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Travel is slowly starting to make a comeback, and banks are responding with increased credit card welcome bonuses to get customers excited about earning travel rewards again.

That’s the case with new offers on two Amex Hilton credit cards. The Hilton Honors American Express Card and Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
have launched big welcome bonuses, and they’re the highest we’ve ever seen.

Even if you don’t have immediate travel plans, it’s a good time to stock up on points for when you’re ready to hit the road again. While Hilton points do expire after 15 months of account inactivity, having and using a Hilton card makes it easy to keep your points from expiring. 

Here’s what to know to help you decide if you want to apply.

Regular APR

15.74{b530a9af8ec2f2e0d4045baab79c5cfb9bfdc23e498df4d376766a0b44d3f146}-24.74{b530a9af8ec2f2e0d4045baab79c5cfb9bfdc23e498df4d376766a0b44d3f146} Variable

Credit Score

Good to Excellent

Featured Reward

130,000 points after you spend at least $2,000 on eligible purchases in your first 3 months of card membership, plus an additional 50,000 points after you spend a total of $10,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months

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  • Pros & Cons
  • Details

  • Pros
    • High welcome bonus
    • Complimentary Hilton Gold elite status
    • Generous bonus categories for earning points
    Cons
    • Weekend night reward requires spending $15,000 on the card in a year
    • Not much in the way of complimentary benefits beyond Hilton Gold status
    • The information related to the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card has been collected by Business Insider and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.
    • Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card in the first 3 months of Card Membership.
    • Plus, you can earn an additional 50,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend a total of $10,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months.
    • Earn a Weekend Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 on purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
    • Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio.
    • Earn 6X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations.
    • Earn 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
    • Spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn Hilton Honors Diamond status through the end of the next calendar year.
    • $95 annual fee.
    • Terms Apply.

    Read Our Review
    Read Our Review A looong arrow, pointing right

    The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card is now offering a bonus of 130,000 points after you spend at least $2,000 on eligible purchases in your first 3 months of card membership, plus an additional 50,000 points after you spend a total of $10,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months. While the minimum spending needed to unlock the full bonus is significant, you’ve got six months to reach the requirement — so, on average, you’d have to spend $1,667 per month.

    Between the bonus and the points you’ll earn from meeting the minimum spending requirement, you’ll earn at least 210,000 Hilton points from this offer (180,000-point bonus plus at least 30,000 points from spending $10,000). That’s enough for a whopping 42 nights at the lowest category Hiltons (although those are few and far between).

    More realistically, you could redeem your points for a week-long stay at a mid-tier Hilton property (30,000 points per night), or splurge on a shorter getaway at a luxury Conrad or Waldorf Astoria hotel.

    The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card has a $95 annual fee (see review), but it’s well worth paying if you stay at Hilton hotels, even occasionally.

    Along with earning lots of Hilton points, the card comes with automatic Hilton Gold elite status, which comes with perks like room upgrades, bonus earning on stays, and complimentary breakfast. You’ll also receive a free weekend night (valid at almost any Hilton hotel) if you spend $15,000 on the card in a calendar year.

    Regular APR

    15.74{b530a9af8ec2f2e0d4045baab79c5cfb9bfdc23e498df4d376766a0b44d3f146}-24.74{b530a9af8ec2f2e0d4045baab79c5cfb9bfdc23e498df4d376766a0b44d3f146} Variable

    Featured Reward

    80,000 points after you spend at least $1,000 on eligible purchases in your first 3 months of card membership, plus an additional 50,000 points after you spend a total of $5,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months

    Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.

  • Pros & Cons
  • Details

  • Pros
    • High welcome bonus
    • No annual fee
    • Complimentary Silver elite status with Hilton
    Cons
    • Limited benefits beyond earning Hilton points
    • Earn 80,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Card in the first 3 months of Card Membership.
    • Plus, you can earn an additional 50,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend a total of $5,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months.
    • Earn 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio.
    • Earn 5X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations.
    • Earn 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
    • No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
    • Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status with your Card. Plus, spend $20,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn an upgrade to Hilton Honors Gold status through the end of the next calendar year.
    • No Annual Fee.
    • Terms Apply.

    The no-annual-fee (See Rates) Hilton Honors American Express Card is now offering 80,000 points after you spend at least $1,000 on eligible purchases in your first 3 months of card membership, plus an additional 50,000 points after you spend a total of $5,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months. You don’t normally see six-figure bonuses on entry-level cards like this, so this is a great deal if you prefer a credit card with no annual fee.

    Cardholders receive perks including automatic Hilton Silver elite status, 7 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at Hilton hotels, 5 points per dollar at eligible U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations, and 3 points per eligible dollar everywhere else. The Hilton Honors American Express Card is one of only a handful of no-annual-fee travel cards without foreign transaction fees (See Rates), so it’s a good pick for international purchases.

    Plus, if you spend $20,000 or more on eligible purchases with the card in a calendar year, you’ll get an upgrade to Hilton Gold status, which gets you a better chance at upgrades and more benefits, like free breakfast.

    Jasmin Baron is an associate editor at Personal Finance Insider, where she helps readers maximize rewards and find the best credit cards to fit their lifestyles. She has covered credit cards, points and miles, and loyalty programs for over seven years, and she’s a Certified Educator in Personal Finance (CEPF).