Question : Mr Credit Card, I noticed that there are two credit cards for Hilton HHonors members, one from amex and the other is a visa from Citibank. I would prefer a Visa rather than an American Express card. Which is the better card?.........Regards, Cindy from NJ
Answer - Actually, both cards are equally good and they do have slight differences.
I have compiled the key features of these two cards in a table below. Let us take a closer look.
Comparison of the two Hilton HHonors Credit Cards
|
|  |
| Criteria |
American Express
Hilton Honors |
Citi Hilton HHonors Visa |
| Bonus Points |
10,000 bonus points after first purchaseEarn 2,500 bonus points for each of the first 4 stays at Hiltonie Earn up to 20,000 bonus points |
15,000 bonus points after first purchase within 2 months |
| Point Formula |
5 points for every dollar you spend at Hilton Hotels, standalone supermarkets, gas stations, drugstores, selected dining establishments, US Post Office and Wireless Phone BillsEarn 3 points for every dollar you spend on other purchases |
6 points for every dollar you spend at Hilton Hotels3 Points for every dollar spent at supermarkets, gas stations and drug stores 2 points for every dollar you spend on other purchases |
| Annual Fee |
No annual fee |
No annual fee |
| Intro APR |
2.90% apr for purchases and balance transfers for 6 months |
2.99% apr for purchases and balance transfers for 6 months |
| APR |
Prime rate plus 9.99% |
Prime rate plus 9.99% for signature card
Prime rate plus 11.99% for gold card |
Observations - As you can see from the above table, the American Express version allows you to earn more points - 5 points at Hilton Hotels versus 6 points for the Citi Hilton HHonors card. However, with the American Express Card, you earn 3 points for every dollar you spend on "other purchases" versus only 2 points for the Visa card.
The American Express version is also one of the rare credit card that allows you to earn 5 Hilton HHonors points for every dollar you spend on standalone supermarkets, gas stations, drugstores, selected dining establishments, US Post Office and Wireless Phone Bills. With the Citi version, you earn 3 points for every dollar you spend at supermarkets, gas stations and drugstores.
The fees and rates for both cards are similar. The only other minor differences is the introductory bonus.
Conclusion - Based on the reward formulas, our conclusion is that both are great cards to have and both have their strengths and weaknesses. For example the Citi® Hilton Hhonors® Visa® Signature Card lets you earn more points when you use the card at Hilton Hotels and chains. However, the Hilton HHonors® Platinum Credit Card from American Express lets you earn more points on supermarket, gas station, drugstore and other non-Hilton purchases versus the Citicard. So I guess the best choice for you will depend on how much you spend on the card within these categories.
For business owners who want to earn Hilton Honors points, we suggest using either of the two personal cards instead as there are no business cards that let you earn or transfer points at the rate of these 2 personal cards.
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