Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card

Checking-In to the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card 

The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card is an impressive hotel rewards card for those who frequently stay with any one of the thousands of the properties that make up the Hilton portfolio of hotels and resorts. The card earns up to 12x points per dollar for purchases with Hilton for an annual fee of just $95. This yearly fee also entitles members to complimentary Gold status in the Hilton Honors program – good for complimentary breakfast, fast Wi-Fi, and a host of other great perks – as well as ten visits to Priority Pass lounges each year. New cardholders can also earn 150,000 points when they use their card to make $3,000 in purchases in the first three months.

How it Works 

Earning Points: 

• Hilton Stays: Cardholders earn 12x points for stays at eligible Hilton properties worldwide, which is an impressive amount of points for a relatively low annual fee.
• Dining and Shopping: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass cardholders also earn 6x points per dollar for purchases at U.S. restaurants, supermarkets, or gas stations.
• Everything Else:  Cardholders earn three points per dollar on every other purchase with their card.

Redeeming Points: 

• Hotel Stays: Hilton Honors points are redeemable for stays at participating properties within the Hilton portfolio worldwide. The exact value of Hilton Honors points varies depending on the season and hotel quality, though Hilton Honors points have a value of between $.05 to $.06 per point.
• Cash Bookings:  Honors points are also applicable towards part of the total cost of a Hilton stay.
• Hilton Honors Experiences: Reward points earned through the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card are also applicable towards redemptions for Hilton Experiences.
• Transfer Points to Airline Rewards Programs: Hilton Honors members have a great perk in the ability to transfer points to 30 frequent flyer programs.

Today’s Bonus Offer 

New cardholders earn an impressive 150,000 Hilton Honors bonus points when they use their card to make at least $3,000 in purchases within the first three months of opening an account.

Getting Under the Sheets with the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card 

• Annual Fee: The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass card features a $95 annual fee. While there are many great hotel rewards cards that offer no annual fee, the $95 fee is more than made up for with complimentary Gold Hilton Honors membership status and ten free Priority Pass lounge visits each year of membership.

Hotel Perks: 

• Complimentary Gold Status: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Cardholders receive complimentary Gold status with their card membership. Gold status entitles members to complimentary breakfast, premium internet access, a fifth night free on bookings, complimentary upgrades (when available), and 80% bonuses on points earning at Hilton properties.
• Free Night Award Every Anniversary: Cardholders receive one free weekend night reward when they make at least $15,000 in purchases in a calendar year and renew their card.

Additional Perks: 

• Priority Pass Visits: Cardholders receive access to Priority Pass lounges ten times each year of membership. Priority Pass operates over 1,200 lounges throughout the world. Two visits to the lounge with the Surpass card already pays for the entire annual fee of the card.

Cardholder Protections: 

• Fraud Protection: Surpass cardholders have total protection from any fraudulent or unauthorized purchases made on their account.
• Global Assistance: Cardholders also receive 24/7 access to AMEX’s Global Assistance hotline, providing emergency, legal, financial, and other coordination and advice when travel takes them more than 100 miles from home.
• Travel Insurance Coverage: Cardholders receive comprehensive travel coverage through American Express, including travel accident insurance, baggage protection insurance, and care rental insurance when they use their Surpass Card to book their entire car rental and waive additional coverage at the counter.
• Roadside Assistance: Cardholders also receive premium roadside assistance, including towing for up to 10 miles, changing a flat tire, or jump-starting a battery up to four times per year.

 “Suite” Perks That Make the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card Worthwhile: 

• Sign-Up Bonus Offer: 125,000 bonus points is a very impressive haul of points – especially when it requires only $2,000 worth of purchases within the first three months.
• Complimentary Gold Status: Instant Hilton Honors Gold status is an excellent feature of the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass card. Gold status entitles cardholders to complimentary breakfast, premium internet access, a fifth night free on bookings, complimentary upgrades, an extra 80% points-earning bonus at Hilton, and more.

“Reservations” About the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card:  

• No Free Nights Without a Hefty Spend: There isn’t a whole lot not to like about the Hilton Honors Surpass Card, especially given its modest annual fee. The lack of free nights, however, is a negative. The card allows cardholders to earn a free weekend night each year when they make $15,000 in purchases – but this seems excessively high for one free night.

Time to Check-Out 

Overall, the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass card offers exceptional value for money. For an annual fee of just $95, cardholders can earn up to 12 Hilton Honors points for every dollar spent. Sure, this earning level is restricted to purchases made directly with Hilton brands, but even the purchases which do not fit into designated points categories earn a solid three points for every dollar spent. The Hilton Honors Surpass Card further benefits from an enticing intro bonus of 125,000 points after just $2,000 in purchases within the first three months – an easily achievable feat.

Beyond the points potential off the Surpass, the card also benefits from ten Priority Pass lounge visits each year of membership, as well as complimentary Gold-tier status in the Hilton Honors program, which provides the cardholder with even more chances to rack up the points (as well as free breakfast, super-fast Wi-Fi, and more). The card may be let down by the lack of free nights without reaching a rather high minimum spending threshold, but this is a nit-pick and should not remove this card from anyone’s consideration for an excellent hotel rewards card.