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Citi® Hilton Honors™ Visa Signature® Card
U.P. Rating
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
4
$0
15.99% - 19.99% variable APR based on your creditworthiness
Citi® Hilton Honors™ Visa Signature® Card
A high-earning card that comes with a lot of benefits, you won’t have trouble finding value if you frequent hotels in the Hilton Brand Portfolio.
U.P. Rating
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
Room service, king sized beds, and cable TV: hallmarks of the hotel world. Travel isn’t always about flying, and many people enjoy the hotel much more than the flight! This card is for those people.
Do you travel and stay in hotels regularly for longer periods of time? Whether you’re a heavy traveler for work or for pleasure, you’ll find the Citi® Hilton Honors™ Visa Signature® Card earns in your favor.
Card Details
Card Snapshot
Welcome Bonus & Info
Earn 40,000 Hilton Honors™ Bonus Points after making $1,000 in purchases within the first 4 months of account opening.
Earn 6 Honors Bonus Points for each $1 spent at any participating hotel within the Hilton Portfolio.
Earn 3 Honors Bonus Points for each $1 spent on purchases at supermarkets, drugstores and gas stations.
Earn 2 Honors Bonus Points for each $1 spent on all other purchases.
Enjoy Honors Silver status immediately, and fast-track to Honors Gold status after 4 stays within your first 90 days of account opening OR when you make $20,000+ in purchases each calendar year.
Earn an annual loyalty bonus of 10,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points at the end of each calendar year in which you spend $1,000 or more on stays within the Hilton Portfolio.
Our seasoned and experienced team brings years of expertise in the credit card and travel sectors. Committed to integrity, we offer data-driven guides to help you find the card(s) that best fit your requirements. See details on our intensive editorial policies and card rating methodologies.
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Routine Updates and Fact-Checks
First-Hand Credit Card Experience
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Methodical “U.P. Rating
The U.P. Rating System
The ratings for these cards have been determined
by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards
as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect
our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
You want a card with no annual fee that still offers decent benefits
You plan on purchasing everything on the card, which will allow you to earn the additional bonuses offered
You want to boost yourself to Gold status quickly to take advantage of the added benefits
Don’t Get If
Hilton is not your go-to hotel chain and you have a different preference some of the time
Transferring airline points is part of your strategy
Welcome Offer, Points, and Silver Elite Status
With the Hilton Signature card, you’ll be earning points at 6x for all Hilton portfolio stays; 3x for gas stations, supermarkets and drugstores; and 2x everywhere else.
When using your card to earn points, you earn them as bonus points and they accrue in your Honors account. Unfortunately, these don’tgo toward your elite status.
However, as another bonus of owning the card, you automatically earn Silver Status for being a card holder.
Silver members get a 15% bonus on points earned for your stay (not from your Hilton credit card), as well as some other perks like 5th night free (on standard 5-night redemptions) and late check out.
Bottom Line: The Hilton Signature cardearns 6x points at Hilton; 3x points for gas, supermarkets, and drugstores; and 2x everywhere else.
More Elite Status Benefits
Earning status in the loyalty program is made easier using the Hilton Signature card. You automatically get Silver status as discussed above, and you have the opportunity to fast track to Gold status.
To do this, just complete 4 stays in Hilton brand hotels within the first 90 days (instead of the typical 20 stays in a year). Not too difficult for a frequent traveler!
Gold status can also be earned by spending $20,000 or more on the card in a given year. If you’re using this as your main card, after a year you would likely hit this threshold.
With Gold status, your bonus point earnings increase to 25%, you get all the other benefits of the previous tiers, and you get additional upgrades and points depending on which hotel you’re staying at.
If you stay enough times to make Diamond, you’ll get even sweeter deals!
Bottom Line: Gain automatic Silver status when you own the Hilton Signature card. Fast track to Gold by completing 4 stays within the first 90 days!
Other Perks of the Hilton Signature Card
One great thing about the Hilton Signature card is it does not have an annual fee. Most cards that earn toward partnered programs like hotels and airlines have annual fees, so it is refreshing to see one that doesn’t!
This makes it a lot easier when deciding whether or not to open the card since it doesn’t have much of a downside.
Additionally, if you spend $1,000 or more at Hilton portfolio hotels in a given year, you will automatically earn 10,000 bonus points.
Finally, it’s worth noting that as a Visa Signature cardholder, you get access to all the benefits of that program. These include a free concierge service; discounts on events, museums, transportation; and a host of other things.
The Visa Signature page is like a discount coupon site, so search through it to find things that might be of value to you.
Bottom Line: There is no annual fee on the Hilton Signature card. Also, if you spend $1,000 or more in a year, you will automatically earn 10,000 bonus Hilton Honors points!
Drawbacks of the Hilton Credit Card and Honors
While you do earn points at a higher rate on the Hilton Signature card, one caveat is that the program uses a larger scale points system.
Hilton claims that rewards can be redeemed for a room with as little as 5,000 points a night, but more commonly seen are rooms from 20,000-50,000 points per night.
This is a large difference, and some rooms cost as much as 70,000 points. It will be up to you to determine how to use them. You could potentially earn many redemptions, as long as the places you want to travel are in areas with cheaper rewards rates.
A room at 40,000 points may typically cost $185, which values each point at around $0.0046. That’s about half the amount a typical rewards point is worth.
You can also use points to get room upgrades, but this is more confusing and not very standardized, so you’ll have to check what rates you can get for the room you are looking for.
Bottom Line: Hilton’s scale is different than that of other programs, so while you earn a lot of points with the Hilton Signature card, that doesn’t always translate into a ton of redemptions.
Best Way To Redeem Hilton Honors Points
Because the Honors system is very complex, it is difficult to determine the best way to redeem your points once you’ve gone through the trouble of earning them. Hopefully this section helps sort some of that confusion out:
Tip #1: Look for redemptions at the lowest amount of points (it starts at 5,000). Although you may have a minimum standard of expectation for room quality, it can vary drastically between chains and even hotels within the same chain.
Look for reviews and ask the hotel about their rooms to see if staying at a cheaper rewards rate room might hold the same quality as a more expensive one.
Tip #2: Consider both the split pay option as well as the normal points option for rewards. Sometimes the value can be better in one or the other.
For example, a room at a Hampton Inn that would cost $124 for a Friday night in Austin, TX could be redeemed for 30,000 points (a value of $0.004 per point). The split pay option costs $50 and 12,000 points, which in this case is almost the same value.
Checking similar deals, another room had a better value per point if you just redeemed the whole room with points ($0.006 versus $0.004).
Tip #3: Use the 5th night free option and book in multiples of 5 to get the best value. Booking a five night redemption will get you a discount equal to one night.
You can do this for 4 free nights on up to a 20-night consecutive stay, and it will be automatically credited during your redemption.
Tip #4: While there are Premium Room Rewards available, they are usually much lower value than a normal redemption. One calculation we did came in at around $0.003 versus $0.004+ in the examples above.
If you’re interested in redeeming for a Premium Room, be sure to calculate a comparison for a normal room reward.
Best Way To Maximize Honors Points
There are a bunch of different ways to earn Hilton points with your Hilton Signature card. You’ll do best by implementing multiple strategies, as many Honors rewards require a higher number of points:
Tip #1: Use your card whenever you stay at Hilton Hotels. This ensures you earn 6x points on the card and 10-15x points through the program (depending on your status).
Tip #2: Go into your Honors profile right away and sign up for the bonus earning style; you’ll get either 5 extra bonus points per stay, or 1+ airline miles (depending on the airline you choose).
Tip #3: Once you hit Gold or Diamond status, be sure to ask the hotel for the bonus point offerings for each stay. You can earn between 100-2,000 extra bonus points on top of your regular points just for staying at certain hotel chains.
Tip #4: Watch for deals from Hilton, as they often offer double or triple points for stays. This means your 10-15 points could go up to 20-45 points per stay for the Honors earned points.
Tip #5: You can only earn base points on up to 2 rooms at a time, as well as bonus points on normal rates. Bonus points from other offers are only available on a single room.
Tip #6: Make any purchases through the hotel on your room bill to ensure they get counted as a hotel. Sometimes, the restaurants and other services do not get counted in the hotel category when paying separately.
Tip #7: Transfer points earned through other cards or programs to your Hilton Honors account if they are a partner. This way you earn maximum points in multiple card categories rather than just the 2-3x on the card.
Tip #8: Find ways to reach status more quickly, such as staying in a hotel only one night if your travel is flexible. Sometimes earning status can be quicker if you earn it through stays. Higher status equals more points!
If after reading this, you don’t feel the Hilton Signature card is the card for you, then you might want to try another rewards card.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Card
The Marriott Boundless card is a great hotel card alternative. It earns 6x points at Marriott properties. These points transfer to lots of great travel partners.
You also get elite status benefits and the card typically comes with a good sign-up bonus.
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
Marriott loyalists will love this card's annual Free Night Award, automatic elite status, and up to 17x points per $1 on Marriott hotel stays.
Marriott loyalists will love this card's annual Free Night Award, automatic elite status, and up to 17x points per $1 on Marriott hotel stays.
Earn 125,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from your account opening.
125,000 points
$875
$95
20.74% - 27.74% Variable
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.
Good to Excellent (670-850)
Why We Like This Card
If you’re a frequent traveler and a Marriott loyalist, there’s a lot to love about the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card. The card comes packed with several great benefits like a free hotel night once a year, automatic Silver Elite status (with a fast-track to Gold Elite status), and multiple options for redeeming points.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Earn big when you use your card at thousands of participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels
Earn big at grocery stores, gas stations, and dining
Automatic Silver Elite Status
Cons
$95 annual fee
Marriott Silver Elite Status is the lowest status tier
Earn 3 Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after qualifying purchases.
Earn 3X points per $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining.
Earn 1 Elite Night Credit towards Elite Status for every $5,000 you spend.
1 Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary.
Earn up to 17X total points per $1 spent at thousands of hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Card.
Receive 15 Elite Night Credits annually, automatic Silver Elite status, and path to Gold Status when you spend $35,000 on purchases each calendar year.
No Foreign Transaction Fees. Your points don't expire as long as you make purchases on your card every 24 months.
Finally, a popular flexible point travel rewards card is the Amex Gold card, which earns 3x points for airfare booked directly with the airline and comes with a ton of great benefits and perks.
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.
This is the best card for food lovers who dine out at restaurants (worldwide), order take-out and want big rewards at U.S. supermarkets!
This is the best card for food lovers who dine out at restaurants (worldwide), order take-out and want big rewards at U.S. supermarkets!
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
60,000 points
$1,200
$325
See Pay Over Time APR
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.
With this card, you can earn 4x Membership Rewards points at restaurants, up to $50,000 per calendar year, and you’ll also earn 4x Membership Rewards points atU.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year, then 1x.
There isn’t another card on the market that offers a 1-2 punch like this. Of course, there are several other benefits of the Gold Card as well, including extra monthly dining rewards and more.
Pros & Cons
Pros
4x points per dollar at restaurants worldwide, up to $50,000 per calendar year; then 1x thereafter
4x points per dollar at U.S. supermarkets, up to $25,000 per calendar year; then 1x thereafter
3x points per dollar on flights purchased directly from airlines or at AmexTravel.com
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
$120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year. Effective 11/8/2024, an Amex Card must be selected as the payment method for your Uber or Uber Eats transaction to redeem the Amex Uber Cash benefit.
$84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations.
$100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
$120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. Eligible charges vary by property.
No Foreign Transaction Fees.
Annual Fee is $325.
Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
The information regarding the Citi® Hilton Honors™ Visa Signature® Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.
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