First-year winner
Hilton Honors Business Card
$2,076 Year 1 edge
$1,473 vs $-603
Compare Cards
Stack up the better credit card
Compare two cards side by side with your real spend, credits, fees, and rewards.
Card A
Card B
Monthly spend
Start with spending categories
Monthly Total
$2,430/mo
Reward assumptions
Credits & benefits
Count the credits and perks you actually expect to use. Credit rows start with conservative default values; edit them for your own merchant, timing, or travel friction.
Card A
The Business Platinum Card from American Express
Counted benefits
$0
Credits
None
Cash-like credits counted in the model
Perks
None
Optional user-valued benefits
Perk
Premium Lounge Access
Lounge Access · No listed cash value
Platinum-tier cards are built around airport-lounge access across the Amex lounge ecosystem and partner lounge programs.
Perk
Amex Offers Access
Other · No listed cash value
Eligible cardholders can add targeted Amex Offers for statement credits or bonus rewards with participating merchants.
Perk
Purchase and Warranty Protections
Purchase Protection · No listed cash value
American Express cards commonly include purchase-protection and extended-warranty style coverage on eligible purchases.
Perk
No Foreign Transaction Fees
Other · No listed cash value
Eligible international purchases do not incur an added foreign transaction surcharge.
Card B
Hilton Honors Business Card
Counted benefits
$0
Credits
None
Cash-like credits counted in the model
Perks
None
Optional user-valued benefits
Perk
Hilton Honors Status Perks
Other · No listed cash value
Hilton co-brand cardholders can unlock hotel-program benefits such as elite-status value, bonus earnings on stays, and on-property perks.
Perk
Amex Offers Access
Other · No listed cash value
Eligible cardholders can add targeted Amex Offers for statement credits or bonus rewards with participating merchants.
Perk
Purchase and Warranty Protections
Purchase Protection · No listed cash value
American Express cards commonly include purchase-protection and extended-warranty style coverage on eligible purchases.
Perk
No Foreign Transaction Fees
Other · No listed cash value
Eligible international purchases do not incur an added foreign transaction surcharge.
Verdict
Hilton Honors Business wins year 1 and long term.
Winner after year 1
Hilton Honors Business Card
$2,076 ongoing edge
$1,473 vs $-603
Long-term breakeven: the higher-reward option needs roughly $0 per year in this spend mix to overcome the fee and benefit gap.
American Express
The Business Platinum Card from American Express
Year One
$-603
Welcome offer + annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
After Year 1
$-603
Annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
Annual Rewards
$292
1.00% effective return
Welcome Offer
None
Current listed first-year bonus value
Credits + Perks
None
$0 credits + $0 perks
Bonus Spend
No listed offer
No spend threshold in dataset
Why it wins
- • Stays usable for international purchases.
Watch for
- • The annual fee is harder to justify if you do not use the credits and perks consistently.
- • There is no meaningful active welcome offer in the current dataset.
- • The points value case is thinner without transfer-partner flexibility.
American Express
Hilton Honors Business Card
Year One
$1,473
Welcome offer + annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
After Year 1
$1,473
Annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
Annual Rewards
$1,668
5.72% effective return
Welcome Offer
None
Current listed first-year bonus value
Credits + Perks
None
$0 credits + $0 perks
Bonus Spend
No listed offer
No spend threshold in dataset
Why it wins
- • Earns well on the spend mix you entered.
- • Stays usable for international purchases.
Watch for
- • The annual fee is harder to justify if you do not use the credits and perks consistently.
- • There is no meaningful active welcome offer in the current dataset.
- • The points value case is thinner without transfer-partner flexibility.
Spend Mix Math
Where the value actually comes from
Category returns are based on the spend mix you entered, your point-value assumption, and the benefits you chose to count.
Dining
1x
$5,400
The Business Platinum Card from American Express
$54
1.00%
Hilton Honors Business
$270
5.00%
Groceries
1x
$7,800
The Business Platinum Card from American Express
$78
1.00%
Hilton Honors Business
$390
5.00%
Travel
1x
$3,000
The Business Platinum Card from American Express
$30
1.00%
Hilton Honors Business
$360
12.00%
Gas
1x
$1,920
The Business Platinum Card from American Express
$19
1.00%
Hilton Honors Business
$96
5.00%
General
1x
$11,040
The Business Platinum Card from American Express
$110
1.00%
Hilton Honors Business
$552
5.00%
Total annual spend
$29,160 across this mix
The Business Platinum Card from American Express$292
Hilton Honors Business$1,668
Raw Breakdown
Full side-by-side details
Use the spec table below when you want the literal field-by-field differences in rewards, benefits, transfer partners, fees, and approval profile.
| Metric | The Business Platinum Card from American Express | Hilton Honors Business Card |
|---|---|---|
| Costs | ||
| Annual fee | $895 | $195 |
| Foreign transaction fee | None | None |
| Rewards | ||
| Travel rewards | 5x 5X Membership Rewards points on flights and prepaid hotels booked through AmexTravel.com. | 12x 12X Hilton Honors points on eligible Hilton purchases. |
| All rewards | 1x | 5x 5X points on other eligible purchases on the first $100,000 per year, then 3X thereafter. |
| Benefits | ||
| Estimated benefits | 4 listed | 4 listed |
| Benefit highlights | Premium Lounge Access · Amex Offers Access · Purchase and Warranty Protections · +1 more | Hilton Honors Status Perks · Amex Offers Access · Purchase and Warranty Protections · +1 more |
| Profile | ||
| Credit needed | Excellent | Good |
| Network | amex | amex |
| Reward type | Points | Points |
Costs
Annual fee
The Business Platinum Card from American Express
$895
Hilton Honors Business Card
$195
Foreign transaction fee
The Business Platinum Card from American Express
None
Hilton Honors Business Card
None
Rewards
Travel rewards
The Business Platinum Card from American Express
5x
5X Membership Rewards points on flights and prepaid hotels booked through AmexTravel.com.
Hilton Honors Business Card
12x
12X Hilton Honors points on eligible Hilton purchases.
All rewards
The Business Platinum Card from American Express
1x
Hilton Honors Business Card
5x
5X points on other eligible purchases on the first $100,000 per year, then 3X thereafter.
Benefits
Estimated benefits
The Business Platinum Card from American Express
4 listed
Hilton Honors Business Card
4 listed
Benefit highlights
The Business Platinum Card from American Express
Premium Lounge Access · Amex Offers Access · Purchase and Warranty Protections · +1 more
Hilton Honors Business Card
Hilton Honors Status Perks · Amex Offers Access · Purchase and Warranty Protections · +1 more
Profile
Credit needed
The Business Platinum Card from American Express
Excellent
Hilton Honors Business Card
Good
Network
The Business Platinum Card from American Express
amex
Hilton Honors Business Card
amex
Reward type
The Business Platinum Card from American Express
Points
Hilton Honors Business Card
Points