Travel Smarter: How I Use the Amex Business Platinum $200 Hilton Credit

The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express is easily one of the most valuable cards in my wallet for my business, thanks to its unique combination of perks and credits (some require enrollment) that deliver tons of value.

One such credit is the annual Hilton credit upon enrollment. As someone who travels often, I find this credit to be of excellent value and is almost as good as cash since I stay at Hilton hotels often.

Here is a look at how the up to $200 Hilton credit on the Amex Business Platinum card works and how I get the most possible value from it.

Amex Business Platinum Card Benefits

In addition to the up to $200 annual Hilton credit, the Amex Business Platinum card has a long list of impressive benefits.

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The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs 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 card is ideal for business travelers who enjoy luxury travel and are looking for a card loaded with benefits!

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The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express

This card is ideal for business travelers who enjoy luxury travel and are looking for a card loaded with benefits!

Welcome Offer

Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.

150,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $3,300

Annual Fee

$695

APR

18.49% - 27.49% Variable

Credit Recommended

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

Why We Like This Card

The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express is a premium travel rewards card tailored toward business owners who are frequent travelers with a high number of annual expenses.

When you factor in the large number of perks that the card offers like the best airport lounge access at over 1,400 lounges, along with tons of annual credits, it’s easy to see why this card can is a top option for frequent traveling business owners.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 5x Membership Rewards points per $1 on Flights and Prepaid Hotels booked through Amex Travel
• Access to over 1,400 worldwide airport lounges as part of the American Express Global Lounge Collection (as of 10/2024). Access is limited to eligible Card Members.
• Get 50% more Membership Rewards points (1.5 points per $1) on eligible purchases in key business categories, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more (on up to $2 million per calendar year)

Cons

• High annual fee of $695 (rates & fees)
• Airline fee credit does not cover airfare, only incidentals like checked bags

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Card Highlights

• Welcome Offer: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
• The American Express Global Lounge Collection^® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market as of 10/2024. Access is limited to eligible Card Members.
• Unlock over $1,000 in statement credits on select purchases, including tech, recruiting and wireless in the first year of membership with the Business Platinum Card^®. Enrollment required. See how you can unlock over $1,000 annually in credits on select purchases with the Business Platinum Card^®.
• Fly like a pro with a $200 Airline Fee Credit. Select one qualifying airline to receive up to $200 back per year on baggage fees and other incidentals.
• NEW! Make the Business Platinum Card^® work even harder for you. Hilton For Business members get up to $200 back per calendar year when you make an eligible purchase at Hilton properties across the globe. Benefit enrollment required.
• Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points^® on Flights, and Prepaid Hotels Booked through AmexTravel.com
• 1X points on other eligible purchases
• Earn 1.5X points (that’s an extra half point per dollar) on each eligible purchase at US construction material, hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers, and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more, on up to $2 million per Card Account per calendar year. Purchases eligible for multiple additional point bonuses will only receive the highest eligible bonus.
• $199 CLEAR^® Plus Credit: Use your card and get up to $199 in statement credits per calendar year on your CLEAR^® Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use the Business Platinum Card^®.
• $695 Annual Fee.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 18.49% - 27.49% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

If you’re a business owner who travels frequently, the Amex Business Platinum card is a must-have. The $695 annual fee (rates & fees) is steep, but some of the best Amex Business Platinum card benefits include:

• Access to over 1,400 worldwide airport lounges as part of the American Express Global Lounge Collection
• Complimentary elite status with Hilton, Marriott, Avis, Hertz, and National upon enrollment
• 35% points rebate when using Pay With Points on select flights, up to 1 million points per calendar year
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
• Excellent travel and purchase protections

How to Use the Up to $200 Hilton Statement Credit

For starters, enrolling in the up to $200 Hilton credit requires a Hilton for Business account, which includes perks like discounts at participating hotels and bonus points after meeting certain night thresholds.

If you don’t already have a Hilton for Business account, one will be automatically created for you during the enrollment process. The process is as straightforward as enrolling in any of the other credits on your card. All you need to do is log in to your American Express account, select your Amex Business Platinum card, and click Rewards and Benefits.

From there, scroll down the list of benefits until you find the $200 Hilton Statement Credit and select it. A pop-up box will appear, at which point you can click Enroll.

Then, enter your Hilton Honors number, check that you understand the terms and conditions, and click the Enroll Now button.

After that, you are all set! You will receive an email when your enrollment is complete, along with an email enrolling you into Hilton for Business if you weren’t enrolled already.

The Amex Business Platinum Card Hilton Credit Is Like Cash

If you frequently stay at Hilton hotels throughout the year, or aren’t loyal to a particular hotel chain, the up to $200 Hilton credit on the Amex Business Platinum card can work a lot like cash for you.

The $200 Hilton credit is divided into $50 back per quarter, up to a total of $200 per calendar year. Fortunately, this $200 credit is easy to use as it can apply to room rates and incidental charges.

All you need to do is book directly with Hilton, use your Amex Business Platinum card to pay for the stay, and you’ll receive up to $50 in statement credits for the booking per quarter. Simple as that.

Given that, you can effectively think of it as a $50 discount on up to 4 separate quarterly Hilton hotel stays throughout the year. If you’re redeeming Hilton Honors points to pay for the booking, you can still use the credit on incidental fees during your stay like dining, room service, or spa services.

This combines really well with the complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status that you receive upon enrollment by holding the Amex Business Platinum card, as that can offer complimentary room upgrades, bonus points, and a daily food and beverage credit or continental breakfast, in addition to the $50 statement credit you receive during your stay. Personally, I’m planning to use the Hilton statement credit on my Amex Business Platinum card on trips to Tokyo, Kenya, and Boca Raton later this year.

Final Thoughts

The Amex Business Platinum card is my favorite business card in my wallet, and the up to $200 annual Hilton credit is just one of the many reasons why.

Since it’s not uncommon for me to frequent Hilton hotels throughout the year, my Amex Business Platinum card effectively earns me a $200 savings each year on travel purchases I plan to make anyway. This is just one more way the Amex Business Platinum card constantly delivers value for me and my business.

For the purchase protection benefit of The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express, eligibility and benefit level varies by Card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.