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Want to maximize your hotel stay but don’t know which card suits you? Then it’s time to be introduced to the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card.
New applicants can earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points and a free weekend night reward after you spend $4,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 4 months of Card membership. Plus, earn a free weekend night award after you spend $15,000 on purchases on your card in a calendar year. With all these features packed in one card, you’d be surprised with the low annual fee of only $95.
With this amazing welcome bonus right off the bat, you’d be crazy not to apply for the card. But wait, it doesn’t end there. You can continuously earn points even after the initial bonus.
Cardholders can earn up to 12X Hilton Honors bonus points per dollar on eligible purchases. Plus, with the Amex Hilton Honors Surpass Card, you receive complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status. It includes perks like bonus points, room upgrades, and complimentary breakfast.
If you’re a big spender and plan on charging over $40,000 on the card in a calendar year, you’ll be bumped to top-tier Diamond status. Depending on how frequently you stay in Hilton properties, this can add quite a bit of value to the card.
Learn more about this card and its features here.
Table of Contents
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass
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| Bonus Available | 130k bonus points when you spend $4,000 within 4 months of account opening. |
| *Bonus Value | $780 |
| Hotel Stay Reward | Earn a Weekend Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 on purchases on your Card in a calendar year. |
| Ongoing Rewards/Benefits | Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a participating hotel or resort within the Hilton Portfolio. Earn 6X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations. Earn 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card. |
| Foreign Transaction Fees | No |
| Airport Lounge Access | 10 free visits yearly with Priority Pass Select at 1000+ airport lounges. |
| Annual Fee | $95 |
| Credit Needed | Good to Excellent |
Hilton Honors Surpass Card 130,000 Bonus Points
Currently, the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card is offering a 130,000 bonus points offer for signing up, which we value to be worth $780. To qualify for this offer, you spend at least $4,000 in purchases within the first 4 months of card membership to qualify.
Here are some ideas on meeting the minimum spending requirement:
| • Plastiq - Using Plastiq allows you to pay for your personal expenses such as rent, tuition, mortgage, auto lease etc. Although they charge a 2.5% processing fee for using your credit card, this will contribute to the card bonus that you will receive. There is also a referral program that allows you to earn "Free-Free Dollars" that goes towards processing fees as well. |
| • Funding Checking Accounts - When it comes to funding a checking account, opening your initial deposit with a credit card is the usual way to go about it. However, if you want to have more opportunities, you should open a checking account that offers a sign-up bonus. This allows you to work towards bonuses from not one but two different sources instead. Banks like Chase, Huntington Bank, TD Bank and BBVA offers credit card funding, and for your opening deposit, you can often fund anywhere from $50-$1000 with a credit card, depending on the bank. |
| • Gift Card Purchases With Using a Credit Card - Another way to acquire the bonus is using your credit card to purchase gift cards. Buying a a gift card or an individual merchant card typically do not require a purchase fee and are used towards leisure, so gift cards are ideal. However, gift cards such as a Visa or American Express do incur purchase fees because they can be spent anywhere, but gift cards that are specifically for a certain online shopping site such as Amazon or eBay don't. |
| As for a Citi Credit Card, you should call customer service and ask them to lower your Cash Advance limit to $0 before making any purchases because Citi tends to read gift card purchases as a Cash Advance. Ideally, you should do this with any card just to be safe. Lastly, there is such thing as a discounted gift card which can be purchased on Raise or eBay. If you use a credit card often for everyday purchases, it can build your credit score that will contribute towards paying for things such as bills and taxes. |
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Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card Benefits
Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a participating hotel or resort within the Hilton Portfolio. These points actually stack with the points you’re already earning from your purchase.
Earn 6X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations
Earn 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card We value a single Honors point at around $0.006, and used this figure to value the 130,000 bonus points at $780.
Earn complimentary Gold Status with this card. In addition to Silver Status, you will be able to enjoy benefits such as:
- 5th Standard Reward Night Free
- 2 Bottles of Water
- Elite Tier Rollover Nights
- Space-available Room Upgrade (up to Executive room type)
- Complimentary Breakfast at all hotels
- Unlimited Milestone Bonuses
If you spend $40,000 in the current year, you will be able to earn Diamond status for the following calendar year that includes benefits such as:
- Executive Lounge Access
- Diamond Status Extension
- 48-Hour Room Guarantee
- Elite Status Gifting
To earn a Weekend Night Reward from Hilton Honors, you must spend at least $15,000 on purchases using your card in a calendar year. You will receive confirmation of your reward through your email 8-12 weeks after you have met the purchase requirement.
Make purchases abroad without worrying about foreign transaction fees with the Hilton Honors Surpass Card.
Although you only get 10 free visits per year, it is still a nice perk to have acess to more than 1,000 airport lounges worldwide with the Priority Pass Select membership. Any visits made after your 10 free ones will be at a reduced rate of $27.
Redeeming Your Points
To get the most value out of the points you earn from your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass card, it is best that you redeem your points on hotel stays. The other options of redeeming them for merchandise and points transfers to airline miles programs will devalue your points.
With your redemption, you will have the option to choose to redeem for a hotel stay using only Hilton Honors points, or you can choose a combination of cash and points.
Here’s a list of Hilton Portfolio hotels to help you earn and redeem points towards:
- Hilton Hotels & Resorts: With more than 570 properties across six continents, Hilton Hotels & Resorts is known as the stylish, innovative leader of hospitality.
- Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts: Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts are mirrors of their location and are the new expressions of the legendary True Waldorf Service.
- Conrad Hotel & Resorts: At Conrad Hotels & Resorts, luxury is easily reachable and service that is catered to your every need.
- Canopy by Hilton: For an energizing and comfortable experience, Canopy by Hilton is the fresh, neighborhood hotel that creates a positive stay through simple guest-directed service and local choices.
- Curio Collection by Hilton: Each hotel in the Curio Collection is completely different from the next. Curio is a collection of hand-picked hotels that are authentic, independent and remarkable.
- Doubletree by Hilton: Full-service and full of warmth, DoubleTree by Hilton has more than 400 wonderful places to stay, occupying prime locations in gateway cities and getaway destinations around the globe.
- Tapestry Collection by Hilton: Tapestry Collection by Hilton is a gathering of original hotels chosen because of a commitment to being unique.
- Embassy Suites by Hilton: All guests are welcomed with a two-room suite, free made-to-order breakfast each morning, and complimentary drinks and snacks for two hours every night.
- Hilton Garden Inn: With over 530 locations worldwide, they understand what you need to get from one busy, bustling business day to the next, and we’ll go above and beyond to ensure each stay is a successful one.
- Hampton by Hilton: With over 2,200 locations globally, Hampton by Hilton hotels offer high-quality and consistent accommodations and amenities.
- Tru by Hilton: Tru by Hilton is a revolutionary new brand that is simplified, spirited and grounded in value for guests with a zest for life and a desire for human connection.
- Homewood Suites by Hilton: In every suite they give you a spacious living room and a real kitchen with a full-sized fridge, and a comfortable bedroom with space to spread out and organize.
- Home2 Suites by Hilton: Home2 Suites by Hilton is more than a midscale, extended-stay hotel; it’s a spirited and innovative hotel brand for the savvy, value-wise traveler staying a few months or a few nights.
- Hilton Grand Vactions: Hilton Grand Vacations is your go-to destination for a collection of high-quality vacation ownership resorts in renowned travel destinations.
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card offers 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points & a free weekend night reward after spending $4,000 in purchases on the Card within the first 4 months of Card membership. On top of that, you can earn a Weekend Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. You can also earn Hilton Honors Diamond status through the end of the next calendar year once you spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Take advantage of earning 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, 6X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, & U.S. gas stations, and 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card. This card does carry a $95 annual fee. |
Why You Should Apply
Welcome Offer: Upon approval, you can earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points and a free weekend night reward after you spend $4,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 4 months of Card membership. Hilton Honors points are worth about 0.5 cents each. Thus, this bonus will come out to a $625 value.
Free Weekend Award Night: Earn a free weekend night award after you spend $15,000 on purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
Earn Up to 12X Points:
- 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your card directly with a participating hotel or resort within the Hilton Portfolio
- 6X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations
- 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your card
Other Card Benefits
- Complementary Hilton Honors Gold Status: As a Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card cardholder, receive complementary Hilton Honors Gold status. Plus, earn Hilton Honors Diamond Status through the end of the next calendar year when you spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Benefits of Gold Status include, but aren’t limited to:
- Bonus points
- Room upgrades when available
- A fifth night free when you book a rewards stay of five nights or more
- Complimentary internet access
- Complementary breakfast
- Late checkout
- Weekend Night Rewards: Earn a complimentary weekend night reward after you spend $15,000 on purchases on your card in a calendar year.
- Priority Pass Select: Get complementary Priority Pass Select membership. Once enrolled, enjoy 10 free Priority Pass Lounge lounge visits every year. Additional passes are sold at a discounted rate of just $32.
- Amex Offers: American Express cardholders can participate in Amex Offers to receive more points and savings across select merchants. Just check your account weekly for new offers. Then, add your desired available offers to your card. Use it when shopping and save hundreds of dollars or earning tons of extra points.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- Additional Cardholder Benefits:
- Global assistance
- Car rental loss insurance
- Baggage insurance
- Travel accident insurance
- Shopping and entertainment benefits for eligible purchases
Additional Benefits
Hilton Gold/Diamond Status: The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card comes with complimentary Gold status at Hilton Hotels. Without this perk, you can only get Gold status by booking 20 stays or 40 nights at Hilton properties per year. The benefits include:
- A 25% boost to Honors base points earned
- Every standard-rate fifth night free on stays of five nights or more
- Late checkout
- Digital check-in
Cardholders who spend at least $40,000 on purchases on their Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card during one calendar year will be awarded Diamond status. Diamond status includes a 50% point bonus on Hilton stays, room upgrades, and access to executive floor lounges at select properties (when available). Diamond card holders also receive all the benefits of Gold, Silver, and Blue membership.
Weekend Night Rewards: Another nice perk on the card is a complimentary weekend night reward. Just spend $15,000 on purchases on your card in a calendar year. Redeem these certificates for stays that would cost $150+. It adds a nice boost to the return on your everyday purchases.
Priority Pass Select: The card also comes with a Priority Pass Select membership. However, it won’t allow you unlimited access to these lounges. Instead, you’ll receive 10 lounge visits every year once enrolled. Additional passes are just $32. If you’re a semi-frequent traveler who goes through an airport with a Priority Pass lounge a handful of times a year, this is a great perk that won’t break the bank.
Bottom Line
Sign up for the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card if you’re looking for a new travel card alongside this card’s terrific welcome offer and a free weekend night award.
Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points per dollar of eligible purchases made at a participating hotel or reset within the Hilton Portfolio. Then, earn 6X Hilton Honors Bonus Points per dollar of eligible purchases at U.S. Restaurants, U.S. Supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations. Finally, earn 3X points on all other eligible purchases.
Unfortunately, the annual fee of $95 not waived the first year, so keep that in mind before you apply for this card. Overall, for those who travel often, the Amex Hilton Honors Surpass Card is the ideal card for maximizing Hilton stays!
For more information about other credit cards, review our complete list of credit card bonuses.
Learn more about this card and its features here.
What’s The Competition?
 The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®! You'll earn 2X points on travel and dining at restaurants worldwide; 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases. And when you redeem your points for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards, you'll get 25% more value! |
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Can you use the points as a statement credit or transfer them?…or they only good at Hilton, couldn’t find it in the advertisement. thx!