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The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
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Hilton Honors Dining program: Earn easy points at your favorite restaurants
Katie Genter is a digital nomad who has traveled full time since June 2017. She writes and edits stories about points and miles, and loyalty programs, often letting her personal experiences color these stories.
April 17, 2024 • 7 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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Quick summary
The Hilton Honors Dining program allows members to earn Hilton Honors points at participating restaurants, bars and clubs.
Points earned through this program are in addition to any rewards from your payment method or the restaurant's own program.
Earning rates depend on your engagement with the program, such as opting in to email notifications and frequency of dining.
Points are valued at about 0.6 cents each as of June 2024 per TPG's valuations.
What to consider
You must enroll a payment card and can only register each card with one Rewards Network dining program at a time.
Opting in to email notifications and dining frequently increases your earning rate within the program.
Some airline dining programs may offer better value depending on your travel goals and preferences.
What you'll miss from the article
A step-by-step guide to maximizing Hilton Honors Dining rewards, including how to achieve VIP status and compare value with other dining programs.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
If you want to earn a few extra Hilton Honors points on dining purchases, you’ve come to the right place.
Hopefully, you’re already earning credit card rewards on restaurant spending with one of the best dining credit cards. However, many major hotel and airline loyalty programs offer dining rewards programs that let you earn rewards while dining out.
There are many types of rewards you can earn through these programs. We’ll dive into how you can use the Hilton Honors Dining program to earn Hilton points.
The Hilton Honors Dining program allows you to earn Hilton Honors points when you dine at select restaurants. These points are on top of the rewards you’d normally earn through your credit card or the restaurant’s rewards program.
To get started with the Hilton Honors Dining program, you need to join the program, enroll at least one card and then search for eligible restaurants. The remainder of this guide will walk you through everything you need to know.
Go to the Hilton Honors Dining website to join the Hilton Honors Dining program. You’ll fill out a short form with your first name, last name, ZIP code, Hilton Honors number, email address and desired password.
You’ll also need to agree to the program’s terms and conditions. You’ll likely want to opt in to emails to maximize your earning potential.
The last step required to join Hilton Honors Dining is to link a card to your account. When adding a card to Hilton Honors Dining, it will automatically be removed from any other dining programs you’ve registered it with. For example, within a few minutes of adding a card to my Hilton Honors Dining account, I received an email noting that the card had been removed from my Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Dining account.
Once you’ve joined Hilton Honors Dining, you’ll want to search for restaurants, bars and clubs near you that participate in the program. You can do so by using the search function. Type your city into the search bar to see a wide range of results.
HILTONHONORSDINING.COM
Each time you dine at an eligible restaurant, bar or club and pay with a card you’ve registered with Hilton Honors Dining, you’ll automatically earn bonus points.
Note that you can only enroll each credit card in one Rewards Network-operated dining program at a time. So, if you add a card to another Rewards Network-operated dining program, it will be automatically removed from Hilton Honors Dining.
Your earning rate with the Hilton Honors Dining program varies based on several factors. Specifically, you’ll earn:
8 bonus points per dollar if you dine 11 or more times a year and agree to email notifications from Hilton Honors Dining. This earning level is referred to as the VIP level, and you maintain it for the year you earn it and the year after.
5 bonus points per dollar if you dine 10 or fewer times a year and opt to receive email notifications from Hilton Honors Dining. This earning level is referred to as the Select level.
2 bonus points per dollar if you don’t opt for email notifications. This earning level is referred to as the Basic level.
Based on TPG’s valuations, Hilton Honors points are worth about 0.6 cents each. So, earning 8 points per dollar would get you a 4.8% return on your spending. Meanwhile, 5 points per dollar would equate to a 3% return, and 2 points per dollar would provide a 1.2% return.
As such, it’s worth opting in to receive email notifications if you plan to use the Hilton Honors Dining program. You’ll get emails about once a week, and they will provide restaurant recommendations and alerts when new restaurants in your area join the program.
If you didn’t initially choose to receive email notifications, you can do so now by logging in to your Hilton Honors Dining account. Click on the “profile” tab and then check the box stating: “Yes, I want to earn Hilton Honors Bonus Points dining at participating restaurants. Email me occasionally about restaurants in my area, special offers and bonus opportunities to earn Bonus Points.”
You’ll ideally enroll one (or more) of the best cards for dining when you set up your Hilton Honors Dining profile. Here are some of the best currently available cards to use:
American Express® Gold Card: 4 Membership Rewards points per dollar at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar).
Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) or Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees): 3 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on dining at restaurants
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: 6 Hilton points per dollar at U.S. restaurants, including takeout and delivery
If you’re looking to accrue Hilton Honors points quickly for an upcoming redemption, you may want to enroll a Hilton card in the Hilton Honors Dining program. If you enroll and use the Hilton Amex Surpass Card for dining at an eligible U.S. restaurant, you’ll earn 6 Hilton points per dollar due to the card’s bonus category; you’ll also earn up to 8 Hilton points per dollar from Hilton Honors Dining.
As with all dining rewards programs, knowing which nearby restaurants participate in the program is the best way to maximize Hilton Honors Dining. However, you’ll only earn at the highest rates if you have VIP-level status.
While dining rewards programs are free to join, you should consider whether the Hilton Honors program is the best dining rewards program for you. After all, you can only enroll each credit card in one Rewards Network dining program at a time.
Based solely on TPG’s valuations, some airline dining programs may provide better value than the Hilton Honors Dining program. Ultimately, it comes down to which points and miles you’re most interested in earning now.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
