Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card Review
March 25, 2020

Best for: Travelers loyal to Hilton hotel brands looking to earn easy rewards and take advantage of a generous sign-up bonus.
For those who enjoy staying at a Hilton hotel when traveling, American Express offers a co-branded Hilton Honors credit card which offers a substantial sign-up bonus and easy-to-earn rewards.
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass card gives you 12 times rewards for every dollar you spend on eligible purchases when staying at any one of the properties within the Hilton portfolio. After that, you can earn 6 times points on every dollar spent at restaurants, supermarkets and gas stations, and 3 times points for every dollar on all other purchases.
Even better, you’ll receive automatic enrollment in the Hilton Honors Gold status, no foreign transaction fees, free stays (after reaching a certain spending amount) and exclusive entertainment access.
The basics
Standout features
Best way to use this card
To maximize the use of your Hilton Honors Surpass rewards card, use it for everyday purchases and make sure you hit the bonus threshold of $3,000 within your first three months of membership. That will earn you the 150,000 Hilton Honors bonus points. Depending on where you redeem these points, they may earn you a free stay at one of your favorite Hilton Hotels.
You’ll also want to make purchases at U.S. supermarkets, restaurants and gas stations to earn six points per dollar —double the rate for other purchases. To earn the most possible points, book your stay at a Hilton property so you can earn 12 points per dollar, plus use your card to pay for any incidental charges on the room — that earns points too.
You can maximize points and earn faster by adding an authorized user. American Express will allow you to add anyone 13 years or older to your card. Help your teenager get started on building their credit early, or get a partner signed up to help earn points so you can get to Diamond status and a free hotel stay faster.
In a nutshell
Overall, the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass card is designed for Hilton Hotel loyalists. Rewards points are redeemable at all Hilton hotels and resorts at more than 570 properties across six continents. No matter where you travel in the world, you’re bound to find a Hilton brand hotel that fits your budget and level of comfort.
The current introductory bonus of 150,000 Hilton Honors points alone could fund one night stays at a luxury hotel. Plus, the automatic enrollment in Gold Status gets you hotel upgrades from the start.
With hard-to-beat cardmember perks and a generous sign-up bonus, this is an excellent card for everyday spending because it’s one of the hotel credit cards that’s easy to build points on.