American Express Hilton Honors Surpass Card Credit Card: Expert Review & Considerations

The American Express Hilton Honors Surpass Card is ideal for earning and redeeming Hilton points. It has an annual fee of $95. However, it's pretty easy to offset the fee through its various valuable bonus categories. It has no foreign transaction fee, which is something we always like to see on travel cards.

Card Details to Know Up Front

Bonus, Fee or Feature
Has or Not
Has Annual Fee
Has Balance Transfer Offer
Has APR Offer
Cash Back Rewards
Travel Rewards
Hotel Benefits
Airline Benefits
Has Rewarding Welcome Offer
Has Foreign Transaction Fee
Credit Needed
Good–Excellent

Click to see this card’s rates, fees and how they compare to other cards in our dataset.

American Express Hilton Honors Surpass Card at a Glance

If you regularly stay at Hilton properties, the American Hilton Honors Surpass Card can go a long way for you. Take a look at some of its key features before we take a deeper dive.

American Express Hilton Honors Surpass Card
An excellent credit card for earning Hilton Honors points.
- Good–ExcellentCredit Needed
- $95Annual Fee
- 3–12 Points per $1*Rewards Rate
- 12xRewards Rate at Hotels
- 6xRewards Rate on Groceries
Pros
Opportunities for significant bonus points
Get Hilton Honors Gold status automatically
High reward rates across different categories
Spend-based weekend reward night
Pay no foreign transaction fees
Access to American Express Experiences
Additional cards

Cons
Annual fee of $95
Balance transfer and cash advance fees
Penalty APR may apply in case of late/returned payments
No travel insurance
No purchase protection and extended warranty
No hotel credits
Spend $2,000 on purchases in the first three months to earn 150,000 bonus points.
Spend $10,000 on purchases in the first six months to earn an additional 50,000 bonus points.
Spend at properties within the Hilton portfolio to earn 12x points.
Spend at U.S. gas stations, U.S. supermarkets and U.S. restaurants to earn 6x points.
Earns 3x points through all other purchases.
Redeem your reward points for free nights, VIP access to events, Lyft rides, shopping at Amazon.com and Hilton Honors' online mall or car rentals.
Can convert your points to miles with the program’s airline partners or share them with other Hilton Honors members.
Qualify for a free Hilton Honors weekend night reward from if you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year.
Get ten complimentary airport lounge visits every 12 months by enrolling in the Priority Pass Select program.
Get automatic Hilton Honors Gold status with your new card. If you spend $40,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year, you stand to get Hilton Honors Diamond status, which remains valid for a year.
Fraud protection offers safeguard against possible misuse of your card.
Get access to American Express features such as Send & Split and Pay It Plan It.
Disclaimer: Credit card offers are constantly changing. We work hard to stay updated with the latest information, but the offers listed on our site may no longer be available.
Terms, rates and fees apply
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Pros & Cons Explained

While the American Express Hilton Honors Surpass Card benefits are enticing, it's important to take a closer look at what this card excels at and what would make it a better travel card.

Pros

Benefits
Description
Free weekend award night
When you spend $15,000 on purchases in a calendar year, you get a complimentary weekend reward night which you can use at any Hilton property worldwide.
Hilton elite status
You earn complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Status with this card after enrolling in the Hilton Honors program. The benefits of Gold Status include free wifi, the option to select your room, room upgrades (when available) and free bottled water.
Complimentary Priority Pass Select
This membership features 10 free airport lounge passes each year. You get access to more than 1,200 airport lounges around the globe.

Cons

Drawbacks
Description
Limited reward redemptions
Hilton points have low redemption value when used at non-Hilton properties. Therefore, you have to redeem your points through Hilton to get their full value.
High spending requirement for elite status
While the card comes with Gold status, you’ll have to make $40,000 in purchases each year to upgrade to Diamond status.

LOOKING FOR THE BEST CREDIT CARDS OF 2021?

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Bonuses & Rewards Explained

The American Express Hilton Honors Surpass Card earns 12 points per dollar for eligible purchases at Hilton properties worldwide. You earn six points per dollar spent on eligible purchases in U.S. supermarkets, restaurants and gas stations. Any other eligible purchases will yield points at a rate of three points per dollar.

The American Express Hilton Honors Surpass Card has an impressive welcome bonus of 130,000 Hilton points if you spend $2,000 in purchases within the first three months of opening an account. Further, you earn an additional 50,000 points after purchases of $10,000 in your first six months.

You can redeem the rewards by logging in to your Hilton Honors account. The lowest amount you can redeem is 5,000 points if you’re paying using both cash and points. However, the rate of redemption for Hilton bonus points is dynamic and changes depending on demand and seasons.

Luckily, there are no blackout dates for points redemption, which increases the hotel availability. Hilton offers an option to combine cash and points, with a value-per-point of around 0.5 cents each.

Hilton also offers a points pooling option that allows Hilton Honors members to combine points with other cardholders to make a meaningful redemption.

Other Features Explained

There are many American Express Hilton Honors Surpass Card benefits. Here are other valuable perks that could make your next stay much more relaxed.

Card Feature
Description
Purchase protection
The card covers damage or theft for purchases up to $1,000 within the first 90 days after buying the item.
Baggage insurance
The American Express Hilton Honors Surpass Card covers lost, stolen or damaged checked and carry-on baggage if the tickets are purchased using the card.
Car rental loss and damage insurance
This credit card provides secondary compensation for qualified rental vehicles.
Global Assist Hotline
This 24/7 service assists before and during travel for emergency services such as lost passports.
Presales and preferred seating
The American Express Hilton Honors Surpass Card provides the chance to buy event tickets before the public and access preferred seating.
Free ShopRunner subscription
You'll have free two-day shipping and returns with chosen merchants if you use this card.
Travel accident insurance
For tickets charged on your card, you're eligible for coverage in the event an accident occurs that disrupts or suspends your travel plans.
Customer service
American Express has the best reputation for customer satisfaction among credit card issuers. In J.D. Power's 2020 survey, Amex took the top spot over 11 other issuers.

MONEYGEEK EXPERT TIP

As Hilton uses dynamic pricing for rewards redemptions, the best way you can maximize your redemptions through the Hilton Honors program is by targeting properties that cost relatively few points per booking compared to other Hilton hotels.

Understanding the Fine Print

Card Feature
Amount or Rate
APR
15.74%–24.74%
Annual Fee
$95
Cash Back Rewards
Rewards Rate
3–12 Points per $1*
Airline Benefits
Rewards Rate on Groceries
6x
Rewards Rate on Gas
6x
Rewards Rate on Dining
6x
Rewards Rate on Entertainment
3x
Rewards Rate on Online Shopping
3x
Rewards Rate on TV, Phone, Internet Services
3x
Rewards Rate on Air Travel
3x
Rewards Rate at Hotels
12x
Balance Transfer Fee
Unspecified
Balance Transfer APR
Unspecified
Late Fees
$39.00
Cash Advance Fee
3%
Cash Advance APR
25.24%
Foreign Transaction Fee
None

Cash Advance Fee
If you take a cash advance against your American Express Hilton Honors Surpass Card credit limit, you’ll pay a fee of 5% or $10.
Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
The American Express Hilton Honors Surpass Card has a high regular APR of 15.73%–24.74%.

FINDING YOUR CARD'S RATES AND FEES

You may compare this card with cards you already have by checking their fees and features in your last billing statement. Alternatively, you can find this information through the credit card agreement database maintained by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Who Should & Shouldn’t Consider American Express Hilton Honors Surpass Card?

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Other Considerations for American Express Hilton Honors Surpass Card

Before completing the American Express Hilton Honors Surpass Card application, you need to know how you’ll use the card. Using this card alone or pairing it with other cards might have an influence on your experience.

Things to Consider if This is Will Be Your First or Only Credit Card

To make this card your first or only credit card, you should consider the high APR when making purchases or transferring balances. Additionally, the American Express Hilton Honors Surpass Card credit score range is 670–850. You need at least a good credit score to be approved for this card.

Things to Consider if This is Will Be an Additional Card in Your Wallet

A card with no foreign transaction fees can be ideal when used as an additional card. You won't have to pay for any purchases made abroad during your travels. Other benefits include free stays and ten free Priority Pass Lounge visits every year.

The card's high annual fee may be something you want to consider. The good thing is, the card has rewards that easily outweigh its fees if you regularly pay off your balance.

WHY TRUST OUR REVIEWS

At MoneyGeek, we use a systematic methodology and review process when determining the best credit cards. The well-planned process involves collecting details from the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau’s database, updating data points to provide for easy comparisons, determining average spending profiles, considering the annual and introductory bonuses, establishing the long-term value of the credit card and carrying out a regular review and re-ranking procedure.

How American Express Hilton Honors Surpass Card Compares to Other Cards

The card has no foreign transaction fees. Its rewards are lucrative and have excellent sign-up bonuses. However, the factors you’d consider when comparing it with other cards will largely depend on what you want from the card.

Quick Comparison of American Express Hilton Honors Surpass Card

American Express Hilton Honors Surpass Card

Annual fee: $95
Purchase APR: 15.74%–24.74%
International transaction fee: 0%
Cash back: N/A
Best for: Travelers who regularly stay at Hilton properties

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card

Annual fee: $95
Purchase APR:15.99%–22.99%
International transaction fee: 0%
Cash back: N/A
Best for: Frequent travelers looking for elite status and superb travel rewards

Other Helpful Decision-Making Q&As

Below are answers to some frequently asked questions about the American Express Hilton Honors Surpass Card that might help you make a well-informed decision.

Still not sure about this card? Consider these options.

If you’re still not convinced whether this card may be the best option for you, you can check out other travel credit cards and compare their perks. If you’re looking for other credit categories, you might want to consider some of the best cash back credit cards.