Is the Hilton Honors American Express Card worth it?

The Hilton Honors American Express Card doesn’t charge an annual fee, so it’s technically “worth it” in the sense you don’t have to pay for the privilege of being a cardholder. But this tradeoff will get you a lower earning rate than you would achieve with other Hilton Honors credit cards. And, not surprisingly, the Hilton Honors Credit Card from American Express comes with fewer perks overall.

Before you decide on any travel credit card, it’s smart to look at all your card options, their unique benefits and any annual fees required. Whether the Hilton Honors Credit Card from American Express is the right option for you depends on how often you travel, your spending habits and the elite hotel perks you want the most.

When is the Hilton Honors American Express Card worth it?

Most travel enthusiasts would agree the Hilton Honors American Express Card is light on benefits. However, there are still instances when this card is worth it, and when it’s a better option than other rewards credit cards.

You don’t want to pay an annual fee

The Hilton Honors American Express Card is the only Hilton credit card that doesn’t charge an annual fee. This means you could keep this card for the long haul without ever having to factor in carrying costs — assuming you pay your balance in full and on time each billing cycle.

You want to earn hotel rewards for spending

If you want to earn Hilton Honors points through credit card spending, the Hilton Honors American Express Card gives you the chance to do that through its welcome offer and rewards for regular purchases.

New cardholders get the chance to earn a generous welcome bonus after meeting a minimum spending requirement. Beyond that, cardholders earn 7X points on eligible Hilton purchases, 5X points at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations and U.S. restaurants and 3X points on all other purchases.

You want to maximize rewards for free hotel stays

The Hilton Honors program lets you redeem points for free hotel nights at more than 24 distinct hotel brands that include 8,000 properties around the world. While Hilton points are worth around 0.6 cents each on average, you can sometimes get more value when you redeem them for a standard night award at premium Hilton properties.

You can also get more value from your points by utilizing Hilton’s fifth-night free promotion, which is available for Hilton Honors members with Silver status or better who book at least five consecutive nights with points. And since the Hilton Honors American Express Card comes with complimentary Silver elite status, you can automatically qualify for this benefit once you’re a cardholder.

Elite benefits aren’t important to you

The Hilton Honors American Express Card comes with automatic Silver Elite status, but what does that get you outside of the fifth-night free benefit? You won’t get a lot for this tier of status that you don’t get from just being a Hilton Honors member. Other benefits you qualify for include 20 percent bonus points on paid stays, free bottled water and access to elite rollover nights.

Additional benefits you get for being a cardholder include no foreign transaction fees, access to a Global Assist travel assistance hotline, secondary auto rental coverage, American Express experiences and year-end summaries of your spending. These basic perks are better than nothing, but they aren’t anything too special – which is typical with a no-annual-fee card.

When is the Hilton Honors American Express Card not worth it?

While this card is a good option for earning hotel points while keeping costs down, there are situations where the Hilton Honors American Express Card is less than ideal. Here are a few scenarios where a different credit card could leave you better off.

You want more flexible rewards

If you don’t want to redeem your Hilton Honors points for hotel stays, other ways to use points in the Hilton Honors program include vacation packages, shopping and dining experiences, Lyft rides and rental cars. You can also convert your Hilton Honors points to airline miles with specific frequent flyer programs, yet doing so is not a good value.

Hilton Honors points just aren’t that flexible, especially when you compare to travel credit cards that offer transferable points. For example, cards that earn American Express Membership Rewards points can be used for point transfers to a range of airline and hotel partners, including Hilton Honors, but they can also be used to book travel through AmexTravel.com or redeemed for merchandise or gift cards.

You want to earn points that are worth more

Also keep in mind that Hilton Honors points are only worth around 0.6 cents cents each, according to Bankrate’s valuations. This stands in contrast to the values of flexible rewards currencies including Amex Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards points, both of which are valued at an average of 2 cents per point.

Also, note that other Hilton cards feature much higher earning rates for Hilton purchases and other spending. With the top-tier Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card*, for example, cardholders earn a whopping 14X points on purchases made within Hilton’s portfolio of hotels and resorts.

You want more Hilton benefits

Some other Hilton credit cards feature higher annual fees and more benefits overall. This includes the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card at $150 per year and the Hilton Honors Aspire Card at $550 per year.

While the Surpass comes with additional benefits like automatic Gold status along with better earning rates on spending, the Aspire Card is the most rewarding Hilton credit card by far. Despite its high annual fee, this card can be worth it due to perks like automatic Hilton Diamond status, up to $400 in Hilton resort credits annually, a $200 credit toward eligible flight incidentals each year, a free Hilton night each year, a $199 CLEAR Plus membership credit and more.

Aspire also offers more points for regular spending, so it can help you rack up rewards toward free hotel stays at a faster rate.

Should you get the Hilton Honors American Express Card?

If you are thinking of picking up a Hilton credit card but don’t want to pay an annual fee each year, the Hilton Honors American Express Card is a good choice. You’ll earn fewer points when you stay with Hilton and use your card for other spending, but you’ll never have to worry about justifying the carrying costs of the card. Not only that, but you’ll get the chance to earn a generous welcome bonus you can use to stay with more than 8,000 properties worldwide.

At the very least, you can sign up for this card and try it for a while before deciding whether it’s the right fit for your travel style and goals. And due to the way the Amex “once per lifetime” policy works, you can always sign up for other Hilton Honors credit cards later on if you change your mind.

The bottom line

The Hilton Honors American Express Card is popular for a reason. With automatic elite status, a generous welcome bonus and a solid earning rate that can help you rack up Hilton Honors points quickly, what’s not to love?

Even so, it never hurts to look at other hotel credit cards as well as flexible travel credit cards that let you transfer points to the Hilton Honors program. Make sure to compare all the best credit card offers to find the best fit.

*The information about the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Credit Card has been collected independently by Bankrate.com. The card details have not been reviewed or approved by the card issuer.