[United TravelBank Data Point] Major Changes On Hilton Credit Cards

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Update: DDF member “dealsrus” shares that his $100 United TravelBank purchase was credited by both the $250 airline fee credit (which ends 12/31/23) and the $50 quarterly airfare credit (which began 10/19/23), which left him with a $50 profit on the purchase.

Note that AMEX often claws back the profit on deals like this, so you might want to buy more TravelBank credit so there’s no profit from the transaction.

It’s great to see that the new airfare credit also works for TravelBank, as that will be a great way to ensure you can always use the quarterly credit on this card.

Originally posted on 10/19:

AMEX has announced major changes to the Hilton Surpass and Aspire cards that go into effect today:

The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card’s annual fee has gone up from $95 to $150 for new cardholders. That will be effective 2/1/24 for existing cardholders.

• As of today, it will gain:
  • 4x points on US online retail purchases
  • National Car Rental Executive status
  • Up to $50 in statement credits for spending at Hilton hotels every quarter, up to $200 per year.
• It will continue to offer:
  • Hilton Gold status
  • One free reward night after $15K spending per calendar year.
  • 12x points on Hilton spending
  • 6x points on US restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations,
  • 3 points everywhere else.
• It will lose:
  • 10 free Priority Pass visits per year. (Ends 1/31/24).

The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card’s annual fee has gone up from $450 to $550 for new cardholders. That will be effective 2/1/24 for existing cardholders.

• As of today, it will gain:
  • $200 in statement credits semi-annually at Hilton Resorts, up to $400 per year. (Existing cardholders get this starting 1/1/24)
  • Up to $50 in statement credits for paid flights directly from the airline or on AMEXTravel.com every quarter, up to $200 per year.
  • National Car Rental Executive status
  • $189 annual CLEAR Plus statement credit every calendar year.
  • One free reward night after $30K spending per calendar year.
  • Cell phone protection: Up to $800 per claim with a $50 deductible when you pay the wireless bill on the card.
• It will continue to offer:
  • Hilton Diamond status
  • An annual free night each membership year
  • An additional free night after spending $60K in a calendar year
  • $100 statement credit for 2+ night stays at participating Waldorf and Conrad hotels.
  • 14x points on Hilton spending
  • 7x points on eligible flights, car rentals, and US restaurants
  • 3 points everywhere else.

• It will lose:
  • Priority Pass membership. (Ends 1/31/24).
  • $250 annual airline fee credit (Ends 12/31/23).
  • $250 in statement credits annually at Hilton Resorts, which is being replaced by a $200 semi-annual credit. (Ends 12/31/23 for existing cardholders).

• The Hilton Honors Card from American Express remains unchanged:
  • Get Hilton Silver status, with 20% bonus points, 5th night free on awards, and bottled water. Earn Gold with $20K/year of spending.
  • Earn 5 points per dollar at US gas stations, US restaurants, and US supermarkets, and 7 points per dollar at Hilton hotels.
  • No annual fee.
  • For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Card, please visit here.

• The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card:
  • Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on eligible Hilton purchases.
  • ENHANCED: Earn 5X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on other purchases made using the Hilton Honors Business Card on the first $100,000 in purchases each calendar year, 3X points thereafter.
  • NEW: Enjoy up to $240 back each year for eligible purchases made directly with Hilton.
  • Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors(TM) Gold Status with your Hilton Honors Business Card. With Hilton Honors Gold status, you can enjoy benefits at hotels and resorts within the Hilton Portfolio. As a Gold member, earn an 80% Bonus on all Base Points you earn on every stay getting you to free nights faster.
  • You may receive an upgrade to Hilton Honors Diamond status if the total eligible purchases on your Card Account during a calendar year reach $40,000 or more.
  • NEW: Enjoy complimentary National Car Rental(R) Emerald Club Executive(R) status. Enrollment in the complimentary Emerald Club(R) program is required. Terms apply.
  • Annual Fee: $195
  • For rates and fees of The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, please visit here.

Welcome bonus terms: 

You officially won’t get the welcome bonus on this card if you have or have had this exact card, though readers have reported success after several years.

You can tell if you are eligible for an AMEX welcome bonus by simply applying. If you are not eligible for the bonus you will get a popup notification after clicking to apply for the card. At that point you can decide whether to proceed or cancel the application before it is actually processed.

American Express doesn’t perform a hard pull for existing AMEX cardholders.

Spend Threshold:

You’ll need to spend $1,000-$4,000 within 3 months.

You can pay your federal taxes for a 1.85% fee. If you overpay your taxes you can request a refund or apply it to your next year’s taxes.

My local natural gas company allows me to prepay up to $1,000 on a credit card for a $1.65 flat fee. That’s a great way to earn miles and help meet a spend threshold. My electricity supplier allows me to pay with a credit card for free as long as I am enrolled in autopay.

Business vs Consumer card:

AMEX business cards don’t appear on your credit report. That’s good for several reasons.

First of all they won’t count against your 5/24 count for opening new Chase cards. Only cards on your report that have been opened within the past 24 months count for that.

Second, when you spend money on personal cards your credit score will be hurt even if you pay your bill on time. A whopping 30% of your credit score is based on credit utilization. You can pay off your card bill before your statement is generated to avoid that, but that takes effort and laying out money well before you have to. Additionally it’s good to have the statement close with a couple dollars to show the card is active and being paid every month. On an AMEX business card it’s just not reported, so you can wait until the money is due without it having a negative effect on your score.

Third, if you close a business card it won’t ever have an effect on your score.

You may already have a business that needs a card to keep track of expenses. For example if your name is Joe Smith and you sell items online, or if you have any other side business and want a credit card to better keep track of business expenditures you can open a business credit card for “Joe Smith” as the business. You don’t need to file any messy government paperwork to be allowed to do that.

Just be sure to select “Sole Proprietorship” as the business type and just use your social security number in the Tax Identification Number field

Hilton card comparison chart: 

You can use your Hilton points for aspirational stays, like an overwater pool villa in the Maldives, and mush more.

What do you think of these changes? Will you apply for any Hilton cards with these offers?

• For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Card, please visit here.
• For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, please visit here.
• For rates and fees of The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, please visit here.
• For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, please visit here.