How to earn up to 150,000 points on these Hilton Honors cards

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Editor’s note: This post has been updated with new information.

From low-budget to ultra-luxury, there’s a Hilton property for just about everyone. The global Hilton portfolio includes 18 brands and over 6,000 hotels.

When it comes to cobranded credit cards, American Express offers Hilton travelers a variety of choices in that arena, too. There are actually four Amex Hilton credit cards in total, and each offers a solid welcome offer for new cardholders — along with an array of perks to make your next stay more rewarding and enjoyable.

Let’s take a closer look at the current bonuses on these Hilton cobranded card products.

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In This Post

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card

Latest welcome offer

TPG currently values Hilton points at 0.6 cents each, on average. With 130,000 points you could achieve a value of $780 in Hilton stays. This haul alone is worth over eight times more than the card’s $95 annual fee (see rates and fees).

The current welcome offer is just one reason to add the Surpass to your wallet. With the card, you’ll also earn 12 points per dollar spent directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio; 6 points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. restaurants and U.S. gas stations; and 3 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases. Terms apply.

The card comes with some nice perks, including 10 Priority Pass lounge access passes each year (enrollment is required), a weekend-night reward after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases each calendar year, complimentary Hilton Gold elite status and a pathway to earning Hilton Diamond status after spending $40,000 on eligible purchases with your card in a calendar year.

Read our Hilton Amex Surpass review for full details on the card.

Official application link: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card

The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

Latest welcome offer

The new offer on the Hilton Business Amex is almost identical to that on the Surpass — just requiring an additional $1,000 in spending to earn it. Again, TPG estimates Hilton points to be worth 0.6 cents each, on average — making this 130,000-point welcome bonus worth $780 in Hilton stays. The card also has a $95 annual fee (see rates and fees).

With this card, you’ll also earn 12 points per dollar spent directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio; 6 points per dollar on select business and travel purchases and 3 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases. Terms apply.

And like the Surpass, the card has some solid benefits as well, including 10 Priority Pass lounge access passes (enrollment required), a weekend night reward after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases each calendar year (plus the ability to earn a second certificate by spending $60,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year), complimentary Hilton Gold elite status and  the same spending-based pathway to earning Hilton Diamond status.

Read our Amex Hilton Business Card review for additional details.

Official application link: The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

Hilton Honors American Express Card

Latest welcome offer

The regular Hilton Amex card has no annual fee (see rates and fees), so it’s not too surprising that your haul of points with this offer (80,000) is a bit lower than the Surpass and business card. Those 80,000 points are worth $480 according to TPG valuations.

That said, it’s still a decent offer for a card with no annual fee.

With this card, you’ll earn 7 points per dollar spent directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio; 5 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases on dining at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations; and 3 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases. Terms apply.

This entry-level card also offers automatic Hilton Honors Silver status (with an upgrade to Gold when you spend $20,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year), ShopRunner membership and no foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees), also a rarity for a card with no annual fee. Enrollment is required for select benefits.

Read our Hilton Honors American Express review for additional details on the card.

Official application link: Hilton Honors American Express Card

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

Latest welcome offer

These 150,000 points are worth $900 according to TPG valuations — though the Aspire Card does come with a $450 annual fee (see rates and fees).

The Hilton Aspire Card is the premium Hilton Amex card, and it’s loaded with perks. You’ll enjoy automatic Hilton Honors Diamond status just for being a cardmember, which includes complimentary breakfast (or a daily food-and-beverage credit in the U.S.) along with bonus points and space-available room upgrades on your stays. You can also get up to $250 in annual statement credits for airline incidental fees, and the card includes an up to $250 annual credit at roughly 200 resorts in the Hilton Honors program.

Read our Hilton Honors Aspire review for additional details on the card.

The information for the Hilton Aspire Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Bottom line

These are some solid welcome offers from the Hilton credit card lineup. If you earn the full bonus on any of the cards, that’s enough to get you started on some amazing Hilton redemptions, including luxury stays at resorts such as the Conrad Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa. You could also look ahead to next winter and book the Hilton DoubleTree in Highline Vail, which runs about 80,000 points per night during the winter.

Remember too that you’ll get a fifth night free on reward stays as a Hilton elite member — which is included with any of these Hilton Amex cards.

Keep in mind that Amex has a “one per card per lifetime” policy for earning welcome offers, so you may want to double-check that you’re eligible to earn this bonus before you hit the apply button. Thankfully, having had one type of Hilton Amex card doesn’t prevent you from getting a different one as your needs change.

Official application link: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card. Official application link: The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card. Official application link: Hilton Honors American Express Card. 

For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Surpass Amex, click here. For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Amex Business, click here. For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Amex, click here. For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Amex Aspire, click here.

Additional reporting by Ryan Wilcox.

Featured image of the Conrad Bora Bora by Summer Hull/The Points Guy.