Advertiser disclosure: Cards and Points has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Cards and Points and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers. Compensation may affect how and where card products appear on the site. The site does not include all card companies or all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. Terms apply to all credit card benefits.
Update August 1, 2024: The recent limited-time welcome offer on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card has ended. The card is now back to its regular new cardmember welcome offer:
bonus_miles_full (See Rates and Fees)
This offer is the same as the previous offer, but without the free night certificate.
Here’s what you need to know about the new cardmember welcome offer on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card.
In this article…
Best welcome offer: Earn 130k points
Here are the details best Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card welcome offer:
Learn how to apply.
Annual fee: annual_fees
(See Rates and Fees)
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card welcome offer
bonus_miles_full
This card is best for the occasional, but consistent Hilton guest, thanks to its quarterly statement credits for Hilton stays. (Terms apply.)
More about this card
Benefit highlights:
Hilton Honors Gold status.
Upgrade to Diamond status after spending $40k in a year on your card.
$200 Hilton credit: Up to $50 in statement credits each quarter for eligible Hilton purchases.
Free night reward after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year.
National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive® status. Enrollment required.
Rewards:
12x on Hilton hotels and resorts.
6x on dining at U.S. restaurants.
6x on groceries at U.S. supermarkets.
6x on gas at U.S. gas stations.
4x on U.S. online retail purchases.
3x on other eligible purchases.
Rewards are earned as Hilton Honors points.
Learn more:
Compare this card to other Hilton cards in our overview of Hilton credit cards.
Are you eligible for a new Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card welcome offer?
American Express will generally not let you get a welcome offer on a card if you’ve previously had the card. If you’ve ever had the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, the Hilton Honors Amex Ascend Card or previous versions of these cards, you might not be eligible to receive a welcome offer.
American Express may also exclude you from welcome offer eligibility based on your history with Amex, the number of cards you’ve opened or closed, or other factors. Fortunately, Amex will notify you prior to processing your application if you are ineligible for a welcome offer. So, even if you’re unsure whether you qualify, it can make sense to apply—your credit score won’t be affected if Amex tells you that you are ineligible for the welcome offer and you withdraw your application.
A few notes on applying for American Express credit cards
Here are a few things that you should know about applying for American Express cards.
- Amex will let you know if you’re ineligible for the new cardmember welcome offer when applying. If you don’t qualify for a welcome offer for any reason, American Express will inform you during the application process and let you withdraw your application before they perform a “hard pull” on your credit report. If you withdraw your application, the withdrawn application will have no impact on your credit score.
- No hard pull if they deny you. If Amex denies your credit card application, they usually won’t issue a hard pull on your credit report. This means that your credit score won’t decrease because of the denied application.
- One welcome offer per card per “lifetime”. Most Amex card terms say that you’re ineligible for a welcome offer if you’ve ever had the card before. Some targeted offers do not have this lifetime language. Readers and other blogs have reported that Amex may internally define “lifetime” as 7 years—if it’s been 7 years since you’ve had a card, you might be eligible to get a welcome offer again.
- Some cards allow one welcome offer per card “family”. Some American Express cards, like the personal Platinum card or the Charles Schwab Platinum card have language that prohibits you from earning a welcome bonus if you’ve ever had a card from the same card family before.
- Maximum 5 Amex credit cards and 10 pay-over-time cards. You can have a maximum of 5 American Express credit cards at one time. In addition, you can hold up to 10 American Express pay-over-time cards (like the Platinum, Gold, and Green cards.) These limits are known to occasionally be flexible for some cardmembers, some of the time.
- You might be able to get a better welcome offer than the public offer. American Express offers some customers targeted offers. See our post on how to get the best welcome offers from American Express and try those methods before applying for an American Express card. You might be able to get an elevated welcome offer.
- Check your application status online. You can check the status of your American Express card application online through the Amex website.
Our take and bottom line
The standard offer on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card grants you a princely sum of points—130,000 is more points than you’ll get with most cards. And we like that you get 6 months to meet the $3,000 spending requirement to earn the bonus. While this isn’t the best ever offer (a better welcome offer just ended) it’s a good offer on a card at this annual fee if you have a use for Hilton points.
One caveat to earning Hilton Honors points is that points expire if you do not have activity on your account at least once every 24 months. Earning points with a Hilton-branded credit card, redeeming points from your Hilton account, or earning Hilton points from a stay will all reset the 24 month clock.
For people who stay consistently at Hilton hotels, the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card can be long-term keeper. If you pay for Hilton stays at least once a quarter, the card’s $50 quarterly statement credits for Hilton stays can more-than offset the card’s annual fee.
Learn how to apply.
Annual fee: annual_fees
(See Rates and Fees)
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card welcome offer
bonus_miles_full
This card is best for the occasional, but consistent Hilton guest, thanks to its quarterly statement credits for Hilton stays. (Terms apply.)
More about this card
Benefit highlights:
Hilton Honors Gold status.
Upgrade to Diamond status after spending $40k in a year on your card.
$200 Hilton credit: Up to $50 in statement credits each quarter for eligible Hilton purchases.
Free night reward after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year.
National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive® status. Enrollment required.
Rewards:
12x on Hilton hotels and resorts.
6x on dining at U.S. restaurants.
6x on groceries at U.S. supermarkets.
6x on gas at U.S. gas stations.
4x on U.S. online retail purchases.
3x on other eligible purchases.
Rewards are earned as Hilton Honors points.
Learn more:
Compare this card to other Hilton cards in our overview of Hilton credit cards.
Frequently asked questions
How much is 130,000 Hilton Honors bonus points worth?
Based on our experience redeeming Hilton points, you’re likely to get about $600 worth of stays at Hilton Hotels from 130,000 Hilton points.
Do Hilton Honors points expire?
Hilton points expire after 24 months of inactivity. You can keep your points alive by earning or redeeming any number of Hilton points.
American Express card disclosures
- For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, please visit this link: See Rates and Fees
Amex Basic Purchase Protection benefit disclosure: When an American Express® Card Member charges a Covered Purchase with their Eligible Card, Purchase Protection can help protect their Covered Purchases for up to 90 days from the Covered Purchase date if it is stolen or accidentally damaged. The coverage is limited to up to $1,000 per occurrence, up to $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
Amex Extended Warranty benefit disclosure: When an American Express® Card Member charges a Covered Purchase to an Eligible Card, Extended Warranty§ can provide up to one extra year added to the Original Manufacturer’s Warranty. Applies to warranties of five (5) years or less. Coverage is up to the actual amount charged to your Card for the item up to a maximum of $10,000; not to exceed $50,000 per Card Member account per calendar year. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
Amex Basic Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance disclosure: Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance can provide coverage up to $50,000 for theft of or damage to most rental vehicles when you use your eligible Card to reserve and pay for the entire eligible vehicle rental and decline the collision damage waiver or similar option offered by the Commercial Car Rental Company. This product provides secondary coverage and does not include liability coverage. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered. Geographic restrictions apply. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
Amex Basic Baggage Insurance Plan benefit disclosure: Baggage Insurance Plan coverage can be in effect for Eligible Persons for eligible lost, damaged, or stolen Baggage during their travel on a Common Carrier (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus) when the entire fare for a Common Carrier Vehicle ticket for the trip (one-way or round-trip) is charged to an eligible Account. Coverage can be provided for up to $1,250 for carry-on Baggage and up to $500 for checked Baggage, in excess of coverage provided by the Common Carrier (e.g. plane, train, ship, or bus). For New York State residents, there is a $10,000 aggregate maximum limit for all Covered Persons per Covered Trip. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
Advertiser disclosure: Cards and Points has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Cards and Points and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers. Compensation may affect how and where card products appear on the site. The site does not include all card companies or all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. Terms apply to all credit card benefits.
