You already know you can earn Hilton Honors Points when you stay at a Hilton hotel.

But did you know your ride to the hotel can earn points too?

Hilton Honors members can link their Hilton and Lyft accounts to earn points on eligible Lyft rides in the United States and Canada.

It’s one of those easy travel perks that can quietly add up in the background.

The money’s leaving anyway. Make sure it doesn’t leave empty-handed.

How the Hilton and Lyft Partnership Works

Hilton currently lists the following earning rates:

• 3 Hilton Honors Points per eligible $1 spent on economy, luxury, and extra-seat Lyft rides
• 2 Hilton Honors Points per eligible $1 spent on Lyft Shared rides

Eligible ride types listed in Hilton’s terms include Lyft, Lyft XL, Lyft Black XL, Lux, and Lux Black. Shared rides earn at the lower rate when that ride option is available.

Taxes, fees, tolls, and tips don’t count toward eligible spending.

You can also redeem Hilton Honors Points for Lyft credits, although I’d generally be more interested in earning hotel points from Lyft than turning hotel points back into rides.

At the current listed redemption rate, 450 Hilton Points equal $1 in Lyft credit.

That means a $10 Lyft credit would require:

$10 × 450 points = 4,500 Hilton Honors Points

Unless you have a specific reason to use your points that way, those points may be more useful toward a future Hilton stay.

Your hotel points have vacation plans. Let them dream.

Why This Perk Is Worth Knowing About

This isn’t a “take one Lyft and book a free vacation” kind of perk.

But it is a “why earn nothing on a ride you were already taking?” kind of perk.

Think about how quickly rideshare costs can accumulate during one trip:

• You take a Lyft from the airport to your hotel.
• You take another one to dinner.
• You order a ride to an excursion.
• You ride back to your hotel.
• You take one more Lyft to the airport.

At that point, Lyft has practically joined the vacation.

When your Hilton and Lyft accounts are linked, those eligible rides can help increase your Hilton Honors balance without requiring another hotel stay or credit-card application.

How the Math Works

Suppose you spend $40 on a regular eligible Lyft ride.

At 3 points per eligible dollar, the calculation would be:

$40 × 3 points = 120 Hilton Honors Points

Now suppose you take four eligible rides at the same price during your trip:

120 points × 4 rides = 480 Hilton Honors Points

No, 480 points won’t book the Waldorf Astoria.

They may not be allowed into the lobby unsupervised.

But you earned them from rides you were already planning to take.

For a qualifying Shared ride, the earning rate is currently 2 points per eligible dollar.

A $40 qualifying Shared ride would earn:

$40 × 2 points = 80 Hilton Honors Points

Remember that these calculations use eligible spending. Taxes, fees, tolls, and tips are excluded under the current Hilton offer terms.

How to Link Your Hilton and Lyft Accounts

You’ll need:

• A Hilton Honors account
• A Lyft account

Then visit the official Hilton Honors and Lyft partnership page and follow the prompts to connect your accounts.

You can also manage your travel rewards partner through the Lyft app.

After linking:

1. Open the Lyft app.
2. Go to the rewards or connected-services section.
3. Confirm that Hilton Honors is connected.
4. Make sure Hilton is selected as your active travel partner.
5. Request and pay for an eligible Lyft ride.

Lyft confirms that you must both request and pay for the ride to earn points.

So, if someone else orders the ride and you simply reimburse them later, don’t assume the points will appear in your Hilton account.

The person who summoned the Lyft gets the points. Travel loyalty can be ruthless.

You Can Only Earn With One Lyft Travel Partner

This is the detail most likely to trip people up.

Lyft allows you to earn rewards with only one travel partner at a time.

If your Lyft account is already connected to another airline or hotel program, you’ll need to confirm which partner you want active before your ride.

Don’t assume that linking Hilton automatically means Hilton is currently selected.

Check before your next airport trip.

The ride may be short. The regret can last much longer.

Important Restrictions to Know

Hilton’s current terms include several restrictions:

• Accounts must be linked before the ride.
• The Hilton Honors account holder and Lyft account holder must be the same person.
• The ride must be requested and completed through the Lyft app.
• Eligible rides must currently be completed in the United States or Canada.
• Taxes, fees, tolls, and tips don’t earn points.
• Only the person requesting a split-fare ride earns the points.
• You can earn points on up to $10,000 in eligible Lyft spending per calendar year.
• Points may take up to 10 business days to appear in your Hilton Honors account.

Lyft isn’t available everywhere, including Puerto Rico, according to Hilton’s current offer terms.

Keep your receipt until the points appear, especially after your first ride with linked accounts.

A Bonus for Some Business Travelers

Some travelers may qualify for an even higher earning rate through Lyft Business Rewards.

Lyft currently says eligible riders can earn 6 Hilton Honors Points per $1 spent on most qualifying business-profile rides—double the standard personal-ride rate.

However, this isn’t available to everyone. The ride must generally use an eligible business profile connected to a participating organization or an invitation from Lyft.

A personal business profile you created yourself may not qualify.

So don’t change the ride to “business” and expect your points to arrive wearing a blazer.

Who Should Link These Accounts?

This partnership is especially useful if you:

• Stay at Hilton properties
• Use Lyft for airport transportation
• Take rideshares while traveling
• Prefer earning travel rewards without another credit card
• Travel to cities where you don’t rent a car
• Regularly use Lyft in the United States or Canada

It may be particularly helpful if you stay at Hilton brands such as Hampton by Hilton, Embassy Suites, Homewood Suites, Home2 Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, DoubleTree, Conrad, or Waldorf Astoria.

You don’t have to be a weekly traveler for the perk to make sense.

Linking the accounts takes only a few minutes, and the earning happens automatically when a ride qualifies.

Should You Redeem Hilton Points for Lyft Credits?

You can, but look at the value before clicking redeem.

Hilton currently allows members to exchange points for Lyft credits at a rate of 450 points per $1.

Here are a few examples:

• 4,500 points ÷ 450 = $10 in Lyft credit
• 11,250 points ÷ 450 = $25 in Lyft credit
• 22,500 points ÷ 450 = $50 in Lyft credit
• 45,000 points ÷ 450 = $100 in Lyft credit

Whether that’s a good use of your points depends on your travel plans and what those same points could save you on a hotel stay.

Personally, I’d usually prefer to earn Hilton points from Lyft and save them for Hilton.

The ride can earn the room. The room doesn’t need to pay for the ride.

The Bottom Line

Before your next airport pickup, hotel transfer, cruise-port ride, dinner reservation, girls’ trip, or weekend getaway, check whether your Hilton Honors and Lyft accounts are linked.

Eligible personal rides can currently earn up to 3 Hilton Honors Points per eligible dollar, and some eligible business rides may earn even more.

You’re not changing your trip.

You’re simply making a ride you were already paying for work a little harder.

Link your Hilton Honors and Lyft accounts, confirm Hilton is your active Lyft travel partner, and let the ride contribute to your next stay.

That’s the kind of “off your hands” travel perk you don’t want to leave at the curb.