Chase Freedom Unlimited vs Hilton Honors American Express Card
Both cards cost $0/yr. The Chase Freedom Unlimited leads on travel; the Hilton Honors American Express Card on dining.
Card data as of November 13, 2026.
Chase Freedom UnlimitedChase · No annual fee
Hilton Honors American Express CardAmerican Express · No annual fee
Overview
- Annual fee
- Chase Freedom Unlimited$0Hilton Honors American Express Card$0
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- Chase Freedom Unlimited$200 cash backHilton Honors American Express Card70,000 points
- Rewards
- Chase Freedom UnlimitedCash backHilton Honors American Express CardHilton Honors
- Foreign transaction fee
- Chase Freedom Unlimited3%Hilton Honors American Express CardNoneLowest
- Network
- Chase Freedom UnlimitedVisa SignatureHilton Honors American Express CardAmerican Express
Earn ratesPer $1 spent · points and cash back aren’t ranked against each other
- Dining
- Chase Freedom Unlimited3%Hilton Honors American Express Card5x
- Gas Stations
- Chase Freedom Unlimited1.5%Hilton Honors American Express Card5x
- Grocery Stores
- Chase Freedom Unlimited1.5%Hilton Honors American Express Card5x
- Drugstores
- Chase Freedom Unlimited3%Hilton Honors American Express Card3x
- Everything else
- Chase Freedom Unlimited1.5%Hilton Honors American Express Card3x
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
- Dining & delivery
- Chase Freedom Unlimited
- Free DashPass membership for 6 months · $60 one-time
Hilton Honors American Express Card—
Perks & access— means none on record
- Hotel status & programs
- Chase Freedom Unlimited—Hilton Honors American Express Card
- Automatic Hilton Honors Silver Elite Status
- Other perks
- Chase Freedom Unlimited
- 24/7 travel assistance when you're away from home
Hilton Honors American Express Card- Amex Offers
- Early access to concerts and events
- 24/7 global travel assistance
- No foreign transaction fees
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
- Trip insurance
- Chase Freedom Unlimited
- Up to $6,000 trip cancellation and interruption coverage · up to $1,500
Hilton Honors American Express Card— - Rental car
- Chase Freedom Unlimited
- Free rental car coverage when you decline counter insurance
Hilton Honors American Express Card- Car rental insurance (secondary coverage)
- Purchase & returns
- Chase Freedom Unlimited
- Up to $500 protection for damaged or stolen purchases
- 24/7 fraud monitoring
- Zero Liability on unauthorized charges
Hilton Honors American Express Card- Up to $1,000 per item against damage or theft
- Extended warranty
- Chase Freedom Unlimited
- Add an extra year to manufacturer warranties
Hilton Honors American Express Card— - Other protections
- Chase Freedom Unlimited
- 24/7 lost/stolen card assistance worldwide
Hilton Honors American Express Card- Zero liability protection on fraudulent charges
Pros & cons
- Pros
- Chase Freedom Unlimited
- 1.5% cash back on every purchase with no caps or categories
- 5% on Chase Travel, 3% on dining and drugstores
- $200 bonus after $500 spend in 3 months
- 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers
- $0 annual fee with Visa Signature benefits
Hilton Honors American Express Card- No annual fee ever
- Automatic Hilton Silver status with 20% bonus points and late checkout
- Path to Gold status after $20,000 annual spend
- Solid 7X earning at Hilton properties, 5X at restaurants/supermarkets/gas
- No foreign transaction fees
- Cons
- Chase Freedom Unlimited
- 3% foreign transaction fee
- 1.5% base rate lower than Freedom Flex's 5% rotating categories
- Points worth only 1 cent without Sapphire card pairing
- No premium travel insurance or lounge access
- Lower welcome bonus than Sapphire cards
Hilton Honors American Express Card- Only Silver status (lower than Surpass/Aspire Gold grants)
- Lower earn rates than premium Hilton cards (7X vs 12X at Hilton)
- No annual credits or free night rewards
- Points locked to Hilton with no transfer flexibility
- Amex network less accepted internationally than Visa/Mastercard
Expert Analysis
The Chase Freedom Unlimited and Hilton Honors American Express Card are two of the most popular cards in their category, and choosing between them comes down to which rewards structure better matches your spending. Both deliver strong value, but in meaningfully different ways.
The Chase Freedom Unlimited's strongest category is Dining at 3X, while the Hilton Honors American Express Card leads with 7X on Hilton Properties. Overall, the Hilton Honors American Express Card wins in more bonus categories (5 vs 0) — so the better choice depends on where you spend the most.
Both cards carry a $0/yr annual fee, so the decision comes down purely to rewards structure and benefits — there's no fee math to worry about.
Key Differences
- Hilton Honors American Express Card earns 5X on Dining vs 3X for the other
- Hilton Honors American Express Card earns 7X on Hilton Properties vs 1.5X for the other
- Hilton Honors American Express Card earns 7X on Hilton Hotels Resorts vs 1.5X for the other
- Hilton Honors American Express Card has a higher base earn rate (3X vs 1.5X on non-bonus spending)
- Different networks: Chase Freedom Unlimited is VISA, Hilton Honors American Express Card is AMEX
Spending Scenarios
Which card wins in real-world spending situations?
$400/month on dining
Hilton Honors American Express CardHilton Honors American Express Card earns 5X vs 3X. Over a year, that's 24,000 vs 14,400 points — a 9,600-point advantage.
$200/month on hilton properties
Hilton Honors American Express CardHilton Honors American Express Card earns 7X vs 1.5X. Over a year, that's 16,800 vs 3,600 points — a 13,200-point advantage.
Who Should Get Which?
Get the Chase Freedom Unlimited if:
The Chase Freedom Unlimited is a well-rounded card at $0/yr that works for a variety of spending patterns.
Get the Hilton Honors American Express Card if:
The Hilton Honors American Express Card is ideal for cardholders who prioritize spending heavily on dining and hilton properties and earning more on everyday purchases. At $0/yr, it delivers strong no-fee value for its target audience.
Upgrade & Downgrade Path
These cards are from different issuers, so switching between them requires a new application. Many rewards enthusiasts hold both to maximize earn rates across different spending categories — the annual fee total may be worth it if you're actively using both cards' bonus categories.
Consider which card's rewards ecosystem better fits your redemption goals. Transferable points programs offer more flexibility for travel redemptions.
Category-by-Category Winner
The Hilton Honors American Express Card wins in 4 of 4 categories. The Chase Freedom Unlimited leads in 0. 4 more categories depend on booking channel or caps.
Travel
Depends: via issuer travel portal
Chase Freedom Unlimited earns 5X when conditions are met; Hilton Honors American Express Card earns 3X (3X without restrictions)
Hotels
Depends: via Chase Travel portal - the Chase Travel travel rate restated per bookable subcategory, as Capital One and Citi portal rates are recorded
Chase Freedom Unlimited earns 5X when conditions are met; Hilton Honors American Express Card earns 3X (3X without restrictions)
Flights
Depends: via Chase Travel portal - the Chase Travel travel rate restated per bookable subcategory, as Capital One and Citi portal rates are recorded
Chase Freedom Unlimited earns 5X when conditions are met; Hilton Honors American Express Card earns 3X (3X without restrictions)
Car Rentals
Depends: via Chase Travel portal - the Chase Travel travel rate restated per bookable subcategory, as Capital One and Citi portal rates are recorded
Chase Freedom Unlimited earns 5X when conditions are met; Hilton Honors American Express Card earns 3X (3X without restrictions)
Dining
Hilton Honors American Express Card earns 5X vs 3X
Grocery Stores
Hilton Honors American Express Card earns 5X vs 1.5X
Gas Stations
Hilton Honors American Express Card earns 5X vs 1.5X
Everyday purchases
Hilton Honors American Express Card earns 3X on all other spending vs 1.5X
Year One vs Ongoing Value
Modeled net value (bonus categories at unconditional rates, caps applied). Spend mix: dining 15%, groceries 15%, gas 10%, travel 10%, everything else 50%. Statement credits use the same recurring usable estimates as each card's detail page; first-year-only credits count in year one only. Welcome offers valued at each card's program rate shown on this page.
Both scenarios favor the Chase Freedom Unlimited on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
| Scenario | Chase Freedom Unlimited | Hilton Honors American Express Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $373 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $373 Year one: $603 | Rewards: $182 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $182 Year one: $462 | Chase Freedom Unlimited | Chase Freedom Unlimited |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $1,490 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $1,490 Year one: $1,720 | Rewards: $730 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $730 Year one: $1,010 | Chase Freedom Unlimited | Chase Freedom Unlimited |
Which Card Is Right for You?
Get the Hilton Honors American Express Card if you:
- +Do most of your spending at grocery stores
- +Prefer a high flat rate across all spending
The Bottom Line
Both scenarios favor the Chase Freedom Unlimited on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
Everyday (non-bonus) spend earns 3X on the Hilton Honors American Express Card vs 1.5X on the other card.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which card earns more rewards, the Chase Freedom Unlimited or Hilton Honors American Express Card?
- The Hilton Honors American Express Card has a higher base earn rate (3X vs 1.5X), but both cards have different bonus categories where they excel.
- Should I get the Chase Freedom Unlimited or the Hilton Honors American Express Card?
- Both cards have the same $0/yr fee. Choose based on which bonus categories match your spending — check the earn rate comparison above.
Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; catalog last published November 13, 2026, and each card page shows when its terms were last checked. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.