20 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 nearly 6,000 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 17 distinct Hilton Worldwide portfolio brands.
Read along as we cover the many strategies designed to earn and maximize Hilton Honors points so that you will be positioned to build up your balance quickly to redeem those 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, sign up for 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
All Hilton Honors credit cards come with an introductory bonus and you can see some of those that we prefer below:
| CREDIT CARD | CARD INFO |
|---|---|
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card Apply Now (at Amex's secure site) |
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Hilton Honors American Express Card Apply Now (at Amex's secure site) |
|
Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card Apply Now (at Amex's secure site) |
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The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card Apply Now (at Amex's secure site) |
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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 points on Hilton purchases |
| 7x points at U.S. restaurants and on flights (book with airline or amextravel.com) and rental cars | |
| 3x points on all other eligible purchases on your Card | |
| Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card | 12x points on Hilton purchases |
| 6x points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations | |
| 3x points on all other eligible purchases on your Card | |
| Hilton Honors American Express Card | 7x points on Hilton purchases |
| 5x points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations | |
| 3x points on all other eligible purchases on your Card | |
| Hilton Honors American Express Business Card | 12x points at Hilton hotels and resorts |
| 6x points on select business and travel purchases | |
| 3x points on all other eligible purchases |
3. Hilton Hotel Stays
Hilton Honors members earn 10x 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 is excluded from earning.
As of January 2020, there is no limit on how many points you can earn per stay and you can earn points on multiple hotel rooms (with a 4 room maximum). So, make sure to charge multiple rooms to your account if you’re booking for friends and family.
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 Card, you can really make out like a bandit with as many as 19x-34x 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 1 of the 3 categories to achieve elite status and earn the 20% to 100% bonus for purchases.
| Elite Tier | # of Stays | # of Nights | Honors Base Points | Status Bonus |
| Silver | 4 stays | 10 nights | 25,000 | 20% — 12x per $1 |
| Gold | 20 stays | 40 nights | 75,000 | 80% — 18x per $1 |
| Diamond | 30 stays | 60 nights | 120,000 | 100% — 20x per $1 |
For 2021, the qualification requirements have been by adjusted by half:
| Elite Tier | # of Stays | # of Nights | Base Points | Status Bonus |
| Silver | 2 stays | 5 nights | 12,500 | 20% — 12x per $1 |
| Gold | 10 stays | 20 nights | 37,500 | 80% — 18x per $1 |
| Diamond | 15 stays | 30 nights | 60,000 | 100% — 20x per $1 |
Update: See how Hilton Honors has adjusted 2020 and 2021 points and status expiration, elite qualification, free night awards, and more in our article: Coronavirus (COVID-19): Hotel Elite Status Extensions, Changes, and Updates.
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.
5. Hilton Honors Promotions
If you’re familiar with most hotel groups, you know that they regularly run promotions to give members a chance to earn extra points. The Hilton Honors program is no exception, and can oftentimes be more generous than most in terms of the promotions they run.
One of the last promotions ran through September 8, 2019. Hilton ran Go More Get More promotion, which not only offers members an extra 2x base points on starting on your second stay, but also the opportunity to earn large point bonuses depending on your number of stays. Members can earn:
- 10,000 bonus points after 10 stays
- 15,000 bonus points after 15 stays
- 20,000 bonus points after 20 stays
Hilton regularly adds new promotions so keep an eye out for their emails, and check the offers tab in your account for new deals.
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!
6. 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 1:2 ratio.
Take a look at a number of popular 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 new welcome bonus offer of 75,000 Membership Rewards Points after spending $5,000 on purchases in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn 10x points in the first 6 months on eligible purchases at U.S. Gas Stations and U.S. Supermarkets (on up to $15,000 in combined purchases). This is our #1 card for accessing 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide (including Priority Pass). We leverage ~$3,000+ in benefits and perks from the card every year. Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum Card, click here. |
| American Express® Gold Card - We love using this card as it earns 4x points at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery, and 4x points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per calendar year; then 1x. Terms Apply). There's no better card in our opinion if you eat out and/or shop at supermarkets regularly; and you'll have access to many benefits and perks. With a welcome bonus of 60,000 points after you spend $4,000 in your first 6 months, it's a strong choice. For rates and fees of the Amex Gold Card, click here. |
Recommended Amex Cards (Business)
| The Business Platinum Card® from American Express - Right now, there's a welcome bonus of up to 75,000 points after you spend $15,000 within the first 3 months. Terms Apply. See how we get ~$5,525+ in value per year by leveraging many of the benefits & perks, including access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide. For rates & 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, such as Facebook or Google ads. The 4x points applies to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these 2 categories each calendar year. After that, you earn 1x. Terms Apply. For rates & fees of the Business Gold Card, click here. |
| The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express - A super simple, no annual fee card that earns you 2x points on everyday business purchase, up to $50,000 annually. After that, then 1x. That makes for an easy 100,000 points per year. 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.
7. 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.
8. Car Rental Partners
Book a car rental from the following rental companies and earn Hilton Honors points:
| Company | Points | Company | Points |
| Alamo* | 500 points/day up to 5,000 pts/rental, plus discount Contract ID 7015298 | Ace Drive Singapore | 10 points/$1 |
| Enterprise* | 500 points/day up to 5,000 points/rental | Avis | 500 points, plus 25% off Code K851000 |
| National* | 500 points/day up to 5,000 points/rental, plus 25% off Contract ID 5028125 | Europcar | 250 points. plus 10% off |
*Hilton Honors Preferred Partners
9. 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 |
10. 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 | Honors Bonus Points |
| Priority Standard Membership | 4,000 |
| Priority Pass Standard Plus Membership | 6,500 |
| Priority Pass Prestige Membership | 10,000 |
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.
11. 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 800-234-4034 or visit clubrewardsus.com. Exchanges may take up to 3 weeks to be completed.
12. 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 miles to 15,000 points and 20,000 miles to 30,000 points | 877-HA-MILES |
| Virgin Atlantic Airways Flying Club | 10,000 miles to 15,000 points (minimum 10,000 miles) | 800-365-9500 |
13. 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!
14. 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 to 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!
15. 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.
16. 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 |
17. Enroll in Vinesse Wines
Grow your Hilton Honors account and enjoy a membership to Vinesse Wines. Get 3,333 points with your first wine club shipment, then receive 13 points per $1 spent as a Vinesse member.
18. 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 800-736-3383. Exclusions apply, so check terms and conditions.
Expect points to post about 6-8 weeks after ordering.
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.
Hot Tip: Did you know you can earn Hilton points by planning a meeting or event? For more information, check out our guide to earning points by booking business events.
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!
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, click here.
For rates and fees of The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card, click here.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, click here.
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
Is it worth it to buy a hotel room option “double points”. Any recommendations as to how to judge the math on that as each property is different. Never cheat on how many points I’m getting, so not sure if say the $49 increase is worth it.
Hi, Fun traveling!
In order to determine if this is a good value, you need to calculate whether the extra points you will earn are worth the additional cost you will pay per night.
To help with the math, check out our post on what points and miles are worth!
https://upgradedpoints.com/points-and-miles-valuations/
Thanks for reading!
I thought my points were all set. I spent several months at the Hampton Inn in Alton, Il. Now I find something must have gone wrong with my registration. My daughter had the same stay and her registration is fine. Along with her points. Is there anything I can do to get my points?
Hi Sheilar,
We do not represent and have no affiliation with Hilton. We are a website that provided education travel guides. In order to get this situation resolved you will need to contact the Hilton customer service team.
Thanks for reading!
If I book two properties at once (e.g. having overlap), how do they get counted?
Also if I check out and check back in, does it count as a new stay?
Thanks!
Hi Mike,
Do you mean booking a night at 2 separate properties on the same day? Since you will only be able to check-in for one of those reservations, it’s likely that only 1 would be counted.
Usually, there needs to be at least 1 night in-between checking out and checking back in to qualify as 2 separate stays.
The hhonors program went downhill. Highly likely to be my last year with them, even next year I keep Diamond status, they’ve messed up so many times that it is hard to believe for me. Double charged points for one stay then claimed I stayed at that hotel twice. So-called “bonus points” when completing 40th 50th 60th night is a joke as well, always have to remind them to count it to your account, etc. After their CRM changed, if I recall something like 18 months ago, it has been one sad story.
How many points will I earn by buying a Hilton Gift Card with Hilton Honors Amex card?
Hi Rms,
It is likely that you will earn just 3x, as the cards T&C to earn the 7x for Hilton stays do not include gift card purchases.
Currently Amtrak points can be transferred to Hilton if the Amtrak member has a high tier membership, typically spending $2500 on train travel a year, or having the Bank of America Amtrak credit card and spending $20,000 in a calendar year. Transfer to Hilton can take upwards to 28 days.
As a Hilton Diamond member, we use an American Airlines Citibank MasterCard to pay for our stays and only earn Hilton points (no AA miles). With the change coming in April 2020 (no longer cooperation between Hilton and AA to earn miles), will paying with the AA Citi credit card still give us Hilton points on our stays? Thanks for your reply.
Hello! Yes, you will still earn Hilton points when paying with an American Airlines co-branded credit card. Likewise, you’ll still earn Hilton points on your stay so long as you book directly with Hilton. The partnership only means that you cannot transfer miles from Hilton to American or earn American points in lieu of Hilton points.
P. Erickson,
You’ll earn Hilton points regardless of what card you use to pay. The number of points you earn is broken down into 2 buckets:
1. Points for booking a reservation (credit card doesn’t matter)
2. Points for putting Hilton spending on a specific credit card
So, you’ll still earn a base amount plus your Diamond bonus, but you won’t earn any by virtue of your credit card.
New 2 card owner. I now have the Hilton Aspire card and the Chase Sapphire Reserve, I’m still confused about what would be the better point value using either card for daily things like groceries or a dinner out, dry cleaning, etc. CSR looks better in one sense, for things like travel, but what about other redemptions like gift cards? My gut says CSR day to day, due to the ton of Diamond points I will get for stays, but looking at early statement info its awesome to see “7x” and “3x” on my basic purchases like gas via the Aspire card. Thank you for answering questions and great site!
Hi NewbieBigCardRoller,
We value Chase Ultimate Reward points at 1.95 cent per point, so that represents a value of 1.95% return on your spend when using the card on non-bonused spend. We value Hilton points at 0.4 cents each, representing a 1.2% return on your non-bonused spend thanks to the 3x earnings. So, in this case, you would want to use your CSR for all of your day to day spending – unless you’re trying to earn as many Hilton points as possible for a specific redemption.
Vinesse ended their promo with Hilton in 2018.
Hi JD,
This offer appears to still be active: https://www2.vinesse.com/offer/clubjoin.cfm?src=hiltwebex