How to Build the Best Hilton Credit Card Strategy

Hilton credit cards offer impressive point multipliers, as well as other benefits at Hilton hotels. But given NerdWallet's valuation of a Hilton point at just 0.4 cent each, you need strategic spending to maximize value.

Hilton's lineup of cards includes:

• Hilton Honors American Express Card ($0 annual fee, see rates and fees).

• Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card ($150 annual fee, see rates and fees).

• The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card ($195 annual fee (see rates and fees).

• Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card ($550 annual fee, see rates and fees).

After analyzing all four Hilton cards against general travel alternatives, the optimal strategy combines Hilton cards for specific bonus categories with flexible travel cards for everyday spending.

» Learn more: Which Hilton credit card should you get?

How many points can you earn using a Hilton credit card?

American Express offers three Hilton-branded personal cards, plus a business card. Here's how they compare:

Each card pays Hilton Honors points for everyday spending, with bonus points for certain types of purchases. Purchases at Hilton hotels or resorts can earn up to 14 points per dollar, while purchases for things like gas, airfare, dining and groceries also get you bonus points on some cards.

Consider earning rates on other travel cards

The chart below shows how many points you can earn with the three Hilton cards compared with three popular general travel cards: American Express® Gold Card ($325 annual fee), Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (​​$95 annual fee) and Chase Sapphire Reserve® ($795 annual fee). Terms apply.

Points value reality check: strategy matters

Remember how NerdWallet estimates that Hilton Honors points are worth just 0.4 cent each? Compared to points earned through other general travel rewards cards, you might do better swiping other cards on your everyday expenses.

NerdWallet vallues American Express Membership Rewards at 1 cent each (or more). With certain cards, Chase Ultimate Rewards® points are potentially worth more when redeemed for travel through Chase on Points Boost redemptions.

Plus, NerdWallet’s analysis shows that if you transfer Chase or AmEx points to an airline or hotel partner, you can often beat the value you’d get redeeming them through the card issuer. AmEx points, for example, can often net a value of 2 cents each when you transfer them.

With that in mind, here's our estimated real value in cents you get for every dollar of spending on the cards based on our valuations:

Value of points earned on every dollar spent (in cents)

Clearly Hilton cards should complement, not replace, a flexible travel rewards strategy.

Which Hilton credit card is best for you?

Choosing the best Hilton Honors credit card for you depends on how often you stay at Hilton properties and how much you spend in other bonus categories.

Hilton Honors American Express Card

Casual travelers who stay only occasionally at Hilton properties should consider the $0-annual fee Hilton Honors American Express Card, with the following welcome offer: Earn 80,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points with the Hilton Honors American Express Card after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card

If you stay at Hiltons at least a couple times a year, consider the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card. The welcome bonus is good: Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.

Though it carries a $150 annual fee, the benefits are strong:

• Automatic Gold elite status.

• Space available room upgrades (when available).

• On-property dining credits (a benefit of Gold elite status).

• Earn 18 points per dollar on paid stays at most Hilton brands — an 80% boost over the 10 points per dollar basic members earn — and that’s on top of the 12 Hilton points per dollar you get when you pay using the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card. In total, you earn 30 points per dollar when you charge Hilton stays.

Terms apply.

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

If you stay at Hilton family properties often, consider the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card. To help offset the hefty annual fee of $550, the card comes with an annual weekend night certificate good for a standard room at almost any hotel or resort in the Hilton portfolio. That perk alone can be worth around $600.

Other perks include:

• A $400 annual Hilton resort credit.

• A $200 annual airfare credit for booking tickets directly with an airline or through AmEx Travel.

• A $100 on-property credit at participating Waldorf Astoria and Conrad hotels.

• Complimentary Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status, which grants availability-based room upgrades and on-property dining credits.

• Plus you earn 20 Hilton points per dollar spent on most hotel stays in addition to the 14x Hilton points earned when using Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card for these charges, for a total of 34 Hilton points per dollar spent.

This card also has a good welcome bonus: Earn 150,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.

Build your own Hilton credit card strategy

Hilton credit cards work best as specialized tools within a broader travel rewards strategy. They excel at earning points for Hilton stays and providing elite status, but their low point values make them poor choices for general spending.

To optimize your strategy:

1. Use Hilton cards only where they provide clear advantage.

2. Maintain realistic expectations about point values.

3. Have specific redemption goals for accumulated points.

4. Monitor annual benefit usage versus fees paid.

The most successful Hilton credit card strategy recognizes these cards as category specialists, not everyday drivers. By combining them strategically with flexible travel cards, you can maximize both earning potential and redemption value while maintaining the freedom to book travel across multiple programs.