With the new year comes exciting new promotional offers, and new opportunities to earn points with your American Express Credit Card.
2019 sees the return of Hilton’s Points Unlimited Promotion, which starts January 4, 2019, and runs through May 5, 2019.
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By registering for this promotion, you can earn 2,000 bonus points for every stay at participating Hilton Hotels, and 10,000 bonus points every 10th night or 5th stay completed.
But the savings potential doesn’t end there. If you really want to rack up those points, you’ll also need to make sure you’re using a Hilton Honors American Express Credit Card to pay for your stays.
There are four to choose from Hilton American Express Credit Cards which offer additional points back on all Hilton purchases, but which one should you sign up for?
To find out, let’s look at the differences between them:
1. Hilton Honors American Express Credit Card
At a glance:
- Welcome bonus: 75,000 Hilton points after you spend $1,000 within 3 months of card membership
- Annual fee: None
- Reward points: 7x points back per $1 on Hilton purchases
- Other perks: Complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status
This American Express Credit Card is the baseline option. As such, it offers a smaller welcome bonus (75,000 points) and fewer reward points back on Hilton purchases (7x) compared to the other Hilton cards.
However, it also doesn’t have an annual fee and still offers some solid perks, which makes it a great option for people who only occasionally stay at Hilton hotels and don’t want to pay an annual fee.
Based on TPG’s monthly valuations, the welcome bonus points for the Hilton Honors card are worth around $450.
2. Hilton Honors American Express Ascend Card
At a glance:
- Welcome bonus: 125,000 Hilton points after you spend $2,000 within 3 months of card membership
- Annual fee: $95
- Reward points: 12x points back per $1 on eligible Hilton purchases
- Other perks: Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status, a free weekend night reward after you’ve spent $15,000, 10 free lounge visits each year & more.
Unlike the baseline Hilton American Express Credit Card, the Ascend Card has an annual fee. However, at just $95, the fee should pay for itself in no time!
The welcome points bonus has an equivalent value of $750, which is $300 more than the standard Hilton Card. You’ll also earn 12x points instead of 7x on Hilton purchases, and 6x instead of 5x in U.S. restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations.
Perks like complimentary gold status, a free weekend night, and free lounge visits make this American Express Credit Card a great option for frequent travelers and brand loyalists.
3. Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
At a glance:
- Welcome bonus: 150,000 Hilton points after you spend $4,000 within 3 months of card membership
- Annual fee: $450
- Reward points: 14x points back per $1 on eligible Hilton purchases
- Other perks: Complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond status, $250 annual airline fee credit, $250 annual Hilton resort statement credits, & much more.
The aspire card offers the largest welcome bonus and most reward points on Hilton purchases of the bunch. This makes it the best-value card in this list. It also offers the best perks and complimentary Diamond status.
However, the annual fee is also much higher at $450, which means you’ll need to make sure you take advantage of the bonus points and perks to get your money’s worth. This should be easy as the welcome bonus alone has an equivalent value of $900.
Sign up right here!
4. Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
At a glance:
- Welcome bonus: 125,000 Hilton points after you spend $5,000 within 3 months of card membership
- Annual fee: $95
- Reward points: 12x points back per $1 on eligible Hilton purchases
- Other perks: Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status, one free weekend night after you’ve spent $15,000 and a second after $45,000, 10 free lounge visits & more.
This American Express Credit Card offers the same welcome bonus and similar perks to the Ascend card but is more suitable for business use.
It also offers 12x points back on Hilton purchases and 6x points back on eligible business/travel purchases like car rentals, shipping, and flights.
Which American Express Credit Card do you think offers the best value? Let us know in the comments!
