How does the Hilton Honors debit card work – and is it any good?

Frequent flyers will hopefully be familiar with the best cards for travel abroad, but opting for a loyalty debit or credit card can also offer valuable savings when you’re away from home.

The Hilton Honors debit card, which is linked to the popular hotel rewards program, is a first-of-its-kind hotel debit card in the UK. It was launched in 2024 in partnership with travel card company Currensea, and offers a host of perks – customers can collect Hilton Honor Points on everyday spending and enjoy low foreign exchange rates on transactions abroad.

But while using a travel card is a good way to save money on holiday, do the benefits of the Hilton Honors debit card outweigh the costs?

Try 6 free issues of MoneyWeek today

Get unparalleled financial insight, analysis and expert opinion you can profit from.

Start your trial

Sign up for MoneyWeek’s free twice-daily newsletter.

Join more than 165,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with latest financial news, insights and expert analysis to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.

Join more than 165,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with latest financial news, insights and expert analysis to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.

Sign up

How does the Hilton Hotels loyalty debit card scheme work? 

The Hilton Honors debit card is issued by Currensea. You can choose from two different debit cards, costing £60 per year and £150 per year. When you sign up for the card, it gets linked to your UK current account. Most high-street banks are supported except for Metro Bank, the Co-operative Bank and Chase.

You will then need to go through a soft credit check to verify your identity. No matter where you are, you can spend directly from your current account without having to top up your card, move your money, or open a new bank account.

Which Hilton Honors debit card is better for me?

It depends on how frequently you travel and your needs. We explore the fees and features of each card below.

You can view real-time FX rates on the Hilton website.

What are Hilton Honors points?

The Hilton Honors loyalty scheme allows members to earn points towards free nights at over 8,000 Hilton Hotels globally – including Hilton hotels, DoubleTree Hilton, the Waldorf Astoria and Hampton by Hilton. You can also put your points towards experiences such as sports events, dining and VIP access to concerts.

Are there any other benefits?

A feature of these debit cards is that you automatically get Hilton Honors silver status if you hold the Hilton Honors Debit Card and gold status if you have the Hilton Honors Plus Debit Card.

Usually, to get silver status, you need at least 10 nights, four stays, or 25,000 points. For gold status, you would need 40 nights, 20 stays or 75,000 points.

• Silver status: You get a 20% bonus when earning points on stays (12 points), a fifth night free on reward stays and a spa discount of up to 15% off at Hilton brands.
• Gold status: You get an 80% bonus on stays (18 points), food and drink credit when staying at Hilton brands and room upgrades where available.

Rob Burgess on Head for Points says the free breakfast is a key benefit that cardholders can avail with the Gold status. Writing for Head for Points, he explains: “It could easily save two people £50 per day in an upscale hotel, meaning that the £150 [annual] fee for the Hilton Honors Plus debit card pays for itself very easily.”

How to apply for a Hilton Honors debit card account

You can open an account online on the Hilton Honors website – just click ‘get started’. To link an existing current account, you’ll also need to download the Currensea app and follow these steps:

• Open the Currensea app and tap ‘account’ at the bottom of the screen
• Click on the ‘Linked Bank’ button
• Then tap ‘New Bank Account’
• Select your bank from the list on the screen. (A list of eligible banks that can be linked to Currensea can be found on its website – they are mostly high-street providers.)
• After this step, follow the instructions on the screen to complete linking to your current account.

How does Hilton’s hotel debit card compare to the rest of the market?

Hilton’s debit cards offer low foreign exchange rates and access to its loyalty scheme. But how do they compare to the rest of the market?

If we look at other travel debit cards, Chase Bank, First Direct and Starling Bank come out on top. They all offer fee-free spending abroad and fee-free ATM withdrawals up to a certain limit.

They also come with typical debit card perks. For example, the First Direct account comes with a 7% linked regular saver and £250 interest-free overdraft, and Chase offers 1% cashback on spending for a year. Currently, you can also earn £175 by switching your current account to First Direct.

So, it all comes down to what you want out of your travel debit or credit card. If it’s fee-free spending abroad and perks on Hilton accommodation, then the Hilton Debit card could be worth it. But if you want a competitive savings account attached to your debit card or cashback, it’s worth looking at other options.