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Hilton is one of the largest hospitality companies in the world. It operates over 7,000 properties in over 120 countries, so the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card — more frequently referred to as simply the Hilton Aspire card — can be an appealing option for frequent travelers looking to maximize rewards.
The Hilton Aspire card is a premium travel card that offers luxurious perks. If you're considering applying for the card, here are seven key details you should know.
Check out our full list of the best travel credit cards
- Annual fee$550
- Welcome offerEarn 150,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after spending $6,000 within the first six months
- Rewards rate
- 14x points on eligible purchases made directly with Hilton properties
- 7x points at U.S. restaurants
- 7x points on airfare and purchases at select car rental companies
- 3x points on all other purchases
- Benefits
- Complimentary Hilton Honors™ Diamond status
- Every six months, get up to $200 in statement credits on eligible purchases made directly with Hilton Resorts
- Annual free night reward
- Earn up to $200 back per year ($50 in statement credits each quarter) on eligible flight purchases through AmexTravel.com
- Earn up to $199 in annual statement credits when you pay for a CLEAR Plus Membership with your card
1. It has a high annual fee
As a premium travel rewards card, the Hilton Aspire card has a high annual fee. As of 2025, the fee is $550, so there's a high cost for simply possessing the card.
There are other travel rewards cards that have lower fees. For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has a $95 annual fee, so unless you believe you can maximize the Hilton Aspire card's benefits, another card may be a less expensive option.
2. Cardmembers qualify for special travel perks
As a cardmember with the Hilton Aspire card, you're eligible for useful perks while traveling, including:
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$400 Hilton Resort credit: Qualify for up to $200 in statement credits semi-annually when you use your card to make eligible purchases with your card at participating Hilton Resorts. Eligible charges include meals at resort restaurants and spa treatments.
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Free night reward: For each year you're a cardmember, you'll receive an email with a code that's valid for one free night at a participating Hilton resort.
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$200 flight credit: You can receive up to $50 in statement credits each quarter — up to $200 per year — for up to $200 in eligible airfare purchases made directly through an airline or through AmexTravel.com.
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$199 Clear Plus credit: The Clear Plus program can make it easier (and faster) to pass airport security. When you use your card to pay the program's annual membership fee, you'll receive $199 as a statement credit.
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Complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond status: Diamond status is the highest tier in the Hilton Honors program. Diamond status entitles you to executive lounge access, premium WiFi, room upgrades, and other perks.
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Car rental loss and damage insurance: Use your card to pay for the entirety of your car rental fee and you'll automatically be covered against damage or theft of the rental.
Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions, and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
Other Hilton cards to consider
3. The card doesn't charge foreign transaction fees
With some credit cards, you have to pay a foreign transaction fee — a fee credit card companies charge you when you make a purchase abroad. Typically, the fee is about 3% of the transaction amount, which can add up over time when you're traveling.
Unlike some cards, the Hilton Honors Aspire card doesn't charge foreign transaction fees, so using it while traveling outside of the U.S. could help you save money.
4. The best reward redemption values are on hotel stays
With the Hilton Aspire card, you can earn Hilton Honors points on hotel stays, flights, car rentals, meals at restaurants, and other purchases. You can redeem those points in several ways, including Hilton hotel stays, Lyft rides, at checkout on Amazon and other partner sites, and rental cards.
However, you'll get the most value for your points when you redeem them for hotel stays at qualifying resorts. In that case, your points are worth about 0.6 cents each. Other redemption methods produce lower valuations.
5. It provides other premium benefits
As a premium card, the Hilton Aspire card provides other non-travel benefits that can be valuable and useful. These benefits include:
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Return protection: If a seller doesn't accept a return within 90 days of its purchase date, American Express will refund the full purchase price, excluding shipping and handling, up to a maximum of $300 per item and up to $1,000 per calendar year.
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Cell phone protection: Use your card to pay your cell phone bill, and you can be reimbursed up to $800 for the repair or replacement of your phone after it's damaged or stolen, subject to a $50 deductible.
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Events with Amex: As a cardmember, you can take advantage of special ticket access and event presales.
6. It doesn't have a promotional APR offer
Some credit cards have promotional APRs on new purchases or balance transfers, giving you a year or more at 0% APR to pay down your balance or finance an upcoming vacation. For instance, the Chase Freedom Unlimited card gives new cardmembers 0% APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers. Once the promotional period ends, the APR is variable, ranging from 19.49% to 28.24%.
By contrast, the Hilton Aspire card doesn't have a promotional APR, so the regular purchase APR applies to new purchases or vacation bookings.
7. The welcome offer is generous
The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire card boasts a generous welcome offer for new cardmembers that qualify for the card. You can earn 150,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after spending $6,000 or more on purchases with the card within six months of opening the card. Assuming you redeem those points for Hilton hotel stays, that welcome offer could be worth $900.
That's comparable to the value of welcome offers of other premium cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, but the Hilton Aspire card gives you a longer period to make purchases and qualify for the offer.
All information about the Hilton Aspire Card has been collected independently by and is no longer available through Yahoo Finance.
This article was edited by Rebecca McCracken
Editorial Disclosure: The information in this article has not been reviewed or approved by any advertiser. All opinions belong solely to Yahoo Finance and are not those of any other entity. The details on financial products, including card rates and fees, are accurate as of the publish date. All products or services are presented without warranty. Check the bank’s website for the most current information. This site doesn't include all currently available offers. Credit score alone does not guarantee or imply approval for any financial product.
