What the Card Offers
American Express markets the Hilton Honors card as Canada's first Hilton co-brand card: 6x Hilton Honors points at Hilton hotels, 4x on dining, groceries and gas in Canada, complimentary Gold status, and 50,000 bonus points each calendar year with $12,000 in spending.
- 6x
Points at Hilton hotels1
6 Hilton Honors points per $1 charged directly with Hilton properties, including incidentals billed to your room.
- 4x
Points on dining, groceries, gas and delivery1
4 points per $1 at stand-alone restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations and food delivery services in Canada.
- 50,000
Bonus points with $12,000 spend a year2
50,000 bonus points each calendar year in which your net purchases reach $12,000.
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- Gold
Hilton Honors Gold status3
Complimentary Gold status for the basic Cardmember while the card is open.
- Diamond
Diamond status with $40,000 spend4
An upgrade to Diamond status when net purchases reach $40,000 in a calendar year, valid for that year and the next.
- 70,000
Welcome bonus points, plus a free night3
60,000 points and a Free Night Reward after $3,000 in your first 3 months, plus 10,000 for $500 in your 13th month.
- 7
Insurance coverages5
Including car rental theft & damage, $500,000 travel accident, and flight and baggage delay insurance.
Benefits as advertised by the issuer. The conditions attached to them are in the Fine Print Report below.
Welcome offers change often, and issuers sometimes run limited-time or targeted offers that differ from what's shown here. Confirm the current offer on the issuer's page before you apply.
Sources (5)
- Hilton Honors Amex Cardmember Agreement 17626 (10/26), Calculation of Points
- Hilton Honors Amex Cardmember Agreement 17626 (10/26), Annual 50,000 Hilton Honors Points Bonus
- Hilton Honors Amex product page footnotes (retrieved 2026-10-29)
- Hilton Honors Amex Cardmember Agreement 17626 (10/26), Hilton Honors Status
- Hilton Honors Card Certificates of Insurance (eff. October 14, 2026)
Points & Redemption
Rates: Hilton Honors Terms and Conditions (retrieved 2026-10-29): Reward pricing, 5th Night Free on Standard Room Reward Stays, Hilton Honors Reward Exchange, account inactivity. The CardTruth estimate is our own valuation, not a rate stated in the terms. The program states no fixed cash value, so what a point is worth depends on how you redeem it. Ranges marked est. are CardTruth estimates, from a conservative redemption to a typical one.
Where It Earns
Among the 53 stores and brands in CardTruth's merchant lookup:
- ≈4.2%6x points
- ≈2.8%4x points
- ≈2.8%4x points
- ≈2.8%4x points
- ≈2.8%4x points
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- ≈2.8%4x points
- ≈2.8%4x points
- ≈2.8%4x points
- ≈2.8%4x points
- ≈2.8%4x points
- ≈2.8%4x points
- ≈2.8%4x points
- ≈2.8%4x points
- ≈2.8%4x points
- ≈2.8%4x points
- ≈2.8%4x points
- ≈2.8%4x points
- ≈2.8%4x points
- ≈2.8%4x points
- ≈2.8%4x points
Where it doesn't earn more (18)Hide
Online only: Amazon.ca, Crave, Disney+, Netflix, SkipTheDishes, Spotify, Uber (rides), Uber Eats take American Express online but not in store.
Not accepted: Costco, Costco Gas, Fortinos, Loblaws, Maxi, No Frills, Provigo, Real Canadian Superstore, Your Independent Grocer, Zehrs don't take American Express.
The Fine Print Report
Moderate fine print. The earn rates and annual bonus are real, but their value depends on staying with Hilton and on Hilton's award prices.
No travel medical or trip cancellationImpact level: High
No emergency medical or trip cancellation insurance
The card's insurance covers flight and baggage delay, hotel burglary, lost baggage, travel accident, car rental, extended warranty and purchase protection. It includes no out-of-province emergency medical insurance and no trip cancellation or interruption insurance.
Why it matters: For a hotel travel card, the two coverages travellers most often need aren't included. You'd need them from another card or a separate policy.
50,000 bonus: $12,000 per calendar yearImpact level: Medium
The 50,000-point bonus counts spending by calendar year, not card year
The 50,000 bonus points are earned when net purchases reach $12,000 between January 1 and December 31, whenever you opened the card. Spending resets to zero each January 1. A purchase made on December 31 that posts on January 1 may count toward the next year instead.
Why it matters: If you open the card late in the year, you have only a few months to reach $12,000 before the count resets. The same timing means a new cardholder can qualify in the opening year and again in the next calendar year.
10,000 bonus points need a second yearImpact level: Medium
10,000 of the welcome points require keeping the card into its second year
The welcome offer pays 60,000 points and a Free Night Reward after $3,000 in net purchases in the first 3 months, and 10,000 more points for $500 in net purchases charged in your 13th month. To get the second part, you keep the card into its second year, when the second-year annual fee is payable. Points may be deducted if returns bring you below the spend requirement.
Why it matters: If you'd cancel before the second year, plan on 60,000 points and the free night, not 70,000 points. Avoid returns that drop your first-3-month total under $3,000.
No bonus if you've held this card beforeImpact level: Medium
Current or former Hilton Honors Amex Cardmembers aren't eligible for the welcome bonus
The welcome offers are only for new Hilton Honors American Express Cardmembers. Amex may approve an application from a current or former Cardmember, but that account won't receive the offers. The launch offer applies to applications received by January 11, 2027.
Why it matters: If you've held this card before, reapplying gets you the card but not the welcome points or free night.
6x only when booked directly with HiltonImpact level: Medium
6x only on purchases charged directly with Hilton
The 6x rate applies to purchases made directly from Hilton and Hilton Affiliated Establishments as the merchant, including bookings and incidental charges billed to your room. Hilton stays bought from another merchant or service provider are not eligible Hilton purchases and earn 2x.
Why it matters: A Hilton stay booked through an online travel agency earns 2x, not 6x. Book and pay with Hilton directly, and charge hotel restaurant and spa purchases to your room.
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4x only at stand-alone merchants in CanadaImpact level: Medium
4x only at stand-alone merchants in Canada
The 4x rate applies in Canada at merchants Amex categorizes as stand-alone restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations or food delivery services. It excludes wholesale clubs, alcohol retailers, general-merchandise stores that also sell groceries or gas, and dining inside a store or hotel that isn't categorized as a restaurant. Purchases outside Canada earn 2x.
Why it matters: Groceries and gas bought at a superstore or warehouse club earn 2x. Restaurants abroad also earn 2x.
2.5% FX fee, not refunded on returnsImpact level: Medium
2.5% foreign currency conversion commission, not refunded on returns
Purchases in a foreign currency are converted to Canadian dollars with a 2.5% conversion commission. If a foreign-currency purchase is refunded, the commission charged on the original purchase is not returned.
Why it matters: Hilton stays abroad charged in local currency carry the 2.5% commission on top of the room rate.
Points expire after 24 inactive monthsImpact level: Medium
Hilton Honors points are forfeited after 24 months without activity
Hilton forfeits all accumulated points if your Hilton Honors account has no qualifying activity for 24 consecutive months. Earning points with a Hilton co-brand credit card counts as activity. Forfeited points can't be retrieved.
Why it matters: Regular card use keeps the points alive. If the card sits unused and you don't stay at Hilton or redeem for two years, the whole balance is lost.
Hilton can change award rulesImpact level: Medium
Hilton sets award prices and can change the program's rules and awards
Points have no fixed cash value: Reward night prices vary by hotel and demand, and can change in real time. Hilton can add, modify or delete the program's rules, benefits and Rewards with or without notice, even if that affects points already earned, and can end the program with 12 months to redeem.
Why it matters: Points saved for a future stay may buy less if award prices rise. Points are most useful when redeemed for a stay you have in mind.
Free night: up to 16 weeks, 12-month expiryImpact level: Low
The welcome free night arrives within 16 weeks and expires after 12 months
The Free Night Reward is emailed as a code up to 16 weeks after you reach $3,000, and only if the account isn't cancelled or past due at that point. It covers one standard room night at participating Hilton properties, is booked by phone, and is forfeited if not used within 12 months of issue.
Why it matters: Plan the stay within the year after the code arrives, and check that your Hilton Honors email address is current so the code reaches you.
Diamond needs $40,000 a calendar yearImpact level: Low
Diamond status takes $40,000 in a calendar year and lasts until the end of the next year
Net purchases of $40,000 between January 1 and December 31 upgrade the basic Cardmember to Diamond status about 10 to 12 weeks later. The status is valid for the year it was earned and the following calendar year, then expires unless you spend $40,000 again or qualify through stays.
Why it matters: Most cardholders will keep Gold status rather than reach Diamond. Gold status itself ends if the card is cancelled.
Missed payment can forfeit pointsImpact level: Low
A missed payment can cost that month's points, including bonus points
Amex can withhold or deduct the points earned in any billing period for which it didn't receive the minimum payment by the due date, including bonus points. You can ask for them back within 120 days; each reinstated billing period costs $20 online or $30 by other channels.
Why it matters: Paying at least the minimum on time protects your points. A late payment in the month you hit a bonus threshold could cost far more than the reinstatement fee.
Who This Card Is For
Great fit if you...
- Stay at Hilton hotels a few times a year
- Spend $12,000 or more a year on one card
- Spend a lot on dining, groceries and gas in Canada
- Want Hilton Gold status without the stays
- Already have travel medical insurance elsewhere
Consider alternatives if you...
- Need travel medical or trip cancellation cover
- Rarely stay at Hilton hotels
- Buy groceries mostly at superstores or Costco
- Would cancel before the second year
- Spend often in foreign currencies
Welcome Bonus History
Hilton Honors Amex Welcome Bonus History
Welcome offers change often, and issuers sometimes run limited-time or targeted offers that differ from what's shown here. Confirm the current offer on the issuer's page before you apply.
The Verdict
The Hilton Honors card suits people who stay at Hilton hotels and put most of their spending on one card. Its 4x rate on everyday Canadian dining, groceries and gas, the yearly 50,000-point bonus at $12,000 and complimentary Gold status give it value beyond hotel stays.
The fine print narrows it. The 50,000 bonus runs on the calendar year, the 4x rate excludes superstores and purchases abroad, Hilton points have no fixed value and expire after 24 inactive months, and the insurance has no emergency medical or trip cancellation coverage.
The Recommendation: Best for Hilton guests who will spend at least $12,000 a year on the card, much of it at Canadian restaurants, grocery stores and gas stations. If you want points that work across airlines and hotels, an Amex Membership Rewards card such as the Cobalt transfers to Hilton Honors at 1:1 and to Aeroplan at 1:1.
Before you apply: This teardown is general information, not financial, legal or insurance advice, and reflects the issuer's documents as of October 2026. Terms, rates, fees and offers change, and the issuer's own agreement, disclosure statement, insurance certificates and program terms are what govern your card. Read them in full and confirm details with the issuer before you apply. Full disclaimer