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PROGRAMME PROFILE
Hilton Honors Credit Cards: Earn Rates and Status
Hilton Honors Credit Cards are co-branded American Express cards that earn Hilton Honors Points and carry Hilton Honors elite benefits; the top-tier Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card charges a $550 annual fee and includes complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond status. [2] Hilton Honors programme terms let members earn Points on eligible charges to Hilton co-branded cards, subject to the terms of each card's Cardmember Agreement. [3]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- Hilton Honors Points can be earned from hotel stays and from eligible charges on a Hilton co-branded card, under the card's Cardmember Agreement. [3]
- The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card earns 14X Points on eligible purchases made directly with hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio, 7X on select travel and U.S. dining, and 3X on other eligible purchases. [2]
- The Aspire Card includes complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond status; Diamond is otherwise earned with 25 stays, 50 nights or US$11,500 of Eligible Spend in a calendar year. [2] [3]
- Card members receive an Annual Free Night Reward in their first year and on every renewal, plus further Free Night Rewards at US$30,000 and a further US$30,000 of spending in a calendar year. [2]
- Points are forfeited after 24 consecutive months without eligible activity, and earning Points through a Hilton co-branded card counts as that activity. [3]
How do you earn Hilton Honors Points with a co-branded card?
Hilton Honors lists credit cards alongside hotel stays, limited-time promotions, Lyft rides and dining as one of the everyday ways members collect Points. [4] The programme terms state that members may earn Points for eligible charges to Hilton Honors credit cards, subject to the terms set out in their Cardmember Agreement. [3]
Published earning rates on the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, as of 18 October 2026: [2]
| Spending category | Points |
|---|---|
| Eligible purchases made directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio | 14X |
| Flights booked directly with airlines or through AmexTravel.com, and car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies | 7X |
| U.S. restaurants, including takeout and delivery | 7X |
| All other eligible purchases | 3X |
Hotel spend is also rewarded by the programme itself. Hilton Honors pays 10 Base Points per U.S. dollar of Eligible Spend at most brands, and 5 Base Points per U.S. dollar at Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton, Spark by Hilton, Tru by Hilton, Apartment Collection by Hilton and YOTEL. [3] LivSmart Studios by Hilton pays 3 Base Points per U.S. dollar plus 3,000 Bonus Points for every ten nights completed within the same stay, and Home2 Suites by Hilton hotels in China pay 10 Base Points per U.S. dollar. [3]
What Hilton Honors status does the Aspire Card include?
Complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond status is included with the Aspire Card. [2] According to American Express, Diamond gives a 100% bonus on Base Points earned on every stay, premium Wi-Fi, space-available room upgrades at select properties and executive lounge access at select properties. [2]
Under Hilton Honors rules, Diamond status is otherwise awarded to members with 25 stays, 50 nights or US$11,500 of Eligible Spend in a calendar year, and members must re-qualify each calendar year. [3] Once achieved, a tier is kept for the rest of the calendar year in which it was earned and the following calendar year. [3] Diamond members receive a 100% bonus on Base Points during a qualifying stay and complimentary access to Executive Lounges for the member and up to one additional registered guest at hotels with Executive Lounges, even without a room upgrade. [3] Diamond also carries a 48-hour reservations guarantee on paid reservations, subject to restrictions such as overbooking levels, Extraordinary Demand Dates and certain excluded properties. [3] Silver, Gold and Diamond members get every fifth night free on all-Points Standard Room Reward Stays of five nights or more, with no more than four free nights per stay and up to twenty nights. [3]
How does the Hilton Honors Free Night Reward work?
Card members receive an Annual Free Night Reward from Hilton Honors in their first year of card membership and every year upon card renewal. [2] In addition, each calendar year a card member can earn a Free Night Reward after US$30,000 of purchases on the card, and one more after an additional US$30,000 of purchases. [2] The two spending rewards sit on top of the annual reward that comes with holding the card. [2]
What does the Aspire Card cost, and which credits come with it?
The annual fee is US$550, there is no annual fee for Additional Cards, and the card has no foreign transaction fees. [2] Published statement credits and partner benefits, as of 18 October 2026: [2]
| Benefit | Published terms |
|---|---|
| Hilton Resort Credit | Up to $200 in statement credits semi-annually, for up to $400 a year, on eligible purchases made directly with participating Hilton Resorts |
| Flight Credit | Up to $50 in statement credits each quarter, for up to $200 a year, on flight purchases made directly with an airline, through AmexTravel.com or through the Amex Travel App |
| CLEAR+ Credit | Up to $219 in statement credits per calendar year after paying for a CLEAR+ membership with the card |
| Property Credit | Up to $100 for qualifying charges at Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts and Conrad Hotels & Resorts on a booking of at least two nights made at HiltonHonorsAspireCard.com with the Aspire Card Benefit rate, or by calling Hilton Honors |
| National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status | Complimentary, with enrollment required through the American Express online account |
Exceptions and limits
- Eligible purchases only. The 7X travel rate covers flights booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel, and car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies; the 7X dining rate covers U.S. restaurants, including takeout and delivery. [2]
- Credits are capped by period and by booking channel. The resort credit applies only to purchases made directly with participating Hilton Resorts, the flight credit only to flights bought directly with an airline or through Amex Travel, and the CLEAR+ credit requires the membership to be paid for with the card. [2] The $100 property credit requires a stay of at least two nights booked through the named rate or by phone with Hilton Honors. [2]
- Free Night Reward timing. The annual reward arrives in the first year of card membership and on each renewal, while the spending rewards depend on reaching US$30,000 and a further US$30,000 of purchases within the same calendar year. [2]
- Inactivity forfeiture. Members with no eligible activity in any 24 consecutive month period are subject to forfeiture of all accumulated Points and may be removed from the programme; staying at a participating hotel, earning Points through Hilton or a third party including a co-branded card, buying Points or donating Points all count as activity. [3] Points forfeited this way cannot be retrieved, although a Reward redeemed before forfeiture stays valid. [3]
- Points do not buy status. Points earned do not count toward Elite Tier qualification; only Stays, nights and Eligible Spend do. [3]
- Programme terms can change. Hilton Honors reserves the right to add, modify or delete rules, benefits and Rewards at its discretion, even where changes affect the value of Points already accumulated. [3]
Frequently asked questions
What is the annual fee for the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card?
The published annual fee is US$550, and there is no annual fee for Additional Cards. [2]
Do these cards give you Hilton Honors elite status?
The Aspire Card includes complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond status. [2] Diamond is otherwise earned with 25 stays, 50 nights or US$11,500 of Eligible Spend in a calendar year. [3]
Can card spending keep my Hilton Honors Points from expiring?
Yes. Earning Points through Hilton or a third party source of accumulation, including a Hilton co-branded credit card, counts as eligible activity within the 24-month window that keeps accumulated Points. [3]
Is there a free night with the Aspire Card?
Card members get an Annual Free Night Reward from Hilton Honors in their first year and on every renewal, plus another Free Night Reward after US$30,000 of purchases in a calendar year and one more after an additional US$30,000. [2]
Sources
Sources checked on 18 October 2026. Other cards in the Hilton Honors co-branded family, and card terms for markets outside the United States, are not covered here; card figures and programme rules can change, so check the terms index and the issuer's current Cardmember Agreement.
- Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card product page, American Express, checked 18 October 2026
- Hilton Honors Terms & Conditions, effective 15 July 2026, checked 18 October 2026
- Hilton Honors Points: earn and use Points, Hilton, checked 18 October 2026
Hilton Honors Credit Cards on Flyerfolio
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