In previous blog posts, I’ve written about how I’ve made a temporary change to my miles and points strategy. Therefore, as global travel remains low, I’m focusing on earning miles and points for future trips. However, I do have a few trips in mind in the future and I’m focusing on earning points in currencies that help me achieve that goal. Frequent readers may have noticed that I’m stay at Hilton hotels frequently. Hilton remains my first choice due to its massive global footprint and the opportunity to a ton of Hilton Honors points quickly. Currently, you can generate hundreds of thousands of Hilton Honors points by simply maximizing these three limited time offers.
Different Ways of Generating Hilton Points
You can currently generate a ton of points by using one or all of the methods outlined in this post.
Credit Card Bonuses
After Amex took over the Hilton co-branded portfolio from Citi completely, Amex now offers a range of co-branded credit cards. You can choose from three personal cards and one business card. If you’re eligible, then there are some great offers up for grabs.
You can earn a welcome bonus of 100,000 points on the no annual fee Hilton Honors card. If you stay more frequently at Hiltons, then the Surpass or the Aspire card may be a better fit, with welcome offers up to 150,000 points and automatic mid and top tier status. Similarly, if you run a small business and want to optimize business spend, then go for the Hilton Honors Business Card.
This chart will help you decide.
| Application Link> | $0 AF Hilton Card | Amex Hilton Surpass | Hilton Aspire | Hilton Business Card |
| Welcome Bonus | 100,000 points | 150,000 points | 150,000 points + 1 free night | 130,000 points |
| Min. Spend Reqd. | $1,000 | $3,000 | $4,000 | $3,000 |
| Elite Status | Silver | Gold | Diamond | Gold |
| Annual Free Night After Spend | None | $15k | Renewal & $60k | $15k & $60k |
| Points spent at Hilton | 7x | 12x | 14x | 12x |
| Points spent on other travel | 3x | 3x | 7x | 3x |
| Grocery/Dining points earning | 5x | 6x | 7x* | 3x |
| Gas Station Earning | 5x | 6x | 3x | 6x** |
| Airline Credits | None | None | $250 | None |
| Resort Credits | None | None | 250 | None |
| Priority Pass | None | 10 visits/year | Unlimited visits | 10 visits/year |
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- * Hilton Aspire card earns 7x on dining, but not on groceries
- ** Hilton Business card earns 6x at gas stations. In addition, you’ll also earn 6x points on US purchases with telephone service providers and shipping services
Before you apply, please note that Amex’s once in a lifetime rule may apply to these card offers. In other words, Amex will not approve you for a card if you’ve received the welcome bonus for the same card product in the past. Moreover, exercise caution while applying for Amex cards via links that may not be intended for you, as Amex tends to crack down on such behavior pretty severely.
Buy Points Promos
Currently, Hilton is offering a limited time bonus of 100% when you buy Hilton points. However, you can only by a maximum of 80,000 points. if you max out this promotion, you can buy a total of 160,000 Hilton Honors points at a rate of 0.5 cents per point. This limited time offer ends on March 5, 2021.
Transferring Membership Rewards Points
American Express is currently running a limited time promotion on Membership Rewards points transfers to Hilton. This promotion ends on January 31, 2021. Now, is this offer a good one for you? Let’s have a look.
Firstly, it reduces the number of points you need to book a top tier Hilton property. Secondly, if you’re not eligible for a co-branded Hilton Amex card welcome bonus, then you can simply transfer over your Membership Rewards points. Moreover, you can book some really aspirational stays with this limited time offer.
For example, let’s say you want to book a top tier Hilton property but don’t have enough Hilton points. If you simply transfer 34,000 Membership Rewards points to Hilton, with the 40% bonus, you’ll get 95,200 points, enough for one night at a top tier Hilton property.
The Pundit’s Mantra
These offers present amazing opportunities to rack up Hilton points quickly. Firstly, you can sign up for one of Hilton’s co-branded credit cards from American Express. Secondly, you can simply buy Hilton points with a 100% bonus if you’re falling short or want to use them for a future trip. Finally, you can simply transfer your Membership Rewards points to Hilton Honors with a bonus of 40%.
Which offer do you plan to maximize? Tell us in the comments section.
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