BREAKING: Hilton Launches The Worlds First Hotel Loyalty Debit Cards

Hilton Launches Worlds First Hotel Loyalty Debit Cards

I first heard about this a few months ago and the first thing that came to mind was “why hasn’t this been done before, what a great idea”? Now it’s a reality. 

Hilton has just rolled out something exciting for UK-based travellers—the world’s first hotel debit card, in collaboration with Currensea. These new Hilton Honors Debit Card and Hilton Honors Plus Debit Card offer a great balance of travel rewards and everyday financial benefits, making them a smart choice for those who want to get more from their spending.

Launching today, September 26th, these cards let you earn Hilton Honors Points with every purchase, which you can redeem for hotel stays and experiences. On top of that, cardholders get instant elite status—Silver with the standard card and Gold with the Plus version. That means extra perks like complimentary breakfast, free WiFi, and room upgrades.

Clearly tailored for frequent travellers, the plus card also eliminates those pesky foreign transaction fees, offering competitive exchange rates when spending abroad. So, whether you’re booking a stay or making purchases during your travels, you can enjoy extra savings along the way.

Given the relatively low annual fee and the benefits associated with them, it’s honestly a no brainer. 

Hilton said:

The new cards remove bank fees from overseas transactions so cardholders can expect to benefit from much lower rates than offered by high street banks. It can be used everywhere that accepts Mastercard and all purchases are protected by Mastercard Chargeback Protection.

The two cards are Hilton Honors Debit Card and Hilton Honors Plus Debit Card and below I will compare the costs and benefits of them.

Hilton Honors Basic Debit Card

• £60 yearly fee
• Limited-time offer of 3500 bonus points when you spend £1000 in foreign currency within 6 months of signing up. 
• Earn up to 3 Hilton Honors Points for every £1 spent on eligible purchases
• Instant Hilton Honors Silver Status (For the whole time you own the card, not just for a year)
• Realtime Exchange Rate with low 0.5% FX fees
• Low 0.5% fee on ATM withdrawals abroad. 2.5% fee over £250 per month
• Earn 1 Hilton Honors Point for every 1p rounded up with Point Booster.

Hilton Honors Plus Debit Card

• £150 yearly fee
• Limited-time offer of 12,000 bonus points when you spend £2500 in foreign currency within 6 months of signing up. 
• Earn up to 4.5 Hilton Honors Points for every £1 spent on eligible purchases
• Instant Hilton Honors Gold Status (For the whole time you own the card, not just for a year)
• Realtime Exchange Rate with no FX fees
• Fee free ATM withdrawals abroad. 2.5% fee over £500 per month
• Earn 1 Hilton Honors Point for every 1p rounded up with Point Booster

Some of the main Hilton Honours status benefits can be found below. 

Hilton Honours Silver Benefits

• 20% Bonus on Points: Earn 20% more Hilton Honors Points on every eligible stay.
• Fifth Night Free: Book a stay using points and enjoy the fifth night free on standard room reward stays of five nights or more.
• Free Bottled Water: Complimentary bottled water at select Hilton properties.
• Elite Rollover Nights: Any extra nights you stay beyond the qualification requirements will roll over to help you qualify for status the next year.
• Late Check-out: Enjoy late check-out (subject to availability).
• Free WiFi: Complimentary standard WiFi during your stay.
• No Resort Fees on Reward Stays: Resort fees are waived when you book stays with points.

Hilton Honours Gold Benefits

• 80% Bonus on Points: Earn 80% more Hilton Honors Points on every eligible stay.
• Room Upgrades: Enjoy complimentary room upgrades to preferred rooms, including executive-level rooms (based on availability).
• Complimentary Breakfast: Free daily breakfast at all hotels within the Hilton portfolio (or a food & beverage credit at some properties).
• Fifth Night Free: Receive the fifth night free on standard room reward stays of five nights or more.
• Free Bottled Water: Complimentary bottled water at check-in at participating hotels.
• Elite Rollover Nights: Any extra nights beyond qualification requirements roll over to help you reach status next year.
• Late Check-out: Enjoy late check-out, when available.
• Free WiFi: Complimentary standard WiFi during your stay.
• No Resort Fees on Reward Stays: Resort fees are waived when booking stays with points.
• Milestone Bonuses: Receive additional bonus points for completing 40 or more nights per year.

If you aren’t yet a Hilton Honours member, you can sign up here.

Here is the full list of Hilton Honours status benefits

You can read more about the cards and apply here.