Update: American Express has released information on the new bonus offers for the new cards. Click here for that post.
As you may or may not have heard, there has been some major news coming from the American Express camp regarding their Hilton Cards.
The New American Express Hilton Cards Are Almost Here – What You Need To Know
On the personal card side of things – there are going to be three types of customers:
- Current American Express Hilton card holders
- Current Citi Hilton cardholders
- Those who do not have a Hilton card
1. For Current American Express Hilton Card Holders:
If you currently have the no fee Hilton Honors card, this will now become the new Hilton Honors card
If you currently have the $75 annual Hilton Honors Surpass card, this will now become the Hilton Ascend card:
Keep in mind that if you do currently have a “legacy” Hilton Honors Surpass card, the $75 annual fee will be grandfathered for you (at least for the time being); however, if you wait to get a new Ascend card the annual fee will rise to $95 a year.
If you are interested in getting this card before the increase in the annual fee, I currently have the “last best offer ever” referral link for 85,000 points (which is better then the current 75,000 offer on americanexpress.com) – but the offer will expire 1/18/2018 so you’ll need to hurry.
2. For Current Citi Hilton Card Holders:
Citi has lost their contract with Hilton, leaving American Express as the sole US card carrier for the hotel chain. As such, American Express will inherit the Citi Hilton portfolio and convert the cards as follows:
3. Those Who Do Not Currently Have a Hilton Honors Card
Those who do not currently have a Hilton card can either hurry and sign up for a “legacy card” to take advantage of the known offers – or wait and see if the new cards have offers worth signing up for.
There is also another option – sign up for the third new personal Hilton card, the American Express Hilton Aspire premium card.
Meet the New Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card:
The newest option is the $450 annual fee Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card. This premium card will come with a host of new benefits including Hilton Diamond Status, Free Nights, $250 Airline Incidental Credit, and a $250 Hilton Resort Statement Credit.
The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card:
For business owners, there is also the final option of the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card. This card is similar to the personal Hilton Honors Ascend Card with a $95 annual fee and similar benefits, but with the notable additional benefit of the ability to earn a 2nd free night annually when you spend $60,000 on the card annually.
The “Product Change” and “Upgrade” Options:
If you are unsure of what to do, you can also wait and see by getting a “legacy” card now or holding a current card. If you later decide to upgrade (or downgrade) to one of the new cards, you should be able to “product change” your card to the version that best suits your needs. Keep in mind that “product changes” usually do not come with bonus points.
If you are looking to upgrade your card later, you can hold your card for about a year and then see if American Express will have any “upgrade” offers available. You generally can earn bonus points with “upgrade” offers.
In fact, it is well known that American Express would frequently offer holders of the Hilton Honors card an “upgrade” offer at the end of the first annual year to upgrade to the Hilton Honors Surpass card. While there is no guarantee this will happen, past performance is often a good indicator of what’s to come.
The Bottom Line: The New American Express Hilton Cards Are Almost Here – What You Need To Know
All of these cards have some exciting benefits, perks, and quirks. If you are a fan of Hilton Hotels, these cards are great – and they can also get you access to valuable Amex Offers.
With such a wide variety of cards, there is likely one that can best suit your needs whether it be a card with a $0 annual fee or a $450 annual fee.
Cheers!
