Points · American Express · No annual fee
Last verified 2026-09-09. Review issuer source
American Express Hilton Honors is a no-annual-fee points card from American Express. Its best everyday rates are 5x on dining, 5x on gas stations, and 5x on grocery stores; everything else earns 3x. There is also 7x on Hilton Hotels & Resorts, a single-merchant rate. Rewards are Hilton Honors points that only spend inside that program, so we value them at roughly a third of a cent each.
On our reference budget of $24,600 a year it returns about $326, an effective 1.3% back. The welcome bonus, 80,000 points after $2,000 in 6 months, is the strongest reason to open it in a given year.
Get it if you already fly or stay with Hilton Honors often enough to use the perks. A general travel card earns points that go more places.
5X points on dining At U.S. restaurants, including takeout and delivery
5X points on gas At U.S. gas stations
5X points on groceries At U.S. supermarkets
7X points for eligible purchases at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio
Earn 80,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points And A $100 Statement Credit after you spend $2,000 on eligible purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Getting into your Rental Vehicle can be the start of a great vacation. When you use your Eligible Card to reserve and pay for the Entire Rental and decline the collision damage waiver (CDW) at the Rental Company counter, you can be covered for Damage to or Theft of a Rental Vehicle in a Covered Territory. Please read important exclusions and restrictions. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Coverage is not available for vehicles rented in Australia, Italy, and New Zealand. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage.
Sometimes the unexpected happens when you travel. A passport is lost. You come down with a sudden illness. A lawyer is needed. Being a Card Member can make things easier. Global Assist® Hotline‡ can help you prepare for your trip with customs information and more. And while you're traveling more than 100 miles from home, coordination and assistance services such as lost passport replacement assistance, translation services, missing luggage assistance, and emergency legal and medical referrals are a phone call away.
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.
Sometimes your favorite new purchase gets stolen or accidentally damaged. But when you use your Eligible Card for Covered Purchases, your Membership can help protect them for up to 90 days from the Covered Purchase date, subject to the Coverage Limits.
Get free 2-day shipping on eligible items at a growing network of 100+ online stores with ShopRunner.
Benefit descriptions are the issuer’s and network’s own wording, trimmed for length. Limits and exclusions are in the guide to benefits.
| Card | Annual fee | Rewards earned | Net after fee | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilton HonorsThis card · 5x on dining | None | $326 | +$326 | 526th of 1,291 |
| American Express® GoldAmerican Express's most-held other card · 4x on dining | $325 | $594 | +$269 | 547th of 1,291 |
| Savor RewardsThe strongest no-fee card on this budget · 3% on dining | None | $642 | +$642 | 4th of 1,291 |
| Robinhood Gold CardHighest net return on this budget · 3% on everything | $50 | $798 | +$748 | 1st of 1,291 |
Reference budget: groceries $6,000, dining and restaurants $3,600, gas and ev charging $2,400, travel and transit $3,000, online shopping $2,400, entertainment and streaming $1,200, everything else $6,000. Points are valued at 1¢ unless the program is worth less; statement credits, welcome bonuses, and perks are left out. Run it with your own spending.
