Bottom Line

The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card is a good choice for Hilton loyalists, especially if you are close to or at your 5/24 status. The current sign-up bonus is 175,000 points, but remember Hilton points aren’t as valuable as some competitors (about 0.6 cents per point). Changes coming in 2024 make this card less valuable than before, but if you travel multiple times per year and stay at Hilton properties, it can still be worthwhile. You’ll pay a $195 annual fee but get $240 in Hilton statement credits, Hilton Honors Gold status, and a 5x points multiplier on all purchases up to $100,000.

Why You Might Want This Card

The Hilton Honors Amex Business Card offers a strong 175,000-point sign-up bonus, though Hilton points are valued at around 0.7 cents each. Whether you keep it beyond the first year depends on how often you stay at Hilton hotels because this card doesn’t include a free night each year. You can receive up to $240 in annual statement credits on purchases made directly with Hilton, split into $60 each quarter, which requires at least four stays per year if you plan to maximize it. Cardholders also enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status and National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status. The spending multipliers help you build points (5x points on all purchases, up to $100,000 per calendar year, plus 12x points on purchases made directly with Hilton). Because it doesn’t count against your 5/24 limit, it can be a smart choice for at least the first year.

Exceptions To The Rule

Here are some exceptions where the card might not be good for you:

• The benefits aren’t great unless you regularly stay at Hilton properties throughout the year.
  
• If you only want the sign-up bonus, the 5x points benefit won’t matter much after meeting the spending requirement.
  
• You won’t take advantage of the Hilton or National Car Rental statuses if you don’t plan to use them.

About Hilton Honors

Hilton is a key component of the points strategy for hotel stays for 3 big reasons:

1. Points are easy to accumulate

2. They have locations in nearly every city globally

3. The perks are great for cardholders

Hilton currently has 4 different cards to choose from -- and they don’t have the strict limitations on carrying different cards as Marriott and Hyatt do. That could easily add up to 500,000 points per person over a few years, which equates to 20-25 hotel nights. The cards also have high multipliers... as high as 30x on Hilton spends, which can be coupled with membership bonuses and 5-7x on select categories and 3x on everyday spending.

Most Hilton cards also come with Gold status. That gives you room upgrades (really nice ones usually) and complimentary breakfast, along with all of the standard hotel membership bonuses.

The downfall of Hilton points is they’re not a good value for transfer. So unless you’re just topping off your points to have enough for booking, it isn’t a good value to transfer Amex Points to Hilton points.

Booking can be a little tricky, so utilize the Points Explorer Tool on their site.

Where Hilton Honors Business Fits In This Point Ecosystem

The Hilton Honors Amex Business Card is the only Hilton business option that won’t count against your 5/24 status. Three personal Hilton Honors cards are also available:

• Hilton Honors Amex (No Annual Fee): Few perks and a lower 70,000-point sign-up bonus (requires $2,000 in spending).
  
• Hilton Honors Surpass: $150 annual fee, a 130,000-point sign-up bonus (requires $3,000 in spending over six months), complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status, and $200 in statement credits ($50 each quarter).
  
• Hilton Honors Aspire: $550 annual fee, a 175,000-point sign-up bonus (requires $6,000 in purchases), complimentary Diamond status, $400 in Hilton credits ($200 twice per year), $200 in flight credits ($50 each quarter), and a $199 Clear Plus credit.

Choose based on how often you stay at Hilton properties and which benefits matter most to you.

Personal Experience