A Comprehensive Overview of American Express Card Tiers for the Year 2025

A Comprehensive Overview of American Express Card Tiers for the Year 2025

Amex and Hilton Cards Offer a Wide Range of Travel and Rewards Perks

In the world of travel rewards cards, American Express (Amex) and Hilton have a diverse array of offerings that cater to various spending habits and travel preferences. Here's a breakdown of some of the key cards from both brands.

Amex Cards

American Express organizes its cards into four main tiers or levels, each with distinct benefits and annual fees.

1. Centurion Card (Amex Black Card) – The most premium and exclusive tier, this invite-only card requires a longstanding relationship with Amex and very high spending. It offers top-tier luxury benefits but is not publicly available for application.
2. Amex Platinum Card – The ultra-premium, widely recognized high-end card with a $695 annual fee. Benefits include access to over 1,400 airport lounges worldwide, complimentary elite status with several hotel and car rental programs, annual and monthly statement credits, comprehensive travel insurance, and 5x Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines or AmexTravel.com (up to $500,000 yearly) and prepaid hotels booked via AmexTravel.com.
3. Amex Gold Card – A premium card with a $325 annual fee focused on rewards for everyday spending, especially food and travel. It offers 4x points at restaurants worldwide (up to $50,000/year), 4x points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000/year), 3x points on flights booked directly with airlines or AmexTravel.com, 2x points on prepaid hotels via AmexTravel.com, and up to $120 annual dining credit and up to $120 Uber Cash per year.
4. Amex Green Card – The mid-market card with a $150 annual fee, suitable for general travel and dining rewards. It offers 3x Membership Rewards points on travel, transit, and restaurants.

Hilton Cards

Hilton Honors has 3 tiers of co-branded cards: the Hilton Aspire card, Hilton Surpass card, and Hilton Honors card.

• The Hilton Aspire card is the ultra-premium Hilton card product offering exclusive perks like Hilton Honors Diamond elite status, a Free Night Award every year after renewing your card, and up to $400 in Hilton Resort statement credits every year, with a $550 annual fee.
• The Hilton Surpass card offers complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status and a Free Night Award after you spend $15,000 in a calendar year, with a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150 annual fee.

Delta Cards

All Delta co-branded cards offer a 20% statement credit on Delta inflight purchases, a complimentary checked bag, and priority boarding on Delta flights. Delta offers four distinct levels of co-branded credit cards, including the Delta Reserve card with a $650 annual fee, offering perks like an annual main cabin companion certificate and complimentary Delta Sky Club access.

• The Delta Blue card is the most basic option with a $0 annual fee.
• The Delta Gold card has a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150 annual fee, and offers a Delta flight credit of up to $200 for future travel when you spend $10,000 in a calendar year.
• The Delta Platinum card offers an annual companion certificate and a special rate to access Delta Sky Clubs.
• Amex also offers a range of card levels, including basic cash-back cards with no annual fee, such as the Amex Blue Cash Everyday card.

Marriott Bonvoy Cards

On the Marriott Bonvoy side of things, there are 3 options: the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card, Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card, and Marriott Bonvoy card (no longer open for new applications). Each of these cards could potentially offer tons of value to the right cardholder.

• The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card is an ultra-premium card with a $650 annual fee, offering complimentary Platinum Elite status, an annual Free Night Award valid for up to 85,000 points, and 25 Elite Night Credits per year.
• The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card offers complimentary Gold Elite status, an annual Free Night Award Certificate valid for up to 50,000 points, and 15 Elite Night Credits per year, with a $250 annual fee.

Each of these cards offers a unique set of benefits and is tailored to different spending habits and travel preferences. Finding the right card for you can help maximize your rewards and enhance your travel experiences.

News: American Express (Amex) and Hilton have various travel rewards cards catering to diverse spending habits. The Amex Platinum Card, a high-end card, offers airport lounge access, luxury benefits, and travel insurance.

Finance: Hilton Aspire card, an ultra-premium Hilton card, charges a $550 annual fee, offering perks like Hilton Honors Diamond elite status and Hilton Resort statement credits.

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