21 Best Ways to Earn Lots of Hilton Honors Points
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Hilton hotels have a reputation for quality, whether you’re staying at locations in North America or around the globe. In all, there are Hilton hotels in 78 countries and across 6 continents.
The Hilton Honors hotel loyalty program makes it easy for members to earn points for free stays and other rewards by offering 14 distinct Hilton Worldwide portfolio brands.
Read along as we cover strategies designed to maximize your points so you can earn as many as possible. With so many ways to earn Hilton Honors points, you will be positioned to build up your balance quickly!
Think of all the fun ways you can redeem Hilton points for hotel stays!
Table of contents
Table of Contents
Earning Points With Hilton Honors Credit Cards
Perhaps the easiest way to earn lots of Hilton points is through credit cards. First, you’ve got to get signed up to the loyalty program, then find out which card is the best for you!
Start by Joining Hilton Honors
When you enroll as a member of the Hilton Honors loyalty program, you’ll have loads of opportunities to earn points. Plus it’s free to join.
Points can be redeemed for hotel stays, travel benefits, and shopping rewards!
1. Hilton Honors Card Sign-Up Bonus Points
The following Hilton Honors credit cards come with introductory bonuses; click on a link to learn about the card and its current bonus.
| CREDIT CARD | CARD INFO |
|---|---|
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card |
|
Hilton Honors American Express Card |
|
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card |
|
Hot Tip: Check out our comparison of the benefits and perks of each Hilton Honors credit card for more details.
2. Category Bonus Points
Each of the Hilton Honors credit cards helps you earn bonus points for categories like Hilton spending, restaurants, and more.
Check the table below to see the bonus categories available to you with each card. You’ll see how quickly you can earn miles for your monthly spending!
| Card Name | Points Earned |
| Hilton Honors™ American Express Aspire Card | 14x pts Hilton purchases |
| 7x pts. U.S. restaurants, flights (book with airline or amextravel.com), rental cars | |
| 3x pts. all other eligible purchases on your Card | |
| Hilton Honors™ American Express Ascend Card | 12x pts Hilton purchases |
| 6x pts. U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations | |
| 3x pts. all other eligible purchases on your Card | |
| Hilton Honors™ American Express Card | 7x pts Hilton purchases |
| 5x pts. U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations | |
| 3x pts. all other eligible purchases on your Card | |
| Hilton Honors™ American Express Business Card | 12x pts. Hilton purchases |
| 6x pts. U.S. restaurants, flights (book with airline or amextravel.com), rental cars, U.S. gas stations, U.S. wireless providers, U.S. shipping | |
| 3x pts. everything else |
3. Hilton Hotel Stays
Earn 10 points per $1 spent for stays at most hotels in the Hilton portfolio. (In some cases, you may only be able to earn based on the room rate.) Stays at Home2Suites and Tru earn 5 points per $1. Hampton by Hilton in China are excluded from earning.
These points are on top of the points you can earn by using Hilton credit cards that earn points.
So, if you pay for your stay with a Hilton Honors American Express Card, you can really make out like a bandit with as many as 17x-20x points depending on the card!
4. Hilton Honors Elite Status Bonuses
Believe it or not, the bonus points we’ve covered so far aren’t all that you can earn. You also have the opportunity to earn bonus points as a Silver, Gold, or Diamond status member.
The table below shows how to qualify for each status. You only need to qualify in one of the 3 categories to achieve elite status and earn the 15%-50% bonus for purchases.
| Elite Tier | # of Stays | # of Nights | Honors Base Points | Status Bonus |
| Silver | 4 stays | 10 nights | N/A | 20% |
| Gold | 20 stays | 40 nights | 75,000 base points | 80% |
| Diamond | 30 stays | 60 nights | 120,000 base points | 100% |
Let’s review all the points you can accumulate as a Hilton Honors member:
- Base Points: 5x-10x
- Hilton Credit Card: 7x-14x points
- Elite Status Bonus: 20%-100%
And our list of ways to earn Hilton Honors points is just getting started!
All this may seem a little overwhelming, but it will get easier. You can always use the Hilton Honors Points Calculator to stay on top of things.
Before we continue, a brief warning: you have the potential to earn a lot of points. Don’t let them expire! To keep your account active, stay at a Hilton hotel once every 12 months or make another type of redemption.
Earning Points With Other Credit Cards
You don’t have to use a Hilton credit card to earn Hilton points. Membership Rewards has Hilton as a transfer partner!
5. American Express Credit Cards
If you have an American Express Membership Rewards account, you’ll want to pay close attention: you can transfer those Membership Rewards points to Hilton Honors at a 1:1.5 ratio!
Take a look at all the Amex credit cards that earn Membership Rewards points below, and you’ll notice there are plenty of options!
Recommended Amex Cards (Personal)
| The Platinum Card® from American Express - There's currently a welcome bonus of 60,000 points after spending $5,000 in your first 3 months. This is our favorite card for getting into 1,200+ airport lounges worldwide (including Priority Pass) and we get about $1,500+ in value from the card every year. Plus, get up to $200 in Uber credits annually ($15 per month and a $20 bonus in December) — and up to $200 in annual credit for airline incidental charges (e.g. baggage fees). For rates and fees of the Platinum Card, click here. |
| American Express® Gold Card - We love using this card as it earns 4x points at restaurants worldwide and 4x points at US supermarkets (up to $25,000; then 1x). With a welcome bonus of 35,000 points after you spend $2,000 in your first 3 months and a $100 airfare credit per year, for many this is an easy addition to your wallet. For rates and fees of the Gold Card, click here. |
Recommended Amex Cards (Business)
| The Business Platinum Card® from American Express - Even though this card carries a hefty annual fee, we get ~$1,250+ in value per year by leveraging as many of the benefits/perks card. Get access to 1,200+ airport lounges worldwide, $200 in airline fee credits for incidentals (e.g. baggage fees) and a lot more. Also, earn a welcome bonus of up to 75,000 points (terms apply). For rates and fees of the Business Platinum, click here. |
| American Express® Business Gold Card - probably our favorite Amex business card because we earn 4x points across the top 2 select categories that we spend the most money in each month. The 4x points applies to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these 2 categories each calendar year. This means you'll max out at a (whopping) 600,000 points per year. After that, you earn 1x. For rates and fees of the Business Gold Card, click here. |
| The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card from American Express - This is a real simple card that earns you 2x points on business purchases up to $50,000 annually (then 1x). There's no annual fee. For rates and fees of The Blue Business Plus, click here. |
Hilton Honors Travel Partners
There are many travel partners in the Hilton loyalty program, from car rentals to cruises.
6. Lyft
Hilton and Lyft have a partnership where you can link accounts to earn 3x Hilton points per $1 spent on Lyft in the U.S. and Canada for economy, luxury, and extra seats. Earn 2x Hilton points on Lyft Shared. (Taxes, highway tolls, fees, tips and Lyft Credits are excluded.)
7. Car Rental Partners
Book a car rental from the following rental companies and earn Hilton Honors points:
| Company | Points | Company | Points |
| Alamo* | 500 pts/day up to 5,000 pts/rental plus discount Contract ID 7015298 | Ace Drive Singapore | 10 pts/$1 |
| Enterprise* | 500 pts/day up to 5,000 pts/rental | Car Club | Up to 5,500 pts. plus 10% off in India |
| National* | 500 pts/day up to 5,000 pts/rental plus 25% off Contract ID 5028125 | Europcar | 250 pts. plus 10% off |
| Avis | 500 pts plus 25% off Code U106100 |
*Hilton Honors Preferred Partners
8. Take a Cruise
Add up to 50,000 points to your Hilton Honors account when you book a cruise through Hilton Honors Cruises, powered by Cruises Only.
The length of your trip will determine how many points you earn.
| # of Nights | Honors Bonus Points |
| 1-5 | 6,000 |
| 6-8 | 12,000 |
| 9-12 | 24,000 |
| 13+ | 50,000 |
9. Join Priority Pass
Receive up to 10,000 Honors Bonus Points for joining Priority Pass. With a Priority Pass membership, you’ll also enjoy access to more than 600 VIP airport lounges around the world, no matter what fare class you fly.
| Type of Membership | Bonus Points |
| Priority Standard Membership | 4,000 Honors Points |
| Priority Pass Standard Plus Membership | 6,500 Honors Points |
| Priority Pass Prestige Membership | 10,000 Honors Points |
Hot Tip: You may already be a Priority Pass member if you have The Platinum Card® from American Express or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express.
Convert to Hilton Honors Points
There are other ways to convert other loyalty program points to Hilton Honors points as well. Keep reading to find out how.
10. Diners Club International
Members of Club Rewards, the Diners Club program, can exchange points to Hilton Honors. When you convert increments of 1,250 Club Rewards points, you will receive 2,000 Hilton Honors points.
Make the exchange by calling Club Rewards at 1-800-234-4034 or visit clubrewardsus.com. It may take up to 3 weeks for the exchange to be completed.
11. Transfer Airline Miles to Points
Hilton has several airline partners that allow you to convert their miles to Honors points. The following table lists these partners along with the transfer ratio and contact information.
| Airline Program | Transfer Ratio | Contact |
| Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles | 10,000 mi to 15,000 pts and 20,000 mi to 30,000 pts. | 1-877-HA-MILES |
| LATAM Multiplus | 5,000 mi to 6,250 pts. | +55 11 3137 7474 (international) |
| SriLankan Airlines FlySmiLes | 20,000 mi to 10,000 pts. | SriLankan.com |
| Virgin Atlantic Airways Flying Club | 10,000 mi to 15,000 pts. (minimum 10,000 miles) | 1-800-365-9500 |
12. Exchange Amtrak Points
If you don’t want to earn Points & Points or Points & Miles, you have another option: Amtrak points. Earn 1 Amtrak Guest Rewards point per $1 spent on most Hilton portfolio hotel stays.
Because Amtrak is a travel partner, you can also exchange 5,000 Amtrak Guest Rewards points for 10,000 Honors points!
Dining for Points
A great way to earn points without much effort is to do so for your dining. Join the Hilton dining program!
13. Hilton Honors Dining
Sign up for Hilton Honors Dining and earn Honors Points for dining out!
Earn up to 8 Honors Bonus Points per $1 at more than 10,000 locations. With so many participating restaurants, bars, and clubs, points can add up fast.
- Members: Sign up for free and register a credit or debit card for payment. As a Member, you’ll earn 2 points per $1 including tax and tip!
- Online Members: Elect to receive emails from the program and you will earn 5 points per $1.
- Elite Members: After paying for at least 12 meals in a calendar year, you’ll get 8 points per $1.
Hot Tip: Register with a Hilton Honors credit card and earn additional points, depending on the card. The Hilton Honors American Express Card earns 5x points for U.S. restaurant purchases!
Earn Points With Special Offers
On top of everything you have already learned, there are other special offers and ways to earn Hilton points. From filling out surveys to making calls and more shopping, you won’t find it hard to earn points!
14. Join e-Rewards
Put your spare time to good use earning points with e-Rewards. There’s no fee to become a member, and you’ll get the opportunity to read and respond to marketing messages in exchange for e-Rewards.
There is no public registration directly with e-Rewards. Instead, you’ll need to be invited through Hilton Honors to participate.
15. Make International Calls
Make international calls with one of these Hilton Honors partners to receive points.
| Company | Offer |
| One SimCard* | 100 points with enrollment plus 1 point/minute |
| Travelling Connect | Varies |
16. Enroll in Vinesse Wines
Grow your Hilton Honors account and enjoy a membership to Vinesse Wines. Earn points 2 ways: first, get 3,333 points with your first wine club shipment. Then receive 13 points per $1 spent as a Vinesse member.
17. Order a Bouquet of Flowers
When you shop online at FTD, you can earn 1,000 Hilton Honors points! You can also order by phone in the U.S. by calling +1-800-736-3383. Exclusions apply, so check terms and conditions.
Expect points to post about 6-8 weeks after ordering.
18. LifeLock Identity Protection
If you’re concerned about the safety of your personal information, LifeLock may be able to help. Get a discount and earn up to 12,000 Hilton Honors points when you sign up using Promo Code HHONORS8. Get more information here.
19. Enroll in an NRG Home Plan
Choosing NRG Home as your energy provider can mean extra Hilton Honors points.
- Enrollment Bonus: Receive 10,000 points the second month as an active customer.
- Monthly Points: Earn 3 points per $1 spent on the supply portion of your monthly bill.
Find out if your state participates and check the terms and conditions before making a decision as choosing an energy provider is an important decision. The offer code is HIL-7209-101.
20. International Partner Offers
If we haven’t covered enough ways to earn Hilton Honors points so far, you can also find international partner offers here. For instance, earn for ordering a Newsweek subscription in Japan, joining OpenTable in Australia, and much more.
Other Methods
21. Buy Hilton Honors Points
If you’re really in need of some extra Hilton Honors Points, you can always buy them. Buying these without a specific strategy would not be recommended and we only suggest doing so if you need points really fast (for a redemption). Sometimes you’ll get lucky and there will be a bonus promotion running around the time that you need extra Hilton points so keep your eyes peeled for those!
Final Thoughts
Between bonuses, partners, and transfer opportunities, Hilton Honors lets you earn more points than most hotel loyalty programs. Book a room at a hotel in the Hilton portfolio, and you’ll be on your way to redemptions such as free stays, upgrades, and other terrific options!
When did the Hilton Honors card start offering 5x on gas groceries and restaurants? It was 3x when I signed up for it. So no need to go for the Blue Cash Everyday that is 3x. Especially since you are not able to combine BC with HH.
Hi Julie. The Hilton Honors American Express Card earns 5 points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations and U.S. restaurants. Here is the actual verbiage from the card’s terms and conditions: “You will receive 2 additional Hilton Honors Bonus Points, for a total of 5, for each dollar of eligible purchases at the following categories of merchants excluding superstores and warehouse clubs: restaurants located in the U.S., supermarkets located in the U.S. and on gasoline at gas stations located in the U.S.”
This was great news. So now going to scrap the plan to get the Blue Cash Everyday esp that it is only cashback and there would be no points to transfer to my HH. Maybe now if I use my HH more they will give me better offers.
Glad you found the information useful, Julie. Thanks for reading.
Yes. The no AF HH.
Thanks for confirming which card you have. That’s the one that earns 5 points/$1 on restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations.
Can I purchase Hilton Honors points on the open market. Anyone sell these?
Or anyone in the group?
Hi Mian. You can purchase Hilton Honors points directly from Hilton. It is not the best value but when there is a promotion, it can be a viable option for a specific redemption. I would not advise purchasing points from an individual.
If I was already a member of Priority Pass and I am a new member of Hilton Honors, is there anyway that I could get the 10,000 free Hilton points that you get for applying to Priority Pass?
Hey John,
Unfortunately, American Express will not substitute any of the perks you receive on a card with extra points.
I have stayed multiple times in Hilton Hotels. The stays do appear in my account but I am not receiving any reward points. Might there be hotels that appear in the account but are not earning points?
Hi Robert and thanks for your question. If you are using Hilton Honors points to book hotel stays, you may not be earning any points. Also, if you book Hilton hotels through a third party such as Orbitz, Hotels.com, etc. you will also not earn points. If you are booking paid hotel stays through the Hilton website or app and not earning points, you can call Hilton Honors and request the points. Hope this helps.
Anyone know if you can get the sign up bonus for the $95 annual fee card if you already have the no annual fee card?
Hi Jack,
Yes, you should be eligible to earn the sign up bonus on the Hilton Honors Amex Ascend Card ($95 fee) as long as you haven’t had the previous version of this card (Hilton Honors Surpass). So if you only have the no fee Hilton Honors card you should be good to go.
Is there any way to convert Hilton Honors Points to Amex Membership rewards?
Also, which Amex would you say is better, Hilton Amex or the Bonvoy Amex?
Thank you, your site is so helpful!
KC,
Thank you for the kind words!
Unfortunately, it is not possible to transfer your Hilton Honors points to Amex Membership Rewards points.
As far as which credit card is better, that largely depends on your travel needs and hotel group you prefer to stay with.
Where can I find a list of eligible U.S. restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations for earning Hilton Honor points? I currently have the card with no annual fee.
Hello Dee. There is not a list of eligible restaurants, supermarkets, or gas stations that qualify for earning Hilton Honor points. The IRS does classifies businesses by assigning merchant category codes (MCC), however, and you can use that list to get an idea of which businesses fall into which categories. American Express may assign some of its own merchant codes but the IRS will give you a general guideline. A purchase at any business that has a restaurant, supermarket, or gas station Amex merchant code will receive the appropriate amount of Hilton Honor points. https://www.dm.usda.gov/procurement/card/card_x/mcc.pdf