Name: The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
Brand: American Express

Quick summary

A hotel business card offers automatic mid-tier elite status, quarterly statement credits for eligible hotel purchases and strong earning rates at participating properties.
Cardholders receive valuable perks such as complimentary breakfast or daily food-and-beverage credits, space-available room upgrades and a fifth night free on reward stays.
The card provides additional benefits like business tools, purchase protections and car rental elite status (enrollment required).
It is best suited for business owners who frequently stay at a specific hotel brand and can maximize the included credits and perks.

What to consider

Statement credits are issued quarterly and must be used within each period, not all at once.
No annual free night award is included, unlike some competing hotel business cards.
Elite status upgrades and certain benefits require meeting specific spending thresholds or enrollment.

What you'll miss from the article

A detailed breakdown of how to maximize elite status benefits, statement credits and redemption strategies for hotel loyalty points.

Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.

If your business often books stays with Hilton Hotels & Resorts, the can deliver meaningful value with included elite status and quarterly statement credits.

This mid-tier hotel business card includes Hilton Honors Gold status, strong earning rates on Hilton purchases and up to $240 in annual Hilton statement credits in exchange for a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then a $195 annual fee each year thereafter (see rates and fees). Given these benefits, it can make sense for business owners who stay at Hilton properties at least a few times per year.

We recommend that applicants have good to excellent credit to improve their approval odds.

Here’s what you need to know before adding it to your wallet.

Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐

*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG's editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

Hilton Honors American Express Business Card: The basics

The is Hilton’s only cobranded small-business card. You don’t need a storefront or employees to qualify — freelance work, consulting and other side hustles may be enough.

Its biggest selling point is automatic Hilton Honors Gold elite status, which unlocks valuable perks like a fifth night free on reward stays, a daily food-and-beverage credit (varies by brand and region) and space-available room upgrades.

Key highlights include:

12 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at Hilton hotels and resorts
5 points per dollar on the first $100,000 in other eligible purchases each calendar year (then 3 points per dollar)
Complimentary Hilton Gold status
Up to $240 per year in Hilton statement credits (up to $60 per quarter)

However, unlike some competing hotel business cards, such as the , it does not offer an annual free night award.

Hilton Honors American Express Business Card pros and cons

Pros

Cons

Complimentary Hilton Gold elite status
Up to $240 in annual Hilton statement credits (up to $60 per quarter)
High earning rate at Hilton properties
Complimentary National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status†
Pathway to Hilton Diamond status through spending

†Enrollment required

No annual free night rewards
Limited benefits
Limited bonus categories outside Hilton
Statement credits are issued quarterly, not all at once

Hilton Honors American Express Business Card benefits

For a $195 annual fee (starting in the second year; $0 introductory annual fee for the first year), the offers a focused set of Hilton-specific perks.

Hilton Honors Gold elite status

Hilton Amex Business cardholders receive automatic Gold status, which includes:

80% bonus on base points earned during paid stays
Complimentary breakfast or daily food-and-beverage credits (brand-dependent)
Space-available room upgrades
Fifth night free on award stays
Elite rollover nights

Gold status alone can offset much of the annual fee if you stay with Hilton multiple times per year, particularly if you take advantage of breakfast benefits and the fifth-night-free perk.

Hilton statement credits

Earn up to $240 in statement credits each calendar year (up to $60 per quarter) for eligible purchases made directly with Hilton properties.

Eligible charges include room rates and incidental expenses such as dining or spa services. If you fully use the quarterly credits, you can effectively reduce the card’s net cost to negative territory.

National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status

Hilton Amex Business cardholders receive complimentary Emerald Club Executive status with National (enrollment required). Benefits include:

Guaranteed upgrades
Access to the Executive Area
Expedited service

Upgrade to Diamond status through spending

Spend $40,000 on eligible purchases with the card in a calendar year, and you’ll earn Hilton Diamond status through the end of the next calendar year. Diamond status includes lounge access, better upgrade potential and a 48-hour room guarantee.

However, if Diamond status is your primary goal, I would recommend applying for the , which includes Diamond status automatically.

Business tools and protections

As a business cardmember, you’ll have access to tools like QuickBooks integration and Vendor Pay by Bill.com (benefits require enrollment). The card also includes purchase protections and travel protections when you use it for eligible purchases.

Earning points on the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

With the , you'll earn 12 points per dollar spent at Hilton hotels and resorts. That's a 4.8% return on spending, according to TPG's April 2026 valuations.

You'll also earn 5 points per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases (on up to $100,000 each calendar year, then 3 points per dollar spent after that).

As with Hilton's other credit cards, you'll get the best return on Hilton purchases. You'll get a 1.2%-2% return on your other business-related spending, based on our valuations.

benches surrounded a fire pit with many palm trees nearby, looking out over the ocean — The Waldorf Astoria Cancun. CAROLINE LASCOM/THE POINTS GUY

Redeeming points on the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

As with most hotel loyalty programs, the best value comes from using your points earned with the on hotel bookings.

You can redeem your Hilton Honors points in several ways. Hotel redemptions offer the best value, while Hilton event discounts, Hilton Honors Experiences and Amazon purchases offer poor value.

While Hilton Honors doesn't have a published award chart, the Points Explorer tool can show you the award redemption price range over the next 30 days. This can help you know what to expect when considering locations for using your points.

Hilton Las Vegas Resorts World — DAISY HERNANDEZ/THE POINTS GUY

TPG Contributing Editor Matt Moffitt likes to redeem his Hilton Honors points to book three- and four-star hotels abroad. These properties tend to offer a higher redemption value than those in the U.S.

He aims to book five-night stays, as he only needs to pay for four, thanks to the elite status that comes with his Hilton cobranded cards.

Transferring points with the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

Hilton offers several airline partners to which you can transfer the points you earn on the . These include notable options like Air France-KLM, British Airways, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines.

Hilton points typically transfer at a poor rate; for example, when transferring to United, you'll only receive 1,000 MileagePlus miles in exchange for 10,000 Hilton Honors points.

Washington Hilton Pool — WASHINGTON HILTON/FACEBOOK

Given the poor value of this redemption option, we do not recommend transferring your Hilton points to airlines. Even if you need to top off your airline rewards balance, there's likely a better and more value-conscious way to do it.

Potential drawbacks to the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

The Hilton Amex Business is a relatively niche business card. If you:

Don’t stay at Hilton properties regularly
Won’t fully use the quarterly Hilton credits
Prefer flexible, transferable points

You’ll likely get better long-term value from a different business rewards card.

Is the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card worth it?

The is worth considering if:

Your business books Hilton stays several times per year
You value automatic Gold status
You can reliably use the up to $240 in annual Hilton statement credits

It’s less compelling if you want premium perks like annual free night awards or automatic Diamond status.

When to apply for the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

New cardmembers can earn 130,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership. Additionally, enjoy a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $195 each year thereafter.

According to TPG's valuations, the 130,000 bonus points are worth $520.

Remember that Amex only allows you to earn one welcome bonus per card in a lifetime, so it's very important to apply at the right time. Amex will alert you, before you submit an application, if you're not eligible for a welcome bonus.

Other cards to consider if you don't want the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

The is Hilton's only business card. However, it faces solid competition from other cobranded hotel cards and standard business cards.

If you prefer Marriott: The offers automatic Gold Elite status with Marriott Bonvoy and a free night award on each account anniversary for an annual fee of $125 (see rates and fees). To learn more, read our full review of the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Business.
If you prefer Hyatt: The (see rates and fees) offers entry-level Discoverist status for you and up to five employees and annual statement credits for Hyatt purchases for a $199 annual fee. To learn more, read our full review of the World of Hyatt Business.
If you want flexible points: The earns Membership Rewards points that transfer to Hilton and other partners, though it carries a $375 annual fee (see rates and fees).

For additional options, see our list of the best business credit cards, best Hilton credit cards and best American Express cards.

Bottom line

The is best suited for business owners who consistently stay with Hilton and can maximize its quarterly statement credits.

It won’t compete with premium hotel cards on luxury perks, but for Hilton loyalists who want automatic Gold status and solid earning rates at a midrange annual fee, it can deliver steady value year after year.

For rates and fees of the Amex Hilton Business card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Marriott Bonvoy Business card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Amex Business Gold card, click here.