What bank issues Hilton Honors credit card?

American Express offers three Hilton-branded personal cards: Hilton Honors American Express Card ($0 annual fee). Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card ($150 annual fee). Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card ($550 annual fee).



In 2026, the primary issuer of Hilton Honors credit cards globally is American Express. In the United States, American Express holds the exclusive rights to the Hilton portfolio, offering several tiers of cards including the no-annual-fee Hilton Honors Card, the mid-tier Surpass, and the luxury Aspire card. These cards are highly valued for providing automatic elite status (ranging from Silver to Diamond) and high earning rates on Hilton stays. In certain international markets like Japan or India, American Express also remains the dominant partner for Hilton-branded consumer cards. While other banks like Citi used to issue Hilton cards in the past, they transitioned their portfolios to American Express several years ago. If you see a Hilton-branded card in 2026, it is almost certainly an Amex, though Hilton also maintains partnerships with various travel platforms for smaller, localized co-branded offerings in specific regions.

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If you prefer earning Hilton points for your credit card spending but don't want to pay an annual fee, you could open the Hilton Honors American Express Card. It has no annual fee (see rates and fees) and earns: 7X points at Hilton hotels.

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If you prefer earning Hilton points for your credit card spending but don't want to pay an annual fee, you could open the Hilton Honors American Express Card. It has no annual fee (see rates and fees) and earns: 7X points at Hilton hotels. 5X points on dining at U.S. restaurants.

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Each of these credit cards requires a good to excellent credit score, which is in the FICO 690-850 range. If your credit isn't in that range, you may have to build your credit before applying for a Hilton credit card.

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You'll need to have good to excellent credit (a FICO score of 670 to 850) to qualify for the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire card. Those who are interested can see if they pre-qualify for the card on American Express's website.

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No, the Hilton Honors American Express Card is not easy to get. In addition to enough income for monthly bill payments, the Hilton Credit Card requires you to have good credit or better to qualify, which means you will need a 700+ credit score for good approval odds.

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Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the card within your first three months of card membership. Per TPG's latest valuations, the 130,000 Hilton points are worth $780 in value toward award stays.

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To qualify, you must complete 30 stays, stay 60 nights or earn 120,000 base points in a calendar year. However, primary cardholders of the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card (see rates and fees) enjoy complimentary Diamond status as a perk of their card.

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To earn Hilton Diamond status, you'd normally need to book 42 nights or 21 stays, or earn 84,000 bonus points. With the Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express, however, you'll automatically earn Diamond status — the highest loyalty tier of the Hilton Honors program — once you've enrolled.

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The Hilton Honors American Express Card is not a Visa or a Mastercard – it is on the American Express network. This means the Hilton Credit Card has a bit less worldwide acceptance than a Visa or a Mastercard but should still be usable at most merchants within the U.S.

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Additional ways to redeem Hilton points is by shopping, traveling, and dining with Hilton partners. Once you redeem enough Hilton Honors points, you can use them for free nights at Hilton hotels, free car rentals, or you can sell Hilton points for cash to MileageSpot and earn cash in return.

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