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Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card 130,000 Bonus Points ($780 Value)

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Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
  • Editor Rating
  • 90%
  • 90%
  • Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
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  • Last modified: August 18, 2019
  • Bonus Value
    Editor: 90%
  • Bonus Requirements
    Editor: 85%

The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card offers 130,000 Hilton Honors bonus points when you spend $4,000 within 4 months of account opening. The value of these points will vary greatly on how you decide to redeem them, but a good guideline is right around $780 for Hilton hotel redemptions.

After discontinuing its relationship with Citi, the Hilton Honors program now has an exclusive co-branded relationship with American Express, with 4 cards now available:

With an annual fee of $95, the Surpass Card places itself into the mid-tier hotel branded rewards credit card category.

Here’s the bottom line, I recommend this card for those who plan on staying at a hotel within the Hilton Portfolio around 20-25 nights during a calendar year. Staying fewer than this range, you’re better off with the regular Hilton Honors American Express Card with no annual fee. Staying more than this range, you may want to opt for the premium benefits available with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, where the annual fee is nearly 5 times that of the Surpass Card.

Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Quick Facts

HILTON HONORS AMERICAN EXPRESS SURPASS CARD

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Bonus available130k 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 rewardsEarn 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
Hotel Status Upgrade?Free Gold Status with card.
Spend $40,000 on purchases on your card in a calendar year and earn Diamond Status through the end of the next calendar year.
Airport lounge access10 free visits yearly with Priority Pass Select at 1000+ airport lounges.
Annual Fee$95
Credit NeededGood to Excellent

*Bonus value is an estimated value calculated by MoneysMyLife and not the card issuer. Read our card review for more details.

View our latest valuations here.

Hilton Honors Surpass Card 130,000 Bonus Points

The current offer is for 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points, which I value right around $780. You’ll need to spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 4 months of Card Membership to qualify.

Below are some ideas on meeting the requirement outside of regular everyday spending:

MEETING CREDIT CARD BONUS SPENDING REQUIREMENTS

  • Use Plastiq to pay with your card. Plastiq is a service that will allow you to pay for expenses that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to with your card, such as rent, tuition, auto lease, mortgage payment, and more. They charge a 2.5% processing fee for using your credit card, but this will likely be worth the card bonus you’ll obtain. They also have a referral program where you can earn “Fee-Free Dollars” to use towards processing fees. Go to Plastiq.
  • Fund Checking accounts with your card. Many banks will allow you to fund the opening deposit with a credit card. To make the most out of this opportunity, you should consider opening Checking accounts that also offer a sign-up bonus. That way, you’re working your way towards bonuses from two different sources. Big banks like Chase, TD Bank, BBVA and Wells Fargo have great offers and allow credit card funding. You can often fund anywhere from $50 to $1,000 towards the opening deposit with a credit card, depending on the bank.
  • Buy gift cards with your credit card. Consider buying gift cards that you can then spend later at your leisure. Individual merchant cards (e.g. restaurant, gas station, supermarket) typically don’t have purchase fees so this route won’t cost you. On the other hand, American Express and Visa gift cards will incur purchase fees. Amazon gift cards are also wonderful if you shop there often (no purchase fees either). Get some gift card ideas here. *Be careful with Citi credit cards, as they tend to code gift card purchases as Cash Advances and you’ll incur the fee. Call in to customer service and lower your Cash Advance limit to $0 before purchasing gift cards (it’s a good idea to do this with any card in general). There are also options to buy discounted gift cards as well:
  • Other ideas. Be sure to always using your credit card for everyday spending, such as for dining, gas, groceries, etc. You can also use your credit card to pay for things like insurance bills, property taxes and income taxes, but you’ll have to consider the convenience fees.

*More ways to meet the spending requirement

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Ongoing Surpass Card Benefits

Ongoing RewardsGold StatusWeekend Night RewardNo Foreign Transaction FeesPriority Pass Select

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. This is in addition to the normal points earned through the Hilton Honors program.

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.

You’ll receive complimentary Hilton Honors Gold Status with the Hilton Honors Surpass Card. On top of a Silver Status level of perks, Gold Status will add the following benefits:

  • 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

Also, if you spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on your card in a calendar year, you’ll earn Diamond Status through the end of the next calendar year. Diamond Status will include the following on top of Gold Status perks:

  • Executive Lounge Access
  • Diamond Status Extension
  • 48-Hour Room Guarantee
  • Elite Status Gifting

Once you spend $15,000 on purchases on your card in a calendar year, you’ll earn a Weekend Night Reward from Hilton Honors. You’ll receive the reward in the form of a redeemable code sent to your Hilton Honors email address within 8-12 weeks after you have met the purchase requirement.

You won’t accrue additional fees on purchases made abroad with the Surpass card, which typically can be 2.7% per transaction with cards that don’t offer this benefit.

While the free visits are limited to 10 every year, it’s a nice perk to be able access more than 1000+ airport lounges worldwide with a Priority Pass Select membership. Visits after the 10 free ones will be at a reduced rate of $27.

Redeeming Your Points

If you’ve decided on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card, you’ll want to make the most of it by redeeming for hotel stays. The alternative options such as merchandise redemption or points transfer to airlines miles programs (over 40 partners) will net you much less in value.

You’ll have the convenience of choosing to redeem for a hotel stay using only Hilton Honors points, or you can choose a combination of cash and points when redeeming.

You’ll have plenty of options earning and redeeming points within the Hilton Portfolio of hotels:

Hilton Portfolio Of Hotels

The Hilton Portfolio of hotels consists of over 5,100 locations in 103 countries and territories, and includes the properties below.
HILTON HOTELS & RESORTS. With more than 570 properties across six continents, Hilton Hotels & Resorts stands as the stylish, innovative leader of hospitality.
WALDORF ASTORIA HOTELS & RESORTS. In landmark destinations around the globe, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts truly reflect their location and are fresh expressions of the legendary True Waldorf Service.
CONRAD HOTELS & RESORTS. At Conrad Hotels & Resorts, luxury is a style you can connect with and service that is attuned to your every need.
CANOPY BY HILTON. For those seeking an energizing and comfortable experience, Canopy by Hilton is the fresh, neighborhood hotel that creates a positive stay through simple guest-directed service and thoughtful 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 anything but generic.
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 VACATIONS. Hilton Grand Vacations develops, markets and operates a collection of high-quality vacation ownership resorts in renowned travel destinations.

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HILTON HONORS AMERICAN EXPRESS SURPASS CARD

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What’s The Competition?

As stated above, one of the other Hilton Honors American Express variations may be better suited to you if you’ll likely stay either fewer or more than 20-25 hotel nights yearly. 

If you’re not set on a Hilton branded card, there are some great alternatives with a similar annual fee to the Hilton Honors Surpass Card.

Non-Category Rewards & Great Bonus
Travel/Dining Rewards & Sign-Up Bonus

CHASE SAPPHIRE PREFERRED CARD

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card currently has an offer for 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Redeeming the 60,000 bonus points through the Chase Ultimate Rewards program, which is praised by users, will get you $750 in value towards travel. The 60K bonus points are worth $750 because you get 25% more value whenever you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards.

Even better, strategize with Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer partners to potentially get even more value. Each point can be worth up to 2 cents apiece (60k points = ~$1,200). Read more on this here.

Pool the Ultimate Rewards points earned from this card with Chase’s other Ultimate Rewards cards for a great strategy. Other Ultimate Rewards cards include the Chase Freedom, Chase Freedom Unlimited, Chase Sapphire Reserve and the Ink Business cards.

Ongoing rewards with this card include earning 2 points per $1 on Travel and Dining at restaurants. The annual fee is $95 for this card.

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The information related to the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card has been collected by MoneysMyLife and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card.

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