Update 05/17/18: All of these cards apart from the Aspire are offering increased bonuses. We’ve updated the table to reflect this.
Now that all of the American Express Hilton cards have been released and are available for sign up, I thought I’d create an easy to navigate spreadsheet that compares the four different cards. For reference the cards and our individual reviews are:
Comparison Table
| No AF | Ascend | Business | Aspire | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Fee | $0.00 | $95.00 | $95.00 | $450.00 |
| Sign up bonus | 75,000 points after $1,000 spend + $50 after first purchase | 100,000 points after $3,000 in spend within three months + free weekend night certificate after card anniversary | 125,000 points after $5,000 in spend within the first 3 months + $50 after first purchase | 100,000 points after $4,000 in spend within 3 months |
| Earning rate at Hilton properties | 7x | 12x | 12x | 14x |
| Earning rate for travel | 3x | 3x | 6x (airlines & car rental agencies booked directly and amextravel.com) | 7x (airlines & car rental agencies booked directly and amextravel.com) |
| Earning rate at U.S restaurants | 5x | 6x | 6x | 7x |
| Earning rates on U.S gas stations | 5x | 6x | 6x | 3x |
| Earning rates on U.S super markets | 5x | 6x | 3x | 3x |
| Earning rate on wireless telephone & shipping | 3x | 3x | 6x | 3x |
| Earning rate on all other purchases | 3x | 3x | 3x | 3x |
| Elite status | Silver | Gold | Gold | Diamond |
| Elite status with spend | Gold with $20,000 per year | Diamond with $40,000 per year | Diamond with $40,000 per year | N/A |
| Annual Free Night(s) | N/A | One weekend night with $15,000 in spend | One weekend night with $15,000 in spend. Second night with $60,000 in spend | One weekend night at any property with no spend. Additional free weekend night with $60,000 spend in calendar year |
| Priority Pass Membership | None | 10 complimentary passes | 10 complimentary passes | Unlimited complimentary access for you + two guests |
| Airline incidental credit | None | None | $250 calendar year | |
| Hilton resort credit | None | None | None | $250 card member year |
| Foreign transaction fees | None | None | None | None |
