All information about the American Express Business Platinum, Hilton Surpass, and Business Cards has been collected independently by Miles to Memories.
Amex Hilton Benefit
Seemingly out of nowhere, a new Amex Hilton benefit recently appeared on the Business Platinum card. These cardholders are now entitled to a $200 statement credit on charges within the Hilton portfolio of properties, up to $50 per quarter. This new perk works the same as the $200 and $240 credits on the Hilton Amex Surpass and Business cards, respectively. Over the summer, I changed my Amex Hilton statement credit strategy, moving away from Hilton gift cards. But given this surprise change with the Business Platinum, my return to these gift cards isn’t. Here’s why.
Note: Since this article’s submission, Hilton gift cards have gone out of stock but are still available to purchase. My below strategy remains unchanged.
Use or Lose
Like many of you, I’m a fan of the recent rollout of the Hilton statement credit benefit on the Business Platinum. Amex has added even more to a card already packed with benefits of varying value. But we can’t celebrate for long. Cardmembers wanting to realize this benefit value in Q4 of this year only have a few days left.
Within my two-player household, we have eight individual card accounts with this Amex Hilton benefit. We’ve used three credits already this quarter, and we have five remaining. We have a few hotel stays planned for the remainder of the year, but nowhere near the number of credits available to us.
So while Hilton gift cards is not our preferred option for using these statement credits, we don’t have any other practical options for them in 2024. I’ve already restarted buying these cards. I’ll take a just okay thing rather than nothing.
2025 and Beyond….
But starting in a few weeks, I’ll have a fresh three months to consume this Amex Hilton benefit, which has become even more high maintenance with its addition to the Business Platinum. One thing’s for sure – I’ve updated and will be keeping an even closer eye on my benefits spreadsheet. But beyond that, what’s my plan?
Priorities
First off, cards up for closure each quarter will take precedent. I’ll use those up those credits first, and doing so proactively is key. I plan to continue booking Hilton Honors Points & Money rates, but only when they make sense. Making this option even more complex, I often opt for redeeming Hilton free night certificates at properties with a high point threshold. I book anything below that with points – and money, when I have available credits. But my threshold for whether I use a cert or points is unscientific, to say the least. I do this mostly on feel and based on an individual situation. I know I need to get better here, so stay tuned for more.
Secondary Options
So while Points & Money bookings remain my primary method for using this Hilton Amex benefit, I know I’ll need to expand more with other uses given the number of credits available to us. At certain properties where we want to indulge a bit more, these credits will work nicely with Hilton’s elite daily food and beverage credit. I can take care of any overages with these statement credits, but I plan to experiment more. The most obvious option is to run separate Amex cards at the front desk for one-time $50 payments against the folio, but just as obvious is the inevitable confusion this creates there. That’s what I’m presuming, at least.
Perhaps a simpler, but less predictable option is paying directly at bars and restaurants within Hilton properties. I like the ease here, but I see two big negatives, one definite and another possible. First, by paying at the restaurant with my Hilton Amex statement credit-compatible card, I don’t earn bonus points on my room folio. That’s at least 20x I’m missing out on, and that just includes base points and bonus ones from my Hilton Honors Diamond status. Second, how reliably will the statement credit trigger at the variety of outlets within Hilton properties? I’m not very confident in the consistency here, and I’m expecting a wild ride. Perhaps I’m being overly conservative, but I must acknowledge that the credit may not trigger, and I’ll end up going out of pocket. (No, I do not have the patience to escalate transactions not triggering the credit with Amex.)
That said, I plan to experiment with that last option on smaller purchases or outlets I visit more often. Again, even if/when the statement credit does trigger, I’ll be losing out on those 20x points or more by not charging it to my room. But I’m willing to cede that earning for a bit more flexibility in using these credits.
Worst case, I’ll consider buying Hilton gift cards as my last option. It’s still a viable one if I must resort to it.
Conclusion
Meanwhile, I must reconcile that my unused pile of Hilton gift cards is growing taller. In Marlo’s words, that’s a good problem. But I’ll chip away at this liquidation challenge stay by stay, and card by card. Amex is probably the leader in creating confusion with any new card benefit, but I’m up to the task. But I also understand others have no interest in such minutiae. Regardless, there’s plenty out there for all of us. Let’s all do what we enjoy!
How do you prefer using this Amex Hilton benefit?
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