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The information for the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card has been collected independently by Motley Fool Money. 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.
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
APR
17.99% - 26.99%, variable
Rewards 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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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
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.
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
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.
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
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
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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
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
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
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
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
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
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 |
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Credit Rating Requirement:
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:
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:
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: 130,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months of membership 130,000 points |
Welcome Offer: 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: Earn 200,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 on eligible purchases with your Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. 200,000 Membership Rewards® points |
Rewards Program: 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: 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. 2X-5X miles |
Rewards Program: 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 |
APR: 17.99% - 26.99%, variable |
Regular APR: 25.74%, variable |
APR: 18.74% - 27.74%, variable |
Annual Fee: $95 |
Annual Fee: $0 intro fee for first year; $95 after that $0 intro fee |
Annual Fee: $695 |
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The information for the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card has been collected independently by Motley Fool Money. 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 Motley Fool Money. All information was collected independently and not reviewed for accuracy or provided by the credit card issuer. Some items may be out of date.
This card is missing a few perks that similar hotel cards offer, reducing its overall value.
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.
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
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.
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 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
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For rates and fees for the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, click here
For rates and fees for the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, click here
The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Mastercard. The Motley Fool recommends Amex.