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Key takeaways
- American Express offers a handful of co-branded Hilton credit cards, two of which are the Hilton Honors American Express Card and the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card*.
- The Aspire Card targets luxury travelers and comes with a $550 annual fee, whereas the Amex Hilton Honors Card has no annual fee.
- Each card comes with a significant welcome offer, but the Aspire Card also includes a higher rewards rate and more benefits.
- The Aspire Card’s value lies in its additional benefits, such as Hilton Diamond status and award nights.
If you are a fan of Hilton properties, American Express offers multiple co-branded cards that can help you earn more rewards in the Hilton Honors loyalty program. Two such cards, the Hilton Honors American Express Card and the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card* are great cards to consider if you’d like to earn rewards towards stays at Hilton properties and eligible Hilton purchases.
In essence, the Amex Hilton Honors Card is an entry-level rewards card with no annual fee and a limited amount of benefits and perks. It works well for less frequent travelers who would like to earn Hilton Honors points on a budget.
The Amex Hilton Aspire Card, on the other hand, caters to “aspirational” travelers who don’t mind paying a high annual fee for award accommodations that land in the luxury and high-end categories.
If you’re wondering how the cards stack up against one another, here are more details that should help.
Main details
| Cards | Hilton Honors American Express Card | Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card |
|---|---|---|
| Rewards rate |
|
|
| Welcome bonus | Earn 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 1/8/2025 | Earn 175,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card after you spend $6,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 1/8/2025. |
| Annual fee | $0 | $550 |
Hilton Honors Amex Card vs. Hilton Honors Amex Aspire Card highlights
When comparing these cards, it’s best to look at the features that are most important to you. The main difference between these cards is the annual fee — the Aspire card costs $550 per year and targets luxury travelers with additional perks, while the Hilton Honors Amex costs $0 per year but comes with fewer auxiliary benefits.
Take a look at some of the differences between the cards below to choose the one that best matches your needs.
Welcome bonus winner
Rewards rate winner
Which card earns the most?
Both the Hilton Honors Card and the Hilton Aspire Card earn elevated rewards on certain purchases, so let’s take a look at a typical month of spending to see which card would earn more.
Hilton Honors American Express vs. Hilton Honors American Express Aspire spending example
If you travel a fair amount and put a lot of your travel and personal expenses on a credit card, here’s what your monthly spending could look like for either of these cards:
- $700 per month for supermarket spending
- $300 at gas stations
- $200 at restaurants
- $300 on Hilton hotel stays
- $400 on airfare (booked directly or via Amextravel.com)
- $500 on other spending
With the Hilton Honors Amex, you’d earn 10,800 points per month — or 129,600 points annually — using this example. On the other hand, you’d earn 154,800 points with the Hilton Honors Aspire Card each year (12,900 points monthly). If you factor in the welcome bonus for these cards, you could earn 209,600 and 284,800 with the Hilton Honors and the Hilton Aspire card in your first year, respectively.
If you use Bankrate’s current valuation of 0.6 cents for Hilton Honors points, the first-year value is roughly equivalent to $1,258 and $1,709 towards Hilton stays on the Hilton Honors Amex and Aspire, respectively. Although you’d get this $1,709 with the Hilton Aspire card, the $550 annual fee takes you down to $1,159 in value based on the points alone — making the Hilton Honors Amex the winner on straight rewards earnings.
However, the Aspire card’s true value lies outside of its point-earning potential. The card comes with additional credits and perks, such as free night awards, up to $200 in airline fee statement credits per year, up to $250 in credits toward select purchases at Hilton hotels (like restaurant meals and spa treatments) and Hilton Diamond status. If you factor in and use these benefits, then you come out ahead with the Amex Aspire based on both rewards earnings and benefits.
Why should you get the Hilton Honors American Express Card?
The Hilton Honors American Express Card is an entry-level travel card that comes with no annual fee and a nice welcome bonus. Here is a look at what else this card offers.
Why should you get the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card?
The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is geared toward frequent travelers who enjoy luxury experiences. It also earns boosted rewards in several categories, which can help you earn Hilton Honors points more quickly. Here are some other things to consider before choosing the Hilton Aspire Card.
The bottom line
Using a co-branded hotel card isn’t for everyone. In certain situations, however, it can make perfect sense for the right person. If you are a frequent traveler and like the Hilton brand, either one of these Hilton hotel cards could work well for you.
Those who don’t travel as frequently should opt for the Hilton Honors American Express Card, while frequent travelers would likely get more value from the Hilton Aspire Card. Either way, earning and redeeming rewards with one of these travel credit cards could help you reach your discount-travel goals.
*All information about the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by Bankrate and has not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.
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