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American Express Cash Magnet Card vs Hilton Honors Aspire Card

Both are American Express cards. Here is every spend category, ranked by what each card actually returns.

Best card by category Card terms as of Oct 29

Everything else

  1. Cash Magnet Card 1.5% 1.5% base rate
  2. Hilton Honors Aspire Card 1.2% 3x base rate

Dining

  1. Hilton Honors Aspire Card 2.8% 7x
  2. Cash Magnet Card 1.5% 1.5% base rate

Flights

  1. Hilton Honors Aspire Card 2.8% 7x
  2. Cash Magnet Card 1.5% 1.5% base rate

Hotels

  1. Hilton Honors Aspire Card 5.6% 14x
  2. Cash Magnet Card 1.5% 1.5% base rate

Car rental

  1. Hilton Honors Aspire Card 2.8% 7x
  2. Cash Magnet Card 1.5% 1.5% base rate

What the numbers are doing

Abroad the answer flips: Cash Magnet Card charges a 2.7% foreign transaction fee, so once that comes off the rate Hilton Honors Aspire Card is the better card for everyday spend.

The table is earn rate only — annual fees are not netted out of it. These cards charge Cash Magnet Card $0 and Hilton Honors Aspire Card $550 a year, so a thin lead in one category may not cover the difference.

Where they differ: Cash Magnet Card takes everything else; Hilton Honors Aspire Card takes dining, flights, hotels and car rental.

pointslipEveryday
Pass content preview
CategoryBest card
Everything elseCash Magnet Card1.5%
DiningHilton Honors Aspire Card2.8%
FlightsHilton Honors Aspire Card2.8%
HotelsHilton Honors Aspire Card5.6%
Car rentalHilton Honors Aspire Card2.8%

Content preview. Apple Wallet controls the layout; visible categories vary by device. Categories that rank the same as Everything else are left off; every other category is in pass details.

Every category, every card

Everything else

  1. Cash Magnet Card — 1.5%
  2. Hilton Honors Aspire Card — 1.2%

Dining

  1. Hilton Honors Aspire Card — 2.8%
  2. Cash Magnet Card — 1.5%

Flights

  1. Hilton Honors Aspire Card — 2.8%
  2. Cash Magnet Card — 1.5%

Hotels

  1. Hilton Honors Aspire Card — 5.6%
  2. Cash Magnet Card — 1.5%

Car rental

  1. Hilton Honors Aspire Card — 2.8%
  2. Cash Magnet Card — 1.5%
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