Hilton Surpass Card: How To Use the Quarterly $50 Hilton Credit

With more than 7,000 hotels in its portfolio, Hilton is one of the biggest hotel chains in the world.

In late 2023, Hilton completely revamped its lineup of Hilton co-branded credit cards. This included changes on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card, Hilton’s mid-tier credit card. These updates include a higher $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150 annual fee (rates & fees), the removal of Priority Pass airport lounge access, and a new hotel statement credit.

Although the card has undergone some changes, it still comes with plenty of nice benefits.

One of the card’s benefits is a statement credit on eligible Hilton purchases each quarter. In this guide, we will look at how the Hilton credit works and how easy it is to use.

Card Overview

The Hilton Surpass card is an excellent card for those who frequently stay at Hilton properties. The card provides numerous benefits, including elite status, higher earnings, and the ability to earn a free night reward.

Here is a snapshot of the Hilton Surpass card:

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Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the ins and outs of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

An excellent high-earning Hilton credit card that comes with perks like Hilton Honors Gold status and up to $200 in Hilton credits every year.

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Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card

An excellent high-earning Hilton credit card that comes with perks like Hilton Honors Gold status and up to $200 in Hilton credits every year.

Welcome Offer

Enjoy a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $150 and earn 130,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 7/29/26.

$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $150 + 130,000 points

UP's Offer Valuation*:

Up to $650

Annual Fee

$0 introductory annual fee, then $150.

APR

19.49%-28.49% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.

Good to Excellent

Why We Like This Card

If you’re someone who loves traveling and loves staying in Hilton hotels, adding a co-branded Hilton hotel card to your wallet is almost a no-brainer. From automatic Hilton elite status to up to $200 in Hilton credits every year, the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card can be a great fit for Hilton loyalists looking to up their travel game.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 12x points per $1 at Hilton hotels
• 6x points per $1 at U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. restaurants
• 4x points per $1 at U.S. online retail purchases

Cons

• $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150 (rates & fees)

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Card Highlights

• Enjoy a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $150 and earn 130,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 7/29/26.
• Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors™ Gold status with your Card. Plus, spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn an upgrade to Hilton Honors Diamond status through the end of the next calendar year.
• Get up to $50 in statement credits each quarter for purchases made directly with a property in the Hilton portfolio on your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card. That’s up to $200 in statement credits annually.
• Earn a Free Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
• Earn 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio.
• Earn 6X Points for each dollar of purchases on your Card at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. supermarkets, and at U.S. gas stations.
• Earn 4X Points for each dollar on U.S. Online Retail Purchases.
• Earn 3X Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card.
• As a Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card Member, you can enroll to receive complimentary National Car Rental^® Emerald Club Executive^® status through the link on your American Express online account. After you’re enrolled, you can reserve a rental car by calling National Car Rental directly, using your travel service, or by booking online or through the National Car Rental mobile app. Terms apply.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
• Whenever you travel more than 100 miles from home, Global Assist^® Hotline is available for 24/7 emergency assistance and coordination services, including medical and legal referrals, emergency cash wires, and missing luggage assistance. Card Members are responsible for the costs charged by third-party service providers. Other terms and conditions apply.
• Points don’t expire while your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card is active and in good standing.
• $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150.
• Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.49%-28.49% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Hilton Honors

Summary of Key Benefits

With the Hilton Surpass card you can earn:

• 12x Hilton Honors points on eligible purchases charged to your card directly with hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio
• 6x Hilton Honors points on eligible purchases at U.S. restaurants (including takeout and delivery), U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations
• 4x Hilton Honors points on eligible purchases at U.S. online retailers
• 3x Hilton Honors points for all other eligible purchases on your card

The Hilton Surpass card provides complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status, which is normally earned by spending 40 nights a year in Hilton hotels. Gold is the second-highest elite tier status that Hilton offers.

With Hilton Honors Gold status, you’ll get an 80% point bonus on your Hilton stays. Gold status also provides space-available room upgrades, a daily food and beverage credit (at U.S. hotels) or continental breakfast (at non-U.S. hotels), and late checkout.

The Hilton Surpass card also provides complimentary National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status (upon enrollment). This can be a huge benefit for those who rent cars often.

Although the card does not come with a free night reward, it does allow you to earn a reward with spending. You can earn a free night reward by spending $15,000 on eligible purchases on the Hilton Surpass card in a calendar year.

You can also earn Hilton’s top-tier Diamond status by spending $40,000 in eligible purchases on the Hilton Surpass card in a calendar year.

Lastly, the Hilton Surpass card comes with up to $200 in Hilton statement credits each year. This helps mitigate the Hilton Surpass card’s $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150 annual fee (rates & fees). More on that below.

All in all, the Hilton Surpass card offers a ton of value. The card is definitely worth carrying if you frequently stay at Hilton properties.

The Card’s Hilton Statement Credit

With the recent update to the Hilton Surpass card, new benefits were introduced. One of these benefits is that the card now comes with a Hilton credit of up to $200, divided into $50 statement credits each quarter (January through March, April through June, July through September, and October through December).

To get the Hilton statement credit, you must charge eligible purchases directly with a property within the Hilton portfolio, including bookings and incidental charges, to your Hilton Surpass card. Incidental charges, which include restaurants, spas, and other establishments within a property, must be charged to a room and paid for with your card.

How To Trigger the Quarterly Credit

To trigger the $200 Hilton statement credit on the Hilton Surpass card, you simply need to make an eligible purchase on your card with a property in the Hilton portfolio. This includes all Hilton properties and not just Hilton resorts (as is the case with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card).

You must book directly through the Hilton website or the Hilton app. Purchases through online travel agencies like Expedia or AmexTravel.com do not count.

There are also some unofficial methods that may trigger the Hilton credit. These include the following:

• Purchases at the gift store at a Hilton property
• Online Hilton gift card purchases

However, it’s worth mentioning there is no guarantee that these methods will work. These methods come down to how the merchant or individual property codes your purchase. As always, your mileage may vary.

Is the Hilton Surpass Card $50 Credit Worth It?

Yes, we believe the Hilton Surpass card’s $50 quarterly Hilton credit is absolutely worth it.

If used every quarter, the entire year’s credits alone are higher than the card’s annual fee. That doesn’t even factor in all the other benefits the card provides, such as Hilton Honors Gold elite status and the card’s solid points-earning structure.

If you stay at Hilton hotels even a few times a year, it’s worth carrying the Hilton Surpass card in your wallet. The credit makes the card even sweeter.

Final Thoughts

The updated Hilton Surpass card provides a ton of value for its relatively low annual fee. The card provides those who frequently stay at Hilton properties with many perks, including elite status, higher earnings on stays, late checkouts, and room upgrades when available.

However, the best perk of the Hilton Surpass card may just be the statement credit of up to $200 at Hilton properties annually (up to $50 in statement credits each quarter).

If you stay at Hilton properties more than a few times a year and can maximize the Hilton credit, it’s worth carrying the Hilton Surpass card in your wallet.