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Hilton Honors Amex Business Card Review: An Easy Way to Turn Business Expenses Into Free Hilton Stays

Review Updated
Brittney Myers
By: Brittney Myers

Our Credit Cards Expert

Many or all of the products here are from our partners that compensate us. It’s how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures our experts’ opinions aren’t influenced by compensation. Terms may apply to offers listed on this page.

Offer status

The information for the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card has been collected independently by The Ascent. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Traveling for business can be both a perk and a drawback, depending on your view -- and your credit cards. A good cobranded hotel credit card may help make it more of a perk. The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, for instance, can help you earn free hotel nights and even enjoy elite status. (Terms apply.) This business credit card does come with an annual fee, but it could be worthwhile for Hilton fans. Read our full Hilton Honors American Express Business Card review to see if it's right for your business.

Ratings Methodology

Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Credit Score: Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Credit Score Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Good/Excellent (670-850)

Intro APR

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: N/A

Regular APR

17.99% - 26.99%, variable

Rewards Circle with letter I in it. 12x points at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio, 6x points at US gas stations, on US purchases for shipping, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from US service providers, on flights booked directly with airlines or with Amex Travel, on car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies, and at US restaurants, 3x points on all other eligible purchases

3x - 12x points

Annual Fee

$95

Welcome Offer Circle with letter I in it. 130,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months of membership

130,000 points

  • Packs in a high rewards rate on branded purchases and automatic elite status. However, you'll have to earn your free night awards, which may make the welcome offer harder to bear than with similar cards that offer award nights for free.

    • Big welcome offer
    • Purchase rewards
    • Automatic elite status
    • Airport lounge access
    • No foreign transaction fees
    • Annual card fee
    • No free night awards
    • No intro APR deals
    • Welcome Offer: Earn 130,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors Business Card in the first 3 months of Card Membership.
    • Earn Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your Card: 12X at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio, 6X at US gas stations, on US purchases for shipping, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from US service providers, on flights booked directly with airlines or with Amex Travel, on car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies, and at US restaurants, 3X on all other eligible purchases. Terms & Limitations Apply.
    • Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Status with your Hilton Honors Business Card.
    • Earn a Weekend Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
    • Earn another Weekend Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend an additional $45,000 in purchases on your Card in the same calendar year.
    • Terms apply.
The information for the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card has been collected independently by The Ascent. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Full Hilton Honors Amex Business Card review

This credit card is a good fit for: Business owners who prefer Hilton properties and can take advantage of the elite status and lounge passes.

Top perks

You'll find a lot of perks common to hotel credit cards, plus a special lounge access perk that could be valuable for frequent travelers.

Welcome offer worth 130,000 points

Purchase rewards are great, but welcome bonuses are the heart of getting free travel from a credit card. And the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card has a big, six-digit welcome offer. New cardholders can earn 130,000 points when they spend $3,000 on their card within the first three months of account opening. (Terms apply.) How many nights that'll get you will vary a lot with where (and when) you stay, but it should get you at least one or two nights at high-end Hilton properties and three or four nights at lower-tier properties.

Earn up to 12x points per dollar on purchases

Your average card may have two or three bonus categories. But the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card offers more than twice that -- many of them in extremely useful categories. Cardholders can earn:

  • 12x points per dollar on Hilton purchases
  • 6x points per dollar at U.S. gas stations
  • 6x points per dollar at U.S. restaurants
  • 6x points per dollar with U.S. wireless television providers
  • 6x points per dollar on U.S. shipping purchases
  • 6x points per dollar on flights booked with airlines or through Amex
  • 6x points per dollar on car rentals booked with select rental companies
  • 3x points per dollar on other purchases

Terms apply. Some of these categories are common -- gas rewards cards seem to be a dime a dozen, for instance -- but others less so. You'll need to figure out how much you value Hilton points to decide whether this card should replace your other cards for these purchases.

Read more: Best Rewards Credit Cards

Automatic Gold status

A marquee perk of many hotel credit cards, the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card included, is that they guarantee a certain level of elite status with the hotel. In this case, Hilton Honors American Express Business Card cardholders get automatic Gold status with Hilton. (Terms apply; enrollment required.) This is the second-highest status tier, and it has a lot of benefits. For one, you'll get an 80% bonus on points earned on stays. Plus, a daily food and beverage credit or free continental breakfast (property dependent). If you stay with Hilton at least a few times a year, Gold status could make up for the card's annual fee in and of itself.

10 annual Priority Pass lounge visits

Usually reserved for airline cards or expensive travel rewards cards, the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card actually comes with annual airport lounge passes. In particular, you'll get 10 annual Priority Pass lounge passes. (Terms apply; enrollment required.) Priority Pass is an airport lounge network with more than 1,300 lounges worldwide. Ten passes a year should cover the needs for any casual business traveler. You may even have enough left over to use on a family vacation or two.

See more: Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards

No foreign transaction fees

A card with no foreign transaction fees is a valuable perk for travelers, and the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card is one of them. (Terms apply.) Foreign transaction fees can tack an extra 3% onto transactions you make abroad in a foreign currency. They can also kick in when you make purchases in any currency that route through foreign banks. Without these fees, you can travel or make purchases from foreign suppliers without worrying about the extra costs from unnecessary fees.

Free employee cards

The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card lets you have multiple employee cards, all for free. (Terms apply.) Employee cards are a great way to stay on top of your company's finances. They allow your employees to make purchases with your account -- and you earn rewards on those purchases. You can set individual spending limits for each employee card, as well as set up purchase alerts. Plus, you can receive regular summary reports to make bookkeeping a breeze.

Learn more: Best American Express Credit Cards

Alternatives to consider

If you want flexible travel rewards: The Capital One Spark 2X Miles card earns 2x miles per dollar on purchase, with no caps. Its flexible travel rewards can be transferred to 15-plus hotel and airline partners. You can jumpstart your savings with a big sign-up bonus as well.

If you want more travel perks: The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is the ultimate card for business travelers. You'll not only get the same Hilton Gold status, but you'll get Marriott status, too. And broaden your airport lounge access with the Global Lounge collection. (Terms apply.) The annual fee may be high at $695, but the perks could make up for it for the right business owner.

See more options: Best Business Credit Cards

As of May. 08, 2024
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Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

Capital One Spark 2X Miles

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Read Review
Read Review

Credit Rating Requirement: Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)

Good/Excellent (670-850)

Credit Rating Requirement: Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Excellent (740-850)

Excellent (740-850)

Credit Rating Requirement: Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)

Good/Excellent (670-850)

Welcome Offer: Circle with letter I in it. 130,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months of membership

130,000 points

Welcome Offer: Circle with letter I in it. Earn a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles – equal to $500 in travel – once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening

50,000 miles

Welcome Offer: Circle with letter I in it. Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with your Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.

120,000 Membership Rewards® points

Rewards Program: Circle with letter I in it. 12x points at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio, 6x points at US gas stations, on US purchases for shipping, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from US service providers, on flights booked directly with airlines or with Amex Travel, on car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies, and at US restaurants, 3x points on all other eligible purchases

3x - 12x points

Rewards Program:

2x miles

Rewards Program: Circle with letter I in it. Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases. Earn 1.5X points on eligible purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.

1X - 5X points

Intro APR:

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: N/A

Intro APR:

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: N/A

Intro APR:

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: N/A

Regular APR:

17.99% - 26.99%, variable

Regular APR:

26.24%, variable

Regular APR:

19.49% - 27.49%, variable

Annual Fee:

$95

Annual Fee: Circle with letter I in it. $0 intro fee for first year; $95 after that

$0 intro fee

Annual Fee:

$695

Highlights:

  • Welcome Offer: Earn 130,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors Business Card in the first 3 months of Card Membership.
  • Earn Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your Card: 12X at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio, 6X at US gas stations, on US purchases for shipping, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from US service providers, on flights booked directly with airlines or with Amex Travel, on car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies, and at US restaurants, 3X on all other eligible purchases. Terms & Limitations Apply.
  • Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Status with your Hilton Honors Business Card.
  • Earn a Weekend Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
  • Earn another Weekend Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend an additional $45,000 in purchases on your Card in the same calendar year.
  • Terms apply.

Highlights:

  • Earn a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles – equal to $500 in travel – once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
  • Earn unlimited 2X miles per dollar on every purchase, everywhere, no limits or category restrictions, and miles won't expire for the life of the account
  • Earn 5X miles on hotel and rental car bookings through Capital One Travel℠ using a Spark Miles card
  • Transfer your miles to 10+ leading travel loyalty programs like JetBlue™, Air Canada, and Emirates™
  • Redeem your miles instantly for any travel-related purchases, from flights and hotels to ride-sharing services
  • Fly through security with one statement credit for either the $85 TSA Pre✓® application fee or the $100 Global Entry application fee
  • $0 intro annual fee for the first year; $95 after that
  • Free employee cards which also earn unlimited 2X miles from their purchases

Highlights:

  • Welcome Offer: Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with your Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
  • Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases.
  • Earn 1.5X points on eligible purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
  • Unlock over $1,000 in value per year for statement credits on select purchases with your Card, including up to $400 with Dell Technologies, up to $360 with Indeed, up to $150 with Adobe and up to $120 on wireless telephone purchases. Enrollment required.
  • $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year toward baggage fees and more at one qualifying airline.
  • $189 CLEAR® Credit: Use your Card and get up to $189 back per year on your CLEAR® membership.
  • The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more lounge location options than any other credit card on the market as of 9/2021.
  • $695 Annual Fee.
  • Terms Apply.
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The information for the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card has been collected independently by The Ascent. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. The Capital One Spark 2X Miles is unavailable on The Ascent. All information was collected independently and not reviewed for accuracy or provided by the credit card issuer. Some items may be out of date.

What could be improved

This card is missing a few perks that similar hotel cards offer, reducing its overall value.

Annual card fee

An annual card fee is rarely a great thing on a credit card. The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card has an annual $95 fee. In some cases, that fee can be worth it -- say, if you get a free night award you can redeem for a higher value than the cost of the annual fee. For the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, it's up to the purchase rewards and elite status to really make up for that fee. It's up to you to decide if those perks are enough.

No complimentary free night awards

Many hotel credit cards, especially in the consumer realm, will offer complimentary free night awards on your anniversary. The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card doesn't have this perk. Instead, you'll need to meet a minimum spending requirement to earn a free weekend night award. Specifically, you can earn a free weekend night award when you spend $15,000 on your card in a calendar year. You can get a second award if you spend at least $60,000.

And yes, note that these aren't anytime-you-want awards; they're weekend night awards. You can only redeem them for weekend stays.

Related: Best Hotel Credit Cards

No 0% intro APR offers

With so many cards offering 0% intro APR offers, it always stands out when a card doesn't provide this perk. Granted, the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card is only keeping pace with other travel cards. It's rare for a travel rewards card to have an intro APR offer. But with travel so expensive, that lack makes even less sense. If you want a card that will give you some interest-free time to pay off a big vacation, check our other credit card reviews for an intro APR card that fits your needs.

Suggested credit score

Amex doesn't specify a credit score requirement for the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card. That said, most Amex cards require good to excellent credit. Plus, when you apply for a business card, Amex will look at both your personal and business credit history.

The Hilton Honors Amex Business Card is right for you if:

The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card is a solid pick for business travelers who prefer staying at Hilton properties. The elite status alone could make up for the annual fee if you can maximize it. The Priority Pass visits are also a nice perk. You don't get anniversary free night awards like some other cards offer, but you can spend your way to weekend awards if you have a lot of expenses.

Keep reading: Best Credit Cards

Our credit card methodology

At The Motley Fool Ascent, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.

We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how The Ascent rates credit cards.

Our Credit Cards Expert

Brittney Myers
By: Brittney Myers

Writer

Brittney started her writing career in the world of science, putting her physics degree to good use. Her journey into finance started with building her personal credit, but soon grew into a borderline obsession with credit cards and travel rewards. For the last 7 years, she has enjoyed the ability to share her expertise with readers, as well as the opportunity to interview companies and individuals making an impact on our financial lives. She wholly believe most problems can be solved with the right research -- and a good spreadsheet -- and she specializes in translating complex financial topics into actionable advice to help educate and empower readers.