Update 5/12/23: Doctor of Credit shared a new link for the Hilton Honors no annual fee card that’s actually better than the public version. The new link shows 80,000 Hilton Honors points, 10,000 better than the public offer, but still with the same $1,000 minimum spend. While I would still prefer the Surpass or Business cards, this is an excellent deal for a card with no annual fee with so little spend required. This is the offer you’ll now see on our best offers page.
Three of the American Express Hilton Honors credit cards have limited-time welcome offers that include both a free night certificate (FNC) and a substantial tranche of Hilton points. Even the no annual fee Hilton Honors card now comes with a FNC after completing the minimum spend. These new offers represent some of the best we’ve seen on the Hilton cards when you combine the bonus points and the certs.
The Offers & Key Card Details
For more card information and to find an application link, see our dedicated card pages by clicking the names of the cards below.
| Card Offer and Details |
|---|
100K Points ⓘ Affiliate 100K after $2K spend in 6 months. Terms apply. (Rates & Fees) No Annual Fee Recent better offer: 70K + free night certificate after $2K spend in 3 months. [Expired 7/19/23] FM Mini Review: This card isn't particularly rewarding, but it's good to keep primarily for targeted Amex upgrade offers to the Surpass card. Earning rate: ✦ 7X Hilton spend ✦ 5X US restaurants, US Supermarkets, and US gas stations ✦ 3X on all other eligible purchases Card Info: Amex Credit Card issued by Amex. This card has no foreign transaction fees. Big spend bonus: Gold elite status with $20K calendar year spend Noteworthy perks: ✦ Free Silver status; Gold status with $20K spend. ✦ Terms Apply. (Rates & Fees) |
| Card Offer and Details |
|---|
170K points ⓘ Friend-Referral 170K after $3K spend in 6 months. Terms apply. $150 Annual Fee Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. Recent better offer: 130K + free night certificate after $2K spend in 3 months [Expired 7/19/23] FM Mini Review: Easy way to secure Hilton Gold status (which offers free breakfast among other perks). Those who want Diamond status may be better off with the Aspire card. Earning rate: ✦ 12X Hilton spend ✦ 6X U.S. restaurants, US Supermarkets, and US gas stations ✦ 4X U.S. Online Retail Purchases ✦ 3X on all other eligible purchases Base: 3X (1.44%) Dine: 6X (2.88%) Gas: 6X (2.88%) Grocery: 6X (2.88%) Shop: 4X (1.92%) Brand: 12X (5.76%) Card Info: Amex Credit Card issued by Amex. This card has no foreign transaction fees. Big spend bonus: ✦ Free night award after $15K spend in calendar year ✦ Diamond elite status with $40K calendar year spend ✦ Terms apply Noteworthy perks: Free Gold status. Diamond status w/ $40K spend. ✦ Up to $200 in Hilton credits ($50 per quarter) ✦ Terms Apply. |
| Card Offer and Details |
|---|
130K Points ⓘ Affiliate 130K after $3K spend in 3 months. Terms apply. $95 Annual Fee FM Mini Review: Easy way to secure Hilton Gold status (which offers free breakfast among other perks). Amex business cards do not count towards 5/24 status so will not hurt chances of applying for Chase cards. Earning rate: ✦ 12X Hilton spend ✦ 6X on Select Business & Travel Purchases (flights booked directly with airlines or Amex Travel; car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies; US restaurants; US gas stations; wireless telephone services purchased directly from US service provider; US shipping purchases) ✦ 3X on all other eligible purchases Base: 3X (1.44%) Travel: 6X (2.88%) Dine: 6X (2.88%) Gas: 6X (2.88%) Phone: 6X (2.88%) Biz: 6X (2.88%) Brand: 12X (5.76%) Other: 6X (2.88%) Card Info: Amex Credit Card issued by Amex. This card has no foreign transaction fees. Big spend bonus: Free night award after $15K spend in calendar year and another after $60K spend Diamond elite status with $40K calendar year spend Noteworthy perks: ✦ Free Gold status. Diamond status w/ $40K spend. ✦ 10 free Priority Pass lounge visits per calendar year ✦ Terms Apply. (Rates & Fees) |
Quick Thoughts
Hilton has possibly the most flexible and easy to use free night certificates of any major hotel chain. You can use them for a standard room at almost any Hilton property worldwide, regardless of what the nightly cost is in cash or points. Originally, these certs were only applicable towards weekend stays, but during the pandemic, Hilton made them available for use any day of the week, a change that was made permanent in 2022.
The offers on the business card and the Surpass are the most attractive to me. Each of these gives 130K+ of Hilton points combined with a free might certificate, and for very reasonable minimum spend (especially the $2K min spend on the Surpass). In addition, both of these cards can earn another FNC by putting $15K total spend on the card during the cardmember year, an especially lucrative proposition if you can concentrate that spend in the one of the numerous 6x categories. The Business card has the added sweetener of not counting towards your Chase 5/24 count.
Keep in mind that each Hilton card is considered a separate product, so it’s possible to get a welcome offer on all four cards without running afoul of Amex’s “one welcome offer in a lifetime rule.” For some reason, the Aspire card continues to operate on a separate track from the other three, so its unchanged welcome offer now mimics the current offer on the Business card.
Note that these offers are available via referral, so if you’re in 2-player mode you can add even more points to the total haul. You don’t even need a Hilton card to refer someone, as referrals are possible from Membership Rewards (MR)-earning cards as well (ie, Amex Platinum, Gold, etc). Some folks are finding referral offers as high as 30K MR for referring a new cardholder, which is a significant addition to the Hilton offers.
Want to learn more about miles and points? Subscribe to email updates or check out our podcast on your favorite podcast platform.
