MoneyGeek’s Take

American Express Hilton Honors Surpass Card Review

The American Express Hilton Honors Surpass Card is a good option for avid travelers and frequent guests at Hilton hotels and resorts. The card comes with a robust rewards system and a great sign-up bonus.

Last Updated: 5/5/2022
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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
Click to see this card’s rates, fees and how they compare to other cards in our dataset.
OUR REVIEW AT A GLANCE

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

    Terms, rates and fees apply

    Compare this credit card with other top-rated cards from our partners.

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.
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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.
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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
  • This is an icon

    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.

  • This is an icon

    Annual Percentage Rate (APR)

    The American Express Hilton Honors Surpass Card has a high regular APR of 15.73%–24.74%.

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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 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 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.

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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
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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
creditCard1

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.

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*Rates, fees or bonuses may vary or include specific stipulations. The content on this page is accurate as of the posting/last updated date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. We recommend visiting the card issuer’s website for the most up-to-date information available.
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses and recommendations are the author’s alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity.
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