Author:
TIM

The Hilton credit card comes in three forms: the Citi Hilton HHonors Visa, the American Express Hilton HHonors, and the AmEx Hilton HHonors Surpass. There are many differences between the three rewards cards, and though the most noticeable one is the fee, you need to look deeper to find their true value. NerdWallet’s parsed the perks and found the best ways both to earn HHonors points, and to spend them.

The first two cards have no annual fee, while the Surpass has a $75 yearly charge. Despite the fee, we consider the Surpass to be the best of the Hilton credit cards. To start off with, it gives 60,000 points as a signup bonus, rather than 40,000. One of its perks alone – airport lounge access, valued at $99 – more than makes up for the fee. For number-crunching gory details, please see the Hilton Family Feud section at the end of this post. Also, check out our blog for a breakdown on how best to redeem your Hilton Honors points.

The big leagues: AmEx Surpass vs. the world

The Surpass is the best of the Hilton lot, for very simple reasons. The HHonors Citi card has a much worse rewards rate than the other two, though it is a Visa, which means it’s easier to use outside of the US. Between the two AmEx cards, the no-fee Hilton credit card gives better rewards than the Visa. But the Surpass gives better rewards and better benefits, which cancel out the annual fee with room to spare. Just the airport lounge access puts you in the black, but you also get Gold rather than Silver elite status.

So the Surpass is the best of the Hilton cards. cards. How does it compare to other rewards cards? If you spend a lot of time and/or money at the Hilton, the answer is a resounding yes. If you redeem Hilton Honors points for a night’s stay, depending on where you book, your points are valued at 0.4-1.7 cents apiece (an average of 0.5 cents, by our calculations). That’s quite a bit of variation, but if you redeem wisely, you can get a rate that’s much better than the industry standard of 1 cent per point. The 4.5% rewards rate (assuming 0.5 cents per point) at the Hilton is pretty much unsurpassed (pardon the pun). The only similar rewards programs are those of the 5% bonus category credit cards, which usually give 5% back on travel only in the summer months. Plus, it gives a great rewards rate on gas, groceries and drugstores – three major everyday spending categories – and a 1.5% base rate, while most rewards credit cards only give 1%. So if you plan to use those Hilton Honors points to stay at a hotel, then the AmEx Hilton credit card is by far the best option for you.

Hilton Credit Card
	Earn 3 points per $1 spent on purchases NerdWallet estimates Hilton HHonors Points are worth 0.5 cents based on our analysis of point redemption options at hotels around the world 9 points per $1 at Hilton 6 points per $1 spent on, Gas, Groceries, Drug stores, Cable/internet/wireless bills 3 points elsewhere 25% bonus for points with complimentary Gold Status
Annual Fee Signing Promo APR, variable* Intro APR Promotions $75 60,000 Hilton Honors Points Bonus after spending $3,000 - 40,000 points with your first purchase, and 20,000 more when you spend $3,000 in the first 3 months Min APR: 15.24% Max APR: 19.24% Default APR: 27.24% Cash Adv: 25.24% Purchase: None Bal Trans: None

However, if you don’t stay at the Hilton often, you’ll get a terrible value out of the card. If you don’t redeem for the right Hilton stays or for car rentals, your points are significantly devalued. Redeeming Hilton points for Southwest miles, for example, cuts them down to a mere tenth of a cent each. In that case, you’d be better off with the Capital One Venture Rewards, which gives a flat 2% rewards rate. You won’t get the same rewards rate on bonus categories, but you’ll get a statement credit to offset any travel expense, rather than being tied down to Hilton.

Many branded credit cards (this is especially true for store credit cards) offer mediocre rewards that can be topped by a more general card. This is not the case with the AmEx Hilton Surpass. A frequent flyer and Hilton guest will get far more value out of this card than a generic travel rewards card.

Read on for the head-to-head of the three Hilton credit cards:

Hilton family feud

Here’s the breakdown of the three cards. The value of a Hilton Honors point redeemed for a night’s stay fluctuates quite a bit, so we’ll assume it’s 0.5 cents. We’ll give the nominal rewards rate, as well as the effective rate that factors in the 0.5-cent valuation.