If you're a Hilton fan, you may want to check your American Express accounts before you start your day. That's because we're seeing possibly targeted transfer bonuses of up to 50%, but hurry up because this transfer bonus expires today!
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Normally, Amex points transfer to Hilton at a 1:2 ratio, which means one Membership Rewards point grants you 2 Hilton points. This normally isn't the best usage of Amex points, since TPG values Amex points at 2 cents apiece and Hilton Honors points at just 0.6 cents apiece.
If you’re targeted for the 50% bonus, you’re instead transferring at a rate of 1:3. That’s better, but it still falls short of a good value for your Membership Rewards points.
However, if you do find yourself needing to transfer — say, to top up an account before a redemption — then this could be the time to do it. For instance, TPG's Clint Henderson decided to use some Amex points, along with his Hilton balance, to get a room for one night at the Conrad Bora Bora. He transferred 32,000 Amex points to his Hilton account which turned into 96,000 Hilton points thanks to the bonus.
Normally, TPG doesn’t recommend transferring Amex points to Hilton, but in this case, it would have been more than $1,000 to stay there so he decided to take the reduced redemption, blowing 330,000 Hilton points for one night’s stay.
Related: Dreaming of French Polynesia: How I’m booking Tahiti (again) on points and miles
This offer could be a good way to utilize Hilton's fifth-night free perk. Hilton allows all of its elite members to get the fifth night free on award stays. This isn’t just available to upper-tier elite members; Silver, Gold and Diamond Hilton Honors travelers can utilize this perk. Remember that you can achieve Hilton’s lowest status tier, Silver, simply by holding the no-annual-fee Hilton Honors American Express Card (See Rates & Fees)
Note that this offer expires on April 14, 2020, so if you have points to transfer you may want to do it sooner than later.
If you weren’t targeted for this Amex transfer bonus, one of the best ways to earn Hilton Honors points and score elite status is by applying for one of Hilton’s cobranded Amex cards.
- Hilton Honors American Express Card: Best for no annual fee (see rates & fees)
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: Best for occasional Hilton travelers
- Hilton Honors American Express Business Card: Best for small business owners
- Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express: Best for frequent Hilton guests
The information for the Hilton Aspire Amex card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Related: How to choose the best Hilton credit card for you
These are some of the best card options for frequent Hilton customers, earning between 7x-14x points per dollar on eligible purchases at participating Hilton properties. Furthermore, all Hilton credit card members enjoy complimentary elite status, even cardholders with the no-annual-fee Hilton card.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Amex card, click here.
