Choosing a card
Hilton Honors American Express Card Review: Is Canada’s First Hilton Card Worth It?
Canada’s first Hilton credit card launched on October 29, 2026: a $150 annual fee, 4 points per $1 on dining, groceries and gas, Gold status and a 50,000-point annual bonus. What it’s worth at typical spending, and who should skip it.
What is the Hilton Honors American Express Card?
It’s the first Hilton Honors credit card in Canada, issued by Amex Bank of Canada and launched on October 29, 2026. It costs $150 a year, supplementary cards are free, and the interest rate is 21.99% on purchases and 21.99% on funds advances.
Points go straight into your Hilton Honors account, where they can be used for free nights at Hilton’s hotel brands. They can’t be converted to cash or transferred to airlines the way Amex Membership Rewards points can.
Put it into practiceHilton Honors American Express CardHow many points does it earn?
6 points per $1 at Hilton hotels, 4 per $1 on dining, groceries, gas and food delivery in Canada, and 2 per $1 on everything else. Amex publishes no cap on the 4X categories.
| Where you spend | Points per $1 | Return at 0.5¢ a point |
|---|---|---|
| TopHilton hotels (booked direct) | 6 | 3.0% |
| Dining, groceries, gas and food delivery in Canada | 4 | 2.0% |
| Everything else | 2 | 1.0% |
Groceries earn 4X only at stand-alone grocery stores, so supermarkets inside big-box stores may earn 2X. The 4X rate applies to purchases made in Canada; the same purchases abroad earn 2X. Hilton purchases earn 6X only when charged directly with the hotel, not through a booking site.
What is the welcome offer?
Up to 70,000 Hilton Honors points and a Free Night Reward: 60,000 points and a Free Night Reward after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months, then 10,000 more for spending $500 in your 13th month. Apply by January 11, 2027. Current and former Hilton Honors Amex cardholders aren’t eligible.
The Free Night Reward covers one standard room on any night of the week, including resort fees and taxes, at most Hilton properties (Hilton lists exclusions). It expires 12 months after it’s issued and is redeemed by calling Hilton. We value the 60,000 points at $300 and leave the free night out of our numbers, because what it’s worth depends entirely on where you use it.
What is the card worth?
About $442 a year after the fee at $2,000 a month of spending, and $742 in the first year with the welcome bonus.
| Monthly spending | Points a year | Value of points | After the $150 fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top$800 | 27,360 | $137 | −$13 |
| $1,000 | 84,200 | $421 | $271 |
| $2,000 | 118,400 | $592 | $442 |
| $3,500 (Diamond status) | 169,700 | $849 | $699 |
At $2,000 a month, $850 goes to dining, groceries and gas (4X) and $1,150 to everything else (2X): 68,400 points. Spending $24,000 a year also unlocks the 50,000-point annual bonus, for 118,400 points in total. We value Hilton points at 0.5¢, below the 0.7¢ we use for Marriott Bonvoy, because a Hilton point usually buys less hotel.
Spending is what decides it. Under $12,000 a year you miss the annual bonus and the card loses most of its value; at $40,000 or more you also get Diamond status.
What do Gold and Diamond status get you?
Gold status comes free with the card. Diamond needs $40,000 of card spending in a calendar year.
Hilton Honors Gold includes an 80% bonus on the base points you earn on stays, room upgrades when available and breakfast credits at participating hotels, plus Hilton’s fifth-night-free reward stays. Diamond, if you reach $40,000 in a calendar year, lasts for that year and the next. Only the main cardholder gets the status, but supplementary cards’ spending counts toward the $12,000 and $40,000 thresholds.
What insurance does it include?
Eight coverages, mostly for trip delays and purchases. There’s no emergency medical, trip cancellation or trip interruption insurance.
| Coverage | Limit |
|---|---|
| Travel accident | Up to $500,000 |
| Flight delay and missed connection | Up to $500 (shared with baggage delay) |
| Baggage delay (6+ hours) | Up to $500 (shared with flight delay) |
| Lost or stolen baggage | Up to $500 |
| Hotel burglary | Up to $500 |
| Car rental theft and damage | Vehicles under $85,000 MSRP, up to 48 days |
| Purchase protection | 90 days, up to $1,000 per claim |
| Extended warranty | 1 extra year, up to $10,000 per item |
Hilton Honors Amex or Marriott Bonvoy Amex?
The Hilton card earns more on everyday spending; the Marriott card is cheaper and comes with an annual free night. At our typical spending, the Hilton card is worth $442 a year after its fee, against $216 for the Marriott card.
| Hilton Honors Amex | Marriott Bonvoy Amex | |
|---|---|---|
| TopAnnual fee | $150 | $120 |
| First-year value | $742 | $706 |
| Net annual rewards | $442 | $216 |
| Status included | Hilton Honors Gold | Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite |
| Points valued at | 0.5¢ | 0.7¢ |
| Card page | Hilton Honors American Express Card | Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card |
Neither figure counts free nights or status. Pick the one whose hotels you actually stay at: a hotel card’s points are only worth something inside its own chain.
Who should get the Hilton Honors Amex?
It suits people who stay at Hilton hotels and put at least $12,000 a year on one card.
Skip it if you rarely stay at Hilton, if you want points you can use with airlines, or if you need travel medical insurance; you’d need a second card for that. Amex’s product page doesn’t advertise a waiver of foreign currency conversion fees, so check the fee before using it abroad. And Amex isn’t accepted everywhere in Canada.
Keep reading
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Official sources and further reading
- American Express: Hilton Honors American Express Card ↗
- American Express: Hilton Honors Card certificate of insurance ↗
- Hilton: Canada’s first Hilton Honors credit card (October 29, 2026) ↗
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