Card benefits change often, and this page may be out of date by the time you read it. Always check the bank’s page and your card’s guide to benefits for the current terms before you rely on a benefit.
The Hilton Honors American Express Card is Amex’s no-annual-fee Hilton card: 7x at Hilton, 5x at U.S. restaurants, supermarkets and gas stations, automatic Hilton Silver status, and Gold status if you spend $20,000 in a year.
There are no credits and no yearly free night, so the welcome offer is most of the value. Below is how it earns, what’s included, the (thin) insurance, the application rules, and my verdict on who should get it.
Hilton Honors (no fee) at a glance
- Annual fee: $0
- Current public offer: 70,000 Hilton points plus a Free Night Reward after $2,000 in purchases in the first 6 months (offer ends January 13, 2027) (as of October 14, 2026, per Frequent Miler)
- Is it the best ever?: No. It was 80,000 points plus a free night in 2025. A free night on a no-fee card’s offer is still unusual.
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Best for: Anyone who wants a no-fee way to earn Hilton points and a free night from the welcome offer, or a long-term no-fee card to keep a Hilton relationship with Amex.
- Skip it if: You stay at Hiltons a few times a year; the Surpass’s Gold status and quarterly credit, or the Aspire’s free night, are worth much more than this card.
- Bank’s page: Hilton Honors American Express Card on americanexpress.com
Jump to: Highlights · Earning · Status and perks · Insurance · Application rules · My take · The catch · Keep it? · Offer history · Quick Answers
The highlights
- 7x at Hilton; 5x at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations; 3x elsewhere
- Automatic Hilton Silver status; Gold status after $20,000 in purchases in a calendar year
- No yearly Free Night Reward (only the one in the current welcome offer)
- Venue Collection: 10% back on concessions at participating stadiums and arenas, up to $250 a calendar year (enrollment)
- Secondary rental car coverage and purchase protection; no annual fee; no foreign transaction fees
How it earns
| Category | Rate | Caps and fine print |
|---|---|---|
| Hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio | 7x | Purchases made directly with Hilton hotels and resorts. No cap. |
| U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations | 5x | U.S. only; restaurants include takeout and delivery. No cap. |
| Everything else | 3x | No cap. |
Hilton points are worth about half a cent each in my eyes, so 5x is roughly 2.5% back and 3x about 1.5%, paid in Hilton stays. That’s fine for a no-fee card, but a flat 2% cash back card beats the 3x for anyone who doesn’t redeem at Hilton.
Hilton status and other perks
- Hilton Silver status: a 20% bonus on base points for your stays and the fifth night free on standard award stays of five nights or more booked with points.
- Hilton Gold status through the end of the next calendar year after $20,000 in purchases in a calendar year, which adds an 80% points bonus, a daily food and beverage credit or breakfast (by brand and region) and space-available upgrades.
- No Free Night Reward benefit: Amex’s FAQ says so and points to the Surpass and Aspire for that.
- No airport lounge access.
- Amex Offers, Amex presale tickets, Send & Split and the Global Assist Hotline (24/7 referrals and emergency help when you’re 100+ miles from home).
Insurance and protections
| Benefit | What the bank says |
|---|---|
| Trip delay | None listed |
| Trip cancellation / interruption | None listed |
| Lost luggage | None listed (no Baggage Insurance Plan on this card) |
| Car rental loss and damage | Secondary coverage for damage or theft when you decline the rental company’s CDW; not available in Australia, Italy or New Zealand, and no liability coverage |
| Purchase protection | Theft or accidental damage within 90 days, up to $1,000 per purchase and $50,000 per calendar year |
Amounts are from Amex’s card page, checked October 14, 2026. The page lists no travel insurance beyond the rental car coverage and no extended warranty.
For how this compares with other cards, see my card travel benefits comparison.
Application rules for this card
- The bonus is generally once per lifetime: Amex’s terms say you may not be eligible if you have or have had this card or previous versions of it (the Amex lifetime rule). Amex shows a pop-up before any hard pull if you’re not eligible, so you can withdraw without a credit inquiry.
- No Hilton family rule: the terms don’t mention the Surpass or the Aspire, so having either one doesn’t block this card’s bonus (Frequent Miler also notes that Amex’s family language hasn’t reached the Hilton cards).
- Upgrade offers: Amex sometimes offers this card’s holders an upgrade to the Surpass. In my eyes it’s usually better to apply for the Surpass as a new card while you can still earn its full bonus, because once you’ve had the Surpass, its lifetime language applies.
- Amex generally limits you to 5 Amex credit cards at once and approves about 1 credit card every 5 days and 2 every 90 days; no-fee cards count toward that limit (Amex rules).
The full rules for every bank are in my credit card application rules guide.
My take
There’s no fee, so there’s no fee math: the question is just whether this card deserves a spot in your wallet. The welcome offer, 70,000 points plus a free night for $2,000 of spending, is a good deal for a no-fee card, and the free night alone can be worth a couple hundred dollars at a good Hilton.
After that, it’s a modest earner: 5x at U.S. restaurants, supermarkets and gas is about 2.5% back in Hilton stays, Silver status does little beyond the fifth night free on award stays, and Gold needs $20,000 of spending. If you stay at Hiltons more than a couple of times a year, the Surpass is worth its $150.
In any case, I personally would hate to sign up at 70,000 points plus a free night when 80,000 plus a free night was available in the past.
The catch
There are no credits, no yearly free night, no baggage or trip insurance, and no extended warranty, so beyond the welcome offer it’s a points card with Silver status.
Hilton points are worth only about half a cent, so 7x, 5x and 3x look much bigger than they are, and the points only make sense if you’ll stay at Hiltons.
Keep it after year one?
The fee is $0, so the real fee is $0. Keep it if you use Hilton points at all: it costs nothing, keeps your Amex history longer and the points from everyday spending don’t expire while you’re active. If you want more, get the Surpass or Aspire as new cards rather than upgrading, so you can earn their bonuses.
Offer history
| Offer | Ended |
|---|---|
| 80K + free night (best ever) | 2025 |
Quick Answers
No. It has no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, as of October 2026.
As of October 14, 2026 the offer is 70,000 Hilton points plus a Free Night Reward after $2,000 in purchases in the first 6 months, through January 13, 2027.
No. Amex’s page says the card doesn’t have a Free Night Reward benefit; only the current welcome offer includes one. The Surpass (after $15,000 in spending) and the Aspire (every year) do.
Silver status automatically, and Gold status through the end of the next calendar year after you spend $20,000 on the card in a calendar year.
Yes. Its terms only block the bonus if you have or have had this card, so holding the Surpass or the Aspire doesn’t matter.
Last checked: October 14, 2026. Card terms change often, so confirm on the bank’s page before you apply. There are no affiliate or referral links on this site, ever; links go to the bank’s own page.