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Hilton’s cobranded American Express cards typically offer some sweet introductory bonuses. But we’re now seeing the sweetest ever, perfectly timed in mid-May when earning and burning points for summer stays are top of mind.
All rejoice: The no-annual-fee Hilton Honors American Express Card (see rates and fees) and sister card, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card ($95 annual fee, see rates and fees), are making credit card bonus history with their latest promotions.
On the no-fee card, you’ll earn 70,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points plus one Free Night Reward (valued up to 150,000 points) after spending $1,000 in eligible purchases on the card in the first three months of card membership (terms apply). If maximized correctly, that’s a value of 220,000 points. Meanwhile, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card is offering up to an equivalent of 280,000 Hilton Bonus Points with its new welcome offer, broken down as follows: You’ll earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after spending $2,000 in the first three months of card membership plus a Free Night Award, redeemable for a standard night award up to 150,000 points (terms apply).
At press time, the greater portfolio of Hilton hotels and resorts spans 19 brands, from Waldorf Astoria to the Curio Collection, with 7,000-plus properties across 123 countries and territories. Hilton Honors points can be redeemed for stays at any of these hotels, where standard rooms cost between 5,000 points per night and 150,000 points per night, depending on the hotel. A Free Night Reward can be used for a standard room at any property, even one that runs an expensive 150,000 points per night. (Put in perspective: A top property, like the multi-thousand-dollar-per-night Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi, runs at that number while pricey fellow tropical paradise Conrad Bora Bora runs 120K per night for a standard room.)
Here’s why you should jump on this opportunity now, before it disappears.
A best-ever bonus and lowest-ever spending threshold
Besides the fact that these cushy bonuses are the highest ever, acquiring them is easier than ever. Typically, Hilton credit cards offer great introductory bonuses, but they require quite a bit of spending to fully achieve them. For example, the previous top bonus for the Hilton Honors American Express Card required spending $5,000 total on purchases in the first six months to earn all the points. With the current offer, all that’s required is spending $1,000 in the first three months to get the bonus. Similarly, the threshold for the Surpass has been lowered to $2,000 in the first three months.
Picking the no-annual-fee card
Another standout of this promotion is that it includes a card with no annual fee. However, a $0 annual fee doesn’t mean the entry-level Hilton Honors American Express Card card skimps on benefits. In fact, it’s the opposite. The card earns seven points per dollar on eligible Hilton purchases, five points per dollar at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations, and three points per dollar on other eligible purchases. So, no matter what you charge to the card, you’ll earn a minimum of three points per dollar spent. That makes it easy to rack up points quickly.
In addition, cardholders receive automatic first-rung Hilton Honors Silver status. While all Hilton Honors members can get the likes of free Wi-Fi nowadays, Silver status brings added benefits like a 20 percent points earning bonus on stays, free bottled water, and the ability to participate in Hilton Honor’s “Fifth Night Free” program, in which your fifth night is no cost when booking four nights with points.
To recap, this wow-factor offer on the Hilton Honors American Express Card includes 70,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points plus one Free Night Reward (valued up to 150,000 points) after spending $1,000 in eligible purchases on the card in the first three months of card membership (terms apply). If maximized correctly, that’s a value of 220,000 points.
Picking the Surpass
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card is one of our favorite low-fee credit cards and this best-ever welcome offer makes it even better!
This card has an annual fee of $95, but its benefits are more like those of a high-annual-fee card. To start, earnings multipliers in select key categories make it easy to amass points quickly through spending. Earn 12 points per dollar at properties in the Hilton portfolio, 6 points per dollar at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations, and 3 points per dollar spent on everything else.
Then, you can get 10 free lounge visits to 1,300+ Priority Pass lounges for every year enrolled in Priority Pass Select Membership through the Surpass card (enrollment required). No other personal credit card at this fee level offers such lounge access. Finally, you’ll score Hilton Honors Gold Status automatically with card membership. Benefits of Gold Status include the following at stays within the Hilton umbrella: Space-available room upgrades, complimentary Wi-Fi, and daily on-property food and beverage credits. (The amount of that food and beverage credit varies by brand, but for luxury brands like Waldorf Astoria it runs an impressive $50 per room per day, assuming two guests per room.)
So to recap this current incredible offer on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card , you’ll earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after spending $2,000 in the first three months of card membership plus a Free Night Award, redeemable for a standard night award up to 150,000 points (terms apply). If maximized correctly, that’s an unheard-of welcome offer valued at 280,000 Hilton Bonus points.
Takeaways
Traveling is great; traveling for free is even better. Chances are that with over 7,000 properties under its umbrella, Hilton’s got you covered at your next destination. So why not score points—lots of them—and a Free Night Award with either the record-breaking offer for the no-annual-fee Hilton Honors American Express Card or the perks-heavy Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card? You’ll thank us once you’re luxuriating at your chic hotel in Paris, Bora Bora, or the Maldives, and bragging that you didn’t pay a dime for your stay.
This article was originally published in March 2023; it was updated with new offers on May 12, 2023. While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they are subject to change at any time, and may have changed or may no longer be available.
