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Travelers looking for a quality hotel card at a reasonable price will find the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card tough to beat. In our Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card review, we'll cover why this card lives up to its name -- and surpasses our expectations.
On American Express' Secure Website.
On American Express' Secure Website.
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR
Purchases: n/a
Balance Transfers: n/a
Regular APR
20.99%-29.99% Variable
Rewards 12x points on Hilton purchases, 6x points on U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. dining, 3x points on other eligible purchases
3X - 12x points
Annual Fee
$150
Welcome Offer 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.
130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points plus a Free Night Reward
Automatic Hilton Gold status is one of the many lucrative perks, including sky-high points for Hilton stays and for restaurants, groceries, and gas.
We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.
Offer | Our Rating | Welcome Offer | Rewards Program | APR | Learn More |
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Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Up to $300 cash back Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases. | 1.5% - 5% cash back Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases |
Intro: 0% Intro APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months Purchases: 0% Intro APR on Purchases, 15 months Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers, 15 months Regular: 20.49% - 29.24% Variable |
Apply Now for Chase Freedom Unlimited®
On Chase's Secure Website. |
|
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
Discover will match all the cash back you've earned at the end of your first year. N/A | 1% - 5% Cashback Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases—automatically. |
Intro: Purchases: 0%, 15 months Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months Regular: 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR |
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Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best = Excellent = Good = Fair = Poor |
75,000 Miles 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening | 2X-5X miles Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options. |
Intro: Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A Regular: 19.99% - 29.99% (Variable) |
This credit card is a good fit for: Travel rewards enthusiasts who want to save money on Hilton Hotels stays or get airport lounge access from a card that doesn't break the bank.
You'll earn a sizable welcome offer of 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points plus a Free Night Reward after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first 6 months. Hilton Honors points are worth about $0.005 per point on average, although it's possible to redeem them for more. Based on that value, 130,000 Hilton Honors points are worth at least $650, making this one of the bigger welcome bonuses we've found. Terms apply.
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card earns:
While Hilton Honors points aren't the most valuable credit card rewards, this card can still earn you a lot of points very quickly. And its bonus categories are a match for the best rewards credit cards.
If you use your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card for $15,000 in eligible purchases in a calendar year, you'll receive one free night reward that can be redeemed for one standard accommodation at any Hilton property that has this type of room available. You can easily redeem this for a value of $100 to $200, and at higher-end properties, it could be worth over $500. Terms apply.
READ MORE: Best Hotel Credit Cards
You can get up to $50 each calendar quarter ($200 annually) as a statement credit for eligible purchases made directly with Hilton. Terms apply.
As a cardholder, you'll automatically get complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status. Benefits include daily food and beverage credit or free continental breakfast, space-available room upgrades, and an 80% bonus on base points earned on every stay.
There's also the opportunity to get Hilton Honors Diamond status by making at least $40,000 in eligible purchases with your card in a calendar year. That's the highest elite status in the Hilton Honors program, and benefits include executive lounge access and a room guarantee if you book at least 48 hours in advance (subject to certain restrictions). Terms apply.
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card includes a complimentary Priority Pass membership with up to 10 free lounge visits per membership year when you enroll. This perk will be discontinued after this date, and any lounge visits will need to be used up by Oct. 31, 2024 at the latest. Terms apply.
If you fly often, airport lounge access is an excellent benefit, especially from a card with a modest annual fee. Most credit cards offering a complimentary Priority Pass membership cost $400 or more.
A foreign transaction fee is the additional percentage charged on any purchase made in a foreign currency, which is anything except U.S. dollars (see rates and fees).
Since the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card doesn't have any foreign transaction fees, you can use your card without worrying about paying extra fees on purchases in another currency while shopping at home or abroad. This can save you 2% to 3% on purchases versus cards with foreign transaction fees.
RELATED: Best American Express Cards
It's nice that you can earn a free night certificate using the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card. But this benefit could be improved by removing the $15,000 spending minimum so you'd receive a free night every year just for being a cardholder. This is something many other hotel credit cards offer right out of the gate, although it is included with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.
This card has several great bonus categories, including U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations. The problem is that you only earn bonus points if those purchases are with U.S. businesses. If, for example, you're traveling internationally and use your card at a restaurant, you won't earn bonus points like you would at a restaurant in the States.
With travel credit cards, including hotel cards, we like to see benefits you can use all over the world. That's especially true with a Hilton card, considering that Hilton has a huge international footprint and it's likely that many cardholders will take international vacations. Terms apply.
For more options, take a look at our picks for the best credit cards for international travel.
Compare credit card rewards, fees, APRs, and more using our side-by-side comparison tool.
We suggest having good or excellent credit -- a FICO® Score of at least 670 -- when applying for the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card. Just like with any credit card application, your credit score isn't the only factor that matters, so that alone won't guarantee approval or result in denial. Amex will consider your entire credit profile, as well as your income, when evaluating your application.
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card has an annual fee of $150 (see rates and fees). This is a great deal if you can make use of the card's benefits.
The free night reward alone should more than pay for the annual fee, and it could be worth over $500. If you're going to spend at least $15,000 using your Hilton card, then you'll easily come out ahead from the free night reward and all the points you earn.
Complimentary Gold status in the Hilton Honors program and airport lounge access are useful perks, especially for frequent travelers. The more often you stay at Hilton properties and use airport lounges, the more value you'll get.
At The Motley Fool Ascent, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.
We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how The Ascent rates credit cards.
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card has a higher annual fee ($150) than most hotel cards of the same caliber. However, if the card offers more value than its fee, then it might be worth it for you. For instance, if you take advantage of the card's $200 annual statement credit (doled out quarterly), you would earn enough to come out ahead. Terms apply.
For applicants with good credit, the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card usually isn't hard to get. American Express uses many factors to evaluate your application, but having a credit score of 670 or higher significantly raises your approval odds.
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We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent, a Motley Fool service, does not cover all offers on the market. The Ascent has a dedicated team of editors and analysts focused on personal finance, and they follow the same set of publishing standards and editorial integrity while maintaining professional separation from the analysts and editors on other Motley Fool brands.
For rates and fees for the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, click here
For rates and fees for the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, click here
The Motley Fool recommends Amex.