Three Hilton Credit Cards Are Offering Bonuses up to 130,000 Points

Using rewards points to cut down on your hotel costs is a great way to fight back against rising travel prices. According to the St. Louis Federal Reserve, hotel prices have shot up by 20% in the last 12 months — slightly behind the recent 25% increase of airline tickets.

If you’re planning to hit the road in the next few months but want to keep more of your hard-earned dollars, consider using points and miles to help fund your travels — and there’s no better way to earn travel rewards quickly than earning the welcome bonus on a new travel rewards credit card.

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card

New cardholders can earn 130,000 Hilton Honors points after spending $2,000 within the first three months of opening an account, as well as up to $130 worth of statement credits by making eligible on-property purchases at Hilton hotels and resorts within the first 12 months.

The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® card is a solid choice, providing a great value and benefits for a modest $95 annual fee (see rates and fees). Once approved for the card, you’ll receive:

• Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status, plus the chance to earn Hilton Honors Diamond status through the end of the following year once you spend $40,000 during the first calendar year
• A free weekend night reward certificate after spending $15,000 in a calendar year
• Complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership, good for 10 airport lounge visits each year at more than 1,200 airport lounges worldwide
• Rental car loss and damage insurance when you use the car to pay for your reservation
• No foreign transaction fees and access to 24/7 Global Assist® emergency assistance

Cardholders can also earn 12X points for purchases made at Hilton portfolio hotels and resorts, 6X points on dining at restaurants in the U.S. (as well as delivery and takeout), 6X points on gas and groceries purchased from U.S. gas stations and U.S. supermarkets, and 3X points for all other purchases.

Hilton Honors Card

You can earn 100,000 Hilton Honors points after spending $1,000 within the first three months of opening an account, as well as up to $100 worth of statement credits by making eligible on-property purchases at Hilton hotels and resorts within the first 12 months.

The Hilton Honors American Express Card is a great pick for anyone who wants to earn rewards without paying an annual fee (see rates and fees). Cardholders have access to the following benefits:

• Complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status, plus the chance to earn Hilton Honors Gold status through the end of the following year once you spend $20,000 during the first calendar year
• Rental car loss and damage insurance when you use the car to pay for your reservation
• No foreign transaction fees and access to 24/7 Global Assist® emergency assistance

By spending with the card, you can also earn 7X points for eligible purchases made at Hilton portfolio hotels and resorts, 5X points on dining at restaurants in the U.S. (as well as delivery and takeout), 5X points on gas and groceries purchased from U.S. gas stations and U.S. supermarkets, and 3X points for all other purchases.

Hilton Honors Business Card

New cardholders can earn 130,000 Hilton Honors points spending $3,000 within the first three months of account opening, as well as up to $130 worth of statement credits by making eligible on-property purchases at Hilton hotels and resorts within the first 12 months.

If you’re a business owner, consider applying for a business credit card to earn rewards on all your business expenses, for a modest $95 annual fee (see rates and fees). Once approved for the Hilton Honors Business Card, you’ll earn:

• Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status, plus the chance to earn Hilton Honors Diamond status through the end of the following year once you spend $40,000 during the first calendar year
• A free weekend night reward certificate after spending $15,000 in a calendar year
• A second weekend night reward certificate after spending $60,000 in a calendar year
• Complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership, good for 10 airport lounge visits each year at more than 1,200 airport lounges worldwide
• Baggage insurance to cover up to $1,250 for carry-ons and up to $500 for checked bags
• Rental car loss and damage insurance when you use the car to pay for your reservation
• No foreign transaction fees and access to 24/7 Global Assist® emergency assistance

By spending with the card, you can also earn 12X points for eligible purchases made at Hilton portfolio hotels and resorts; 6X points on shipping, wireless phone services, and gas station purchases made within the U.S.; 6X points on dining at U.S. restaurants, car rentals booked via certain partner companies and flights booked directly through the airlines or via Amex Travel; and 3X points for all other purchases.

As you’re earning Hilton Honors points, it’s important to spend them as efficiently as possible. The goal is for you to spend your points as cheaply and wisely as possible — in other words, to squeeze as much value out of them as you can.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when you’re getting ready to redeem your Hilton Honors points:

Use the fifth night free benefit

If you want to redeem points for a five-night stay, note that you’ll only be charged for four of those nights, which essentially gives you a 20% jump in the value of your points.

For example, let’s say a five-night Hilton hotel stay costs $1,000 including all taxes and fees or 200,000 points (40,000 points per night). If you were to pay for the five nights with points you’d only be charged 160,000 points because of the fifth night free benefit. Instead of getting 0.5 cents in value per point, you’d end up getting 0.625 cents per point in value.

Pool your Hilton Honors points

If you travel regularly with friends, family or a significant other, you can all earn Hilton Honors points collectively and pool them to make a booking together. If, for instance, you have a significant other who also wants to apply for a Hilton Honors credit card, they’ll earn the elevated welcome bonus in their own Hilton Honors account, then the two of you can pool your points and redeem them together.

Consider applying for several Hilton Honors credit cards over time

Hilton Honors credit cards tend to be some of the easiest hotel rewards points to earn as there are multiple card options available and you can have all of them. Personally, I’ve had three Hilton credit cards and earned the welcome bonuses for each one.

If you plan on regularly traveling to Hilton branded properties, it may be worth investing in this credit card portfolio.

Traveling is becoming much more expensive as inflation continues to rise. So if you want save on your next trip, consider grabbing one of these Hilton credit cards so you can use the elevated welcome bonus to help offset upcoming lodging expenses.

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For rates and fees for the Hilton Honor Surpass Card, click here.

For rates and fees for Hilton Honors Amex Card, click here.

For rates and fees for Hilton Honors Amex Business Card, click here.