chain but want occasional perks when you travel and stay at Hilton hotels. 

It’s not all that fancy and doesn’t offer the benefits of Hilton cards with annual fees, but that can appeal to a broader demographic. Plus, some of the benefits punch far above their weight. Here are six reasons I’ve kept this card year after year — and why you might, too. 

1. Strong Welcome Offer

New Amex Hilton Honors cardholders can earn 80,000 Hilton points after spending $2,000 on purchases within the first six months of account opening. That’s a generous welcome offer for a no-annual-fee credit card, and you could redeem those rewards for several nights at lower-tier Hilton hotels, or a night at a fancier property.

The spending requirement is manageable, too — averaging ~$334 a month over six months. That’s easy to achieve by simply putting your regular, everyday expenses on the card.

2. Excellent Earning in Useful Categories

Groceries, gas and dining are big budget items for many households, and the Hilton Honors Amex is ready to reward you for them. You’ll earn 5x Hilton points on dining at U.S. restaurants, groceries at U.S. supermarkets and gas at U.S. gas stations. For all other eligible purchases, you’ll earn 3 Hilton points per dollar spent. 

There are plenty of cards that are ready to reward you for spending in these bonus categories, including many of the best American Express credit cards. But if it’s Hilton points you’re after, 5x points is a strong multiplier — and you’ll earn 7x points on purchases made with Hilton, too.  

3. Hilton Elite Status

The Hilton Honors Card comes with Hilton Silver elite status, which, admittedly, isn’t exciting. But it gets you 20% bonus points, no resort fees on award stays and a few other benefits like free bottled water and Wi-Fi. 

It’s not much, but the card is for the occasional Hilton traveler rather than the loyalist who wants all the perks. It’s a nice bonus just for having a credit card and is in line with other hotel credit cards at this level. 

4. Fifth Night Free on Award Stays

This one deserves its own callout because it’s by far the best benefit of Silver elite status. Beginning at this tier, you get the fifth night free on standard room award stays paid solely with points. I go out of my way to use this benefit and find that five nights is an ideal amount of time for a family visit or extended stay in one destination. 

I’d even say that this perk alone could make the Hilton Honors Amex worth it if you’re interested in award stays with Hilton. The benefit is applied automatically when you’re logged into your Hilton account and book an award stay. 

5. No Foreign Transaction Fees

There’s a growing stable of travel cards with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, like this one. Foreign transaction fees are pesky little charges that can add up in a hurry if you like to travel overseas. 

I find it annoying that the card’s 5x bonus categories specify U.S.-only, but if you don’t have another card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, this one can save you some cash — and you’ll still earn 3x points at a minimum. However, if you go abroad often, you may want to consider one of the best travel credit cards instead.

6. Purchase Protection

If your new purchase is stolen or damaged within 90 days of when you bought it, you could be covered for up to $1,000 per covered purchase and up to $50,000 per year when you shop with the Hilton Honors Amex Card. 

Amex is known for being customer-friendly, and this benefit is a generous addition to a no-annual-fee card. 

7. Access to Member Tickets

When you have an Amex card, you gain access to special tickets only available through American Express. Events range from sports, music, theater and other entertainment. 

If you’re a fan of a popular sports team or touring act, these tickets can actually be useful. I’ve bought them during presales in the past and am confident I wouldn’t have gotten comparable seats without early access from Amex. It’s a niche benefit, but if you can use it, it can help you make some memories. 

The information related to the Hilton Honors American Express Card and Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card was collected by CardCritics™ and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardCritics™ does not receive a commission for this product.

For the purchase protection on the Hilton Honors American Express Card, when an American Express® Card Member charges a Covered Purchase with their Eligible Card, Purchase Protection can help protect their Covered Purchases for up to 90 days from the Covered Purchase date if it is stolen or accidentally damaged. The coverage is limited up to $1,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. 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.