An underrated credit card bonus that I’d highly recommend

We often see a lot of coverage when the 150,000 Membership Rewards points offers pop up on the Amex Platinum cards. While the amazing Platinum and Gold card offers do get traction for good reason, some offers often tend to slip under the radar. Once such underrated credit card bonus offer came to my attention and I realized that it could be a great one if one can  really maximize it.

Hilton Business Card

The Hilton Business card is currently offering a pretty lucrative welcome bonus. For a card that charges an annual fee of $95, this offer is pretty underrated in my opinion. Here’s what the offer looks like:

• Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors points after you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months of card membership
• Spend a total of $10,000 in the first 6 months and you’ll earn a free night reward

Why this offer is great

Here’s why I think this particular credit card bonus offer is fantastic in terms of return on spend.

1. 130,000 Hilton Honors points: After your spend $5,000, you’ll end up with a minimum of 145,000 Hilton Honors points
2. After you spend an extra $5,000, you’ll get one free night at any qualifying property in the Hilton property
3. Similar to the Hilton Surpass card, the Hilton Business card also gives you another free award night after you spend a total of $15,000 in a calendar year

Here’s how you can stack this. This offer ends on December 21, 2022. If you get this card now and you put all of the $15,000 spend on the card starting January 1, 2023, then you’ll end up with the following:

1. A minimum of 45,000 Hilton Honors points from the spend
2. 130,000 Hilton Honors points from the welcome bonus
3. One free certificate once you cross the $10,000 spend threshold
4. Another free night certificate after you spend an additional $5,000

For a card that charges an annual fee of just $95, you’ll end up with two free night certificates and a minimum of 175,000 Hilton Honors points. This limited time offer ends on December 21, 2022.

Apply now for the 130,000 points and 1 free night offer

Maximizing Value

As a long time Hilton loyalist, I’m a big fan of Hilton’s free night certificates. Over the years, I’ve utilized these certificates to stay at some iconic properties in the portfolio. Here’s a quick list of some of my favorites (in no particular order):

Waldorf Astoria Bangkok

Conrad Maldives

Conrad Koh Samui

Waldorf Astoria Rome

Hilton Molino Stucky Venice

Grand Wailea Maui

Conrad Bali

Notice something common in the list? I’ve primarily tried to redeem many of these free nights at top tier Hilton brands where rates can often be upwards of $500 per night, if not more. To redeem a free night award, you’ll need to find a standard room available at these properties. You’ll often see many of these nights priced at 95,000 points per night, but a few properties like the Waldorf Astoria Maldives are priced at 120,000 points per night.

The Pundit’s Mantra

Overall, I’d think of this credit card welcome bonus as a bonus of 4 free nights after you spend a total of $15,000. Given that the $15,000 spend is based per calendar year, you’ll need to strategize your spend accordingly by ramping up in 2023.

I plan to get this card right away and then start spending on it heavily in 2023. Once I hit the $15,000 threshold in 6 months after signing up, I’ll be off to the races to book my next Hilton stay, ending up potentially with 4 free nights at a top tier property in the Hilton portfolio.

Which is your favorite co-branded hotel credit card? Tell us in the comments section.

Apply now for the 130,000 points and 1 free night offer

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