Hilton Hotel credit cards are offering some big time sign-up bonuses right now.
Three different Hilton and American Express credit cards are currently offering more points than usual as welcome bonuses – the Hilton Honors Card from American Express, the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, and the Hilton Honors Ascend Card from American Express. These deals won’t last long – they end on June 27 according to Business Insider. Here’s a closer look at what these hotel rewards credit cards are offering.
Why This Is a Big Deal
Those who haven’t used credit card rewards points yet might not understand why some people are excited about this offer. The quickest and cheapest way to earn points is by opening a new credit card. It provides people with instant gratification to see that large point balance, and it would normally require spending much more money to otherwise earn that many points.
The Hilton Honors Card from American Express will give cardholders a welcome bonus of 75,000 points when they charge a minimum of $1,000 in the first three months of having their card. Normally, it would award 50,000 points. As a further incentive to hold it, this card doesn’t have an annual fee.
The Hilton Honors Ascend Card is offering 100,000 points. In order to earn those points, consumers must spend $3,000 in the first three months on their cards. But with this card, cardholders also get a free weekend night in a hotel after their first anniversary of being a cardholder. The usual offer would net cardholders the same number of points as a welcome bonus, but they wouldn’t get the free hotel room. But one drawback is this card does have an annual fee of $95.
The Hilton Honors business card will earn new cardholders 125,000 points when they charge at least $5,000 in the three months after they receive their card. That’s higher than the 100,000 points that are normally offered. It also carries a $95 annual fee.
Who Should Get These Cards?
A hotel credit card requires a lot of spending to reap the sign-up bonus rewards (you can see some of these spending thresholds in this guide), so they may be out of reach for consumers who don’t have the budget. If they make one of the biggest credit card mistakes (often done with travel credit cards) which is carrying a balance, then the card won’t be worth holding on to.
In addition, those who don’t plan to spend much after they claim their sign-up reward points could have a hard time justifying the annual fee two of the three cards carry. However, there are strategies that can help you get your annual fee waived that might be worth a try. Check out this article to learn about some of these strategies in depth.
While a hotel credit card carries great rewards for those who frequent hotels, they aren’t for everyone, and they come with their own issues. In order to get the rewards, cardholders have to spend a lot of money. If cardholders can afford to spend that money on things they would ordinarily purchase anyway like gas and groceries, it can be a good deal for them. However, if you’re not a big hotel person and can’t use the card effectively, then you may want to look at other credit card options such as low-rate cards, generic rewards credit cards, and a more well-rounded travel credit card.
