- With a Hilton credit card, individuals who are loyal to Hilton can access valuable Hilton-centric benefits and earn points toward free nights.
- The best Hilton credit card is the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, with generous perks like Hilton Gold status and quarterly statement credits.
- Hilton cards vary in annual cost, from $0 to over $100 per year.
- Hilton Honors points are valued at 0.5 cents apiece, so redeeming them for anything over that value is considered a good deal.
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On This Page
- Key takeaways
- Best Hilton credit cards of 2024
- Our top picks for the best Hilton credit cards of 2024
- Comparing the best Hilton credit cards
- More info on the best Hilton credit cards
- How much are Hilton points worth?
- What do you get with Hilton Elite status?
- Is it worth it to get a Hilton credit card?
- Hilton credit cards: FAQ
On This Page
- Key takeaways
- Best Hilton credit cards of 2024
- Our top picks for the best Hilton credit cards of 2024
- Comparing the best Hilton credit cards
- More info on the best Hilton credit cards
- How much are Hilton points worth?
- What do you get with Hilton Elite status?
- Is it worth it to get a Hilton credit card?
- Hilton credit cards: FAQ
The Best Credit Cards for Hilton Hotels in 2024
Reviewed By
Blake Esken - Los Angeles Times
Our top picks for the best hilton credit cards
Best Hilton credit cards of 2024
With nearly 8,000 properties, Hilton Hotels and Resorts are everywhere. From budget stays with the Hampton Inn or DoubleTree to luxury options like Waldorf Astoria, there’s a Hilton for everyone. If you frequently choose this hotel chain, a Hilton credit card can help enhance your experience with complimentary elite status and boosted point-earning capabilities. Multiple options are available, including a card with no annual fee and another that isn’t even technically a Hilton card.
Read on to learn which Hilton credit cards we recommend and why you may want to have one in your wallet.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
Our top picks for the best Hilton credit cards of 2024
Advertiser Disclosure
Best overall
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
Up to 12X Reward Rate
Earn 12X points on eligible purchases made directly with Hilton hotels and resorts, 6X points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. supermarkets, 4X points on U.S. online retail purchases, and 3X points on all other eligible purchases.
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Annual Fee
$150
Welcome Offer
130,000 points + Free Night Reward
Regular APR
20.99% to 29.99% variable
Recommended Credit
Good/Excellent (670 - 850)
Why we like it
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card is ideal for travelers who stay with Hilton at least a few times yearly. It comes with a $50 statement credit per quarter for Hilton purchases (up to $200 per year), which is more than enough to cover the annual fee. Pile on complimentary Hilton Honors™ Gold elite status and a solid earning rate, and this card is a winner for the Hilton loyalist.
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Card Details
More card info
- Get up to $200 back each year on eligible Hilton purchases after you use your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card.
- Earn a Free Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
- Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors ™ Gold Status with your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card.
- Spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status through the end of the next calendar year.
- Enjoy complimentary National Car Rental® Emerald Club Executive® status. Enrollment in the complimentary Emerald Club® program is required. Terms apply.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Terms Apply.
Pros
- Automatic Hilton Gold status
- Ability to earn a free night with enough spending
- Up to $200 in Hilton statement credits (up to $50 in statement credits each quarter)
Cons
- Has an annual fee
- High spending requirement for Free Night Award
- Limited redemption options
Best for no annual fee
Hilton Honors American Express Card
Up to 7X Reward Rate
Earn 7X Hilton Honors Points on eligible Hilton purchases, 5X points on eligible U.S. restaurant, U.S. supermarket, and U.S. gas station purchases, and 3X on all other eligible purchases.
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Annual Fee
$0
Welcome Offer
70,000 Points + Free Night Reward
Regular APR
20.99% to 29.99% variable
Recommended Credit
Good/Excellent (670 - 850)
Why we like it
It lacks many perks held by the other cards on this list, but the Hilton Honors American Express Card is a solid no-annual-fee option for occasional Hilton guests, with complimentary Silver elite status, a decent reward rate, and a great welcome offer.
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Card Details
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- Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors™ Silver status with your Card. Plus, spend $20,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn an upgrade to Hilton Honors™ Gold status through the end of the next calendar year.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Terms Apply.
Pros
- No annual fee
- Automatic Hilton Silver status
- 20% bonus points on eligible stays
Cons
- Low point redemption value
- Need good or excellent credit to qualify
- Fewer perks than some travel cards
Best for additional perks
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Up to 5X Reward Rate
Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 per calendar year), 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel, and 1X points on other eligible purchases.
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Annual Fee
$695
Welcome Offer
80,000 points
Regular APR
See Pay Over Time APR
Recommended Credit
Good/Excellent (670 - 850)
Why we like it
With The Platinum Card® from American Express, you can earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with Amex Travel and transfer those points to Hilton. On top of that, you’ll get complimentary Hilton Honors Gold elite status and a mountain of additional travel perks.
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Card Details
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- $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection requires a minimum two-night stay.
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back in statement credits each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card® on one or more of the following: Disney+, a Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
- The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market. As of 03/2023.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Save on eligible delivery fees, shipping, and more with a Walmart+ membership. Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership and get up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes back on one membership (excluding Plus Ups) each month.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Platinum Card®.
- $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. To receive this benefit, you must have downloaded the latest version of the Uber App and your eligible Amex Platinum Card must be a payment method in your Uber account. The Amex Benefit may only be used in the United States. Terms Apply.
- $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: CLEAR® Plus helps to get you to your gate faster at 50+ airports nationwide and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Card. CLEARLanes are available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues.
- Receive either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 year period for TSA PreCheck® application fee for a 5-year plan only (through a TSA PreCheck® official enrollment provider), when charged to your Platinum Card®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
- Shop Saks with Platinum: Get up to $100 in statement credits annually for purchases in Saks Fifth Avenue stores or at saks.com on your Platinum Card®. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- Unlock access to exclusive reservations and special dining experiences with Global Dining Access by Resy when you add your Platinum Card® to your Resy profile.
- Terms Apply.
Pros
- Excellent rewards rate for travel purchases
- Qualify for $1,500+ in statement credits
- Very generous welcome offer
Cons
- High annual fee of $695
- Many statement credit offers are too specific and hard to use
- Non-travel-perks aren’t spectacular
Best for business travelers
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
Up to 12X Reward Rate
Earn 12X points on eligible Hilton purchases, 6X points on eligible business spending at U.S. gas stations and U.S. restaurants, on U.S. 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, 5X points on other eligible purchases on the first 100K spent per year, then 3X points.
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Annual Fee
$195
Welcome Offer
130,000 points
Regular APR
20.99% to 29.99% variable
Recommended Credit
Good/Excellent (670 - 850)
Why we like it
Businesspeople who frequent Hilton hotels can enjoy a multitude of Hilton-centric perks with The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card. Complimentary Gold elite status, up to $240 back each year for eligible Hilton purchases, and a great reward-earning rate can easily offset the $195 annual fee.
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Card Details
More card info
- Enjoy up to $240 back each year for eligible purchases made directly with Hilton.
- Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors™ Gold Status with your Hilton Honors Business Card. With Hilton Honors Gold status, you can enjoy benefits at hotels and resorts within the Hilton Portfolio. As a Gold member, earn an 80% Bonus on all Base Points you earn on every stay getting you to free nights faster.
- You may receive an upgrade to Hilton Honors Diamond status through the end of the calendar year if the total eligible purchases on your Card Account during a calendar year reach $40,000 or more.
- Enjoy complimentary National Car Rental® Emerald Club Executive® status. Enrollment in the complimentary Emerald Club® program is required. Terms apply.
- Terms apply.
Pros
- Automatic Hilton Gold status
- 10 airport lounge visits each year with Priority Pass (enrollment required)
- Ability to earn a free night with enough spending
Cons
- Can only redeem points at Hilton hotels
- Need good or excellent credit to qualify
- No complimentary free night
Comparing the best Hilton credit cards
Card name
Annual fee
Reward rate
Welcome offer
Learn more
$150
3X-12X points
130,000 points + Free Night Reward
$0
3X-7X points
70,000 Points + Free Night Reward
$695
1X-5X points
80,000 points
How much are Hilton points worth?
Hilton points aren’t worth as much as some other hotel chains, like Marriott, at a base value of roughly 0.5 cents apiece. Some redemption options can value your points higher than this while others may value them lower. You’ll often get the best value when using your points for hotel rooms at luxury properties.
How to calculate Hilton point value
To calculate the value of your points per stay, divide the cash value of the hotel stay by the amount of points it would take to book that stay. For example, if it says the rate is either $705 or 75,000 points:
$705 / 75,000 = 0.0094, or 0.9 cents per point.
This would be a fantastic use of your points since it values them higher than the standard 0.5-cent rate.
Which hotel brands are part of Hilton?
There are 18 Hilton hotel brands, including:
- Canopy
- Conrad Hotels & Resorts
- Curio Collection
- DoubleTree
- Embassy Suites
- Hampton
- Hilton Garden Inn
- Hilton Grand Vacations
- Hilton Hotels & Resorts
- Home2 Suites
- Homewood Suites
- LXR Hotels & Resorts
- Motto
- Signia
- Tapestry Collection
- Tempo
- Tru
- Waldorf Astoria
Pros and cons of Hilton credit cards
Pros
- All cards with no foreign transaction fees
- Fifth night free on award stays
- Automatic elite status on all cards
Cons
- Silver status perks are limited
- Points have a low base value
- Little value outside of Hilton
What do you get with Hilton Elite status?
There are different levels of Hilton Elite status: Silver, Gold, and Diamond. Anyone can sign up for the Hilton Honors program (for free!) and get Member status, so it’s not an elite tier, but we’ll add the list of perks for your reference anyway.
Member status
Member status is free for anyone to enroll in and includes:
- 10 points per dollar on Hilton stays
- Guaranteed Hilton Honors discount rate
- No resort fees on reward stays
- Digital check-in and check-out in the Hilton app
- Digital key in the Hilton app
- Access to Hilton Honors Experiences
- Choose your room up to 24 hours in advance
- Free standard WiFi at most hotels
- Terms apply.
Hilton Honors™ Silver status
Ways to earn:
- Complimentary with the no-annual-fee Hilton Honors American Express Card
- All Hilton Honors members can earn Silver status with 10 nights, 4 stays, or 25,000 base points
Hilton Silver status comes with all of the benefits of Member status, plus the following benefits:
- 20% bonus points on every stay (12 points per dollar)
- Fifth night free on reward stays
- 15% off at All-Inclusive spas within the Hilton portfolio
- Two free bottles of water when you arrive at select hotels
- Extra elite nights rollover to the next year
- Terms apply.
Hilton Honors™ Gold status
Ways to earn:
- Complimentary with The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, and The Platinum Card® from American Express
- Hilton Honors American Express Card members can upgrade to Gold status after spending $20,000 in a year
- All Hilton Honors members can earn Gold status with 40 nights, 20 stays or 75,000 Base Points
Hilton Gold status comes with all of the benefits of Member and Silver, plus the following benefits:
- 80% bonus points on every stay (18 points per dollar)
- Daily food and beverage credit or continental breakfast at select brands
- Room upgrades when available (up to Executive Floor room types)
- Milestone bonuses
- Terms apply.
Hilton Honors™ Diamond status
Ways to earn:
- Complimentary with the Honors American Express Aspire Card*
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card and Hilton Honors American Express Business Card members can earn Diamond Status after charging $40,000 to their card in a calendar year
- All Hilton Honors members can earn after 60 nights, 30 stays or 120,000 Base Points
Hilton Diamond status comes with all of the benefits of Member, Silver, and Gold, plus the following benefits:
- 100% bonus points on every stay (20 points per dollar)
- Executive lounge access
- Premium WiFi
- Elite status gifting to other members
- Room upgrades when available (up to a 1-bedroom suite)
- 48-hour room guarantee
- Terms apply.
Is it worth it to get a Hilton credit card?
It may be worth it to get a Hilton card if you stay at Hilton hotels often and like the idea of earning hotel-specific rewards. If you’re not loyal to this particular hotel chain and prefer to change up where you stay without being tied down to one brand, a general travel card with hotel benefits or a different hotel credit card may be more up your alley.
*All information about the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by LA Times Compare. The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is no longer available through LA Times Compare.
Hilton credit cards: FAQ
How much are 130,000 Hilton points worth?
We value Hilton Honors points at 0.5 cents apiece, making 130,000 points worth approximately $650. However, certain award redemptions can increase this value substantially.
What credit card gives you Hilton Gold status?
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, and The Platinum Card® from American Express all offer complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status.
What credit score do you need for a Hilton credit card?
Hilton credit cards require good to excellent credit to qualify for, or a FICO score of 670 to 850.
Is the Hilton Surpass card worth it?
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card can be a great card for Hilton loyalists who stay with the chain enough to utilize the $50 per quarter Hilton statement credit and various complimentary Hilton Gold status perks.
Which bank has Hilton Honors credit cards?
Hilton Honors credit cards are all issued by American Express.
Is it worth transferring AmEx points to Hilton?
Transferring your American Express points to Hilton isn’t always a great deal. Amex points can be worth over 2 cents apiece, so the 0.5 cents of Hilton points greatly depreciates their value.
About the Author
Jaiden Hart serves as a credit card writer and content manager at LA Times Compare. Beginning her career as an intern on the Compare team, she has since amassed considerable expertise and passion in the credit card industry.
Jaiden’s primary objective is to simplify the process of choosing and managing a credit card through engaging and honest content so individuals can more effectively maximize their benefits and meet their financial goals.
About the Reviewer
Blake Esken has over 15 years of experience in product management and has been a member of the Los Angeles Times staff for over five years.
As part of his role at the Los Angeles Times Commerce Team, Blake acts as the in-house reviewer and fact checker for LA Times Compare. He supervises all content for compliance and accuracy and puts to use skills he has honed through years of experience managing high-stakes projects for a range of industry-leading companies.
He has a strong background in data analysis, compliance, and communication, which allows him to support LA Times Compare through fact-checking in an effort to provide up-to-date and factual information across our content.
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* Opinions expressed here are those of the LA Times Compare Cards Team and have not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser or entities included within this content. See our editorial policy for more details.
All products or services are presented in this content without warranty. The information, including card details such as rates and fees, is accurate at the time of publish. Please visit each bank's website directly for the most current information.