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 $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.

Overview of the Hilton Surpass Card

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:

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

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 in's and out's 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

Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

130,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$650

Annual Fee

$150

APR

20.99%-29.99% 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 cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

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 U.S. supermarkets, U.S. gas stations, and U.S. restaurants

Cons

• Annual fee of $150 (rates & fees)

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Card Highlights

• Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
• Get up to $200 back each year on eligible Hilton purchases after you use your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card.
• 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.
• Earn a Free Night Reward from Hilton Honors after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
• Enjoy complimentary Hilton Honors ™ Gold Status with your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card.
• Spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn Hilton Honors™ Diamond Status through the end of the next calendar year.
• Enjoy complimentary National Car Rental^® Emerald Club Executive^® status. Enrollment in the complimentary Emerald Club^® program is required. Terms apply.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
• $150 annual fee.
• Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.99%-29.99% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

• Credit Card Reviews
• Hotel Credit Cards
• Travel Rewards Credit Cards

Rewards Center

Hilton Honors

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 $150 annual fee. 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.

What Is the Hilton Surpass Card’s Hilton 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 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 Use the Hilton Surpass Card Quarterly Credit

To trigger the $200 Hilton 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.

*All information about Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card has been collected independently by Upgraded Points.

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.