Hilton Honors American Express Card vs. Aspire

Tom Merton / OJO Images / Getty Images

If you are a fan of Hilton properties, American Express offers multiple co-branded cards that can help you earn more rewards in the Hilton Honors loyalty program. Two such cards, the Hilton Honors American Express Card and the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card* are great cards to consider if you’d like to earn rewards towards stays at Hilton properties and eligible Hilton purchases.

In essence, the Amex Hilton Honors Card is an entry-level rewards card with no annual fee and a limited amount of benefits and perks. It works well for less frequent travelers who would like to earn Hilton Honors points on a budget.

The Amex Hilton Aspire Card, on the other hand, caters to “aspirational” travelers who don’t mind paying a high annual fee for award accommodations that land in the luxury and high-end categories.

If you’re wondering how the cards stack up against one another, here are more details that should help.

Main details

Hilton Honors Amex Card vs. Hilton Honors Amex Aspire Card highlights

When comparing these cards, it’s best to look at the features that are most important to you. The main difference between these cards is the annual fee — the Aspire card costs $550 per year and targets luxury travelers with additional perks, while the Hilton Honors Amex costs $0 per year but comes with fewer auxiliary benefits.

Take a look at some of the differences between the cards below to choose the one that best matches your needs.

Which card earns the most?

Both the Hilton Honors Card and the Hilton Aspire Card earn elevated rewards on certain purchases, so let’s take a look at a typical month of spending to see which card would earn more.

Hilton Honors American Express vs. Hilton Honors American Express Aspire spending example

If you travel a fair amount and put a lot of your travel and personal expenses on a credit card, here’s what your monthly spending could look like for either of these cards:

• $700 per month for supermarket spending
• $300 at gas stations
• $200 at restaurants
• $300 on Hilton hotel stays
• $400 on airfare (booked directly or via Amextravel.com)
• $500 on other spending

With the Hilton Honors Amex, you’d earn 10,800 points per month — or 129,600 points annually — using this example. On the other hand, you’d earn 154,800 points with the Hilton Honors Aspire Card each year (12,900 points monthly). If you factor in the welcome bonus for these cards, you could earn 209,600 and 284,800 with the Hilton Honors and the Hilton Aspire card in your first year, respectively.

If you use Bankrate’s current valuation of 0.6 cents for Hilton Honors points, the first-year value is roughly equivalent to $1,258 and $1,709 towards Hilton stays on the Hilton Honors Amex and Aspire, respectively. Although you’d get this $1,709 with the Hilton Aspire card, the $550 annual fee takes you down to $1,159 in value based on the points alone — making the Hilton Honors Amex the winner on straight rewards earnings.

However, the Aspire card’s true value lies outside of its point-earning potential. The card comes with additional credits and perks, such as free night awards, up to $200 in airline fee statement credits per year, up to $250 in credits toward select purchases at Hilton hotels (like restaurant meals and spa treatments) and Hilton Diamond status. If you factor in and use these benefits, then you come out ahead with the Amex Aspire based on both rewards earnings and benefits.

Why should you get the Hilton Honors American Express Card?

The Hilton Honors American Express Card is an entry-level travel card that comes with no annual fee and a nice welcome bonus. Here is a look at what else this card offers.

• Additional benefits
  

  The Hilton Honors American Express card doesn’t have many extras, but it does carry some additional benefits like automatic Hilton Honors Silver elite status. Silver elite status comes with perks like digital check-in, free internet access, a fifth night free on award stays, two free bottles of water per stay and more.

  If you spend $20,000 on your card within a calendar year, you can move up to Gold status through the end of the next calendar year without ever staying in a Hilton property.

  Cardholders also receive secondary car rental insurance along with access to a Global Assist hotline that can help with lost passports, medical referrals, legal referrals and more when you’re far from home. This card doesn’t charge a foreign transaction fee, either.

• Redemption options
  

  When it comes to redeeming points earned in the Hilton Honors program, the most popular redemption option is award nights at Hilton properties. Also, if you’re a Silver elite member or better, your fifth night is free when you book at least five consecutive nights with points.

• Recommended credit score
  

  You will need to have good to excellent credit (670 to 850) for this card.

Why should you get the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card?

The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is geared toward frequent travelers who enjoy luxury experiences. It also earns boosted rewards in several categories, which can help you earn Hilton Honors points more quickly. Here are some other things to consider before choosing the Hilton Aspire Card.

• Additional benefits
  

  Since this card has a $550 annual fee, you should expect some perks and benefits. Fortunately, this card offers multiple benefits that help offset the cost:

  • Up to $250 annual credit for eligible purchases at Hilton resorts
  • Up to $250 airline fee credit for incidental airline charges with one select carrier each year
  • Up to $100 on-property credit when you book at least a two-night stay at participating Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts and Conrad Hotels & Resorts
  • Hilton Honors Diamond status
  • Car rental insurance (when the entire rental is reserved and paid for with the card)
  • One free night reward immediately, plus one every year after card renewal
  • Additional free night reward if you spend $30,000 in a calendar year, plus earn another free night reward by spending $60,000 on your card in a calendar year

• Redemption options
  

  Here’s how you can redeem your Hilton Honors points:

  • Reward nights at Hilton properties: Standard rooms at Hilton properties range from 5,000 to 95,000 points per night, depending on the property. If you don’t have enough points to cover the room you want, paying with both points and cash is an option.
  • Enjoy VIP experiences: Use your points to unlock exclusive access to concerts, sporting events, dining experiences and more.
  • Lyft rides: You can also use points to pay for rideshare rides through Lyft (terms apply).
  • Online shopping: Hilton Honors points can also be used for purchases at Amazon.com and through Hilton’s online mall.
  • Book a rental car: You can also book rental cars with many car rental companies worldwide.
  • Pool or transfer with friends: Share your points by pooling or transferring them to friends and family in order to save big on your next trip together.

• Recommended credit score
  

  You will need to have good to excellent credit (670 to 850) for this card.

The bottom line

Using a co-branded hotel card isn’t for everyone. In certain situations, however, it can make perfect sense for the right person. If you are a frequent traveler and like the Hilton brand, either one of these Hilton hotel cards could work well for you.

Those who don’t travel as frequently should opt for the Hilton Honors American Express Card, while frequent travelers would likely get more value from the Hilton Aspire Card. Either way, earning and redeeming rewards with one of these travel credit cards could help you reach your discount-travel goals.

*All information about the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by Bankrate and has not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.