20 Best Ways to Earn Lots of Hilton Honors Points

BY 

Jennifer Koebele

- UPDATED: January 30, 2019

1. Earn Points  / 
2. Earn Hotel 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!

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 Ascend Card	Earn 125,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 in purchases within your first 3 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn a free weekend night after you spend $15,000 on purchases on your card in a calendar year. 12X on qualifying purchases with hotels from the Hilton portfolio. Earn 6X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations. Annual Fee: $95 For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Ascend Card, please click here.
Hilton Honors American Express Card	Earn 75,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after spending $1,000 within your first 3 months after approval. 7X points on qualifying purchases with hotels from the Hilton portfolio. Annual Fee: $0 For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Card, please click here.

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!

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.

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)

AMEX CARD	BENEFITS & INFO
American Express® Gold Card	Earn 35,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $2,000 on eligible purchases with your new card within the first 3 months. Earn 4x points at US restaurants; Earn 4x points at US supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X). Annual Fee: $250 Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, please click here.
The Platinum Card® from American Express How We Get $1,500+ In Value From This Card (Per Year) >	Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases in your first 3 months. 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel. Access 1,200+ airport lounges including the amazing Centurion® lounges. Up to $200 Uber Savings Annually. $200 Airline Fee Credit. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $550 For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, please click here.

Recommended Amex Cards (Business)

AMEX CARD	BENEFITS & INFO
The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card from American Express	Earn 2X points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. 0.0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months, then a variable rate, currently 13.49%, 17.49% or 21.49%. Annual Fee: $0 For rates and fees of The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card from American Express, please click here.
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express See How To Also Get $1,250+ in Value Per Year >>	Welcome Offer: Earn up to 75,000 Membership Rewards® Points. Earn 50,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 & an extra 25,000 points after you spend an additional $10,000 all on qualifying purchases within your first 3 months of Card Membership. Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com. Access 1,200+ airport lounges, including the amazing Centurion® lounges. $200 Airline Fee Credit. Annual Fee: $595 For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, please click here.
American Express® Business Gold Card	Earn 35,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $5,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.* More Rewards: Get 4X Membership Rewards® points on the 2 select categories where your business spent the most each month 4X points apply to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these 2 categories each calendar year. Pay Over Time Option: A flexible payment option to help manage cash flow on purchases of $100 or more. Annual Fee: $295 For rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, please click here.
Are you a business owner? For more details, see our American Express business credit cards article or in-depth 2019 business credit cards guide to find the perfect card for your company.

Hilton Honors Travel Partners

There are many travel partners in the Hilton loyalty program, from car rentals to cruises.

6. Car Rental Partners

Book a car rental from the following rental companies and earn Hilton Honors points:

*Hilton Honors Preferred Partners

7. 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.

8. 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.

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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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!

12. 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 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!

13. 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.

14. Make International Calls

Make international calls with one of these Hilton Honors partners to receive points.

*Register your number

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. 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.

19. 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

20. 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!

Photo Credits:
Hilton Ras Al Khaimah, UAE: Kiev.Victor / Shutterstock.com