AmEx-Hilton to Launch Premium Aspire Card With Sky-High Rewards
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» These offers have expired
Offers described in this article have expired, and this page is out of date. See our details pages about the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, the Hilton Honors American Express Card, the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card and the The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card for the current offers.
American Express and Hilton are launching two new Hilton Honors credit cards early next year, including a premium card that will offer a whopping 14 Hilton Honors bonus points per dollar spent at eligible Hilton properties worldwide.
The new Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card will carry an annual fee of $550 but will come with a raft of perks, including multiple travel credits, automatic Hilton Honors™ Diamond status and unlimited access to Priority Pass airport lounges. It will debut on Jan. 18, 2018, along with The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, which is aimed at small-business owners.
Two existing AmEx/Hilton cards will also see updates at that time: the Hilton Honors American Express Card; and the Hilton Honors™ Surpass® Card from American Express, which will be rebranded as the Hilton Honors American Express Ascend Card. (UPDATE July 18, 2019: The Ascend card has reverted to the Surpass name and is now known as the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card.) Both cards will eliminate foreign transaction fees.
Card features
All four cards are linked to the Hilton Honors loyalty program, which offers the chance to earn more rewards. Here’s a closer look:
Credit card features | Hilton Honors American Express Card | Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card | The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card | Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Annual fee | $0 | $150 | $195 | $550 |
Foreign transaction fees | None | None | None | None |
Complimentary Hilton Honors tiers | Hilton Honors™ Silver status; earn Hilton Honors™ Gold Status status after spending $20,000 in a calendar year | Hilton Honors™ Gold status; earn Hilton Honors™ Diamond status after spending $40,000 in a calendar year | Hilton Honors™ Gold status; earn Hilton Honors™ Diamond status after spending $40,000 in a calendar year | Hilton Honors™ Diamond status |
Weekend Night Rewards at hotels or resorts in the Hilton portfolio | None | One Weekend Night Reward after spending $15,000 in a calendar year | None | One Weekend Night Reward every year; a second Weekend Night Reward for spending $60,000 in a calendar year |
Airport lounge access | None | 10 free Priority Pass lounge passes per anniversary year | None | Unlimited Priority Pass lounge passes |
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
Designed for frequent travelers, this new card will have an annual fee of $550 to go with its high rewards rates. It also offers Hilton Honors™ Diamond status. Cardholders can expect:
14X Hilton Honors Bonus Points at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio worldwide. NerdWallet values Hilton Honors points at an average of 0.4 cents apiece.
7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com, for purchases at U.S. restaurants and for car rentals booked directly from select companies.
3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on other purchases.
Up to $250 a year in credit for airline incidentals.
Up to $250 a year in credit at Hilton resorts.
Terms apply.
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card
This new card carries an annual fee of $195 and provides access to the American Express OPEN platform for small-business owners, which offers discounts, bonus rewards and other membership benefits. Cardholders will also get automatic Hilton Honors™ Gold status. Cardholders will earn:
12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio worldwide.
5X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on up to $100,000 in non-Hilton purchases annually.
3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on all other eligible purchases.
Terms apply.
Other changes
As of November 2017, applications for the Hilton Honors American Express Card and Hilton Honors™ Surpass® Card from American Express are still open. Applicants approved for these cards will receive an automatic upgrade to the new benefits in January 2018. Both cards currently charge a foreign transaction fee of 2.7% per transaction, but those fees will be eliminated with the upgrades. Their rewards structures will remain the same.
The Hilton Honors™ Surpass® Card from American Express has a $75 annual fee, but once it becomes the Hilton Honors American Express Ascend Card, the fee will increase to $150. As of November 2017, the Hilton Honors™ Surpass® Card from American Express waives the annual Priority Pass membership fee, but cardholders still have to pay $27 for every Priority Pass lounge visit. The new card will offer 10 free Priority Pass airport lounge passes per anniversary year. Cardholders will also have the chance to earn one free weekend night when they use the card for $15,000 in purchases in a calendar year.
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