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American Express’ Hilton Honors Business is one of the better small business credit cards on the market for road warriors thanks to its array of helpful travel perks, such as:
That’s a solid offer for a card that charges a $195 annual fee. One of the card’s best features is its large welcome bonus of 130,000 points after meeting minimum spending requirements. Here’s what you need to know about this sizable offer.
The Amex Hilton Business currently offers a welcome bonus of 130,000 rewards points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months from account opening. This isn’t the largest bonus the card’s ever offered, but it’s still impressive. And you can earn it by funneling only $1,000 of your monthly expenses through the card each month.
Hilton points are worth, on average, around 0.6 cents each, meaning you shouldn’t have much trouble squeezing around $780 from this 130,000-point bonus. However, if you know the best ways to use Hilton Honors points, you can get even more value from it. For example, you could use the bonus for stays at roadside hotels, such as Hilton Garden Inn and Hampton Inn, for six or seven nights, as many charge just 20,000 points per night (and sometimes less). These hotels routinely cost over $150 after taxes. This strategy could easily result in more than $900 in value from 130,00 points.
Alternatively, you could use this bonus for a night at a luxury hotel, such as the Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique. This hotel costs over $2,000 per night, but you can reserve a room for 120,000 points per night. This may be a big splurge, but it’s a cheap way to experience a resort on which you’d probably never spend cash.
Hilton also offers a fifth night free on stays of five or more consecutive award nights for those with Gold status, which you’ll automatically earn just by holding the Amex Hilton Business card. For example, if you book five nights at a hotel that costs 25,000 points, you’ll pay just 100,000 points (instead of 125,000 points). Booking extended stays is another great way to increase the value of your points.
Not everyone can earn the Amex Hilton Business’s welcome bonus. Here are a few things you need to consider before applying for the card.
Only those who own a business are eligible to open the Amex Hilton Business. Fortunately, the term “business” is a lot broader than you might think. If you’re a delivery driver with Uber Eats, a freelance writer, or even if you routinely sell items on eBay, you may be able to qualify as a small business.
If you’ve opened the card in the past, you won’t be eligible for the welcome bonus a second time. However, this doesn’t mean you won’t be approved for the card a second time. American Express implements a pop-up during the application process called “Apply with Confidence” that lets you know if you don’t qualify for the bonus before you formally submit your application.
You should have at least “good” credit when applying for the Amex Hilton Business. FICO defines a good credit score as 670 or above. If you’re not quite there yet, take some more time to improve your credit and then apply.
The Amex Hilton Business earns 130,000 bonus Hilton points after spending $6,000 on purchases within the first six months from account opening. This is a very accessible spending requirement for such a valuable welcome bonus.
Still, the card’s bonus offers regularly change, and it occasionally offers an even higher one. If you don’t have impending travel plans, it may be worth waiting to see what comes down the pike.
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