Is the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card worth it?
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card may be worth it if you’re a frequent traveler who favors Hilton properties and values the perks of Hilton Gold status.
Perks like no foreign transaction fee and robust travel protections make this Hilton credit card an attractive option for regular jet setters, but it’s an even better choice if you frequently stay at Hilton properties, which run the gamut from the more affordable Hampton Inns to the incredibly luxurious Waldorf Astoria hotels.
It’s definitely a card meant for travelers, and using the card for hotel stays, car rentals and other travel must-haves is the only way you’ll balance out the $150 annual fee and make the most of the card’s point scheme.
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: Rewards
As a hotel rewards card, Hilton Honors Surpass card is all about getting maximum bang for your buck. As you spend, you’re on deck to earn points that you can redeem for a wide range of goodies, making everyday life — and life on the road — a whole lot sweeter.
Welcome bonus
Newly approved Hilton Honors Surpass cardholders are eligible for a competitive welcome bonus. Put $3,000 in purchases on your Hilton Honors Surpass Card from American Express within six months of opening the account and you could earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points plus a Free Night Reward.
Earn rewards
Here’s a look at how the Hilton Honors Surpass card rewards members:
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12x points on eligible purchases at participating hotels and resorts included in the expansive Hilton portfolio
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6x points on groceries purchased at U.S. supermarkets
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6x points at U.S. restaurants, including takeout and delivery
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6x points at U.S. gas stations
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4x points for U.S. online retail purchases
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3x points on all other eligible purchases
Free Night Award: Although it doesn’t come with an automatic free night, you can earn one if you charge $15,000 in eligible purchases to your card in one calendar year.
$200 statement credit: Save even more money by cashing in a $50 statement credit per quarter awarded for eligible Hilton purchases (there’s a $200 annual maximum).
Redeem rewards
Once you’ve built up a pile of points courtesy of your Hilton Honors card, it’s time to redeem them. This can get a little tricky because Hilton has dynamic redemption rates that fluctuate based on variables like seasonality and overall demand. It’s safe to assume that you’ll need more points for free rooms during peak season, while off-season redemption rates are more favorable.
Historically, Hilton has offered rooms for anywhere from 5,000 to 95,000 rewards points per night. The lower-point rooms are quite limited. On the positive side, there are no blackout dates, and you can redeem your points for premium rooms and suites if they’re available.
You can also redeem points for:
- Flights on any one of 20+ airline partners
- Merchandise sold via the Hilton Honors’ online mall
- Lyft ride shares
- Car rentals through National, Alamo or Enterprise
- VIP event experiences
A few other things you should know before you start redeeming include:
- If you’re short on points for a desired reward, you can combine cash pay and reward redemption to cover the total cost (the cost of points varies but often hovers around 0.5 cents per point).
- Members can join forces using Points Pooling, which allows up to 11 Hilton members to pool their points to score bigger rewards.
- Points are transferable to other individuals, so you can share with family or friends.
- You can redeem points through Amazon’s Shop With Points program at a less-than-stellar rate of 0.2 cents per point (this bargain-basement rate is far lower than the 1 cent per point given to Capital One Cash Back members and 0.8 cents per point given to Chase Ultimate Rewards and Citi ThankYou Points members).
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: Benefits
Travel benefits
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Car rental insurance: Supplement insurance coverage for eligible rental vehicles with a secondary policy.
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Baggage insurance: Charge your airline tickets to your card and you may get reimbursed for checked and carry-on baggage that’s damaged, stolen or lost.
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Global Assist Hotline: Get expert help with emergencies or problems on the road, like a misplaced passport.
Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
Gold Status
The Hilton Honors Surpass card comes with complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Status upon approval. This status entitles you to perks like free breakfasts at non-U.S. Hilton hotels, daily food and beverage credits at U.S. hotels, gratis room upgrades (as space allows) and 80% bonus points on your Hilton stays. Finally, Gold members get their fifth night free when booking a rewards stay, which stretches your point redemption even further.
If you aimed for Gold status without applying for the Hilton Honors Surpass card, you’d have to earn it by hitting 40 nights, 20 stays or 75,000 base points.
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Purchase protection: Get reimbursed for up to $1,000 per incident for items reported damaged or stolen within 90 days of purchase.
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Extended warranty: Enjoy an extra year of warranty protection above and beyond what’s already offered by the product manufacturer.
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ShopRunner membership: Free two-day shipping on items bought from select merchants (same two-day time span applies to returns).
Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
Other benefits
- Complimentary National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status.
- Ability to purchase event tickets before the general public by utilizing American Express presales and preferred seating.
- 10 free visits to more than 1,500 Priority Pass Select lounges worldwide*, with access to free Wi-Fi, complimentary food and alcoholic beverages, reading material, TVs and other creature comforts.
- Access to money management tools, such as credit and identity monitoring and fraud assistance.
*This benefit is being phased out, with currently enrolled Priority Pass Select members scheduled to have their membership terminated between January 31, 2024, and November 1, 2024.
Fees, rates & limit
Fees
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Annual fee: $150
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Balance transfer fee: N/A
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Cash advance fee: 5% per transaction, with a minimum fee of $10
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Foreign transfer fee: None
Interest rates
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Regular/Ongoing APR: 20.99%-29.99% Variable APR
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Purchase Intro APR: N/A
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Balance Transfer Intro APR: N/A
- (See rates and fees)
Credit limit
Credit limits for the Hilton Honors Surpass card start at $1,000 and can exceed $20,000. Your initial credit limit will be determined when your application is reviewed and approved and will be based on financial factors like your annual income, credit history and debt-to-income ratio.
How the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card compares
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card vs. Hilton Honors American Express Card
In exchange for fewer perks, the Hilton Honors American Express Card comes with fewer perks than the Hilton Honors Surpass card.
Instead of earning 12X points on eligible Hilton stays, you’ll get 7 points per dollar with the Hilton Honors card. It offers 5X points at U.S. restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations, compared to the Surpass card’s 6X points. Both cards earn 3X points on other eligible purchases.
If you want a no-annual-fee rewards card, the Hilton Honors Amex is a great option (see rates and fees). If you aim to maximize rewards, the Surpass card is better.
▶︎ Read more: Hilton Honors American Express Card review
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
When evaluating the Hilton Honors Surpass card vs. the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, it’s a case of which travel credit card reigns supreme.
The $150 annual fee you’ll pay with the Hilton Honors Surpass card is more than 50% higher than the $95 annual fee you’ll pay with Chase Sapphire Preferred card. The rewards structure is different too. With Hilton, you can get up to 12x points for every dollar spent, but the max rewards are only attached to money spent on purchases made at or through a Hilton business.
With Chase Sapphire, you can earn the following:
- 5x points for every dollar spent on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 2 points per dollar on all other travel purchases
- 3x points for every dollar spent on online grocery purchases, select streaming services and dining
- 1x points for everything else
Hilton Honors Surpass has a more favorable welcome offer (130,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in six months vs. Chase’s 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after cardholders spend $4,000 in just three months). Then there’s the biggest difference of all: Hilton hotels are the primary focus of the Hilton Honors Surpass card, but Chase Sapphire Preferred is partnered with IHG, Hyatt and Marriott. Chase does not partner with Hilton.
▶︎ Read more: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card review
Is the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card right for me?
Hilton loyalists are the target audience for the Amex Hilton Honors Surpass card and the group most likely to see the most rewards once they put the card to use. If you travel often and love Hilton properties — and appreciate the perks of Hilton Gold status in particular — this card could pay significant dividends over time.
If you don’t travel often or simply prefer another hotel chain or lodging option, you may be better off with a general rewards credit card that offers perks less concentrated on travel upgrades and complimentary breakfasts.
How do I apply for the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card?
You can learn more about the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card and apply online.
You’ll need to have your personal information on hand to add to the application, including your:
- Legal name
- Birth date
- Mailing address
- Phone number
- Social Security number
- Employment status
- Annual income
You’ll be subject to a credit check and then receive either an approval message or a letter detailing the reason you’re rejected. Your chances for approval improve with a good to excellent credit score and a low debt-to-income ratio.
