The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® card has long been one of the most lucrative midrange hotel credit cards for several reasons.
- It comes with automatic Hilton Gold elite status, which confers perks such as breakfast privileges, room upgrades when available, and 80% bonus points on paid stays.
- For each calendar year in which you use the card for $15,000 or more in eligible purchases, you’ll receive a Hilton Free Night Reward, which you can redeem at nearly any Hilton hotel.
- You can receive up to $200 in statement credits toward Hilton hotel stays each year.
A new reason to consider getting the card is a generous welcome bonus offer: If you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first six months from account opening, you’ll earn 130,000 bonus points plus a Free Night Reward, which is worth up to another 150,000 Hilton points. That’s a potential grand total of 280,000 points. (The card’s previous welcome offer was just the130,000 points.)
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
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- Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points plus a Free Night Reward after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer Ends 7/31/2024.
- Get up to $200 back each year on eligible Hilton purchases after you use your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card.
- 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.
- Earn a Free Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
- Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Status with your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card.
- Spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn Hilton Honors Diamond Status through the end of the next calendar year.
- Enjoy complimentary National Car Rental® Emerald Club Executive® status. Enrollment in the complimentary Emerald Club® program is required. Terms apply.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $150 annual fee.
- Terms Apply.
- Balance transfer fee: balance_transfer_fees
- Cash advance fee: cash_advance_fee
- Foreign transaction fee: foreign_transaction_fee
Here’s why you should care.
Using the up-to-280k-point Amex Hilton Surpass welcome bonus
The bonus is one of the most valuable yet offered by the card, worth potentially thousands of dollars, depending on how you redeem your points. There’s certainly no shortage of ways to use it, as Hilton has more than 7,600 hotels and resorts in 126 countries and territories. No matter where you’re traveling, you’re likely to find a hotel where you can redeem your points.
For example, you could use your Free Night Reward in tandem with 120,000 points to pay for a two-night stay at the Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal. Rooms routinely go for $1,500 or more per night after taxes, giving you potentially more than $3,000 in value from this bonus.
Or—instead of blowing the entire bonus on a glitzy five-star getaway—you could use your rewards for less luxurious hotels, such as those in small towns when visiting family or when you need a place to rest your head during a multi-day commute. Roadside Hilton hotels can often be found for 25,000 points or less.
One downside to the Free Night Reward: While it’s worth up to 150,000 points, it’s a single-use benefit. Whether you book a hotel for 15,000 points or 150,000 points, it’s only good for one night. To realize the full value, you’ll have to use it for an expensive hotel.
One other downside: You only have through July 31, 2024, to get it.
Do you qualify for the Hilton Honors Amex Surpass?
The Surpass is a midrange travel credit card, which generally requires “good” credit for approval. According to FICO, a credit score of 670 or above is considered “good.” If your score is below that number, your chances of approval will not be great.
It’s also worth noting that American Express allows you to earn each card’s welcome bonus only once. If you’ve had the Surpass card before, you aren’t eligible to earn its bonus again. However, holding any other Hilton credit card doesn’t preclude you from earning this bonus.
Is the Surpass your best choice?
When it comes to the card itself, however, there is a caveat: Amex has raised the annual fee on the Surpass from $95 to $150 and removed some beneficial card features (separate from the welcome offer), including an automatic Free Night Reward (now you have to spend $15,000 in a calendar year to earn a Free Night Reward) and airport lounge access.
Depending on your card usage, it may be better to get either the no-frills Hilton Honors American Express card, which has no annual fee and limited features, or the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire card, which has a higher annual fee ($550) but also a better array of perks—including a welcome bonus offer of 180,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 in the first six months.
TIME Stamp: The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass card welcome bonus is significantly bigger—and time limited
As noted, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass card’s new welcome bonus offer only lasts through July 31, 2024. Virtually no Hilton property is out of reach with it, whether your travel goals include a beach villa in the Maldives or a simple extended hotel stay near your grandparents for the holidays. The card itself may have a drawback or two, but the bonus is a good deal for travelers.
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