The American Express® Gold Card and Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card are premium credit cards tailored to different lifestyles.
The Amex Gold is a great card for earning points at restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and flights booked directly with airlines. Cardholders can also enjoy up to $424 in annual credits and nice travel and purchase protections.
The Hilton Honors Aspire offers top-tier Hilton Diamond status and valuable travel credits. This premium card provides excellent rewards for Hilton stays and nice perks that can easily offset the annual fee for frequent Hilton guests.
(All information about the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by Deals Points and has not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.)
This article will compare each card based on several factors to help you make an informed decision on which card is the best to add to your wallet.
Full Reviews: American Express® Gold Card and Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.
Overview: Amex Gold vs Hilton Aspire
Welcome Bonuses
Amex Gold:
The Amex Gold currently offers the following welcome bonus:
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
Welcome Bonus Eligibility
You may not be eligible to receive a welcome offer on the American Express Gold card if you have or have had:
- American Express Gold
- American Express Platinum Card®
- The Platinum Card from American Express Exclusively for Morgan Stanley
- Platinum Card® from American Express for Charles Schwab
- Previous versions of the above cards.
Hilton Honors Aspire:
The Hilton Aspire Amex currently offers the following welcome bonus:
Earn 175,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 in purchases within your first 6 months.
Earning Rewards
Amex Gold:
The Amex Gold earns Membership Rewards points and offers some very nice points multipliers to help you earn a lot of points:
- 4 points per dollar on dining at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year (then 1x points).
- 4 points per dollar U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year (then 1x points).
- 3 points per dollar on flights booked directly from the airline or booked on AmexTravel.com.
- 2 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
Hilton Aspire:
The Hilton Aspire Amex earns Hilton Honors points at the following rates:
- 14 points per dollar at Hilton Hotels and Resorts.
- 7 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or AmexTravel.com.
- 7 points per dollar on car rentals booked directly with select car rental companies.
- 7 points per dollar at U.S. restaurants, including takeout and delivery.
- 3 points per dollar on all other purchases.
Winner:
Amex Gold for non-Hilton spending. Amex Membership Rewards points are more valuable than Hilton Honors points, so the Amex Gold is a great option for restaurants, U.S. Supermarkets, and flights.
The Hilton Aspire beats the Amex Gold when it comes to spending at Hilton Honors (14x Hilton points vs 1 Membership Rewards point).
Card Benefits and Perks
Amex Gold:
The American Express Gold card offers the following benefits for its cardholders:
$120 Dining Credit: Earn up to $10 in monthly statement credits when you pay with the Amex Gold Card at participating dining partners, including Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment is required.
$120 in Uber Cash: Get up to $10 monthly Uber Cash for U.S. Uber Eats orders and rides when you add your American Express Gold Card as a payment method. Your Uber Cash can be redeemed using any American Express card.
$100 Resy Credit: Get up to $50 semi-annually in statement credits after you pay with the Amex Gold to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. Enrollment is required.
$84 Dunkin’ Credit: You can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations.
Up to $100 in Hotel Credits: Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. Eligible charges vary by property.
No Foreign Transaction Fees (rates & fees): The Amex Gold’s lack of foreign transaction fees makes it an ideal choice for international purchases, especially considering you can earn 4 points per dollar at global restaurants (on the first $50,000 spent per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar).
Travel and Purchase Benefits
Trip Delay Insurance: When your trip is significantly delayed due to covered reasons like equipment failures or severe weather, this protection reimburses you for reasonable expenses including lodging, meals, toiletries, and medication. The coverage activates when you pay for travel with your card and extends to family members on the same itinerary, though you’ll need to seek reimbursement from the travel carrier first.*
Baggage Insurance Plan covers your baggage if it is lost, damaged, or stolen and you purchase your ticket with this card.*
Secondary Rental Car Insurance: This card provides backup protection for rental car damage or theft when you charge the full rental to your card.*
Extended Warranty Protection: When you purchase items with your credit card, you’ll get an extra year of warranty coverage on eligible items that have original manufacturer warranties of up to five years. This valuable perk means you can protect expensive electronics and appliances that come with longer manufacturer warranties without paying extra for store protection plans*
Return Protection allows cardholders to receive a refund for purchased items within a certain timeframe for items that merchants may not accept for return.*
ShopRunner Membership: As a cardholder, you’ll enjoy a complimentary ShopRunner membership, which provides free 2-day shipping and free returns at over 100 participating online retailers. This benefit can help frequent online shoppers save on shipping costs and streamline the return process.
Amex Offers: As an American Express cardholder, you can access Amex Offers. These targeted, limited-time promotions provide discounts or bonus points on purchases with select merchants. Offers are added to your card, and you’ll receive either a percentage or dollar amount back as a statement credit when you meet the offer terms. While offers vary and may not always align with your spending habits, this perk can be valuable when an offer matches your preferences.
* Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions, and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
Hilton Aspire Amex:
The Hilton Aspire Amex offers the following benefits and perks:
Hilton Diamond Status: Receive automatic Hilton Honors Diamond Elite status as long as your account is open. Diamond status offers the benefits of 100% points bonus on eligible hotel stays, room upgrades (if available), executive lounge access, premium Wi-Fi, breakfast or daily food and beverage credit, and fifth night free on award stays.
Free Night Award: Holding the card earns you one free night award at almost every Hilton hotel each year, which can be great for high-end properties.
Earn Additional Free Nights: You can earn additional free night awards when you spend $30,000 and another free night when you spend $60,000 in a calendar year.
Up to $400 in Hilton Resort Credits: Each calendar year, you will receive $400 (up to $200 from January to June and $200 from July to December) in statement credits for eligible purchases at eligible Hilton resorts. Spending includes dining, activities, room rates, and spa treatments.
Up to $200 in Annual Flight Credit: Receive up to $200 in annual flight credits ($50 per quarter) for airfare purchases on flights directly from the airline or through AmexTravel.com.
Up to $100 Hilton Credit: Receive a $100 credit for incidentals when you book a two-night paid stay at the Waldorf Astoria or Conrad properties via HiltonHonors.com/aspirecard or over the phone and quote booking code ZZAAP1.
CLEAR Plus: Receive a complimentary membership to CLEAR Plus, which is an airport membership program that allows travelers to expedite their way through airport security using biometric identification such as eye scans or fingerprints.
Travel Benefits
National Elite Status: Receive a National Car Rental Executive status, which offers the benefits of Executive area access allowing you to choose any full size and above in the Executive Area and only pay the midsize rate, guaranteed upgrades when you reserve a full-size through luxury vehicle, and one free car rental day for every six car rentals
No Foreign Transaction Fees: You’ll save money on every purchase while traveling internationally since this card doesn’t add the typical 3% surcharge that many other cards impose.
Secondary Rental Car Insurance: This card provides backup protection for rental car damage or theft when you charge the full rental to your card.*
Trip Delay Insurance: When your trip is significantly delayed due to covered reasons like equipment failures or severe weather, this protection reimburses you for reasonable expenses including lodging, meals, toiletries, and medication. The coverage activates when you pay for travel with your card and extends to family members on the same itinerary, though you’ll need to seek reimbursement from the travel carrier first.*
Trip Cancellation & Interruption Insurance: This protection reimburses you for non-refundable, prepaid travel expenses if you need to cancel before departure or cut your trip short due to covered situations like severe illness or weather events. Coverage activates when you pay for your trip with the card, but it’s important to note that reimbursement only applies for specific covered reasons rather than any cancellation.*
Baggage Insurance Plan covers your baggage if it is lost, damaged, or stolen and you purchase your ticket with this card.*
* Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions, and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
Purchase Benefits
Amex Offers: As an American Express cardholder, you can access Amex Offers. These targeted, limited-time promotions provide discounts or bonus points on purchases with select merchants. Offers are added to your card, and you’ll receive either a percentage or dollar amount back as a statement credit when you meet the offer terms. While offers vary and may not always align with your spending habits, this perk can be valuable when an offer matches your preferences.
Cell Phone Protection: When you use your card to pay your monthly phone bill, you’ll receive valuable coverage against damage or theft of your device.*
Return Protection allows cardholders to receive a refund for purchased items within a certain timeframe for items that merchants may not accept for return.*
90-Day Purchase Protection: Your new purchases are covered against damage and theft for 90 days when you use your card. This protection helps safeguard your eligible items right from the moment you buy them.*
Extended Warranty Protection: Your purchases gain an extra year of warranty protection when bought with this card, extending manufacturer warranties of three years or less without the inflated prices of store warranty plans.
* Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions, and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
Winner:
Tie. Both cards offer lots of great benefits. The Amex Gold offers several credits to help offset the annual fee, and the Hilton Aspire offers Hilton Diamond elite status, a free hotel night, and several credits as well.
Value of the Annual Fees
Amex Gold:
The American Express Gold has a $325 annual fee (rates and fees), which is offset by up to $424 in annual credits, trip and purchase protections, and extra points on dining, flights, and U.S. supermarkets.
Hilton Honors Aspire:
The Hilton Aspire Card has a $550 annual fee (rates & fees). While this may seem steep, the card offers significant benefits that can help offset the cost. You’ll receive complimentary Hilton Diamond status, an annual free night reward, up to $400 in Hilton resort credits, up to $200 in airline flight credits, and more.
Winner:
Tie. The Amex Gold’s annual fee can be easily offset with its statement credits for things that most people would consider everyday purchases. The Hilton Aspire has more potential to get great value from the card, but additional work is required to maximize the benefits.
Redeeming Rewards
Amex Gold:
American Express Membership Rewards points are a versatile and valuable currency for travelers. The program offers numerous redemption options, with transfers to airline partners being the most lucrative way to use your points.
Amex partners with 18 airlines and 3 hotel chains, allowing you to access a wide range of travel possibilities. Some of the best redemptions include booking business class flights to Europe through Air France-KLM Flying Blue for as low as 50,000 miles one-way. Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club offers excellent value for Delta One flights to Europe at 50,000 points, significantly less than booking directly through Delta.
For those planning a trip to Asia, transferring to ANA Mileage Club can yield incredible value. Round-trip business class flights from the West Coast to Tokyo can be booked for just 90,000 miles. Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer is another great option, especially for their renowned long-haul flights like New York to Singapore.
Domestic travelers can benefit from transferring to British Airways Executive Club for short-haul American and Alaska Airlines flights, with awards starting at just 8,250 Avios for distances up to 650 miles.
While transferring to airline partners typically offers the best value, Amex also allows direct redemptions for flights through their travel portal. However, this option generally provides lower value at 1 cent per point.
To maximize your Membership Rewards, focus on high-value airline transfers for premium cabin international flights. With strategic planning, you can unlock extraordinary travel experiences and significant savings on your next adventure.
Membership Rewards Transfer Partners [1 to 1]
|
|
|---|---|
Aer Lingus Avios
|
AeroMexico [1 to 1.6]
|
Air Canada Aeroplan
|
Air France/KLM Flying Blue
|
ANA
|
Avianca LifeMiles
|
British Airways Avios
|
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
|
Delta SkyMiles
|
El Al [1,000 to 20]
|
Emirates
|
Etihad Guest
|
Hawaiian Airlines
|
Iberia Avios
|
JetBlue [250 to 200]
|
Qantas
|
Qatar Airways
|
Singapore KrisFlyer
|
Virgin Atlantic
|
Choice
|
Marriott Bonvoy
|
Hilton Honors [1 to 2]
|
Hilton Honors Aspire:
Hilton Honors points offer flexibility and value for travelers, with over 7,500 properties worldwide available for redemption. While the program uses dynamic pricing instead of a fixed award chart, members can still find excellent deals, especially during peak travel periods. The best way to use Hilton points is typically for hotel stays, where we found during our data study that you should get, on average, about 0.51 cents per point in value.
To maximize your redemptions, search for properties within your point budget during your desired travel dates. Elite members benefit from a fifth night free on award stays, stretching points even further. For those short on points, the Points & Money option allows for customizable combinations of cash and points.
Hilton also offers premium room awards, letting you book suites or rooms with better amenities using points. This can be particularly useful for families or those desiring extra space. Beyond hotel stays, Hilton points can be redeemed for unique experiences through Hilton Honors Experiences, including exclusive events and activities.
While other redemption options exist, such as transferring to airlines, using points for Amazon purchases, or booking car rentals, these typically offer lower value. Focus on hotel stays and experiences to get the most from your Hilton Honors points. With strategic planning, you can turn your points into memorable stays at properties ranging from budget-friendly options to luxury resorts worldwide.
Winner:
Amex Gold since Membership Rewards offers the most flexibility.
The Verdict
Both the Amex Gold and Hilton Aspire Amex are great options and could be a good tandem if you frequently stay at Hilton Hotels.
If you don’t frequently stay at Hilton Hotels, then the Amex Gold is a better option because its rewards flexiblity.
Which card are you going to choose?
