It seems with each month or year credit card bonuses get larger and larger. A few years ago a 60,000 point signup bonus seemed incredible, but now people really only get excited for 100,000+ bonuses! This is especially true for credit cards that earn redeemable points.
Likewise, hotel credit cards, such as the Marriott Bonvoy cards and now Hilton Honors cards seem to be offering absurd sign-up bonuses that only continue to grow. Marriott and Chase frequently offer 80,000+ sign-up bonuses throughout the year. Similarly, Hilton and Amex have offered 100,000+ Hilton Honors points since launching their co-branded cards back in early 2018.
Well, it seem Hilton and Amex have officially outdone themselves and are now offering the largest (that I can remember) sign-up bonus on the Hilton Honors Ascend American Express card. The offer online is pretty appealing at 125,000 points, but there appears to be an even larger offer available via an email from Hilton Hotels.
An Exclusive Offer From American Express
A few days ago I received an email from American Express which highlighted an exclusive welcome offer for the Hilton Honors Ascend credit card. At first glance I ignored the email as I had no interest in signing up for yet another credit card. However, when I read the subject line something caught my eye. Specifically, the subject line of the email highlighted an increase sign-up bonus for the card.
Much to my surprise, when I opened the email, I did in fact find an increased offer. Specifically, I found an offer to earn 130,000 Hilton Honors points after spending just $2,000 in the first 90 days after opening an account.
The email continued by showcasing how new cardmembers can earn the sign-up bonus and a few other benefits they’ll receive from the card.
After opening the email I decided to visit the American Express website to learn a bit more about the card. Surprisingly when the card loaded on the Amex website I noticed the sign up bonus was for just 125,000 points. So, if you are considering opening this card, make sure to check to see if you have an email from Hilton/Amex.
One thing to note, to hit the sign-up bonus spend you only have to spend $2,000 opposed to $3,000 as is common with other cards.
Should You Apply For The Hilton Honors American Express Ascend Card?
Over the past few years I’ve scaled back writing about credit cards. While I research most available cards often and keep up to the most recent benefits offered, I often find that it’s hard to “recommend” a card, especially one I don’t personally carry. For that reason, I’ve started only recommending cards that I carry or that i actually thing would be a good fit for most people.
With that, I actually do think this card is worth considering, especially when you factor in the increased sign up bonus. From the 130,000 or 125,000 points you can basically get 2 or more nights at any Hilton property around the world. However, after earning the bonus the card could be worth keeping.
The card only has a $95 annual fee and for that you’ll get complimentary Hilton Gold status. With that status you’ll earn extra points with each stay, complimentary breakfast, and upgrade opportunities. If you stay at Hilton a few times each year, but not enough to reach Gold, this card could be worth carrying. From the free breakfasts alone you could completely offset the annual fee. That being said, if you already carry the American Express Platinum card or maintain Hilton Honors Gold status or above I probably wouldn’t go for this card.
Final Thoughts
No matter how you slice it, 130,000 points is a lot! Hilton points are usually worth about $0.05 to $0.10 each so this bonus could be worth about $1,300 or more. That’s a pretty good return on just $2,000 of spend. On top of that you’ll get Hilton Gold status for just $95 a year which again could make the card worth carrying for years to come.
My only advice if considering opening this card for the sign-up bonus would be to first look at desired redemptions. A quick search for hotels in New York this summer resulted in most rooms costing over 70,000 points a night. With that in mind, if signing up for the card is still attractive then go for it, but just make sure you realize how many points your desired redemption will cost.
