Hilton Honors Surpass By American Express Review 2024

The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card is an attractive midrange credit card for the traveler who favors Hilton brand hotels, offering many benefits for a modest annual fee. It is one of three consumer Hilton-branded credit cards offered by American Express.

Arguably the most compelling feature of the Hilton Surpass Card is the instant Hilton Honors Gold status, which ordinarily requires 40 nights or 20 stays to earn. Gold status benefits include a daily food and beverage credit at participating hotels, possible room upgrades and the fifth consecutive night free on reward stays.

Big spenders can earn top-tier Hilton Diamond status by spending $40,000 in a calendar year on the Surpass Card. Diamond is the highest level of status and includes all of the Gold benefits plus executive lounge access and suite upgrades at the hotel’s discretion. In other words, if you’re angling for status, perks and free nights, don’t want to shell out a lot for an annual fee and are okay with exclusively staying within the Hilton brand, it’s hard to top the Surpass.

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Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card

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Rates & Fees/ Terms Apply

Welcome Bonus

Earn 130,000 bonus points

Annual Fee

$150

Credit Score

Good,Excellent

Regular APR

20.99%-29.99% Variable

Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.

Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

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Rates & Fees

Welcome Bonus

Earn 75,000 bonus miles

Annual Fee

$395

Credit Score

Excellent

Regular APR

19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)

Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.

Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

• $150 annual fee
• Earn: 12 Hilton Honors bonus points per dollar on eligible purchases at participating hotels or resorts within the Hilton portfolio, 6 points on eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations, 4 points on eligible U.S. online retail purchases and 3 points for other eligible purchases
• Welcome offer: 130,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in purchases in the first 6 months of card membership
• $50 statement credit per quarter for eligible Hilton purchases up to $200 annually
• Automatic Gold elite status
• Complimentary National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status
• Authorized user cards can be added for no additional cost

Earning Rewards

The Hilton Honors Surpass card earns 12 Hilton Honors bonus points per dollar on eligible purchases at participating hotels or resorts within the Hilton portfolio, 6 points on eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations, 4 points on eligible U.S. online retail purchases and 3 points for other eligible purchases.

The card also comes with a welcome bonus of 130,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in purchases in the first 6 months of card membership.

Redeeming Rewards

Hilton’s hotel award redemption rates are dynamic, changing with demand and seasons. With no set award chart, it’s difficult to predict how many points you would need for a Hilton stay. Dynamic pricing results in higher redemption rates during high season and lower rates during the off-season.

Hilton advertises rooms from 5,000 points per night but those are few and far between, with most nights falling in the 20,000 to 95,000 point range. Luckily, there are no blackout dates for points redemptions, which maximizes hotel availability. It may be pricey, but you’ll find a room on points if one is available for sale. Hilton also offers premium rooms and suites on points, which is not true of every hotel chain. That said, the best values are generally on standard rooms.

As a Hilton Gold member, you receive the fifth night free on an award booking. So for a property that is 30,000 points per night, you would only have to redeem 120,000 points for a five-night stay, effectively reducing your per night cost to 24,000 points.

Hilton Honors members also have the option to use a combination of points and money on a sliding scale to pay for hotel stays. This can be a good option if you’re short on points for a redemption. The value varies depending on the booking but getting around 0.5 cents per point or more is generally a solid redemption for Hilton.

Hilton offers a unique, free option called Points Pooling which allows members to combine their points with up to 10 other Hilton members. This is a great way to combine smaller quantities of points in order to make a redemption or to have two spouses each get a welcome bonus for a dream redemption.

You can also use Hilton points in Amazon’s Shop With Points program. Be warned that the redemption rate is a low 0.2 cents per point, so we don’t recommend using your points in this way.

Rewards Potential

To determine the amount of points a typical family could earn in a year with this card, Forbes Advisor uses data from various government agencies to determine both baseline income and spending averages across various categories. The 70th percentile of wage-earning households brings in $116,000 annually and $36,177 in expenses that can be charged to a credit card.

Here’s a breakdown of the earning potential including all bonus category and non-bonus category spend for the year.

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card Potential

Category	Earning Rate	Estimated Annual Spend	Estimated Annual Earnings
Hotels (assuming all Hilton Hotels)	12X	$2,015	24,180
Groceries, Gas, Restaurants	6X	$13,027	78,162
U.S. Online Retailers	4X	$8,599	34,396
All Other Purchases	3X	$12,536	37,608
			Total: 174,346 Hilton Honors points

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Possible redemptions for those points could be five nights in a mid-range Hilton (using the fifth night free benefit) or one to three nights in a more luxurious property depending on the time of year.

Keep in mind that every family is different in their spending patterns and this example is presented only to illustrate a possible scenario. You should do the math based on your personal spending habits before applying for this, or any, credit card.

• Foreign transaction fees: No additional fees are charged on purchases made abroad.
• Extended warranty: Extends the manufacturer’s warranty by up to one year.¹
• Purchase protection: Covers damage or theft for the first 90 days after purchase up to $1,000 per incident.¹
• Car rental loss and damage insurance: Provides secondary coverage for eligible rental vehicles.²
• Baggage insurance: Covers checked and carry-on baggage if it is lost, stolen or damaged while traveling if common carrier tickets are charged to the card.¹
• Global Assist Hotline: Provides assistance prior to and during travel, for example, lost passport, emergency services.³
• ShopRunner membership: Free two-day shipping and returns with selected merchants.
• American Express presales and preferred seating: Provides the opportunity to purchase certain event tickets prior to the public and access to preferred seating.

Interest Rates

• Regular APR: 20.99%-29.99% Variable
• Purchase intro APR: N/A
• Balance transfer intro APR: N/A

Fees

• Annual fee: $150
• Balance transfer fee: N/A
• Foreign purchase transaction fee: None

Here’s how the Surpass compares to the two other consumer Hilton Honors American Express cards

	Hilton Honors American Express Card (Terms apply, see rates & fees)	Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card	Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express*
Welcome Bonus	Earn 80,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after spending $2,000 in purchases on the card in the first six months of card membership	Earn 130,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in purchases in the first 6 months of card membership	Earn 150,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of card membership
Other Perks	No additional perks	Up to $200 credit annually for eligible Hilton purchases National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status Earn Diamond status after $40k in spending	1 free reward night included $200 airline fee credit $400 statement credit for eligible Hilton purchases Cellphone protection
Annual Fee	$0	$150	$550
Rewards	7 Hilton Honors points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged directly with hotels or resorts within the Hilton portfolio, 5 points for each dollar of eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations and 3 points per dollar on all other eligible purchases	12 Hilton Honors bonus points per dollar on eligible purchases at participating hotels or resorts within the Hilton portfolio, 6 points on eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations, 4 points on eligible U.S. online retail purchases and 3 points for other eligible purchases	14 Hilton Honors bonus points at participating hotels or resorts within the Hilton Portfolio, 7 points per dollar on eligible purchases for flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel, car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies and U.S. restaurants and 3 points per dollar on other eligible purchases
Elite Status	Silver	Gold	Diamond

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Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card vs. The World of Hyatt Credit Card

The World of Hyatt Credit Card charges a lower annual fee of $95 compared to the Hilton Surpass and includes a free night award, good for up to a Category 4 hotel, annually after cardmember anniversary and an additional free night after $15,000 in purchases. Essentially, spending $15,000 on the Hyatt card would give you two free nights a year as opposed to none with the Hilton Surpass.

The Hyatt card offers 9 points total per dollar spent at Hyatt - 4 bonus points per dollar spent at Hyatt hotels and 5 base points per dollar from Hyatt as a World of Hyatt member. Earn 2 bonus points per dollar spent at restaurants, on airline tickets purchased directly from the airlines, on local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships and 1 point per dollar on all other eligible purchases, so earning points on everyday spending is slower on this card than with the Hilton Surpass. However, Hyatt awards are priced considerably lower than Hilton, with many awards available for 3,500 to 8,000 points per night, topping out at 58,000 per night for a standard room at its most upscale properties. This means that Hyatt points are typically worth more than Hilton points.

The card comes with Hyatt Discoverist status with the most valuable benefits being preferred room upgrades, 2 p.m. late checkout and bonus points on American Airlines bookings. It does not include a food and beverage credit, however many Hyatt hotels provide complimentary breakfast to all guests. Cardholders receive five elite night credits annually, providing a headstart on status qualification. Uniquely, the Hyatt card provides the ability to earn additional elite qualifying nights through purchases. Every $5,000 in purchases earns two elite night credits which could help in those situations where you are just short of qualifying for higher levels of status.

One of the drawbacks of Hyatt is its limited footprint. Overall, there are far fewer Hyatt properties than Hilton. So while the free anniversary night is a nice perk from this card, you won’t be able to utilize it if there are no Hyatts located in your destination.

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card vs. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card*

Another mid-tier co-branded hotel card option to consider is the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card*. The Marriott hotel portfolio is among the most expansive in the world, which means you’re likely to find one of their properties wherever your travels take you. The Boundless card carries a $95 annual fee and also comes with a free night worth up to 35,000 Bonvoy points.

The Boundless card earns 6 points per dollar at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, 3 points per dollar spent each year (up to $6,000) on combined grocery stores, gas stations and dining purchases and 2 points per dollar on all other purchases. It also comes with Marriott Silver Elite status, which has minimal benefits and does not include breakfast.

Owning the Marriott Bonvoy credit card automatically gives you 15 elite night credits, which gets you a head start on the 25 nights needed for Gold Elite status. Alternatively, spending $35,000 on the card earns Marriott Gold Elite status. But Gold isn’t much more useful as the most valuable perks, like free breakfast, only come starting with Platinum Elite status, requiring 50 nights to earn.

Choosing this card may not fast-track occasional travelers to elite status, but you’re more likely to find a use for the free night certificate that comes as an annual benefit with the card.

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card*

If your main goal is a card that will let you earn free nights, and you aren’t particular about which brand or earning elite status in exchange for your loyalty, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card* will likely be a better alternative than a co-branded card.

Like the others, it has a $95 annual fee but it earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points which are highly flexible and can be taken as cash back at a value of a penny per point or redeemed for travel of nearly any kind (like flights, hotels, rental cars and cruises) at a value of 1.25 cents per point when booked through Chase Travel℠.

This kind of flexibility may be more useful to those who travel occasionally and don’t want to be locked into a hotel brand or even a hotel when it comes to using their rewards. The Sapphire Preferred card earns 5 points per dollar on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3 points per dollar on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 2 points per dollar on all other travel purchases and 1 point per dollar on other purchases.

The Hilton Surpass is a lucrative choice for travelers who are Hilton loyalists and value Hilton Gold status. Otherwise, choose a more general purpose rewards card. For those who prefer Hilton and typically lodge at one of the higher-end properties, like the Waldorf Astoria or Conrad hotels, then Gold status is more valuable due to the food and beverage credit and possible room upgrades.

If your tastes are more budget-minded and include places like the Hampton Inn or Hilton Tru, where breakfast is always included in the room rate, then the Gold status that comes with the card may not be as useful for you. However, you can still benefit from the fifth night free on award stays.

Ultimately, choosing the right hotel credit card depends on the traveler and their travel patterns and preferences.

Forbes Advisor considers a variety of criteria when assigning credit cards a rating. Cards are graded based on numerous factors including:

• Annual fees
• Welcome bonus offers
• Ongoing earning rates
• Value of individual points or miles
• Included travel or merchant credits
• Additional cardholder benefits

Card features we expect cardholders to use the most often are weighted more heavily in our ratings. Altogether, the factors came together to provide a star rating for each individual card.

Read more: How Forbes Advisor Rates Credit Cards

To view rates and fees for Hilton Honors American Express Card, please visit this page.
To view rates and fees for Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card please visit this page.
¹Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
²Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
³Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.