Hilton Honors American Express Card
Basic Information
Program ID: hilton-honors
Issuer: American Express
Card Type: Credit
Network: American Express
Card Tier: Standard
Data Complete: Yes
Created: 01/07/2026 07:38
Last Scraped: 01/15/2026 05:34
Fee Structure
| Annual Fee: | $550.00 |
| Year 1 Waived: | No |
| Effective Annual Fee: | $-90.00 |
| Authorized User Fee: | $0.00 |
| Penalty APR: | 30.00% |
Additional Fees
| Late Fee: | $40.00 |
| Returned Payment: | $40.00 |
| Balance Transfer: | Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater. |
| Cash Advance: | Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater. |
| Foreign Transaction: | 0.00% |
Interest Rates
Purchase APR Range: 2,124.00% - 2,924.00%
Intro Purchase APR: 0.00%
Intro APR Duration: 12 months
Intro BT Duration: 0 months
Cash Advance APR: 2,999.00%
Sign-Up Bonus
Bonus Amount: $100,000.00
Spending Requirement: $2,000.00
Time Period: 90 days
Bonus Timing: Typically within 8-12 weeks after requirement is met, but often within 48-72 hours.
Rewards Program
Reward Type: Hilton Honors Points
Base Reward Rate: 3.00%
Bonus Reward Rate: 14.00%
Bonus Categories: 14x Hilton Portfolio Hotels & Resorts; 7x Flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com; 7x Car Rentals booked directly from select car rental companies; 7x U.S. Restaurants; 3x All other eligible purchases.
Point Value Estimate: 0.0100 cents/point
Expiration Policy: Points do not expire as long as there is qualifying activity on the account every 24 months.
Transfer Partners: None (Hilton Honors points do not transfer out to other loyalty programs at a favorable rate).
Card Benefits
Protection Benefits
- Extended Warranty
- Purchase Protection
- Cell Phone Protection
- Price Protection
Travel Benefits
- Travel Insurance
- Primary Rental Protection
- Trip Delay Coverage
- Lost Luggage Coverage
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
Premium Benefits
- Airport Lounge Access
- Concierge Service
- Global Entry Credit: $0.00
- TSA PreCheck Credit: $0.00
- Hotel Status: Hilton Honors Silver
Approval Criteria
Recommended FICO Range: 670 - 850
Approval Odds Category: Good
Pre-qualification Available
Soft Pull Supported
Hard Pull Bureau: Experian, TransUnion, Equifax
Issuer Rules
Rules: American Express generally applies a 'once per lifetime' rule for welcome bonuses, meaning you are typically eligible for the bonus on a specific card product only once. For the Hilton Honors card, this means if you've previously received the welcome bonus for *this specific card product*, you are unlikely to be eligible again. Application rules include a '2/90 rule' (maximum of 2 credit card approvals within a 90-day period). Eligibility for Amex cards generally requires being 18 years or older, having a valid SSN/ITIN, and meeting Amex's internal creditworthiness criteria. These rules are projected to remain consistent for 2026, though American Express reserves the right to change them at any time.
Maximum Cards Per Issuer: 5
Minimum Spend Interval: 3 months
Shutdown Risk Triggers: Manufactured spending (e.g., excessive gift card purchases, payment of bills via third-party services), rapid spending on new cards followed by immediate inactivity, spending exactly the bonus threshold and then stopping, high cumulative credit limits relative to reported income, frequent applications and cancellations solely for bonuses, and triggers for financial review (e.g., sudden large deposits/withdrawals from linked bank accounts, spending significantly above reported income without justification).
International Friendly
User Analytics & Insights
User Ratings
Average Rating: 4.2 / 5.0
Top Positive Feedback:
Excellent rewards for Hilton loyalists, valuable hotel benefits like complimentary status, strong welcome bonus, and reliable Amex customer service.
Top Negative Feedback:
Point value can be lower compared to flexible rewards programs, limited redemption options outside of Hilton, and some users desire higher earning rates on non-Hilton travel.
Approval Experience Score: 92.0 / 100
Recommended Alternatives
- Amex Hilton Honors Surpass Card
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Card Value Score: 78.0 / 100
Est. Annual Rewards: $380.00
User Portfolio Metrics
Avg Portfolio Size: 3 cards
Avg Portfolio Age: 72 months
Store vs Co-brand: 80% General / 20% Co-brand Partner
Risk Assessment
Default Risk Group: Low
Predicted Approval Probability: 88.0%
Terms Version Control
Version ID: v1.0
Last Updated: 10/26/2023 00:00