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Another Year of Hilton Aspire
Jun. 10th, 2022 07:13 amRecently I passed another anniversary of owning the American Express Hilton Aspire credit card. It's my 2nd anniversary. At my 1st anniversary I calculated that I played it for a net win of $833 in the first year. It's time to check the score for Year 2.
I earned over 37,000 Hilton Honors points from about $3,300 of purchases over the past 12 months. I value Hilton points at 0.5 cents per point (cpp), so those points are worth $185. Offset those points, though, by the opportunity cost of 2%— the amount of cash back I could earn with another card. Thus the points only netted a $119 gain vs. the baseline alternative. Furthermore, subtract the whopping $450 annual fee this card charges, and the net drops to a loss of $331. Say it ain't so!
It ain't so. š
Points aren't the only benefit of the Hilton card. In fact over the past year they haven't even been the primary benefit. American Express and Hilton have offered a number of statement credits. Last year there was a $20/month dining credit available. There were also a few months of $5/month credits for charging groceries and cellphone bills. And then there were the airline charge credits. All in all I captured $614 of statement credits in the 12 month period. That swings my score back to a respectable net win of $283.
But wait, there's more! I also earned 2 free-night certificates last year. We redeemed them for 2 nights at a comfortable hotel in the Sierras. I rate the value at $175/night, $350 total. That brings me up to a net win of $633. For a not-first-year credit card, that's a great score!
I earned over 37,000 Hilton Honors points from about $3,300 of purchases over the past 12 months. I value Hilton points at 0.5 cents per point (cpp), so those points are worth $185. Offset those points, though, by the opportunity cost of 2%— the amount of cash back I could earn with another card. Thus the points only netted a $119 gain vs. the baseline alternative. Furthermore, subtract the whopping $450 annual fee this card charges, and the net drops to a loss of $331. Say it ain't so!
It ain't so. š
It's Not Just Points; It's Rebates & Free Nights, Too
Points aren't the only benefit of the Hilton card. In fact over the past year they haven't even been the primary benefit. American Express and Hilton have offered a number of statement credits. Last year there was a $20/month dining credit available. There were also a few months of $5/month credits for charging groceries and cellphone bills. And then there were the airline charge credits. All in all I captured $614 of statement credits in the 12 month period. That swings my score back to a respectable net win of $283.But wait, there's more! I also earned 2 free-night certificates last year. We redeemed them for 2 nights at a comfortable hotel in the Sierras. I rate the value at $175/night, $350 total. That brings me up to a net win of $633. For a not-first-year credit card, that's a great score!
