The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

Hilton Loyalist Business Owners

Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

Annual fee: $0 introductory annual fee for your first year, then $195 — Terms Apply. See rates and fees.

Current welcome offer

Limited Time Offer: Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $8,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 7/29/26.

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.

My Take

The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card is a strong option for business owners who are loyal to Hilton and want to earn hotel points on everyday business spending without adding to their 5/24 count. Because this is a business card issued by American Express, it typically does not report to your personal credit bureau and therefore does not affect your Chase 5/24 status — making it a smart way to add a Hilton card to your wallet while keeping your Chase application strategy intact.

The $0 introductory annual fee for the first year is a nice entry point, giving you a full year to evaluate whether the ongoing $195 fee makes sense for your spending habits. After the first year, the $240 in annual Hilton credits ($60 per quarter applied to purchases made directly with Hilton properties) goes a long way toward offsetting that fee — essentially bringing your net cost down to negative $45 in year two if you use every credit.

The automatic Gold status is a meaningful benefit for anyone staying at Hilton a few times a year. Gold includes an 80% bonus on base points earned during stays, which accelerates your points balance quickly on top of the 12x you are already earning on Hilton purchases with this card. If you hit $40,000 in eligible purchases in a calendar year you can unlock Diamond status through the end of the following year, which adds complimentary room upgrades, executive lounge access, and free breakfast at many properties.

The 5x earning on non-Hilton purchases is solid for a hotel card, though keep in mind it applies only to the first $100,000 in purchases per calendar year and drops to 3x after that. For most small business owners that cap will never come into play.

How to Earn Rewards

12xat hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio
5xon all other purchases on the first $100,000 in purchases each calendar year, then 3x

Benefits

  • Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status
  • Up to $240 in annual Hilton statement credits ($60 per quarter)
  • Upgrade to Diamond status after $40,000 in eligible purchases in a calendar year
  • $0 introductory annual fee for your first year, then $195
  • 80% bonus on base points earned during Hilton stays as a Gold member
  • Points don't expire while card is active and in good standing
  • No foreign transaction fees. See rates and fees.
  • Premium Global Assist Hotline for 24/7 emergency assistance when traveling more than 100 miles from home

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.

Is This Card Right For You?

✓ Best for

Business owners who want a Hilton card without affecting their Chase 5/24 status

Anyone with regular Hilton stays who can use the $60 quarterly credit consistently

Business owners who spend heavily and want to accelerate toward Diamond status

Those evaluating the card during the $0 introductory fee first year

Hilton loyalists who want automatic Gold status on business spending

✗ Not ideal for

Business owners who prefer earning flexible transferable points over hotel-specific currency

Anyone who won't stay at Hilton properties enough to use the quarterly credits

Those already holding a strong transferable points business card as their primary earner

Casual Hilton guests who don't need Gold status or the quarterly credit

Anyone who needs a card that reports to personal credit bureaus to build personal credit history

Is This Card Worth It For You?

Enter how much of each benefit you'll realistically use to see your personal value.

Total annual value$0
Annual fee-$0 introductory annual fee for your first year, then $195
Your net value-$0 introductory annual fee for your first year, then $195

Offer History

The current limited time welcome offer of 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after $8,000 in spend within the first 6 months ends 7/29/26. The previous standard offer was also 130,000 points but required only $6,000 in spend — so the points total has not changed but the spend requirement has increased with this elevated promotion. If you were already considering this card, it is worth noting the higher spend threshold before applying.

Vacation Pointers is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as MileValue.com and Bankrate.com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. 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.

Also, this page may contain affiliate links. That means if you click and buy, I may receive a small commission (at zero cost to you). Please see my full disclosure policy for details.

The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired.

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.

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.

Advertiser Disclosure

Vacation Pointers is part of an affiliate sales network and receives compensation for sending traffic to partner sites, such as MileValue.com and Bankrate.com. This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. This site does not include all financial companies or all available financial offers. 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.