How to Get a Hilton Credit Card

As one of the biggest hotel chains in the world, Hilton offers plenty of properties for your next vacation. Whether you’re traveling to California or South Africa, there’s a Hilton hotel for rest after a day of adventures.

With such a wide variety of locations, you may be thinking about getting a Hilton credit card. For Hilton enthusiasts, there are several co-branded credit cards to choose from, including one with a no-fee option.

Here's a look at how to get a Hilton credit card, the different options and what to consider before applying.

» Learn more: Hilton credit cards — which one should you get?

There are four options — three personal cards and one business card — for people who want to apply for a Hilton credit card, each offered by American Express.

Hilton Honors American Express Card

• Welcome offer: Earn 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 4/17/24. Terms Apply.

• Annual fee: $0.

• Earning rates: 7x at hotels in the Hilton Honors program, 5x on U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations and 3x everywhere else.

• Automatic elite status: Hilton Honors™ Silver Status.

• Earned elite status: Gold after spending $20,000 in a calendar year.

• Foreign transaction fees: None.

Terms apply.

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card

• Welcome offer: Earn 155,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.

• Annual fee: $150.

• Earning rates: 12x at hotels in the Hilton Honors program, 6x on U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations, 4x on U.S. online retail and 3x everywhere else.

• Automatic elite status: Hilton Honors™ Gold Status.

• Earned elite status: Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status after spending $40,000 in a calendar year.

• Foreign transaction fees: None.

• Other benefits: Earn a free night certificate after spending $15,000 in a calendar year and get up to $200 back each year on eligible Hilton purchases. Enrollment required.

Terms apply.

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

• Welcome offer: Earn 180,000 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. Offer Ends 1/17/2024.

• Annual fee: $550.

• Earning rates: 14x at hotels in the Hilton Honors program, 7x on flights booked directly with airlines or AmEx Travel, on U.S. restaurants and on car rentals booked directly with select companies and 3x everywhere else.

• Automatic elite status: Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status.

• Complimentary weekend night certificate each year after renewal.

• Statement credit: $400 Hilton resort credit each year; $200 annual airfare credit; $189 Clear Plus membership credit.

• Foreign transaction fees: None.

• Other benefits: Earn a second free night certificate after spending $30,000 on the card in a calendar year.

Terms apply.

The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

• Welcome offer: Earn 175,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $8,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors Business Card within the first six months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 6/5. Terms Apply.

• Annual fee: $195.

• Earning rates: 12x at hotels in the Hilton Honors program, 5x on other purchases made using the card on the first $100,000 in purchases each calendar year, 3x points thereafter.

• Automatic elite status: Hilton Honors™ Gold Status.

• Earned elite status: Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status after spending $40,000 in a calendar year.

• Foreign transaction fees: None.

• Other benefits: Earn a weekend free night certificate after spending $15,000 in a calendar year, a second free night certificate after spending $60,000 in a calendar year and 10 complimentary Priority Pass visits each year. Enrollment required.

Terms apply.

Many would-be Hilton credit card applicants are interested in pursuing Hilton credit card preapproval. Happily, this is possible through the American Express website.

Login to your account and navigate to "Check for Pre-qualified Credit Card Offers." From there, input your details and available preapproved cards will be visible.

To begin the application process for a Hilton credit card, click the "Apply Now" button on each card’s review page:

• Hilton Honors American Express Card.

• Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card.

• Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.

• The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card.

The questions on your application will depend on the card you’re applying for; business cards may require additional information about your business and its earnings. Be sure to have your personal information on hand to simplify the process.

There are a variety of Hilton credit cards available for every kind of traveler, but which one is right for you? Consider these questions to help you decide.

Do you want to pay an annual fee? How much?

Hilton’s credit card offerings include a no-fee option, which can be an excellent choice for those looking to minimize their costs. Along with Silver elite status, the Hilton Honors American Express Card allows you to earn Hilton points on all your purchases. However, benefits on the card are quite limited. Terms apply.

On the other end of the spectrum lies the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, which charges $550 per year but comes with more than $1,000 in credits, Diamond elite status and a free night each year. This bevy of benefits more than makes up for the annual fee if you can use them — but you’ll still end up paying the fee each year, which may put off more casual travelers. Terms apply.

» Learn more: A beginner’s guide to Hilton credit cards

Which card has bonus categories that overlap with your frequent expenses?

The bonus categories for these cards differ depending on which card you hold. If you’re often spending a lot of money on groceries, gas and restaurants, one of the lower-tier cards may be a good option for you.

But if you’re a frequent Hilton customer and you tend to book a lot of flights, the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card could be a better fit — you won’t find a better return on Hilton spending anywhere else. Terms apply.

Should you opt for a different credit card?

If you don’t want to earn Hilton points on all your purchases, you may instead want to look for a travel credit card with more flexible points. American Express Membership Rewards transfer to Hilton at a 1:2 ratio, which means one AmEx point becomes two Hilton points (and there are sometimes transfer bonuses which can increase this number). Terms apply.

However, you’ll want to consider the value of transferring your points; Hilton points tend to be worth less overall than AmEx points, so it may not be a good value to do so.

AmEx has its own rules when it comes to getting a credit card, and each card has different approval requirements. However, some things that may affect your eligibility are having applied for a specific card previously and your credit score.

AmEx has a once-per-lifetime rule that limits the number of times you can earn a card’s welcome offer. This means that if you’ve applied for and received a welcome offer on one of these Hilton cards before, you won’t be eligible to do so again.

Each of these credit cards requires a good to excellent credit score, which is in the FICO 690-850 range. If your credit isn't in that range, you may have to build your credit before applying for a Hilton credit card.

» Learn more: Hilton credit card strategy — a guide

You’ll find the same recommendations regarding the credit score for Hilton’s credit cards: 690-850. These scores don’t guarantee that you’ll receive a card if you apply, but they do improve your chances of success.

Hilton’s lineup of co-branded credit cards offers a broad selection of options, no matter how often you travel. If you’re not inclined to pay for an annual fee, the Hilton Honors card may be a good option for you. Otherwise, both the mid-tier Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card and the high-end Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card offer strong benefits in exchange for their fees. Terms apply.

If you’d prefer to have a card with more flexible rewards, AmEx points can be transferred over to Hilton at a 1:2 ratio, giving you more flexibility on your travel options. If you do transfer AmEx points, however, be sure to first verify if it constitutes a good use of your points. Terms apply.

Photo courtesy of Hilton.

To view rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Card, see this page. To view rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, see this page. All information about the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by NerdWallet. The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card is no longer available through NerdWallet. To view rates and fees of The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, see this page.