The Hilton Honors American Express Premium Card (ヒルトン・オナーズ アメリカン・エキスプレス®・プレミアム・カード) is the premium Hilton co-branded credit card issued by American Express in Japan.
Its biggest selling point is the ability to earn Hilton Honors Diamond Status through credit card spending. Cardmembers receive Gold Status automatically, and spending ¥2,000,000 from January through December upgrades the primary cardmember to Diamond Status.
The card also offers up to two Weekend Free Night Rewards per year, making it particularly compelling for travelers who regularly stay at higher-end Hilton properties.
👉 Apply for the Hilton Honors American Express Premium Card
Hilton Honors American Express Premium Card Benefits
| Benefit | Details |
|---|---|
| Annual Fee | ¥66,000 |
| Additional Cards | First 3 free; ¥13,200 each thereafter |
| Foreign Transaction Fee | 3.5% |
| Hilton Status | Gold Status automatically |
| Diamond Status | Spend ¥2,000,000 from January–December |
| First Free Night | 1 Weekend Free Night Reward upon renewal |
| Second Free Night | Spend ¥3,000,000 during the program period + renew |
| Maximum Free Nights | Up to 2 per year |
| Eligible Free Night Dates | Friday, Saturday, or Sunday nights |
| Everyday Spending | 3 Hilton Honors Points per ¥100 |
| Hilton Purchases | 7 Hilton Honors Points per ¥100 |
| Hilton Premium Club Japan | Complimentary first-year membership |
| HPCJ Hotel Discount | Up to 25% off eligible stays in Japan |
Earn Hilton Diamond Status With ¥2 Million in Spending
This is the benefit that really separates the Premium Card from the standard Hilton Honors American Express Card.
Spend ¥2,000,000 between January and December, and the primary cardmember can earn Hilton Honors Diamond Status.
Diamond is Hilton’s highest published elite tier and adds benefits beyond Gold, including Executive Lounge access at participating properties and a higher elite points bonus.
For travelers who already spend around ¥2 million per year on a credit card, this can be a much easier path to Diamond than qualifying entirely through hotel stays.
One important detail is that the Diamond spending requirement is calculated on a calendar-year basis, while the card’s free-night spending requirement follows its separate program period.
Up to Two Weekend Free Night Rewards
The Premium Card has a significantly stronger free-night benefit than the standard Hilton Amex.
Simply renewing the card earns one Weekend Free Night Reward.
Spend ¥3,000,000 during the applicable program period and renew the card, and you’ll receive a second Weekend Free Night Reward.
That means you can earn:
Renewal → 1 Free Night
¥3,000,000 in spending + renewal → 2 Free Nights
The certificates can be used for eligible Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night stays, subject to standard-room reward availability and participating-hotel rules.
Unlike Marriott Bonvoy Free Night Awards, Hilton’s certificates aren’t tied to a fixed points cap. That can make them especially valuable when redeemed at expensive Hilton properties where standard-room award space is available.
Hilton Honors American Express vs. Premium
| Benefit | Hilton Honors Amex | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Fee | ¥16,500 | ¥66,000 |
| Gold Status | Automatic | Automatic |
| Diamond Status | — | ¥2M annual spend |
| Free Nights | Up to 1 | Up to 2 |
| First Free Night | ¥1.5M spend + renewal | Renewal |
| Second Free Night | — | ¥3M spend + renewal |
| Everyday Spending | 2 Points / ¥100 | 3 Points / ¥100 |
| Hilton Spending | 3 Points / ¥100 | 7 Points / ¥100 |
If your main goal is simply getting Hilton Gold Status, the standard Hilton Honors American Express Card is the more economical choice.
The Premium Card starts making much more sense if you can naturally put ¥2–3 million of annual spending on the card. At ¥2 million, you unlock Diamond Status; at ¥3 million, you can also earn the second Weekend Free Night Reward.
Bottom Line
The Hilton Honors American Express Premium Card has a very straightforward value proposition: Hilton Diamond Status and up to two Weekend Free Night Rewards.
If you don’t need Diamond and mainly want Hilton Gold, the standard card is probably enough. But frequent Hilton guests who can comfortably meet the ¥2–3 million spending thresholds have a much stronger case for the Premium Card.
It’s also an interesting contrast with the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Premium Card in Japan. Marriott’s strengths are Elite Night Credits and flexible points that can transfer to numerous airline programs, while Hilton Premium focuses more heavily on elite status and potentially high-value free-night certificates.
👉 Apply for the Hilton Honors American Express Premium Card
Can Foreign Residents in Japan Apply?
Yes. Foreign nationals with legal residency in Japan can apply for the Hilton Honors American Express Premium Card. Applicants generally need a Japanese address, phone number, and the employment and income information required by American Express Japan.
If you already have an American Express card issued in another country, American Express Global Card Transfer may also be worth looking into.
For newcomers to Japan who haven’t had time to establish much Japanese credit history, Global Card Transfer can provide a useful shortcut by allowing American Express to consider an existing relationship with the company when applying for a Japanese Amex card.
Approval is still subject to American Express Japan’s underwriting and eligibility requirements.
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