What it earns
| Category | Rate | Value per $ | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels | 12× | 6¢ | — |
| Portal travel | 12× | 6¢ | flights, hotels and car hire |
| Dining | 6× | 3¢ | — |
| Gas | 6× | 3¢ | — |
| Groceries | 6× | 3¢ | — |
| Everything else | 3× | 1.5¢ | — |
| Flights | 3× | 1.5¢ | — |
| Home Improvement | 3× | 1.5¢ | — |
| Insurance | 3× | 1.5¢ | — |
| Media & Advertising | 3× | 1.5¢ | — |
| Medical & Pharmacy | 3× | 1.5¢ | — |
| Office Supplies | 3× | 1.5¢ | — |
| Rent | 3× | 1.5¢ | — |
| Shipping & Postage | 3× | 1.5¢ | — |
| Software & Cloud | 3× | 1.5¢ | — |
| Streaming Services | 3× | 1.5¢ | — |
| Transit | 3× | 1.5¢ | — |
| Wireless & Telephone | 3× | 1.5¢ | — |
Cents-per-dollar figures use our standard point valuations, not transfer-partner rates. Transferring to an airline or hotel partner at the right moment can beat these numbers; routine redemptions generally will not. We publish the conservative figure on purpose.
What the fee has to earn back
This card charges $150 a year. Its best rate is 6¢ per dollar on Hotels, against 1.5¢ on everything else — an edge of 4.5¢ per dollar.
So the fee is covered at roughly $3,333 of hotels spending a year, before any statement credits.
That is arithmetic on the published rates above, and it assumes the spending is real rather than moved around to chase the category. Statement credits can change the answer sharply in either direction — a credit you never use is not a discount. Whether your spending clears this is what the audit measures.
Welcome offer
130,000 points
After $3,000 of spending in the first 6 months.
A welcome offer is only worth what you can actually reach. The audit checks the minimum spend against what you really spend each month, rather than assuming you will hit it.
Notes
12× at Hilton properties; Hilton points ~0.5¢ each
Rates can change without notice; confirm with American Express / Hilton before applying.
Disclosure. No referral link is attached to this card — nobody is paid if you apply for it. The rates and welcome terms above are read from the issuer’s own published page, and the audit ranks cards on published rates and your own spending, and never reads which cards carry a referral link. This page carries no application link.