Hilton Honors
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How we calculate effective rate →
The Hilton Honors from American Express earns up to 2.5% effective value on dining in Madeen's catalog snapshot. It has no annual fee. New applicants may see: Earn 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points And A $100 Statement Credit after you spend $2,000 on eligible purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership..
- Top category
- Dining
- Effective value
- 2.5%
- Annual fee
- $0
Best for dining-heavy spend when you want to avoid an annual fee; confirm issuer terms before applying. Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 5x points. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement.
What does the Hilton Honors earn in each category?
Dining is the strongest category at 2.5% effective value (5x points at about 0.5 cents each). That dining rate ranks higher than about 80% of the 2,850 cards we track in that category. The five-category effective-rate table on this page shows how Hilton Honors compares across dining, grocery, gas, travel, and other spend. Catalog spend signals highlight coffee at 5x.
Dining is the strongest category at 2.5% effective value (5x points at about 0.5 cents each). That dining rate ranks higher than about 80% of the 2,850 cards we track in that category. The five-category effective-rate table on this page shows how Hilton Honors compares across dining, grocery, gas, travel, and other spend.
| Category | Earn rate | Effective value |
|---|---|---|
| Dining Restaurants, cafes, takeout | 5x points | 2.5% Top category |
| Grocery Supermarkets and grocery stores | 5x points | 2.5% |
| Gas Gas stations and fuel | 5x points | 2.5% |
| Travel Flights, hotels, transit | 3x points | 1.5% |
| Other General everyday spend | 3x points | 1.5% |
Madeen values Hilton Honors at about 0.5 cents each. Madeen compares every card using this cash-equivalent estimate while still showing the raw earn rate for context.
What are the Hilton Honors reward caps and conditions?
The Hilton Honors has 3 notable cap or condition rule(s) in Madeen's catalog, including activation windows, spend limits, and category exclusions. Review each bullet below before assuming unlimited earn rates.
- 5X points on dining At U.S. restaurants, including takeout and delivery
- 5X points on gas At U.S. gas stations
- 5X points on groceries At U.S. supermarkets
Who should get the Hilton Honors?
The Hilton Honors fits spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 5x points. Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 5x points. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement.
Hilton Honors fits spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 5x points. Madeen ranks its dining effective rate higher than about 80% of the catalog in that category. Compare it against cards you already carry with Madeen — no bank login required.
Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 5x points. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement.
Compare it against simpler no-fee cards if you want minimum complexity.
Best for dining-heavy spend when you want to avoid an annual fee; confirm issuer terms before applying.
Pros
- Strongest Madeen category is dining at about 2.5% effective (5x points).
- That dining rate ranks higher than about 80% of cards we track in the category.
- No annual fee in our catalog snapshot.
- No foreign transaction fee listed.
Cons
- Multiple caps, activations, or exclusions may limit headline earn rates.
- Hilton Honors value depends on how you redeem, not straight cash back.
What is the Hilton Honors welcome bonus?
In Madeen's catalog snapshot, the Hilton Honors welcome offer is Earn 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points And A $100 Statement Credit after you spend $2,000 on eligible purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership.. Minimum spend, eligibility, and offer windows are set by the issuer and can change — confirm on.
- Offer
- 100k Hilton Honors (~$500 estimated)
- Terms (catalog snapshot)
- Earn 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points And A $100 Statement Credit after you spend $2,000 on eligible purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Minimum spend
- $2,000
- Window
- 6Months
Does the Hilton Honors have an annual fee?
The Hilton Honors has an annual fee of $0 and a foreign transaction fee of None. Confirm current fees on the issuer page before applying.
- Annual fee
- $0
- Foreign transaction fee
- None
What benefits come with the Hilton Honors?
The Hilton Honors includes Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance, Global Assist® Hotline, Hilton Honors Silver Status in our snapshot. Perks and benefits can change; verify coverage on the issuer site before you rely on them.
Purchase Protection
$10,000/yrSometimes your favorite new purchase gets stolen or accidentally damaged. But when you use your Eligible Card for Covered Purchases, your Membership can help protect them for up to 90 days from the Covered Purchase date, subject to the Coverage Limits.
Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance
$40/yrGetting into your Rental Vehicle can be the start of a great vacation. When you use your Eligible Card to reserve and pay for the Entire Rental and decline the collision damage waiver (CDW) at the Rental Company counter, you can be covered for Damage to or Theft of a Rental Vehicle in a Covered Territory. Please read important exclusions and restrictions. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Coverage is not available for vehicles rented in Australia, Italy, and New Zealand. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage.
Global Assist® Hotline
$25/yrSometimes the unexpected happens when you travel. A passport is lost. You come down with a sudden illness. A lawyer is needed. Being a Card Member can make things easier. Global Assist® Hotline‡ can help you prepare for your trip with customs information and more. And while you're traveling more than 100 miles from home, coordination and assistance services such as lost passport replacement assistance, translation services, missing luggage assistance, and emergency legal and medical referrals are a phone call away.
ShopRunner
$25/yrGet free 2-day shipping on eligible items at a growing network of 100+ online stores with ShopRunner.
Hilton Honors Silver Status
Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status with your Card. Plus, spend $20,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn an upgrade to Hilton Honors Gold status through the end of the next calendar year.
Related encyclopedia topics
What annual spend bonuses does the Hilton Honors offer?
- Hilton Honors Gold status - spend $20,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn an upgrade to Hilton Honors Gold status through the end of the next calendar year
Common questions about the Hilton Honors
Where do cardholders spend most with the Hilton Honors?
Madeen's RewardsCC catalog snapshot shows the strongest bonus categories on coffee (5x), fast food (5x), groceries (5x) for the Hilton Honors. These are anonymized issuer category signals, not individual cardholder transactions. Route everyday spend through categories that match your habits, then compare effective rates with Madeen at checkout.
Is the Hilton Honors credit card worth it?
The Hilton Honors from American Express earns up to 2.5% effective value on dining in Madeen's catalog snapshot. It has no annual fee. New applicants may see: Earn 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points And A $100 Statement Credit after you spend $2,000 on eligible purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership..
How much is 130,000 Hilton points worth?
Dining is the strongest Madeen category for the Hilton Honors at about 2.5% effective value, based on our catalog snapshot and standard point valuations. Other categories are listed in the effective-rate table on this page.
What credit score do you need for a Hilton Honors credit card?
Madeen's catalog lists a typical credit range of Good to Excellent for the Hilton Honors. Issuers decide approval using their own criteria; Madeen does not predict approval odds or prequalification.
Does the Hilton Honors have an annual fee?
The Hilton Honors carries an annual fee of $0 in Madeen's catalog snapshot. Issuer terms can change, so confirm the current fee on the issuer's site before you apply. Madeen does not predict approval or prequalification.
What category earns the most with the Hilton Honors?
Dining is the strongest Madeen category for the Hilton Honors at about 2.5% effective value, based on our catalog snapshot and standard point valuations. Other categories are listed in the effective-rate table on this page.
How does the Hilton Honors compare to similar cards?
Compare the Hilton Honors against Hilton Honors American Express Aspire (3.5% on Dining, $550 fee); Hilton Honors American Express Surpass (3% on Dining, $150 fee); Hilton Honors Business (3% on Dining, $195 fee). Madeen ranks effective value by category and annual fee using the same catalog snapshot dated 2026-05-01.
| Card | Top category | Effective value | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|
Hilton Honors This card | Dining | 2.5% | $0 |
| Dining | 3.5% | $550 | |
| Dining | 3% | $150 | |
American Express | Dining | 3% | $195 |
American Express | Dining | 2.8% | $250 |
Side-by-side comparisons
Store-specific guides
Madeen publishes merchant guides that rank cards for specific stores and services. Browse guides for dining spend to see which cards win at checkout.
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Madeen compares the cards you already carry for dining, groceries, gas, travel, and everyday purchases — free, no bank login required.
American Express and related product names are trademarks of their respective owners. Madeen is not affiliated with, sponsored by, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of American Express. Madeen is an independent credit-card comparison and education service. Issuer websites control current terms, fees, and eligibility.
Madeen compares cards you add to your wallet using published catalog rules — no bank login required. Issuer pages control current fees, caps, exclusions, and eligibility; Madeen does not issue cards, make approval decisions, or provide financial advice. Apply links are temporarily hidden on madeen.app. Affiliate disclosure