Update 5/3/21: Another letter has been sent out apologizing for the confusion and saying that the AF won’t be charged until 2022. Hat tip to nytrojans.
Update 1/29/21: Accounts now showing the AF won’t be charged until 2022. Hat tip to /r/churning
Update 1/6/21: Multiple AmEx reps are stating that the no annual fee for the first year will be honored. If you signed up for this offer it might be worth contacting them to get it on the record that no AF will be charged first year. Hat tip to drbao
Update 12/17/20: Letter has been sent out stating that the annual fee will be prorated starting January 30th, 2021. Looks like AmEx will not be honoring this deal. You can reverse the upgrade if you call in by that date. Up to you if you want to try and fight this or not.
Update 12/14/20: American Express has now pulled the Aspire card from the American Express website entirely. I wouldn’t use the link below to apply and it seems like getting the no annual fee might be a fight despite what the terms clearly stated.
The Offer
- American Express is offering some Hilton cardholders the ability to upgrade to the Hilton Aspire. The terms state that: “When you upgrade, your new Card will have a promotional annual fee of $0 for one year. In the first billing period on or after the end of the promotional year, you will be charged a prorated amount of the $95 annual fee for your new Card based on the time remaining until your next account anniversary date. On each account anniversary date thereafter, you will be charged the annual fee for your new Card. If you cancel your Card account or switch to another Card during the one year promotional period, you may no longer remain eligible for this promotion.“
Card Details
- Annual fee of $450 (waived first year)
- Sign up bonus of 100,000 points after $4,000 in spend within the first four months
- Card earns at the following rates:
- 14X Hilton Honors Bonus Points at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio worldwide
- 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com, car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies and at U.S. restaurants
- 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on other purchases
- Complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond status for as long as you hold the card
- One weekend night at any hotel or resort in the Hilton portfolio (on account opening and on every account anniversary)
- A second weekend night at any hotel or resort in the Hilton portfolio after spending $60,000 on the card within a calendar year
- Priority Pass membership (unlimited access for you and up to two guests)
- $250 airline incidental fee statement credit (to work the same as the credits provided on Platinum & Gold cards)
- $250 Hilton resort statement credit
- $100 on property credit at Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts and Conrad Hotels & Resorts when booking the exclusive Aspire Card package
- Authorized users can be added for no additional charge but don’t receive any of the benefits the primary cardholder does (they can use the $250 credits, but it’s a total of $250 in credits across all cards. They can also get access to the Waldorf Astoria/Conrad $100 benefit).
Our Verdict
We’ve seen 150,000 point upgrade offers in the past, but saving $450 is a significantly better offer and you can do this upgrade offer even if you’ve held this card in the past as well. I’d recommend reading this detailed Milenomics post to better understand how this upgrade offer works.
Hat tip to Milenomics
$550 fee coming soon for me. But the gravy train lasted over 3 years!
Good news $95 for one more year then $550. Renewed 12/8/23. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah.
Thanks for the data point; however, why would you assume “then $550”?
Before the renewal my cardmember agreement said annual fee $95. It now says “annual fee $95 however as you were previously notified $550 as of 3/8/24.”
$550AF just hit…
$550 af hit on 5/19. RIP best CC deal I’ve ever had.
Seriously … RIP … it was a FANTASTIC ride while it lasted!
Best upgrade ever! I’m sure I’ll keep a full price year too bc the perks and credits are so valuable! Hopefully after they charge us normal AF’s they will start doing upgrade offers again. They’ve been shot the last couple years.
April 21 renewal. Still $95 AF.
Likewise for me on April 7th. This seemingly perpetual fee reduction is the gift that keeps on giving.
Same for me on 5/19
$95AF hit 2/22. Anniversary Date: 1/26
Today might be the last day to downgrade to avoid the $450 posting on 2/1/23. Amex product change takes a day to update in the system so having a lesser fee card in effect on 1/31/23 should mean the $450 doesn’t get charged.
No big deal downgrading on or after 2/1/23 as downgrading always pro-rates the fee anyways.
Interestingly enough, 2/1 came and passed without the af being charged to my account.
on 2/1/22, my acct was charged $45.55 showing as renewal AF, which appears to be a partial amount of $95; does that mean that the acct will be charged a full $450 fee by anniv date later this yr?
any folks had the similar partial AF charge?
On 2/1/22…
P1 was charged $5.43 (RENEWAL MEMBERSHIP FEE)
P2 was charged $10.87 (RENEWAL MEMBERSHIP FEE)
P3 was charged $12.16 (RENEWAL MEMBERSHIP FEE)
P4 was charged $10.61 (RENEWAL MEMBERSHIP FEE)
Peter what’s the anniv month for those accts? mine is early july, trying to figure out my AF of $45
P1 end of Jan
P2 end of Feb
P3 beginning of Mar
P4 beginning of Mar
ah, that explained it; will keep eye out on my acct for any addl fee after anniv date
Anniversary month early September – fee posted of approx. $56. I just pulled up online cardmember agreement dated 2/5/22. Says $95 annual fee. So the $56 is pro-rated portion of the $95. Just wondering what the renewal fee will be in September? $95 or back up to the $450?
Amex did the right thing and decided to honor the $0/$95/$450 terms, so you should expect it to go back to $450.
Peter after ur anniv is upcoming next month or around the corner, do circle back to provide DP if the AF would be $450?
Dan I was billed the prorated $95 AF on 2/1/2022. My anniversary recently passed, and the annual fee was charged at $95. No idea when it will increase to $450, but it looks like at least until 2/1/2023 and maybe longer.
On Feb 1 2022 it will charge $95 as AF, on Feb 01 2023 it will charge $450, this is a too good to be true news. IN AMEX WE TRUST
DOA
We already got letters saying that the AF would be $0 until 2022. The real news is that they are honoring the 2nd year AF at $95.
It just demonstrates our low opinion of American Express that it’s “news” when they fulfill the offer exactly as they advertised it. Of course they brought that on themselves with that stupid first letter.
Wow. But we upgraded the card around December 10, 2020, does it mean we will get charged annual fee in December 2022? That’s two years without annual fee.