Amex Hilton Business card review: A great choice for Hilton loyalists, with a 130,000-point bonus and perks like elite status and airport lounge access

OSTN Staff

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The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

Review: Is the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card the best credit card for you?

There are only a handful of hotel credit cards on the market that are geared toward small-business owners, but if you’re looking to earn Hilton points, you’re in luck. The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card is an excellent choice – and it comes with a hefty welcome bonus, automatic Gold elite status, and compelling benefits like airport lounge access.

The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card is one of four co-branded Hilton credit cards issued by Amex, and the other three – Hilton Honors American Express Card, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, and Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card – are also solid picks.

But if you can qualify for a small-business credit card, The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card offers a hard-to-beat combo of a moderate The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card annual fee The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card – Rates and Fees and top-notch earning and perks.

Read more: The best small-business credit cards of 2021

In fact, it’s got the broadest range of bonus spending categories of any Hilton card, and comes with up to two free weekend night certificates each year if you meet spending thresholds.

It’s also currently offering a limited-time bonus: The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card. While that’s not the highest number of points we’ve ever seen, the $100 statement credit is unusual – and if you can use it toward a paid stay with Hilton in the next year, it’s a great way to offset the card’s annual fee.

Keep in mind you don’t necessarily need a Hilton-branded credit card to earn Hilton points. Hilton Honors is an American Express Membership Rewards partner, which means you can transfer Amex points to Hilton at a 1:2 ratio from cards like The Platinum Card® from American Express, American Express® Gold Card, or bThe Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express.

Comparison: Amex Hilton Business vs other Hilton cards

The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

Hilton Honors American Express Card

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card

Annual fee

The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

Hilton Honors American Express Card Hilton Honors American Express Card – Rates and Fees

$95 Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card – Rates & Fees

Rewards rate

12 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at Hilton hotels

6 points per dollar spent on select business purchases: U.S. gas stations, wireless telephone services purchases directly from U.S. service providers, and U.S purchases for shipping

6 points per dollar spent on select travel purchases: U.S. restaurants, flights booked directly with airlines or Amex Travel, and car rentals booked with select car rental companies

3 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases

7 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at Hilton hotels

5 points per dollar spent at eligible U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations

3 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases

12 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at Hilton hotels

6 points per dollar spent at eligible U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations

3 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases

Welcome bonus

The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

Hilton Honors American Express Card

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card

Travel benefits

Hilton Gold elite status

Upgrade to Diamond status after you spend $40,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year

Free weekend night certificate after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year

A second free weekend night award if you spend a total of $60,000 or more in a calendar year

Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership** with 10 free visits per year

Hilton Silver elite status

Upgrade to Gold status after you spend $20,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year

Hilton Gold elite status

Upgrade to Diamond status after you spend $40,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year

Free weekend night certificate after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year

Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership** with 10 free visits per year

Other card benefits

Secondary car rental insurance

Baggage insurance plan

Global Assist Hotline

Purchase protection

Extended warranty

Access to discounts and bonus points through Amex Offers**

Secondary car rental insurance

Global Assist Hotline

Purchase protection

Extended warranty

Access to discounts and bonus points through Amex Offers

Secondary car rental insurance

Baggage insurance plan

Global Assist Hotline

Purchase protection

Extended warranty

Access to discounts and bonus points through Amex Offers

Foreign transaction fee

No The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card – Rates and Fees

No Hilton Honors American Express Card – Rates and Fees

No Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card – Rates & Fees

Learn more

Hilton Honors American Express card review

Hilton Honors America Express Surpass card review

American Express Hilton Business vs other small-business hotel credit cards

The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card

Wyndham Rewards® Earner Business Card

Annual fee

The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card – Rates & Fees

Wyndham Rewards® Earner Business Card

Rewards rate

12 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at Hilton hotels

6 points per dollar spent at U.S. gas stations, wireless telephone services purchases directly from U.S. service providers, and on U.S purchases for shipping

6 points per dollar spent at U.S. restaurants, flights booked directly with airlines or Amex Travel, and car rentals booked with select car rental companies

3 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases

6 points per dollar on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program

4 points per dollar on eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, U.S. gas stations, wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers, and on U.S. shipping purchases

2 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases

8 points per dollar on eligible Wyndham purchases and on gas,

5 points per dollar on marketing, advertising, and utilities

1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases (excluding Wyndham Timeshare resorts down payments)

Welcome bonus

The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card

Wyndham Rewards® Earner Business Card

Travel benefits

Hilton Gold elite status

Upgrade to Diamond status after you spend $40,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year

Free weekend night certificate after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year

A second free weekend night award if you spend a total of $60,000 or more in a calendar year

Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership** with 10 free visits per year

Marriott Bonvoy Silver elite status

Annual free night award*

A second free night award if you spend $60,000 or more in a calendar year*

15 elite night credits each calendar year

Wyndham Rewards Diamond elite status

15,000 points each card anniversary (enough for up to two free nights)

10% discount on award nights

Booking discount on paid stays

Other card benefits

Secondary car rental insurance

Baggage insurance plan

Global Assist Hotline

Purchase protection

Extended warranty

Access to discounts and bonus points through Amex Offers

Secondary car rental insurance

Baggage insurance plan

Global Assist Hotline

Purchase protection

Extended warranty

Access to discounts and bonus points through Amex Offers

Cell phone protection

Extended warranty

Visa SavingsEdge discounts

Foreign transaction fee

No

No Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card – Rates & Fees

No

Learn more

Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express card review

3 Wyndham Rewards credit cards are offering elevated welcome bonuses

*the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card offers an annual free night award each year after your account anniversary for hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program that cost up to 35,000 points

How to earn points with the Amex Hilton Business card

The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card is a heavy hitter when it comes to earning points, offering bonus rewards in a broad range of categories – not just at Hilton hotels.

Cardholders earn points at the following rates:

  • 12x points on purchases made directly with hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio
  • 6x points on select business purchases: U.S. gas stations, wireless telephone services purchases directly from U.S. service providers, and on U.S purchases for shipping
  • 6x points on select travel purchases: U.S. restaurants, flights booked directly with airlines or Amex Travel, and car rentals booked with select car rental companies

Keep in mind the 12x points at eligible Hilton hotels are in addition to the points you’d normally earn from staying with Hilton (10x points at most Hilton brands except Home2Suites and Tru by Hilton, which earn 5x). And because the card comes with automatic Hilton Gold elite status, you’ll earn 80% bonus points on paid stays (18 points per dollar at most Hilton properties).

Read more: How to earn, redeem, and maximize Hilton Honors points

All told, between the points you’ll earn from the card, regular points earning at Hilton hotels, and the Gold elite bonus, you’ll earn 30 points per dollar when you use the card to pay for most Hilton hotel stays.

How to use Hilton points

You’ve got a number of options for redeeming Hilton points, but you’ll usually get the most value by using points for award nights at Hilton hotels.

Hilton doesn’t have an official award chart, and the number of points required varies at individual hotels based on demand and season. The cheapest Hilton hotels start at 5,000 points per night and (with a few exceptions) top out at 95,000 points per night.

You can stretch your points for more nights by combining points and money for award stays, or by taking advantage of Hilton’s fifth-night free benefit for elite members. This perk allows you to book five consecutive standard award nights and effectively get a 20% discount on the points required.

Because The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card (and all other Hilton co-brand cards) offer automatic elite status, you won’t have to worry about meeting stay requirements to earn elite status to unlock the fifth-night free benefit.

Read more: The best Hilton credit cards in 2021

Other ways to use Hilton points include cashing them in for Amazon purchases, redeeming them for experiences, or trading them in for airline miles, Lyft rides, merchandise, and charity donations. You’ll typically receive a lower value for your points when you redeem this way.

Hilton Business card benefits and features

The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card comes with a wide range of perks that can make your travels more comfortable and help you save money.

Automatic Hilton Gold elite status

Cardholders receive Hilton Gold status as long as their card is open and in good standing. Hilton’s mid-level elite tier comes with surprisingly good benefits, including:

  • Free continental breakfast
  • Room upgrades when available
  • Fifth night free on award stays of five nights or more
  • 80% points bonus on paid stays
  • Free bottled water
  • Elite rollover nights

Read more: 11 credit cards that get you hotel elite status just by having them in your wallet

If you spend $40,000 or more on eligible purchases in a calendar year with The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, you’ll get upgraded to Hilton Diamond elite status through the end of the following calendar year. Hilton Diamond status is even more valuable – it comes with all the benefits of Gold status, plus a 100% points bonus on paid stays, better upgrades, executive lounge access, and premium Wi-Fi.

Priority Pass airport lounge access

When you have The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, you can enroll in a complimentary Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership**, with 10 free visits included per year. While other, more premium credit cards offer a membership with unlimited visits, you’ll usually have to pay a much higher annual fee – so this is a good option if you only travel a few times a year.

Free weekend night certificates

When you spend $15,000 or more on eligible purchases in a calendar year with The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, you’ll receive a free weekend night certificate, valid for use at most Hilton hotels – even luxury resorts.

Read more: 7 luxurious ways to redeem Amex Hilton free weekend night certificates

The certificate is usually only valid on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday nights, but due to the pandemic, unexpired certificates issued in 2020 or 2021 can be used on any night of the week.

You’ll also earn a second free weekend night certificate if you spend a total of $60,000 with your card in a calendar year, and again, it’s valid at almost any Hilton hotel.

Car rental insurance

When you pay for your car rental with The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card and decline the collision damage waiver at the rental counter, you can get secondary coverage for damage to or theft of the vehicle. Some countries and vehicle types are excluded, so be sure to read the terms and conditions before you rent and note that liability insurance isn’t included.

Baggage insurance plan

If you pay for a covered trip with The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, you can be covered for baggage loss or damage, up to $500 per person for checked bags, and $1,250 per person for carry-on luggage.

Read more: Amex cards from the Platinum to the EveryDay Preferred now offer coverage for trip cancellation and more – here’s everything you need to know

There are exclusions for high-risk items and some states have different limits, so check the terms and conditions for specific details.

Purchase protection

When you pay for an eligible item with The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, purchase protection can cover theft or damage that occurs within 90 days of purchase, up to a maximum of $1,000 per occurrence and $50,000 per account per calendar year.

Extended warranty

The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card comes with up to one additional year of extended warranty coverage for eligible new purchases in the US or its territories, on manufacturer’s warranties of five years or less.

Global Assist Hotline

The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card also offers access Amex’s Global Assist Hotline to cardholders when they’re traveling 100 or more miles from home.

Read more: 6 lesser-known credit card travel benefits that can save you thousands of dollars if things go wrong on a trip

This service can provide help with issues like translation services, missing luggage, and emergency legal and medical referrals, and lost passports, but you’ll be responsible for any third-party costs.

The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

Fees and costs

The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card has an annual fee of The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, but you can easily make up for it (and then some) by making the most of the card’s benefits.

Read more: The best credit cards with no foreign transaction fees

It’s a good choice to take with you if you’re traveling internationally, because it doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees. However, like most cards, there are fees for late payments, returned payments, and cash advances.

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