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Hilton Honors American Express Business Card refresh: Overwhelmingly negative changes
Credit card writer Danyal Ahmed is an avid traveler, averaging about 100,000 aeronautical miles per year. He regularly applies that knowledge and his expertise in credit cards to his role as a credit card writer at TPG.
March 28, 2024 • 8 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
A business hotel card recently underwent significant changes, including a substantial increase to its annual fee and the removal of popular benefits.
The card now offers a quarterly statement credit for eligible hotel purchases and complimentary elite status with a major car rental company.
Earning rates have shifted, with some categories removed and a new cap introduced for elevated earnings on general purchases.
Notably, complimentary airport lounge visits and the ability to earn free night rewards through spending have been eliminated.
What to consider
The higher annual fee applies immediately for new applicants and at renewal for existing cardholders.
To maximize the new statement credit, cardholders must make eligible purchases each quarter; unused credits do not roll over.
Loss of lounge access and free night rewards may significantly reduce the card's value for frequent travelers or high spenders.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed breakdown of how the changes affect different types of business travelers and strategies for adapting to the new benefits.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
American Express is at it again with credit card changes for its cobranded Hilton cards, but this time, the changes target the business version.
In October 2023, Amex introduced changes to the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card and the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, which were a bag of mixed results.
The refreshes to the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card include changes to the earning structure, the removal of free night rewards, a new statement credit and an increase to the annual fee. Overall, the changes seem fairly negative.
Here's a walkthrough of the Hilton Honors Business Card changes and what they mean for existing cardmembers and prospective applicants.
The information for the Hilton Aspire 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.
Annual fee increase
The annual fee on the Hilton Honors Business Card has increased significantly from $95 to $195 (see rates and fees), more than doubling for existing cardmembers. The annual fee is effective immediately for anyone applying from March 28, while existing cardmembers will see the higher annual fee take effect at their next renewal date.
THE POINTS GUY
The mid-tier Surpass and premium Aspire saw a 58% and 22% increase, respectively, so the more than 105% jump on the business card is disappointing.
One positive development for the Hilton Honors Business Card includes the addition of a new statement credit. Cardmembers can now earn up to $240 in statement credits on eligible Hilton purchases.
The statement credit is split up quarterly, providing up to $60 each quarter. Eligible purchases include room reservations at Hilton properties and also cover incidental charges such as dinner or spa treatments. Additionally, the credit can be used in a business setting, such as having a meeting over coffee with business partners or a meal at Hilton properties.
RIC NOYLE/HILTON
For frequent travelers, a statement credit is a great way to offset hotel charges; however, if you don't travel frequently or at least every quarter, this benefit may not be as useful.
To maximize the statement credit, you must use your credit every quarter; at the very least, if you don't plan on spending it on hotel stays, then use it to dine at restaurants or cafes within Hilton properties for work dinners or team meetings.
Cardmembers will now also receive complimentary National Car Rental® Emerald Club Executive® status. Useful benefits include guaranteed upgrades, access to Executive Area cars (in the USA and Canada) and no second driver fees.
While elite status with a car rental company is a nice perk, it isn't a benefit that is a make-it-or-break-it factor for most businesses, and it's certainly not one that fully offsets an increase in a card's annual fee. This benefit is useful as long as you rent cars often for business travel; if your preferred car rental company isn't National Car Rental®, many companies offer status match programs to entice you into their loyalty programs.
Enrollment in the complimentary Emerald Club program is required. Terms apply.
The earning structure on the card is changing somewhat.
Spending category
Previous earning rates
New earning rates
Hilton purchases
12 points per dollar spent
12 points per dollar spent
Select business and travel expenses
6 points per dollar spent
Removed
All other purchases
3 points per dollar spent
5 points per dollar spent (up to $100,000 per calendar year, then 3 points per dollar thereafter)
Apart from still earning 12 points per dollar when making purchases directly with hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio, cardmembers now earn 5 points per dollar spent on all purchases up to $100,000 and then 3 points per dollar after that.
PIXDELUXE/GETTY IMAGES
Despite the $100,000 spending limit, earning 5 points per dollar is solid and could be positive for businesses that spend a lot on everyday purchases. However, Amex has removed the 6 points per dollar categories, which were broadly defined and had no spending cap, so this could also be a negative development depending on your spending patterns.
Previously, the Hilton Honors Business Card offered cardmembers 10 complimentary visits to Priority Pass lounges annually. However, this is disappearing.
Existing cardmembers should aim to use their passes soon. This negative change edges the card toward less utilization for business-related travel.
PRIORITY PASS/ARROW STUDIOS LLC
For context, the Surpass and Aspire both lost their Priority Pass benefits back in October, so this is not a surprise. If your business relies on lounge use during travel, consider a card like the Capital One Venture X Business or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express.
The information for the Hilton Aspire 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.
Cardmembers will also see the removal of a free night reward for those who spend $15,000 in a calendar year and another for those who spend $60,000 in a calendar year.
As a cobranded hotel credit card, earning free nights is a great benefit for those who meet spending requirements, even more so because Hilton uses a dynamic award chart.
HILTON
This is a disappointing change and disincentivizes cardmembers to spend significantly on the card.
Our take on the Hilton Business card changes
TPG managing editor for credit cards Matt Moffitt has this card and is disappointed with the changes overall.
An annual fee increase to $150 instead of $195 (see rates and fees) would have been more palatable and in line with the new annual fee structure that Amex seems to be implementing. Removing Priority Pass visits doesn't affect him much, as he already has unlimited access to participating lounges through his Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.
Furthermore, the inability to earn free night rewards after spending $15,000 and $60,000 yearly is a major blow to this card's value proposition.
And while the up to $60 quarterly Hilton statement credit more than offsets the annual fee, it's frustrating having to pull out this card four times a year to get value from this benefit.
Matt will definitely be asking for a retention offer when the (higher) annual fee posts at his next renewal in July. If that isn't successful, he'll try to downgrade this card to one with a lower or no annual fee or cancel the card as he doesn't see the long-term value of having it in his wallet when he already gets Hilton Honors Diamond status and more than enough value from the annual fee on his personal Aspire card.
Bottom line
American Express continues to refresh its lineup of cards; however, unlike its mid-tier and premium consumer cards, the Surpass and the Aspire, the changes to the Hilton Honors Business Card are overwhelmingly negative.
Removing several useful benefits and increasing the annual fee by more than double is detrimental to the card, even when you take into account the introduction of a quarterly statement credit.
However, this card may still make sense for business owners who stay at Hilton properties at least once per quarter and can get value out of the complimentary Gold status.
Like we've seen in the past, this card refresh is accompanied by a limited-time welcome offer to entice new cardmembers. They can earn 175,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after they spend $8,000 in purchases within the first six months of card membership. The best-ever offer we've seen on this card is 180,000 bonus points, so the current offer is highly worth considering — if you decide this card is worth it.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Business Card, click here.
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.
