Hilton HHonors Surpass American Express Card Review
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You earn nine points per dollar at Hilton hotels, plus six points on gas, groceries and phone bills.
Who the Hilton HHonors Surpass American Express Card Is For
Credit Rating Required
About the Hilton HHonors Surpass American Express Card
Pros
Cons
Rewards
APRs
Fees
Hilton HHonors Surpass American Express Card Review
American Express has two Hilton HHonors rewards credit cards. This one has a $75 annual fee, so the rewards are a lot better than on the Hilton HHonors card, which has no annual fee.
You can earn a lot more points with this card. You earn a whopping nine HHonors points for every dollar you charge at Hilton-owned hotels, which also include Doubletree, Hampton Inn and Embassy Suites.
You also earn six points per dollar at grocery stores, drugstores and gas stations - but not warehouse clubs or superstores.
You can also earn six points on your various communications bills, such as home and wireless phones, internet, cable and satellite services, so make sure you pay those bills with this card in order to rack up the points. You earn three points everywhere else.
You also get 40,000 bonus points after your first purchase, which Hilton and Amex say is enough for four free nights. That's double what you get on the no-fee card. In addition, you can earn up to 20,000 more points after your first eight stays at Hilton hotels during the first 18 months you have the card; that's twice the amount you can earn on the no-fee card. You must charge at least $100 at each of those stays to earn the bonus.
You also get complimentary Gold status for life in the Hilton HHonors program. Plus you have free access to over 500 airport lounges around the world with complimentary Priority Pass membership. That's a $99 value by itself.
There are no blackout dates on redeeming your rewards, provided the room is available.
Recommendation
With hotel rewards cards, you get what you pay for, so if you stay frequently at Hilton properties and you're interested in either Hilton rewards cards from American Express, this is probably a better choice over the no-fee card. You'll be able to earn points faster, so the $75 annual fee will pay for itself.
It's always best to read the fine print to find out exactly how many points you need to stay at the place you want to stay. You're more likely to get free nights if you get the card with the annual fee.
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Visit Their Website
You earn nine points per dollar at Hilton hotels, plus six points on gas, groceries and phone bills.
Who the Hilton HHonors Surpass American Express Card Is For
- Frequent customers at Hilton hotels who want to earn free stays
Credit Rating Required
- Good to excellent (700+)
About the Hilton HHonors Surpass American Express Card
Pros
- 40,000 bonus points after first purchase.
- No blackout dates.
- Free Priority Pass airport lounge access.
Cons
- Point values can be unclear.
- $75 annual fee.
Rewards
- Nine points per dollar at Hilton-owned hotels.
- Six points per dollar at supermarkets, gas stations and drug stores.
- Three points per dollar everywhere else.
- 20,000 bonus points after first eight stays at Hilton hotels in first 18 months.
APRs
- 2.9% on purchases and balance transfers during the first six months, then the purchase rate.
- 15.24% on purchases.
- Penalty interest rate: 27.24%.
Fees
- Annual fee: $75.
- Late payment fee: Up to $35.
- Return check or payment fee: Up to $35.
- Balance transfer fee: 3% of balance.
- Foreign transaction fee: 2.7% of balance.
Hilton HHonors Surpass American Express Card Review
American Express has two Hilton HHonors rewards credit cards. This one has a $75 annual fee, so the rewards are a lot better than on the Hilton HHonors card, which has no annual fee.
You can earn a lot more points with this card. You earn a whopping nine HHonors points for every dollar you charge at Hilton-owned hotels, which also include Doubletree, Hampton Inn and Embassy Suites.
You also earn six points per dollar at grocery stores, drugstores and gas stations - but not warehouse clubs or superstores.
You can also earn six points on your various communications bills, such as home and wireless phones, internet, cable and satellite services, so make sure you pay those bills with this card in order to rack up the points. You earn three points everywhere else.
You also get 40,000 bonus points after your first purchase, which Hilton and Amex say is enough for four free nights. That's double what you get on the no-fee card. In addition, you can earn up to 20,000 more points after your first eight stays at Hilton hotels during the first 18 months you have the card; that's twice the amount you can earn on the no-fee card. You must charge at least $100 at each of those stays to earn the bonus.
You also get complimentary Gold status for life in the Hilton HHonors program. Plus you have free access to over 500 airport lounges around the world with complimentary Priority Pass membership. That's a $99 value by itself.
There are no blackout dates on redeeming your rewards, provided the room is available.
Recommendation
With hotel rewards cards, you get what you pay for, so if you stay frequently at Hilton properties and you're interested in either Hilton rewards cards from American Express, this is probably a better choice over the no-fee card. You'll be able to earn points faster, so the $75 annual fee will pay for itself.
It's always best to read the fine print to find out exactly how many points you need to stay at the place you want to stay. You're more likely to get free nights if you get the card with the annual fee.
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