I have the Hilton Amex Surpass card.

the way to earn 12x points is to book Hilton hotels but I believe it says it must be done online. Does that mean it cannot be done over the phone directly with Hilton? And does that mean I can use Hilton.com or must I use a platform through my Amex card to get the most benefit/points when booking these rooms?

I also noticed the $50 statement credit each quarter. What is the best way i can take advantage of that? I plan to book a Hilton stay for early August. And I’ll be book again in the late fall though I’m planning to use points for the trip in late fall.

I’m a newbie with points and miles so any advice about best practices would be appreciated