Amex's intro-level Hilton credit card now offers 100,000 points for spending $2,000, all without an annual fee

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The information for the following product(s) has been collected independently by Business Insider: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card. The details for these products have not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.

• Hilton Honors American Express Card - Product Name Only is offering Hilton Honors American Express Card - Intro Bonus.
• The bonus is worth a minimum of Hilton Honors American Express Card - Featured Reward Value when spent on award stays at Hilton properties.
• The Hilton Amex card does not have an annual fee, and comes with complimentary Silver elite status.

The Hilton Honors American Express Card - Product Name Only is offering a tempting welcome bonus, just in time for holiday spending. As a new cardholder, you will earn Hilton Honors American Express Card - Intro Bonus. This reward is 25% higher than the standard bonus of 80,000 points. Amex is an Insider partner.

It's an exciting week for Hilton cardholders overall. Customers who hold the mid-tier Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card - Product Name Only or the premium Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card - Product Name Only will soon receive enhanced benefits – as well as increased annual fees. 

Want a Hilton card, but don't know which one to get? Read our guide to the best Hilton credit cards to help you decide. 

What you should know about the Hilton Honors Amex Card

The Hilton Honors American Express Card - Editorial Name Only is the hotel chain's base-level credit card. But this simple card is far from basic, blowing many other no-annual-fee credit cards out of the water.

Points-earning rates

The Hilton Honors American Express Card - Product Name Only earns Hilton Honors points per dollar spent across the following categories:

• 7x points on eligible Hilton expenses
• 5x points on US restaurants, US supermarkets, and US gas stations
• 3x points per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases

Business Insider values Hilton points at 0.5 cents each, so each dollar you spend on this card can earn a minimum of 1.5 cents in Hilton points. Don't forget that Hilton Honors members also earn 10 points per dollar spent at most Hilton brands, so your earnings can quickly add up when you book paid reservations using your Hilton Honors credit card.

Complimentary Hilton elite status

You'll also receive complimentary Hilton Honors Silver Elite status as a Hilton Amex cardholder, which comes with the following benefits:

• Get your fifth night free when you book an award stay of five nights or more
• Earn a 20% points bonus on paid stays
• Receive free bottled water 
• You can roll over unused elite nights

If you spend $20,000 or more per calendar year on the Hilton Honors American Express Card - Editorial Name Only, you'll earn complimentary Gold elite status. Hilton Gold elite status includes free breakfast, which you'll receive as a food and beverage credit at US hotels. You'll also earn an 80% points bonus on paid stays and be eligible for complimentary room upgrades when available.

Secondary rental car insurance and coverage

This benefit can save you a lot of money on rental car insurance when you travel. You receive secondary coverage for damage or theft of your rental car if you pay for the vehicle with the Hilton Honors American Express Card - Product Name Only and decline the collision damage waiver at the rental counter. Note that some countries and vehicle types are excluded, so make sure you read the fine print for your destination and rental before you sign the paperwork. Liability insurance isn't included in this perk.

Earning and redeeming Hilton Honors points

The current welcome bonus will give you Hilton Honors American Express Card - Intro Bonus. If you reach the $2,000 spending requirement making Hilton hotel purchases, you could end up with 114,000 Hilton Honors points, since eligible Hilton purchases earn 7 points per dollar. 

Hilton Honors points are worth approximately 0.5 cents apiece, which means your potential welcome bonus of 100,000 is worth at least Hilton Honors American Express Card - Featured Reward Value. 

The best way to use Hilton points is on hotel redemptions, and the best way to maximize your value is by redeeming points for free hotel stays, or combining points and cash to offset your out-of-pocket travel costs. With more than 7,000 properties worldwide across 19 different brands — including the new millennial-friendly Tempo brand — you'll find no lack of exciting opportunities to spend your Hilton points.

On the low end: Hilton Honors hotel stays from 5,000 points per night

If you're a budget traveler, Hilton offers some discount opportunities around the world that will meet your frugal needs. The Hampton by Hilton Yopal in Colombia, for example, offers rewards rates from just 5,000 points per night. If you could find enough 5,000-nights in a row, your Hilton Honors stash of 114,000 points could earn you 28 free nights at this hotel, since your Silver elite status gives you your fifth night free when booking stays of five nights or more. 

On the high end: Luxury stays at five-star resorts

Hilton has a number of five-star resorts worldwide. The Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal is one such example, nestled in the mountains at the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula. This beautiful resort includes a private pool overlooking the ocean on the mountainside terrace of each room, and rates begin at a whopping $1,300 or more per night. However, reward stays begin at just 120,000 Hilton Honors points per night, meaning your 100,000 point balance — with a little help from additional spending — could be worth far more than the cash value of Hilton Honors American Express Card - Featured Reward Value.

Who should get the Hilton Honors Amex Card?

The Hilton Honors American Express Card - Editorial Name Only card isn't for everyone, but it's a great fit for many people. Since there's no annual fee, it won't cost you anything to keep it in your wallet, especially if you stay at lower-end Hilton properties at least once or twice a year. If nothing else, the complimentary Silver elite status can save you a few pennies on bottled water while traveling, and it never hurts to have some supplemental rental car protection.

If you're a heavy Hilton loyalist, consider the mid-tier Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card - Product Name Only or the premium Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card - Product Name Only. While both of these cards carry annual fees, they also come with generous benefits to match.