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American Express · credit
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Is the Hilton Aspire worth keeping when the fee hits?
Welcome offer — 175,000 Hilton Honors points after $6,000 spend in 6 months (offer varies) Inferred by source
Portal caveat — Amex Travel averages ~10.32% above booking direct; portal redemptions are worth less than the headline rate.
Apply on American Express's siteOfficial issuer page (not an affiliate link yet) · how we earn
Typically needs excellent credit (740+) — guideline, not a guarantee · Set your credit profile
Personalize this for you add your cards & memberships and we'll show what it's really worth to you.
What this card delivers across six value dimensions (0–100, normalized).
| 14× | Hilton purchases Inferred by source |
|---|---|
| 7× | Flights (direct or Amex Travel), car rentals, US restaurants Inferred by source |
| 3× | Everything else Inferred by source |
| Hilton resort credit | $400/yr · semiannual Inferred by sourceWhat is Hilton resort credit?A credit that applies only at Hilton properties classed as resorts, which is a narrower list than Hilton hotels generally. On this card: $200 semiannual at participating Hilton resorts Inferred by source |
|---|---|
| Airline flight credit | $200/yr · quarterly Inferred by sourceWhat is Airline flight credit?A credit toward airfare. Some cards apply it automatically, others only to fares booked through a particular channel. On this card: $50/quarter on flights Inferred by source |
| CLEAR Plus | $219/yr · annual Verified by sourceenrollWhat is CLEAR Plus?CLEAR Plus is a paid identity-verification service. You use a separate, usually shorter lane at the airport to confirm your identity, then join the normal security screening queue. |
Which of these will you actually use?
Pre-checked = a typical cardholder captures it. Uncheck the ones you won't.
Heads up: Priority Pass isn't automatic — the card makes you eligible, but you must enroll and activate your Priority Pass membership through your card's benefits portal first. Without that step you won't get in, even with the card.
| Priority Passenroll PP | 336 lounges· Guests includedInferred by source
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| Hilton Honors Diamond status | Complimentary top-tier status while you hold the card Inferred by source |
|---|---|
| Annual Free Night Reward | One free night at nearly any Hilton property each card year; a second after $30,000 annual spend Inferred by source |
| Rental car CDW | Secondary theft/damage coverage Inferred by source |
|---|---|
| Trip delay | Up to $500/trip (>6 hrs) Inferred by source |
| Baggage | Checked $2,000 / carry-on $3,000 per person Inferred by source |
Using Hilton Aspire at an ATM is a cash advance, not a normal purchase — it costs a fee, starts charging interest the same day (no grace period), and earns no rewards.
| Cash advance fee | Either $10 or 5% of each advance, whichever is greater Inferred by source |
|---|---|
| Cash advance APR | 29.99% variable Inferred by source |
| Foreign ATM | Cash advance with no foreign transaction fee — but the ATM operator may add its own surcharge. |
ATM operator surcharges are set by the machine, not the card. To avoid all of this, use a debit card or cash for ATM withdrawals.
*Realized/net assume full use of non-spend-gated credits — an upper bound. Personalize it
The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has a $550 annual fee.
Using its non-spend-gated credits fully, the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card returns about $819 in value against its $550 annual fee — a net of +$269 per year. It can pay for itself if you actually use the credits.
The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card earns 14x on hilton purchases, 7x on flights (direct or amex travel), car rentals, us restaurants, 3x on everything else.
Yes. The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card grants access to Priority Pass.
No — the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has no foreign transaction fee, so it's a good card to use abroad.
175,000 Hilton Honors points after $6,000 spend in 6 months (offer varies). Welcome offers change frequently — confirm the current one on the issuer's page before applying.