Hilton Honors American Express Card
- Best for: Travelers who stay at Hilton a few nights a year and don’t want to pay an annual fee
- What Sets It Apart: The only Hilton card from American Express with no annual fee; Hilton Honors Silver status included
- Cost: $0 annual fee; no foreign transaction fees; 19.74% to 28.74% variable APR
- Features: A Free Night Reward and 70,000 points for $2,000 in purchases in 6 months; 7x at Hilton; 5x at U.S. restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations; 3x on other purchases; Gold status after $20,000 in a calendar year
- Pros: No annual fee; every fifth night free on standard room stays booked entirely with points; welcome Free Night Reward includes resort fees and taxes on the room
- Cons: 3x on other purchases worth about 1.2 cents per dollar at 0.4 cent a point; no yearly Free Night Reward or elite night credits; Free Night Reward booked by phone and expires in 12 months
If you stay at Hilton a few nights a year, open the Hilton Honors American Express Card. It charges no annual fee and earns 7 points per dollar at Hilton and 5 at U.S. restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations, so your stays and everyday spending both count toward free nights.
It’s the only one of the four Hilton cards from American Express with no annual fee, so it suits guests who don’t stay often enough to justify paying a fee. This page also replaces our review of the Citi Hilton Honors Visa Signature Card, which ended when American Express became Hilton’s only U.S. card issuer in 2018.
Key Features
- $0 annual fee, no foreign transaction fees, and a variable interest rate (APR) of 19.74% to 28.74%
- A Free Night Reward and 70,000 bonus points once you spend $2,000 in the first 6 months (offer ends Jan. 13, 2027)
- 7 points per dollar at Hilton hotels booked directly, 5 at U.S. restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations, and 3 elsewhere, superstores and warehouse clubs included
- Hilton Honors Silver status, with Gold after $20,000 in purchases in a calendar year
Pros
- Every fifth night free with Silver status on standard room stays of five or more nights booked entirely with points
- Welcome Free Night Reward good for one night in a standard room at most Hilton hotels, resort fees and taxes included
- 5 points per dollar at U.S. restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations, worth about 2 cents per dollar in hotel stays at NerdWallet’s average of 0.4 cent a point
Cons
- 3 points per dollar on other purchases, worth about 1.2 cents per dollar in hotel stays at NerdWallet’s average of 0.4 cent a point, versus 2 cents in cash from a 2% cash-back card
- No yearly Free Night Reward after the welcome offer, and no elite night credits toward status
- Free Night Reward booked only by phone and expiring 12 months after it’s issued
If you stay at Hilton only a few nights a year, carry this card for those stays and the purchases that earn 5 points, and put everything else on a 2% cash-back card. Step up to Hilton’s $150-a-year Surpass Card once you’d use its up to $200 a year in Hilton credits, Gold status, and the Free Night Reward it earns after $15,000 in yearly spending.
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