Hilton Honors Business from American ExpressÂź Review

Hilton Honors Business from American Express¼ — all information about the credit card.

By Hanna Volkava
Updated August 01, 2023
American Express Hilton Honors Business
Our Rating:
3.22 out of 5
scorer
Recommended credit score
Good to Excellent (670-799)
  • Rewards Rate:
    • 12x Hilton Honors Bonus Points per dollar for purchases made directly with hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio.
    • 6x Hilton Honors Bonus Points on business purchases at U.S. gas stations, shipping providers, and wireless phone services purchased directly from service providers.
    • 6x Hilton Honors Bonus Points on select travel purchases at U.S. restaurants, flights, and car rentals.
    • 3x Hilton Honors Bonus Points on all other purchases.
  • Intro Offer:
    • 130,000x Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors Business Card in the first 3 months of Card Membership.
  • Annual Fee:
    $95 annually
  • Purchase Intro APR:
    None
  • Regular APR:
    20.99% - 29.99% Variable
  • Balance Transfer APR:
    None
Show more

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American ExpressÂź Hilton Honors Business Rewards Calculator

How do you record your expenses?
Enter your monthly spendings on:
12X
Hilton
$
6X
Internet
$
6X
Delivery
$
6X
Travel
$
3X
All other purchases
$
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All benefits

  • Points
    • 12x Per dollar for purchases made directly with hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio.
    • 6x On business purchases at U.S. gas stations, shipping providers, and wireless phone services purchased directly from service providers.
    • 6x On select travel purchases at U.S. restaurants, flights, and car rentals.
    • 3x On all other purchases.
  • Travel
    • Free Weekend Night Reward:
    • Earn a Free Weekend Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases on your Card account in a calendar year.
    • Second Weekend Night Reward:
    • Earn a second Weekend Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $60,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
    • 10 Complimentary Priority Pass Visits:
    • Whether you just want to relax or get work done, you’ll have 10 complimentary visits to a selection of over 1,200 airport lounges each year once enrolled in Priority Passℱ Select Membership.
    • Upgrade to Diamond Status:
    • 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.
    • No Foreign Transaction Fees:
    • Use your Card on purchases when you travel abroad without the worry of foreign transaction fees.
    • Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Status:
    • Enjoy even more perks as a Hilton Honors Gold member, like an 80% bonus on all Base Points, space-available room upgrades and more.
    • Baggage Insurance Plan:
    • Travel more comfortably knowing you can be covered for lost, damaged, or stolen Baggage when you purchase the Entire Fare for a Common Carrier Vehicle ticket (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus) on an Eligible Card. Coverage can be provided for up to $1,250 for carry-on Baggage and up to $500 for checked Baggage, in excess of coverage provided by the Common Carrier. For New York State residents, there is a $10,000 aggregate maximum limit for all Covered Persons per Covered Trip.
    • Global AssistÂź Hotline:
    • Whenever you travel more than 100 miles from home, Global AssistÂź Hotline is available for 24/7 emergency assistance and coordination services, including medical and legal referrals, emergency cash wires, and missing luggage assistance. Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.
    • Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance:
    • As a Card Member, you can be covered for Damage to or Theft of a Rental Vehicle in a Covered Territory when you use your Eligible Card to reserve and pay for the Entire Rental and decline the collision damage waiver (CDW) at the Rental Company counter. Please read important exclusions and restrictions. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Coverage is not available for vehicles rented in Australia, Italy, and New Zealand. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage.

Rate and fee information

  • Purchase Intro APR
    • None
  • Purchase APR
    • 20.99% - 29.99% Variable
  • Intro Balance Transfer APR
    • None
  • Balance Transfers APR
    • None
  • APR for Cash Advances
    • 29.99% Variable
  • How to Avoid Paying Interest
    • Your due date is at least 25 days after the close of each billing period. You will not be charged interest on purchases if you pay your entire balance by the due date each month. You will be charged interest on cash advances on the transaction date.

Fees

  • Annual Fee
    • $95 annually
  • Fees for Cash Advances
    • Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater
  • Penalty Fees
    • 29.99%
  • Return Payment
    • $39
  • Late Payment
    • Up to $39
View all Rates & Fees

Pros & Cons

Pros:
  • Impressive Rewards Program
  • Excellent introductory offer
  • Automatic Hilton Gold Status
  • Free Night Reward
Cons:
  • Meager Points Worth on Non-Hilton Rewards Redemptions
  • High spending requirements for some of the perks
  • Annual fee

Features

Classic
American Express
Contactless
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Payment Flexibility
  • Rewards
  • Bonus points
  • Purchase Protection
  • Extended Warranty Protection
  • Travel
  • Airline
  • Auto Rental Insurance
  • Good Credit
  • Excellent Credit

About the issuer

American ExpressÂź has several card types depending on your needs.
Manage your Account & Pay your Bill
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American Express The Hilton Honors Business Card Review

The American Express Hilton Honors Business Card is designed for small businesses while giving generous spending rewards to cardholders. This card is perfect for small business owners who travel extensively and use Hilton’s services a lot. Cardholders will earn Hilton points for eligible purchases and expenses like restaurants, gas stations, and car rental companies. Earned points can be used for room upgrades, free night awards, complimentary breakfasts, late checkouts, wireless services, and other privileges.

American Express The Hilton Honors Business Card: Pros and Cons

Pros: Cons:
Impressive Rewards Program. Hilton offers strong incentives on their Hilton Honors Business card by granting 12 Hilton Honors points per dollar spent at Hilton’s hotels and resorts. Each Hilton Honors point is worth approximately 0.6 cents when used for future stays, equating to an approximate 6% return per dollar spent. Meager Points Worth on Non-Hilton Rewards Redemptions. The returns given by Hilton Honors points for anything but hotel stays are low. While redeeming points for merchandise and shopping, they are worth only one-quarter of a cent. An example of this is transferring points for airline miles. Many programs offer a one-to-one transfer, but one Hilton point is only worth one-tenth of a Delta mile if transferred to the SkyMiles program.
Excellent introductory offer. New cardholders can earn 130,000 bonus points after they spend $5,000 in purchases. These purchases must be made within the first three months of becoming a new card member. High spending requirements for some of the perks. Most of this card’s top perks need a high spending level to access them. For example, if you want a free night reward, you’ll have to spend $15,000 on your card in a calendar year. To earn an additional free night, you will have to spend another $45,000.
Automatic Hilton Gold Status. Gold Status allows you to enjoy an array of perks while staying at Hilton properties. These benefits include complimentary room upgrades, extra rollover nights, food and beverage credits, and extra bonus points. Annual fee. If you don’t use the Hilton Honors points or other benefits the card provides, you may find it difficult to justify the yearly $95.
Free Night Reward. you earn a Free Night Reward by spending $15,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year. If you spend $60,000 - you can get a second Free Night Reward.

The Rewards System in a Nutshell

The Hilton Honors Business Card earns most of its loyalty points directly from purchases at Hilton properties. Here is a breakdown of how the rewards work:

  • 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points - For every dollar of eligible purchases at Hilton hotels or resorts.
  • 6X Hilton Honors Bonus Points - For each dollar of eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, car rental companies, gas stations, and shipping providers. You can also earn 6X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for booking flights directly with airlines or Amex Travel. Wireless phone services based in the U.S. purchased directly from service providers also give you 6x bonus points.
  • 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points - Will be earned with other eligible purchases.
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The best way to maximize rewards is to make direct purchases at Hilton hotels and resorts - this will give you 12X Hilton Honors bonus points. If you’re an occasional traveler, 6X points categories can help you justify the annual fee.

The average value of a Hilton Honors point is 0.6 cents based on the company's pricing model with redemption ratings. This means that the point value could vary based on the location, time, and property you book your stay at. Because the points are inflated, it is a good strategy to book rooms far in advance and outside of peak travel season. You can also combine Hilton Honors points with money for your bookings.

Using your Hilton Honors points just for hotel stays is not the only way of utilizing them but the most rewarding for sure. Other ways of redeeming points are:

  • Use Hilton Honors Points for Purchasing Items on Amazon - Amazon has a Shop with Points feature that allows customers to use rewards points from many different companies, including Hilton. All you have to do is log into your Amazon account and link your Hilton Honors account.
  • Book Rental Cars with Hilton Points - You can book cars from rental services like Enterprise, Alamo, and National. Hilton has a tool on their Hilton Honors site to help you get information on the points’ value for these services.
  • Use Your Hilton Honors Points for Flights -Hilton has a list of partner frequent flier programs you can transfer your points to. This list is extensive and covers airlines from around the world and gives information on the procedure for transferring your points.
  • Book Exclusive Hilton Experiences - You can use your Hilton Honors Points for experiences such as live music, sporting, and local tours, plus food and wine tours.
  • Redeem for Lyft rides - Hilton partners with Lyft which allows you not only to receive Hilton Honors points for Lyft rides but also convert your points to Lyft credits.

Overall, the best way to use your Hilton Honors Points is to book hotel rooms with Hilton hotels and resorts.

Who Can Benefit from Getting the Hilton Honors Business Card from American Express?

The Hilton Honors Business Card is the only one designed for business owners in the array of cards that Hilton offers. The main reason Hilton enthusiasts want the value that American Express brings to the table is the rewards they will receive on their business and personal expenses.

It would be wise to use this as a standalone business credit card because you will be able to aggregate hotel stays with elite perks and protections. It more than offsets the annual fee of $95.

If you compare other credit cards to the Hilton Honors Business Card, you should remember that there are many different types of cards for different purposes. This American Express card is designed for small business owners who travel frequently and want to earn free hotel nights with their preferred hotel chain. Of course, other competing cards on the market will let you earn cash back or offer different benefits. You should take the time and care to consider which benefits will suit you and your business the best.

Are There Any Other Benefits?

Beyond its rewards rates, the American Express Hilton Honors Business card offers a number of valuable benefits.

  • Possibility to upgrade to Diamond status. You can receive Hilton Honors Diamond status if you reach a spending of $40,000 in a calendar year
  • Extended warranty. Whenever you purchase an item with your American Express Hilton Honors Business card, American Express will extend the manufacturer's warranty for two additional years. This extended warranty is only for U.S. warranties of five years or less.
  • Purchase protection. In addition to the extended warranty service, purchases will have protection from damage or theft for up to 120 days. Protection is covered up to $1,000 per occurrence and no more than $50,000 of occurrences over a calendar year.
  • Access to American Express discounts and offers. One of the benefits of having a co-branded credit card is enjoying the perks of two companies at once. American Express enhances the Hilton Honors Business card by including discounts on purchases at restaurants, cruises, hotels, and with airlines.
  • Airport Lounge Access.The American Express Hilton Honors Business card provides 10 complimentary Priority Pass visits if enrolled in Priority PassℱSelect Membership.
  • Zero foreign transaction fees. Most credit cards will charge you a 3% foreign transaction fee while traveling outside the U.S. With the Hilton Honors Business Card, there are no additional costs if you pay in foreign currency.

Conclusion

If you do a lot of traveling, prefer to stay at Hilton, and have at least a good credit score, then the Hilton Honors Business Card is an option to consider. Even though this card has a lot of great bonus points and elite benefits, only regular stays at Hilton properties make applying for one worthwhile.

There is a generous Hilton Honors points system in place, but you need to be a Hilton loyalist to gain more points and enjoy all the benefits the card provides. For example, you can earn a free night reward at Hilton hotels if you spend $15,000 on your Hilton Honors Business Card, and you can get a second one if you spend another $45,000 (total of $60,000) with the card in the same year. Many people use this American Express Hilton Honors Business card with other Hilton cards to get even more free nights.

Overall, this credit card will be a good addition to any businessman’s wallet. Hilton is one of the top hotel chains, business travelers will find their hotels and resorts in small towns and big cities worldwide.

FAQ

How much of a credit card limit does the Hilton Honors Business card have?

Your starting Hilton Honors Credit Card credit limit is determined by your income, debt, and past credit history. If you would like an increase of your limit, you can always ask for one by either calling the toll-free number on the back of the card or by contacting American Express online.

Is there a way I can take my balance from my Hilton Honors Card and transfer it to another credit card?

Unfortunately, you cannot transfer your balance from your Hilton Honors card to another credit card.

Can I convert my Hilton Business Credit Card points into cash?

Yes, you can exchange your accumulated Hilton Honors points for cash immediately. It can be done with an online miles broker. Sometimes it can be a hassle to research ways to redeem points and if you don’t have the opportunity to use them, you may lose them. Considering that if you don’t use your Hilton Honors Business Credit Card for 15 to 24 months, you can lose them permanently, so having the ability to cash them in is a big advantage.
Hanna VolkavaHanna Volkava

Financial and product expert

hv@myfin.us
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