Key takeaways
- American Express offers co-branded Hilton credit cards for every type of traveler, including the Hilton Honors American Express Card and the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card.
- Where the Hilton Honors American Express Card has limited benefits and rewards in exchange for no annual fee, the Hilton Honors Surpass Card comes with a higher rewards rate and premium perks like Hilton Honors Gold status.
- The right card for you depends on your tolerance for annual fees, the benefits you want to have and how often you stay in Hilton properties.
American Express offers a range of co-branded credit cards that earn points in the Hilton Honors program and can help users earn rewards they can redeem at more than 8,000 Hilton properties around the world. The Hilton Honors American Express Card and the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card are some of the most popular options, likely due to their free structures, rewards rates and available welcome offers.
But, these two cards aren’t one and the same. Where the Hilton Honors American Express Card is the brand’s no-annual-fee hotel credit card, the Hilton Honors Surpass card offers more rewards and benefits for a $150 annual fee (compared to the $550 annual fee on the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Credit Card*).
If you don’t mind paying a little more for a co-branded hotel card, you can still get a tad more in terms of a welcome bonus, plus the chance to earn more rewards for eligible Hilton purchases with the Surpass Card. The sections below compare the key benefits of these two hotel credit cards to help you find the right fit.
Main details
| Cards | Hilton Honors American Express Card | Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card |
|---|---|---|
| Rewards rate | Earn 7X points on eligible Hilton purchasesEarn 5X points at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations and U.S. restaurantsEarn 3X points on all other purchases | 12X points on Hilton hotels and resorts6X points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations4X points on U.S. online retail purchases including those at large marketplaces, boutique retailers, department stores, home supply and apparel stores, and more3X points on other eligible purchases |
| Welcome bonus | Earn 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the card in the first 6 months of card membership (offer ends 1/8/2025) | Earn 165,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Card in the first 6 months of Card Membership (offer ends 1/8/2025) |
| Annual fee | $0 | $150 |
Hilton Honors American Express Card vs. Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Credit Card
When comparing these cards, it’s best to look at the features that are most important to you. A welcome bonus may be more important for some consumers, whereas others care more about rewards rates for spending. Either way, take a look at the differences in the cards below to choose the one that best matches your needs.
Welcome bonus winner
Rewards rate winner
Annual fee winner
Which card earns the most?
It’s likely the Surpass Card will help you earn more rewards over the course of a year since it has higher bonus rewards rates and more bonus categories overall. However, you can find this out by looking at your regular spending and running the numbers for yourself.
Hilton Honors American Express vs. Hilton Honors American Express Surpass spending example
Here’s a spending example that shows you what we mean. Imagine you travel fairly often and charge a lot of your personal expenses on a credit card. In that case, here’s what your monthly spending might look like:
- $700 per month for supermarket spending
- $300 gas stations
- $200 restaurants
- $300 on Hilton hotel stays
- $500 on other spending
With the no annual fee Hilton Honors American Express Card, you’d earn 115,200 bonus points annually, whereas the Surpass card would net you 147,600 bonus points each year. If you factor in the welcome bonuses for these cards, you could earn 215,200 or 312,600 points, respectively.
If you use the 0.6 cents valuation for Hilton Honors bonus points, the welcome bonus value is roughly equivalent to $600 or $990 towards Hilton stays, respectively. When you add in the first-year spending example, the total estimated value in rewards for these two cards works out to $1,261.20 for the Hilton Honors American Express Card and $1,875.60 for the Hilton Honors Surpass Card.
Even when you take the $150 annual fee on the Surpass card into account, it definitely comes out ahead in this spending example.
Why should you get the Hilton Honors American Express Card?
Why should you get the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Credit Card?
The bottom line
If you are a frequent traveler and like the Hilton brand, either one of these cards could work well for you.
Those who don’t travel as much may opt for the Hilton Honors American Express Card, while more frequent travelers would get the Surpass Card. Either way, earning and redeeming rewards with one of these credit cards could help you reach your goal of affordable stays at Hilton properties worldwide.
However, if you’re less brand loyal or looking for more flexibility, you might consider a top general travel rewards card instead.
All information about the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Credit Card has been collected independently by Bankrate and has not been reviewed or approved by the issuer.
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