Hilton Honors American Express business card unveils new profile, plumps up annual fee

Call it a makeunder. American Express has been tinkering with its Hilton cobranded card lineup, and the issuer’s latest endeavor revamps The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card * The information for the The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. (terms apply). In exchange for adding some new benefits, statement credits and an increased annual fee, the card is also losing some popular perks including Priority Pass access and free night awards. Let’s take a deeper look at what’s changing. 

What’s changing

The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card is a mid-tier business card that, in the past, offered limited benefits for its $95 annual fee. Now, the fee is increasing to $195 per year.

The higher cost brings new perks, including up to $240 a year in statement credits. 

Benefits of the card now include:

• 12 Hilton Honors points per $1 on eligible purchases at hotels or resorts in the Hilton Portfolio, 5 points per $1 on the first $100,000 in other purchases made with the card each calendar year, then 3 points per $1 thereafter.
• Earn up to $240 per year in eligible Hilton purchases; up to $60 in statement credits per quarter (a new perk).
• Complimentary National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive Status (a new benefit, enrollment required, terms apply).
• Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold elite status.
• Upgrade to Hilton Honors Diamond status after spending $40,000 on your card in a calendar year. 

Note: Enrollment is required for select benefits. 

However, not all the changes to the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card are positive. 

Like American Express did earlier this year with the personal Hilton cards it offers, it has opted to remove Priority Pass access for the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card. This means new cardholders will no longer get 10 complimentary Priority Pass visits per year. 

For those who already hold the card and received the 10 Priority Pass visits, a Hilton rep confirmed that effective either July 1, 2024, or April 1, 2025, Priority Pass Select memberships will be canceled, depending on their original date of enrollment as set out below:

• If you enrolled in the Priority Pass Select program on or before June 30, 2023, your Priority Pass membership will continue through June 30, 2024, and will be canceled as of July 1, 2024.
• If you enrolled in the Priority Pass Select program between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024, your membership will continue through March 31, 2025, and will be canceled as of April 1, 2025.

Any unused lounge visits will be forfeited at the time of cancellation.

Amex is also doing away with the ability to earn up to two uncapped free night certificates after meeting tiered spending requirements in a calendar year. Since Hilton stays can cost $1,000 or more per night at some properties, these certificates offered immense value. 

Finally, the change to the earning rate may sound nice, but the card previously earned 6 points per $1 spent on eligible categories, including purchases at U.S. restaurants and U.S. gas stations as well as on flights booked directly with the airline or via Amex Travel, rental cars, shipping services and cell phone plans. 

This update caps the points earned each year while also eliminating specific bonus categories. For the most part, it’s a wash, since many other credit cards earn better bonuses on these spending categories. 

In addition to new benefits, the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card is also getting a new limited-time welcome offer: Earn 175,000 Hilton Honors points after spending $8,000 in eligible purchases in the first six months of card membership. Offer ends 6/5/24. 

Is the new version worth it?

The changes to the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card are in line with what American Express has been doing across the board. Sure, you’ll pay more in annual fees, but if you’re able to maximize the new statement credits, it’s easy to offset the cost. 

That said, the loss of Priority Pass is a blow, especially to travelers for whom 10 airport lounge visits per year was sufficient. Now, passengers will need to turn to other, more expensive, credit cards or pay out of pocket for lounge access. 

It’s also a shame that cardholders will no longer have the opportunity to earn two free night certificates after meeting annual spending thresholds. While not everyone was necessarily able to take advantage of this benefit, it offered significant value to those who did. 

Final verdict

The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card * The information for the The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. is seeing a refresh with new perks and an increased annual fee. Along with that, however, comes the loss of airport lounge access and the ability to earn two free night certificates each year. Still, for those who can take advantage of its statement credits, the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card is a worthwhile investment at a moderate cost.