Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card review

Hotel Card

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card

Top Features

• Rewards
• Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio. Earn 6X Points for each dollar of purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations. Earn 4X Points for each dollar on U.S. Online Retail Purchases. Earn 3X Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
• Welcome Bonus
• 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.
• Annual Fee
• $150

Sponsored card

5.0

Credit Score: Good, Excellent

Apply Now

on American Express's secure website

See Rates and Fees

Terms and Limitations Apply

ALTERNATE CARD TO CONSIDER

card_name

discontinued_disclaimer

editor_rating

Credit Score: credit_score_needed

description

Read Review

See Rates and Fees

card_name benefits

For frequent travelers, especially those who are loyal to the Hilton brand, the CardName warrants some attention. American Express is a CardRatings advertiser.

To start things off on the right foot, new Surpass® cardholders can earn 130,000 bonus points once spending $3,000 in the first six months of opening an account. Cardholders will also receive a weekend night reward stay when spending at least $15,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year, a perk that can more than offset the card’s AnnualFees annual fee. (See Rates and Fees)

Beyond bonuses, your points can add up quickly with 12 points earned for every $1 spent on eligible purchases directly with a participating hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio. You’ll also earn six points on eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations, four points per $1 spent on U.S. online retail purchases, and three points per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases. With so much potential to earn rewards on purchases other than at Hilton properties, this card turns out to be a solid option for your everyday purchases, too.

Cardholders also enjoy Gold status in the Hilton Honors program, and the card makes Hilton Honors Diamond status easily within reach. Spend $40,000 in purchases in a calendar year to receive your Diamond Status upgrade. Enrollment required for select benefits.

Speaking of complimentary and upgrades, the card_name also provides 10 airport lounge visits each calendar year after a one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select, a lounge network with more than 1,000 locations worldwide. There’s also no fee for foreign transactions, which has the potential to save you hundreds of dollars if you travel internationally often. (See Rates and Fees)

Potential downsides of the card_name

The CardName isn’t for everyone. If you don’t travel very often, then many of the perks and bonuses could be out of reach. In that case, you might want to look for a card that doesn’t have an annual fee or that offers cash-back rewards instead.

Remember, too, that the rewards for non-Hilton purchases are decent, but you’ll really maximize the potential with this card if you stay regularly at Hilton properties. Hilton Honors points can also be redeemed for perks other than free hotel stays including purchases on Amazon.com; car rentals and rental upgrades; and special experiences such as private concerts, luxury weekends and VIP access to special events; however, you’ll likely get the most out of your points using them for free hotel stays.

How do cardholders rate the card_name?

CardRatings conducts a survey annually to learn what actual cardholders think of their cards. Here are the results for the CardName:

How the card_name compares to other cards

card_name vs. card_name

discontinued

Anyone who stays at Hilton properties on a regular basis can probably benefit from a Hilton Honors credit card. Both the card_name and the CardName offer points and perks that can be used at hotels and resorts across the globe.

The card_name is an entry-level card that doesn’t charge an annual fee but also doesn’t come with the same perks as the Surpass® card. (See Rates and Fees) In exchange for an annual fee, the Surpass® card comes with complimentary Gold Status, a free weekend night reward after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases per year and 10 free visits to Priority Pass™ airport lounges. Meanwhile, the card_name offers complimentary Silver Status but no opportunity to earn a free weekend night and no free lounge access. Enrollment required for select benefits

While you can’t go wrong with either of these cards, frequent travelers may find that a higher status level and airport lounge access are well worth the annual fee charged by the Surpass® card.

card_name vs. card_name

discontinued

If you prefer to stay at Hilton hotels and resorts, a Hilton Honors credit card may seem like the best choice. However, it’s worth considering whether a general purpose rewards card might be better. For example, let’s see how the card_name stacks up against the CardName.

For a annual_fees annual fee, the Amex Gold card gives you the opportunity to earn up to $120 in dining credits at select restaurants and a $100 hotel credit to spend on qualifying dining, spa, and resort activities, plus a room upgrade upon arrival, if available, when you book a stay of at least two consecutive nights with American Express Travel at over 600 properties. Enrollment required for select benefits. See Rates and Fees.

Additionally, with the card_name, new cardholders can earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $6,000 in purchases within six months of opening an account. Those points can be used to book travel directly through American Express or be transferred to partner programs, including Hilton Honors.

As for rewards earning potential, Amex Gold offers 4X Membership Rewards® for dining at restaurants, up to $25,000 in annual purchases at U.S. supermarkets, 3X points for airfare booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com, and 1X point on all other eligible purchases.

Is the card_name a good card?

Yes, the CardName is a strong consideration for the wallet of any traveler who often, if not always, stays at Hilton properties when on the road. If you are a frequent traveler, whether it be for business or pleasure, you are a well-suited candidate for this card. It won’t take long to achieve the thresholds needed for some very attractive perks.

To see the rates and fees for the American Express cards featured in this post, please visit the following links: CardName (See Rates and Fees); CardName (See Rates and Fees); CardName (See Rates and Fees)