Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card review 2024: Elite status, big rewards and modest annual fee
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BLUEPRINT
Updated 5:49 a.m. UTC March 12, 2024
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The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (terms apply, rates & fees) packs a punch for a card with a reasonable annual fee with perks including a high earn rate, Gold elite status and quarterly statement credits on Hilton purchases.
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Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
Hilton Honors Surpass basics
- Annual fee: $150.
- Welcome bonus: 130,000 Hilton Honors points plus a Free Night Reward after spending $3,000 in purchases in the first six months of card membership. Offer ends 7/31/2024.
- Rewards: 12 Hilton Honors bonus points per $1 on eligible purchases at participating hotels or resorts within the Hilton portfolio, 4 points per $1 on eligible U.S. online retail purchases, 6 points per $1 on eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations and 3 points per $1 for other eligible purchases.
- APR: 20.99% to 29.99% variable APR on purchases.
- Other perks and benefits: Complimentary Hilton Honors™ Gold elite status, up to $200 in Hilton statement credits, a Free Night Award after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases per calendar year.
- Does the issuer offer a preapproval tool? Yes.
- Recommended credit score: Good to excellent.
About the Hilton Honors Surpass Card
The Hilton Honors Surpass is a great choice for loyalists of the Hilton hotel brand who don’t want to shell out for a premium card. The Surpass card is part of a family of co-branded Hilton credit cards issued by American Express and this card is in the middle of the slate of offerings, serving up mid-tier elite status, a generous rewards program and juicy welcome offer in exchange for a $150 annual fee.
The card earns an eye-popping 12 Hilton Honors bonus points per $1 on eligible purchases at participating hotels or resorts within the Hilton portfolio, 4 points per $1 on eligible U.S. online retail purchases, 6 points per $1 on eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations and 3 points per $1 for other eligible purchases. Although that rewards rate is higher than most cards, Hilton points tend to be worth less than many other credit card rewards currencies. The average value of most credit card rewards points is about a penny per point and we estimate Hilton Honors points to be worth 0.5 cents each.
Aside from that earn rate, the Surpass card comes with a slew of appealing perks including automatic Gold elite status, which unlocks the ability to get a fifth night free when redeeming your points for four or more nights, and also grants a food and beverage credit or free breakfast depending on the property. Cardholders also receive up to $200 in annual statement credits ($50 each quarter) for eligible purchases made directly with a property in the Hilton portfolio.
Bigger spenders can earn a Hilton Honors Free Night Reward after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases each calendar year on the card, and spending $40,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year on the card will earn you top-tier Diamond status for the year in which you earn it through the end of the following year. Although if Diamond elite status is your goal, you’d be better off with the $550-annual-fee Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card * The information for the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. (terms apply), which grants complimentary Diamond status along with other luxury perks.
All information about Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by Blueprint.
Pros
- Complimentary elite status: You’ll be able to enjoy Hilton Honors Gold status just by holding this credit card. Gold status comes with an 80% points bonus on stays, free bottled water and a daily food and beverage credit or continental breakfast, depending on the property. You can earn top-tier Hilton Honors™ Diamond status by spending $40,000 in eligible purchases on the card per calendar year.
- Annual Hilton statement credit: You’ll receive up to $200 back each year ($50 each quarter) for eligible purchases made directly with a property in the Hilton portfolio.
- Elevated Hilton Honors points on eligible Hilton spend: You’ll quickly rack up Hilton points if you use the Surpass card to pay for Hilton stays.
- Earn Hilton Honors points at supermarkets, gas stations, restaurants and on online retail purchases in the United States: If you want to quickly earn Hilton points, this is a great credit card to use for everyday household and driving expenses.
Cons
- Hilton Honors points aren’t worth very much: Although the high earning rate can be appealing, especially at Hilton properties, you’ll also need to spend a large number of points to redeem even a single award night.
- Only valuable if you frequently stay at Hilton hotels: If you don’t visit Hilton properties very often, you may find better value with a generic travel rewards credit card that has more flexible redemption opportunities.
- Lacks a free night perk. Other co-branded hotel cards with a similar price point typically offer a free night reward on your account anniversary, but the Surpass only comes with a free night after you reach $15,000 in eligible purchases per calendar year on the card.
- Annual fee slightly higher than some other mid-tier cards: It’s common to find mid-tier travel credit cards with annual fees around $95. At $150, the annual fee for the Surpass means you’ll really need to make sure you’re maximizing the rewards and credits to get your money’s worth from this card.
Hilton Honors Surpass rewards
The Hilton Honors Surpass currently offers a generous welcome offer of 130,000 Hilton Honors points plus a Free Night Reward after spending $3,000 in purchases in the first six months of card membership. Offer ends 7/31/2024.
Using your rewards for hotel stays is the best use of your points, especially if you can take advantage of the fifth night free perk when booking award stays. Unlike many other hotel chains, Hilton also waives taxes and fees on award bookings, which can also save you a tidy sum on your points-based stays. Generally Hilton properties are ranked by category, with each tier requiring between 5,000 and 150,000 points per night for a standard award night.
You can pay for stays with a mix of cash and points if you don’t have enough rewards to fully cover your stay. Hilton also lets you pool your points together with up to ten other Hilton Honors members, helping you reach your travel goals collectively.
Hilton Honors Surpass rewards potential
The 12 Hilton Honors bonus points per $1 on eligible purchases at participating hotels or resorts within the Hilton portfolio, 4 points per $1 on eligible U.S. online retail purchases, 6 points per $1 on eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations and 3 points per $1 for other eligible purchases can add up quickly.
Based on government data and public information, the average U.S. household that would be eligible for the Hilton Honors Surpass has an approximate annual income of $84,352, with $25,087 in expenses they are likely to be able to charge to a credit card.
Here’s how many Hilton Honors points this household could earn in a year:
| SPENDING CATEGORY | SPENDING AMOUNT | POINTS PER DOLLAR | POINTS EARNED |
|---|---|---|---|
Hilton hotels
| $868
| 12 points
| 10,416 points
|
U.S. restaurants
| $3,526
| 6 points
| 21,156 points
|
U.S. supermarkets
| $3,459
| 6 points
| 20,754 points
|
U.S. gas stations
| $2,228
| 6 points
| 13,368 points
|
U.S. online retail purchases
| $1,802
| 4 points
| 7,208 points
|
Everything else
| $13,204
| 3 points
| 39,612 points
|
TOTAL
| $25,087
| 112,514 points
|
That’s a grand total of 112,514 Hilton Honors points earned per year, worth approximately $562.57 for our sample household with a Hilton Honors Surpass Card.
How the Hilton Honors Surpass compares to other hotel credit cards
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card vs. Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card * The information for the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
If you’re a frequent Hilton patron, you may want to consider the big-brother version of the Hilton Honors Surpass credit card, the premium Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card * The information for the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. . The card’s hefty $550 annual fee can be offset by the automatic Hilton Honors Diamond elite status, a yearly statement credit of up to $400 for eligible purchases at Hilton resorts (available as two semi-annual credits of up to $200) and up to a yearly $200 airfare statement credit (as $50 per quarter) on flight purchases made directly with the airline or through amextravel.com.
All information about Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by Blueprint.
Other valuable perks include an annual Free Night Reward, the ability to earn up to two additional Free Night Rewards when you hit $30,000 and $60,000 of spending in a calendar year and a $189 CLEAR® Plus membership statement credit. The included Diamond elite status unlocks other benefits like space-available room upgrades, premium Wi-Fi and executive lounge access.
These higher-end perks can make the Aspire’s higher annual price worth it for those who stay at Hilton properties several times a year.
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card vs. Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card * The information for the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
If you aren’t a Hilton loyalist, consider the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless credit card, which comes with a somewhat cheaper $95 annual fee. Marriott is the largest hotel chain in the world and depending on where your travels take you, the expanded footprint may be more useful to you than the Hilton portfolio. The card earns 6 points per $1 at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program, 3 points per $1 each year on combined grocery stores, gas stations and dining purchases (up to $6,000 spent) and 2 points per $1 on all other purchases.
A clear advantage this card has over the Hilton Surpass is that the Boundless card offers a Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) each year after your account anniversary. That’s likely to meet or exceed the value of the card’s annual fee. The card also offers Silver elite status, which grants priority late check out and free Wi-Fi. Although not as meaningful as the Gold status that comes with the Surpass, the Boundless card’s Free Night Award gives it the edge over the Surpass for those who are brand-agnostic.
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card vs. American Express® Green Card * The information for the American Express® Green Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
If you aren’t sure you want to commit to the Hilton family of hotels, consider a travel rewards card such as the American Express Green Card (terms apply) instead. For a comparable annual fee of $150, the American Express Green Card earns 3 points per $1 at restaurants, 3 points per $1 on travel including flights, hotels, transit, taxis, tours, and ridesharing services and 1 point per $1 on other purchases.
While this earning rate may sound low in comparison to the Hilton Surpass, American Express Membership Rewards® points are much more flexible than Hilton Honors points and thus are worth significantly more. But if you really wanted to, you could transfer your Membership Rewards points to Hilton at a 1:2 ratio.
The card also comes with an up to $189 CLEAR® Plus statement credit, which can help expedite the security screening at the airport and an annual statement credit of up to $100 towards LoungeBuddy airport lounge access fees. Enrollment is required for select benefits.
Membership Rewards can be used in multiple ways and are often worth at least 1 cent each depending on how you redeem them. Generally the best use of your rewards with the American Express® Green Card * The information for the American Express® Green Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. will be to book or upgrade flights through American Express Travel or transfer them to one of Amex’s nearly two dozen airline and hotel transfer partners for potentially greater value.
All information about American Express® Green Card has been collected independently by Blueprint.
Don’t fear the fee: Here’s how to maximize the American Express Green Card’s value in the first year
Should you get the Hilton Honors Surpass Card?
The Hilton Honors Surpass Card is a good choice for travelers who regularly stay at Hilton hotels and can utilize the benefits of Gold elite status, but don’t want to pay the $550 annual fee on the premium Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card * The information for the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. .
All information about Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by Blueprint.
However, most travelers may benefit more by using a general travel rewards credit card for their everyday spend. Cards such as the American Express Green Card earn flexible points that can be used toward airline or hotel purchases in the card issuer’s portal or transferred to a number of travel partners.
Note that transferring rewards from a general-purpose rewards card to Hilton usually doesn’t maximize the value of these flexible points, since Hilton points are worth significantly less than the points you’ll earn on your general purpose card.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Yes, you can earn one Free Night Reward each calendar year that you spend $15,000 or more on eligible purchases with your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card.
Yes, Hilton Honors Surpass cardholders can enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors Gold elite status. Plus, you can earn top-tier Diamond elite status after spending $40,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year.
The Hilton Honors Surpass card is well worth the $150 annual fee for those who maximize the benefits. This includes automatic Hilton Honors Gold elite status and up to $200 in Hilton statement credits for eligible purchases made directly with a property in the Hilton portfolio, in addition to no foreign transaction fees and the ability to earn 12 Hilton Honors bonus points per $1 on eligible purchases at participating hotels or resorts within the Hilton portfolio, 4 points per $1 on eligible U.S. online retail purchases, 6 points per $1 on eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations and 3 points per $1 for other eligible purchases.
For rates and fees for the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card please visit this page.
*The information for the American Express® Green Card, Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card and Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
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