Amex Gold Card vs. Hilton Surpass Card [Detailed Comparison]

It can be challenging to find an everyday card that does it all. Earning rewards on your most frequent and greatest purchases is a definite priority, and so is having access to redemption options that fit your travel goals.

Whether your dream is to take a trip to Italy or just a weekend getaway at a comfy beach resort, you’ll find value in today’s comparison of 2 cards that can help you achieve these and many other travel objectives.

The American Express^® Gold Card and the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card will each fit nicely in your wallet and earn rewards on daily purchases. The cards can also deliver redemption options that offset the cost of travel.

Let’s look closer at how these cards earn rewards, the travel opportunities you can create at redemption time, and the additional card benefits you can expect.

Amex Gold Card vs. Hilton Surpass Card — Overview

First, let’s start with an overall view of how the Amex Gold card and Hilton Surpass card compare.

We’ll then get into the details of each card’s features and benefits.

The Value of a Welcome Bonus Offer

Immediately after receiving approval for the Amex Gold card or Hilton Surpass card, you’ll have the opportunity to qualify for the associated card’s welcome offer. These bonuses can be earned by meeting minimum spending requirements within the specified period after card approval.

Bonuses vary, but typically, these generous bonuses can be worth more than $1,000 when redeemed for travel or free hotel nights.

Check out these card snapshots for more information on the most current welcome offers for our featured cards:

Bottom Line:

The Amex Gold card and Hilton Surpass card come with generous welcome offers that can be earned by meeting minimum spending requirements in the immediate period following card approval.

Earning Potential

In addition to the welcome bonus, every purchase you make on either the Amex Gold card or the Hilton Surpass card will continue to earn rewards. Additionally, you can add to your rewards stash by referring family and friends.

Here’s how to earn and accumulate rewards with each of our featured cards.

Spending on the Card

The Amex Gold card earns flexible Membership Rewards points, while the Hilton Surpass card earns Hilton Honors points.

We’ll expand on the value of rewards earned on both cards next when we look at redemption options. But first, let’s look at how you’ll earn rewards on each card:

Both the Amex Gold card and Hilton Surpass card have robust earning structures. The cards also strike a balance between earning on everyday purchases and select travel purchases.

It makes sense that if you stay at Hilton properties, even a few times each year, the Hilton Surpass card could provide significant earnings on those stays.

The Hilton Surpass card also earns points at the supermarket, on dining out, at gas stations, and for online retail purchases. Every purchase you make earns at least 3x points!

If you spend $25,000 or less at the grocery store and frequently dine out, the Amex Gold card will earn well on those purchases.

Aligning bonus category earnings with the type of purchases you make regularly will determine which card earns better for your situation. However, earnings are just one important factor to consider. The value of those rewards at redemption time will be equally, if not more, important.

We’ll look at redemption options shortly, but here’s another way to earn rewards.

Referral Opportunities

In addition to earning points by spending on the Amex Gold card and the Hilton Surpass card, you can earn rewards by referring family or friends. American Express offers an opportunity to earn these additional rewards when your referral is approved for any available American Express card.

Once approved for either of our featured cards, you can log in to your online card account, click on the Refer a Friend section, and use the associated link to invite your referral.

Referral rewards can range from 20,000 to 30,000 per approved referral, up to 55,000 points per calendar year. Learn more about the best credit card referral bonuses.

Bottom Line:

Both the Amex Gold card and Hilton Surpass card earn well on purchases at supermarkets and restaurants. Additionally, the Amex Gold card earns 3x points on flights via the airlines or AmexTravel.com. The Hilton Surpass card earns best at Hilton properties but offers elevated earnings at grocery stores and gas stations and for online retail purchases. Both cards earn rewards when referring family and friends who are subsequently approved for available American Express cards.

Redemption Options

The real value of rewards earned on the Amex Gold card and Hilton Surpass card is determined at redemption time. We value Membership Rewards points (earned on the Amex Gold card) at 2.2 cents each, while Hilton Honors points are valued at approximately 0.5 cents each.

Here are the redemption options you’ll have on each card:

Redeeming Membership Rewards Points

The best potential value for Membership Rewards points is to transfer to airline or hotel partners and redeem for award flights or free hotel nights.

For example, you can transfer 148,500 Membership Rewards points to the Singapore KrisFlyer loyalty program and redeem them for an experience of a lifetime. You could be flying, dining, and sleeping in an A380 suite from New York (JFK) to Singapore (SIN).

You won’t miss out on free Hilton hotel nights if you select the Amex Gold card, as Membership Rewards can transfer to Hilton Honors at a rate of 1 Membership Rewards point to 2 Hilton Honors points.

Redeeming Hilton Honors Points

The best value for redeeming Hilton Honors points is free hotel nights. Hilton Surpass cardholders also qualify to utilize the fifth-night free benefit, providing even more value. When you book 5 consecutive award nights, 1 of those nights will be free.

Although Hilton Honors does not have an award chart, you can discover ways to best use your points with the Hilton Honors Points Explorer tool. An example of great value is the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi. A night at this magnificent resort can cost upwards of $1,800, but it can be booked for 120,000 Hilton Honors points (around $600 in value) per night.

It’s possible to transfer Hilton Honors points to airline loyalty programs as well, but you might need 10,000 points to receive just 1,000 airline miles, which is not good value.

Bottom Line:

The Amex Gold card offers good value at redemption time when transferring Membership Rewards points to airline and hotel partners, including Hilton. The Hilton Surpass card earns Hilton Honors points that can result in good value when redeemed for select Hilton properties and when utilizing the fifth-night free benefit.

Travel Protections and Benefits

Travel protections can come in handy should something go wrong during a trip you’ve paid for with either the Amex Gold card or the Hilton Surpass card.

Benefits can save you money or earn additional rewards when you use your card for select purchases.

Here are the shopping protections and benefits you’ll find on both of our featured cards:

• Car Rental Insurance — Receive secondary coverage with access to Premium Protection for a low price that covers the entire rental period.
• Baggage Insurance —- Receive up to $1,250 for lost, damaged, or stolen baggage when traveling via a common carrier.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees
• Global Assist Hotline — Have access to 24/7 emergency and coordination assistance when more than 100 miles from home.

Secondary car rental coverage means that you must first file a claim with any other applicable insurance. Coverage is primary if you do not have other auto insurance coverage. Premium Protection includes primary car rental insurance and can be added for a fee of $12.25 to $24.95, depending on the state of residence and level of coverage selected. This coverage is valid for up to 42 consecutive days. Terms apply.

Amex Gold Card — Additional Travel Protections and Benefits

• Trip Delay Reimbursement — If your trip is delayed for a covered loss for more than 12 hours, you could receive up to $300 per trip for “reasonable, additional expenses.” There is a limit of 2 claims per 12-month consecutive period.
• The Hotel Collection Benefits — Book your stay via AmexTravel.com and receive an upgraded room, when available, and a $100 on-site credit to use for spa, dining, or other resort activities.

Hilton Surpass Card — Additional Travel Protections and Benefits

• Hilton Honors Gold Elite Benefits — Receive automatic Gold elite status, and earn top Diamond elite status by spending $40,000 in a calendar year on the card.
• Free Night Certificate — Spend $15,000 on your card within a calendar year and receive a free hotel night certificate.
• Hilton Statement Credits — Use your card to pay during your stay at a Hilton property and receive up to $50 in statement credits each quarter, up to $200 in credits each year (enrollment required)
• National Car Rental Benefits — Enroll in National Car Rental’s Emerald Club via your online card account and receive complimentary Emerald Club Executive status (enrollment required)

Bottom Line:

Both the Amex Gold card and Hilton Surpass card come with travel protections and benefits, including car rental insurance, baggage insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and the Global Assist Hotline. The Amex Gold card also comes with trip delay insurance and The Hotel Collection benefits. The Hilton Surpass card comes with Hilton Honors Gold status, up to $200 in Hilton credits each year, and National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status.

Shopping Protections and Benefits

When you use your Amex Gold card or Hilton Surpass card for eligible purchases, you’ll receive protection that can offer money back should something go wrong with your purchase. Additionally, shopping benefits can help you earn additional rewards or save you money.

Here are the shopping protections and benefits you’ll find on both cards:

• Purchase Protection
  • The Amex Gold card offers damage and theft protection for 90 days from the purchase date; $10,000 limit per eligible purchase, $50,000 per card account.
  • The Hilton Surpass card offers damage and theft protection for 90 days from the purchase date; $1,000 limit per eligible purchase, $50,000 per card account.
• Extended Warranty — 1 additional year is added for eligible items with manufacturer’s warranties of 5 years or less.
• Amex Offers — Enroll in targeted offers to save money or earn extra points on shopping, dining, and travel.

Amex Gold Card — Additional Shopping Benefits

• Monthly Dining Credit — Receive up to $10 each month, up to $120 each calendar year in statement credits for purchases at participating Grubhub (including Seamless), The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys, enrollment required.
• Uber Cash — Download the Uber app, add your Amex Gold card as your method of payment, and receive $10 in Uber Cash added to your account each month, up to $120 each calendar year. Uber Cash can be used for Uber rides and Uber Eats in the U.S. (enrollment required).
• New $100 Resy Credit: $100 annual statement credit ($50 semi-annually), redeemable at any U.S. Resy restaurant and other eligible Resy purchases. Enrollment required through your Amex account.
• New Dunkin’ Credit: $84 annual statement credit ($7/month), redeemable at Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.

Annual Fees and Authorized Users

Before selecting any potential card, you’ll want to review the expenses associated with card membership. This includes annual card fees and the cost to add any additional card users.

The Amex Gold card has an annual fee of $325, and the Hilton Surpass card has an annual fee of $150.

There is no charge for up to 5 additional users to the Amex Gold card, then $35 for each user added after that. The Hilton Surpass card does not charge a fee to add authorized users.

Qualification Tips

It’s possible to have both the Amex Gold card and the Hilton Surpass card, so don’t rule out that possibility.

First, you will generally need a good to excellent credit score to qualify for either of our featured cards. This translates into a score of 670 to 850. Additionally, based on consumer data points, you cannot be approved for more than 2 cards within a 90-day timeframe and not more than 1 consumer card every 5 days. As always, your experience could differ, but it’s a good guideline to follow.

You’ll want to review any associated rules and minimum requirements before applying for any card.

Final Thoughts

We like flexible rewards points that can be used for a variety of redemption options, especially transferring points to airline and hotel programs.

The Amex Gold card earns these flexible rewards points, which makes it an excellent choice as an everyday spending card and for select travel purchases. At redemption time, rewards can be maximized by transferring to airline or hotel partners to purchase award flights or free hotel nights.

The Hilton Surpass card also earns very well on everyday spending. And, while rewards earned on the card are far less valuable overall than Membership Rewards points, the value for Hilton loyalists can be significant.

If you are an avid Hilton fan, the Hilton Surpass card checks all the boxes for providing Hilton-centric benefits, and you won’t pay a high annual fee to enjoy the card’s attributes.

The Amex Gold card serves a broader audience and could be the better choice if Hilton is not your top hotel chain. That said, it’s possible to have both cards.

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For the car rental loss and damage insurance benefit of the American Express^® Gold Card, 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.

For the trip delay insurance benefit of the American Express^® Gold Card, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

For the baggage insurance plan benefit of the American Express^® Gold Card, 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.

For the purchase protection benefit of the American Express^® Gold Card, 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.

For the extended warranty benefit of the American Express^® Gold Card, 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.

For the global assist hotline benefit of the American Express^® Gold Card, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Card members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.

For the car rental loss and damage insurance benefit of the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card, 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.

For the baggage insurance plan benefit of the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card, 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.

For the purchase protection benefit of the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card, 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.

For the extended warranty benefit of the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card, 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.

For the global assist hotline benefit of the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card, eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Card members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers.