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Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. Just in time for summer and for a limited time, American Express and Hilton have raised the welcome bonus offers on three of their Hilton Honors cards — the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, the Hilton Honors American Express Card and the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card. Now through July 6, you can earn up to 130,000 Hilton Honors points when you sign up for one of these three Hilton credit cards and meet the minimum-spend requirements. Below, Select highlights the three elevated credit card welcome bonuses and how you can maximize your Hilton Honors points.
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Limited-time welcome bonus offers
Using rewards points to cut down on your hotel costs is a great way to fight back against rising travel prices. According to the St. Louis Federal Reserve, hotel prices have shot up by 20% in the last 12 months — slightly behind the recent 25% increase of airline tickets. If you’re planning to hit the road in the next few months but want to keep more of your hard-earned dollars, consider using points and miles to help fund your travels — and there’s no better way to earn travel rewards quickly than earning the welcome bonus on a new travel rewards credit card. Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card Learn More Information about the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication. Rewards 12X points per dollar for eligible purchases on your card made directly with a participating hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio; 6X points for eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations; 3X points for other eligible purchases
Welcome bonus Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the card in the first 3 months of card membership. Plus, you can earn up to $130 in statement credits on eligible purchases made on the card at any of the Hilton family hotels in the first 12 months of membership.
Annual fee $95
Intro APR None
Regular APR 16.49% – 25.49% variable on purchases
Balance transfer fee N/A
Foreign transaction fee None
Credit needed Excellent/Good See rates and fees, terms apply.
New cardholders can earn 130,000 Hilton Honors points after spending $2,000 within the first three months of opening an account, as well as up to $130 worth of statement credits by making eligible on-property purchases at Hilton hotels and resorts within the first 12 months. The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® card is a solid choice, providing a great value and benefits for a modest $95 annual fee (see rates and fees). Once approved for the card, you’ll receive: Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status, plus the chance to earn Hilton Honors Diamond status through the end of the following year once you spend $40,000 during the first calendar year
A free weekend night reward certificate after spending $15,000 in a calendar year
Complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership, good for 10 airport lounge visits each year at more than 1,200 airport lounges worldwide
Rental car loss and damage insurance when you use the car to pay for your reservation
No foreign transaction fees and access to 24/7 Global Assist® emergency assistance Cardholders can also earn 12X points for purchases made at Hilton portfolio hotels and resorts, 6X points on dining at restaurants in the U.S. (as well as delivery and takeout), 6X points on gas and groceries purchased from U.S. gas stations and U.S. supermarkets, and 3X points for all other purchases. Hilton Honors Card
Hilton Honors American Express Card Learn More On the American Express secure site Rewards 7X points on eligible purchases charged directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio; 5X points on dining at U.S. restaurants; 5X points on groceries at U.S. supermarkets; 5X points on gas at U.S. gas stations; 3X points for each dollar spent on other eligible purchases
Welcome bonus Earn 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 3 months of Card Membership. Plus, you can earn up to $100 in Statement Credits on eligible purchases made on the Card at any of the Hilton family hotels in the first 12 months of Membership.
Annual fee $0
Intro APR None
Regular APR 16.49% – 25.49% variable on purchases
Balance transfer fee N/A
Foreign transaction fee None
Credit needed Excellent/Good See rates and fees, terms apply.
You can earn 100,000 Hilton Honors points after spending $1,000 within the first three months of opening an account, as well as up to $100 worth of statement credits by making eligible on-property purchases at Hilton hotels and resorts within the first 12 months. The Hilton Honors American Express Card is a great pick for anyone who wants to earn rewards without paying an annual fee (see rates and fees). Cardholders have access to the following benefits: Complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status, plus the chance to earn Hilton Honors Gold status through the end of the following year once you spend $20,000 during the first calendar year
Rental car loss and damage insurance when you use the car to pay for your reservation
No foreign transaction fees and access to 24/7 Global Assist® emergency assistance By spending with the card, you can also earn 7X points for eligible purchases made at Hilton portfolio hotels and resorts, 5X points on dining at restaurants in the U.S. (as well as delivery and takeout), 5X points on gas and groceries purchased from U.S. gas stations and U.S. supermarkets, and 3X points for all other purchases. Hilton Honors Business Card
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card Learn More On the American Express secure site Rewards Earn Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your card: 12X at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio, 6X at U.S. gas stations, on US purchases for shipping, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers, on flights booked directly with airlines or with Amex Travel, on car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies, and at U.S. restaurants, 3X on all other eligible purchases. Terms & Limitations Apply.
Welcome bonus Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 3 months of card membership. Plus, you can earn up to $130 in statement credits on eligible purchases made on the card at any of the Hilton family hotels in the first 12 months of Membership. Offer expires 7/6/2022.
Annual fee $95
Intro APR None
Regular APR 16.49% – 25.49% variable on purchases
Balance transfer fee N/A
Foreign transaction fee None
Credit needed Excellent/Good See rates and fees, terms apply.
New cardholders can earn 130,000 Hilton Honors points spending $3,000 within the first three months of account opening, as well as up to $130 worth of statement credits by making eligible on-property purchases at Hilton hotels and resorts within the first 12 months. If you’re a business owner, consider applying for a business credit card to earn rewards on all your business expenses, for a modest $95 annual fee (see rates and fees). Once approved for the Hilton Honors Business Card, you’ll earn: Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status, plus the chance to earn Hilton Honors Diamond status through the end of the following year once you spend $40,000 during the first calendar year
A free weekend night reward certificate after spending $15,000 in a calendar year
A second weekend night reward certificate after spending $60,000 in a calendar year
Complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership, good for 10 airport lounge visits each year at more than 1,200 airport lounges worldwide
Baggage insurance to cover up to $1,250 for carry-ons and up to $500 for checked bags
Rental car loss and damage insurance when you use the car to pay for your reservation
No foreign transaction fees and access to 24/7 Global Assist® emergency assistance By spending with the card, you can also earn 12X points for eligible purchases made at Hilton portfolio hotels and resorts; 6X points on shipping, wireless phone services, and gas station purchases made within the U.S.; 6X points on dining at U.S. restaurants, car rentals booked via certain partner companies and flights booked directly through the airlines or via Amex Travel; and 3X points for all other purchases.
How to maximize your Hilton Honors points
As you’re earning Hilton Honors points, it’s important to spend them as efficiently as possible. The goal is for you to spend your points as cheaply and wisely as possible — in other words, to squeeze as much value out of them as you can. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you’re getting ready to redeem your Hilton Honors points: Use the fifth night free benefit If you want to redeem points for a five-night stay, note that you’ll only be charged for four of those nights, which essentially gives you a 20% jump in the value of your points. For example, let’s say a five-night Hilton hotel stay costs $1,000 including all taxes and fees or 200,000 points (40,000 points per night). If you were to pay for the five nights with points you’d only be charged 160,000 points because of the fifth night free benefit. Instead of getting 0.5 cents in value per point, you’d end up getting 0.625 cents per point in value. Pool your Hilton Honors points If you travel regularly with friends, family or a significant other, you can all earn Hilton Honors points collectively and pool them to make a booking together. If, for instance, you have a significant other who also wants to apply for a Hilton Honors credit card, they’ll earn the elevated welcome bonus in their own Hilton Honors account, then the two of you can pool your points and redeem them together. Consider applying for several Hilton Honors credit cards over time Hilton Honors credit cards tend to be some of the easiest hotel rewards points to earn as there are multiple card options available and you can have all of them. Personally, I’ve had three Hilton credit cards and earned the welcome bonuses for each one. If you plan on regularly traveling to Hilton branded properties, it may be worth investing in this credit card portfolio.
Bottom line
Traveling is becoming much more expensive as inflation continues to rise. So if you want save on your next trip, consider grabbing one of these Hilton credit cards so you can use the elevated welcome bonus to help offset upcoming lodging expenses. Catch up on Select’s in-depth coverage of personal finance, tech and tools, wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date.
For rates and fees for the Hilton Honor Surpass Card, click here. For rates and fees for Hilton Honors Amex Card, click here. For rates and fees for Hilton Honors Amex Business Card, click here.
Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.