12 Best Ways To Earn Lots of Hilton Honors Points [2023]

Hilton hotels have a reputation for quality, whether you’re staying at locations in North America or around the globe. In all, there are ~7,000 Hilton hotels in over 120 countries 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 19 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!

Earning Points With Hilton Honors Credit Cards

Perhaps the easiest way to earn lots of Hilton points is with Hilton-branded 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 Credit Card Welcome Offer

All Hilton Honors credit cards come with an introductory bonus and you can see some of those that we prefer below:

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 such as Hilton spending and restaurants.

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
The 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
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card	12x points at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio
	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 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 Home2 Suites by Hilton and Tru by Hilton earn 5x points. Hampton by Hilton in China is excluded from earning.

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). You can 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 to 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	Number of Stays	Number 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

Let’s review all the points you can accumulate as a Hilton Honors member:

Base Points: 5x to 10x
Hilton Credit Card: 7x to 14x points
Elite Status Bonus: 20% to 100%

And our list of ways to earn Hilton Honors points is just getting started!

Hot Tip: You have the potential to earn a lot of points. Don’t let them expire! To keep your account active, earn points, stay at a Hilton hotel once every 24 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 it runs.

Hilton regularly adds new promotions, so keep an eye out for promotion 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)

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of up to 150,000 points with the Amex Platinum card! (The current public offer is 80,000 points.)

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of up to 90,000 points with the Amex Gold card! (The current public offer is 60,000 points.)

If you’re a business owner, see our list of the best Amex business credit cards.

Hilton Honors Travel Partners

7. Lyft

Hilton and Lyft have a partnership where you can link accounts to earn 3x Hilton Honors points 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 Alamo, Enterprise, or National and earn 500 points per day, up to 5,000 points per rental.

Convert to Hilton Honors Points

There are other ways to convert other loyalty program points to Hilton Honors points as well.

9. Transfer Amtrak Rewards Points or Virgin Points to Hilton

Hilton has 2 partners that allow you to convert their points to Hilton Honors points:

Amtrak — 5,000 Amtrak Guest Rewards Points for 10,000 Hilton Honors points (call 800-307-5000)
Virgin Atlantic — 10,000 Virgin Points for 15,000 Hilton Honors points (call 800-365-9500)

Dining for Points

A great way to earn points without much effort is to do so for your dining — join the Hilton Honors Dining program!

10. Hilton Honors Dining

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.

Basic members: Sign up for free and register a credit or debit card for payment to earn 2 points per $1 including tax and tip.
Select members: Elect to receive emails from the program and you will earn 5 points per $1.
VIP 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 3 personal cards all earn a minimum of 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.

11. Join Guest Opinion Rewards

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

12. Buy Hilton Honors Points

If you’re really in need of some extra Hilton Honors points, you can always buy points. Buying these without a specific strategy would not be recommended and we only suggest doing so if you need points for an immediate 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!

The information regarding the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card and Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express 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.

Featured Image Credit: Hilton

Frequently asked questions

What are the Hilton Honors status tiers? Do they earn bonus points?

Hilton Honors has 3 tiers, and each earns a different status bonus: Silver (20% bonus — 12x per $1), Gold (80% bonus — 18x per $1), and Diamond (100% bonus — 20x per $1).

Can I earn Hilton Honors points by shopping?

Hilton discontinued the Shop-to-Earn Mall on September 1, 2018. We’ll update if a replacement is launched.

Can I earn miles instead of Hilton Honors points?

You only directly earn Hilton Honors points for stays. However, there are a number of airline partners with which you can exchange your Hilton points for miles.

How many Hilton Honors points are earned per night or stay?

Members earn 10 points per $1 for stays at most hotels in the Hilton portfolio. Stays at Home2 Suites by Hilton and Tru by Hilton earn 5 points per $1.

Additional points can be earned when using a Hilton credit card (7x to 14x points), as well as the Elite Status Bonus (20% to 100%).

What is the Hilton Honors customer service number?

You can reach Hilton Honors customer service at 800-445-8667.

Can I transfer points to Hilton Honors from other loyalty programs?

Yes. Hilton Honors points can be transferred from American Express Membership Rewards, Amtrak Guest Rewards, and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.

Is there a Hilton Honors credit card that earns points?

Use the Hilton Honors card, Hilton Surpass card, Hilton Aspire card, or Hilton Business Amex card to earn Hilton Honors points.

You can also transfer points from American Express Membership Rewards-earning cards.

When do Hilton Honors points expire?

If there is no activity on your account, points will expire in 24 months. You can earn or redeem points or stay at a Hilton portfolio hotel to keep your account active.

How many Hilton points do I need for a free night?

Hilton no longer publishes an award chart. The number of points needed for a free night can vary based on the quality of the hotel, location, season, and other factors. Generally, point costs per night range between 5,000 and 95,000.

What are Hilton points worth?

At Upgraded Points, we value Hilton points at 0.5 cents per point. Keep in mind that point valuations are subjective, so you may receive more or less value than this number. To learn more about our valuations, check out our dedicated points valuations page.

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About Jarrod West

Jarrod has been writing about the ins and outs of credit cards and loyalty programs, along with airlines and hotels, for over 6 years. He is regularly called upon to share his expertise on the latest news within the space, and has been featured in publications such as Matador Network, The New York Times, RetailMeNot, and Yahoo! Finance. Jarrod has over 20 credit cards in his wallet and has tested out dozens more in order to vet the very best card options for readers. As he is constantly sampling new cards, Jarrod also earns (and redeems) over 1 million points and miles each year. This allows him to book luxury travel experiences the world over, and save tens of thousands of dollars in the process.

Disclaimer: Any comments listed below are not from the bank advertiser, nor have they been reviewed or approved by them. No responsibility will be taken by the bank advertiser for these comments.

40 comments

Julie March 3, 2019
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.
Reply
- Christine Krzyszton March 5, 2019
  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.”
  Reply
  - Julie March 5, 2019
    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.
    Reply
    - Christine Krzyszton March 5, 2019
      Glad you found the information useful, Julie. Thanks for reading.
      Reply
      - Julie March 5, 2019
        Yes. The no AF HH.
      - Christine Krzyszton March 5, 2019
        Thanks for confirming which card you have. That’s the one that earns 5 points/$1 on restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations.
      - Mian Ali April 4, 2019
        Can I purchase Hilton Honors points on the open market. Anyone sell these?
        Or anyone in the group?
      - Christine Krzyszton April 5, 2019
        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.
John Baker March 21, 2019
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?
Reply
- Stephen Au March 22, 2019
  Hey John,
  Unfortunately, American Express will not substitute any of the perks you receive on a card with extra points.
  Reply
Robert March 24, 2019
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?
Reply
- Christine Krzyszton March 24, 2019
  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.
  Reply
Jack April 30, 2019
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?
Reply
- Katie Seemann May 1, 2019
  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.
  Reply
KC Patel June 23, 2019
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!
Reply
- Jarrod West June 23, 2019
  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.
  Reply
Dee July 8, 2019
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.
Reply
- Christine Krzyszton July 8, 2019
  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
  Reply
Fun traveling July 29, 2019
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.
Reply
- Jarrod West July 29, 2019
  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/travel/points-and-miles-valuations/
  Thanks for reading!
  Reply
Sheilar k Smith September 12, 2019
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?
Reply
- Jarrod West September 13, 2019
  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!
  Reply
- L August 28, 2021
  There is a missing stay form you can fill out on the hilton.com website. You log into your account and find the missing stays form, fill it out, and return it to Hilton in order for them to compensate you for all stays. Also, make sure you have all of your check-in and out days, as well as your Honors id number, and your stays confirmation numbers to ensure that things are fixed and handled within a timely fashion. Good luck.
  Reply
Mike November 18, 2019
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!
Reply
- Jarrod West November 19, 2019
  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.
  Reply
Martin November 26, 2019
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.
Reply
rms December 1, 2019
How many points will I earn by buying a Hilton Gift Card with Hilton Honors Amex card?
Reply
- Jarrod West December 2, 2019
  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.
  Reply
Kri$tofer January 18, 2020
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.
Reply
P. Erickson February 2, 2020
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.
Reply
- Andrew Kunesh February 4, 2020
  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.
  Reply
- Stephen Au February 4, 2020
  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.
  Reply
NewbieBigCardRoller February 25, 2020
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!
Reply
- Jarrod West February 29, 2020
  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.
  Reply
JD June 23, 2020
Vinesse ended their promo with Hilton in 2018.
Reply
- Jarrod West June 23, 2020
  Hi JD,
  This offer appears to still be active: https://www2.vinesse.com/offer/clubjoin.cfm?src=hiltwebex
  Reply
Joe January 1, 2021
Can I purchase Hilton points with my Amazon gift card?
Reply
- Jarrod West January 2, 2021
  Hi Joe,
  No, Amazon gift cards can only be used towards Amazon purchases.
  Reply
Kasey September 8, 2021
FTD.com offer is no longer valid, just FYI.
Reply
- Jarrod West September 10, 2021
  Hi Kasey,
  Are you sure? It seems that Hilton is still listed on the FTD partners page.
  Reply