Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express vs Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
Annual fees: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express $95/yr, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card $150/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express on streaming, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card on gas stations.
Card data as of November 13, 2026.
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American ExpressAmerican Express · $95/yr
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
American Express · $150/yr
Overview
- Annual fee
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express$95LowestWaived first yearHilton Honors American Express Surpass Card$150
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express$250 cash backHilton Honors American Express Surpass Card130,000 points
- Rewards
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American ExpressCash backHilton Honors American Express Surpass CardHilton Honors
- Foreign transaction fee
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express2.7%Hilton Honors American Express Surpass CardNoneLowest
- Network
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American ExpressAmerican ExpressHilton Honors American Express Surpass CardAmerican Express
Earn ratesPer $1 spent · points and cash back aren’t ranked against each other
- Dining
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express1%Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card6x
- Gas Stations
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express3%Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card6x
- Grocery Stores
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express6%Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card6x
- Streaming
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express6%Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card3x
- Online Shopping
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express1%Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card4x
- Ridesharing
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express3%Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card3x
- Transit
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express3%Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card3x
- Everything else
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express1%Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card3x
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
- Travel
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express—Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
- $200 Hilton property credit
- Entertainment & streaming
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
- $10 monthly Disney Bundle credit available · $10 monthly
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card—
Perks & access— means none on record
- Hotel status & programs
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
- Amex Travel Best Price Guarantee for hotels
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card- Automatic Hilton Honors Gold Elite Status
- Hilton Honors™ Upgrade to Diamond Status
- Car rental
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express—Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
- National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive Status
- Other perks
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
- Amex Offers
- Early access to concerts and events
- Global Assist Hotline available 24/7 worldwide
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card- Amex Offers
- Early access to concerts and events
- 24/7 global travel assistance
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
- Baggage
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express—Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
- Baggage insurance
- Rental car
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
- Hertz Car Rental Benefits with upgrades
- $50,000 car rental loss and damage insurance
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card- Car rental insurance
- Purchase & returns
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
- $1,000 purchase protection for eligible items
- $300 return protection per eligible item
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card- Up to $1,000 per item against damage or theft
- Extended warranty
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
- Extended Warranty up to one year
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card- Extended warranty adds up to 1 year
- Other protections
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
- Zero liability protection on fraudulent charges
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card- Zero liability protection on fraudulent charges
Pros & cons
- Pros
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
- 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000/year ($360 max annual value)
- 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming services with no annual cap
- $120 annual Disney Bundle credit effectively reduces fee to net-negative
- 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on transit with no spending cap
- 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card- Automatic Hilton Gold status with room upgrades and breakfast at select properties
- Earn Diamond status through $40,000 annual spend (extends through end of next year)
- $200 annual Hilton credit ($50 per quarter) covers most of the annual fee
- Free Night Reward earned after $15,000 annual spend
- Strong earning at 12X at Hilton, 6X at restaurants/supermarkets/gas
- Cons
- Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express
- $95 annual fee after first year (offset by $120 Disney credit if used)
- 2.7% foreign transaction fee makes it poor for international use
- 6% grocery cap at $6,000/year limits high-spending households
- Warehouse clubs (Costco, Sam's Club) do not code as supermarkets
- 1% back on non-category purchases is below average
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card- $150 annual fee with no first-year waiver
- Quarterly credits require spending at Hilton properties (use-it-or-lose-it each quarter)
- Points locked to Hilton program with no transfer flexibility
- Amex network less accepted than Visa/Mastercard internationally
- Diamond status requires significant $40,000 spend threshold
Category-by-Category Winner
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card wins in 4 of 5 categories. The Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express leads in 1.
Streaming
Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express earns 6X vs 3X
Gas Stations
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 6X vs 3X
Dining
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 6X vs 1X
Online Shopping
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 4X vs 1X
Everyday purchases
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 3X on all other spending vs 1X
Year One vs Ongoing Value
Modeled net value (bonus categories at unconditional rates, caps applied). Spend mix: dining 15%, groceries 15%, gas 10%, travel 10%, everything else 50%. Statement credits use the same recurring usable estimates as each card's detail page; first-year-only credits count in year one only. Welcome offers valued at each card's program rate shown on this page.
Both scenarios favor the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
| Scenario | Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express | Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $144 Credits (our usable estimate): $24 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $73 Year one: $418 | Rewards: $202 Credits (our usable estimate): $120 − Annual fee ($150) Ongoing: $172 Year one: $692 | Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card | Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $576 Credits (our usable estimate): $24 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $505 Year one: $850 | Rewards: $806 Credits (our usable estimate): $120 − Annual fee ($150) Ongoing: $776 Year one: $1,296 | Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card | Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card |
Is the Fee Difference Worth It?
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card costs $150/yr — that's $55 more than the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express ($95/yr). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $55 in annual value from the card's higher earn rates and benefits.
Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $55 fee gap means the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card needs roughly $55 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on gas stations and dining and everyday spend.
Which Card Is Right for You?
Get the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card if you:
- +Spend $300+/month on restaurants and dining out
- +Prefer a high flat rate across all spending
The Bottom Line
Both scenarios favor the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
Everyday (non-bonus) spend earns 3X on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card vs 1X on the other card.
Published annual fees: Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express $95/yr, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card $150/yr — a $55 difference before welcome offers and credits.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card worth the higher annual fee?
- The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card costs $150/yr vs $95/yr for the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $55 gap must be offset by higher earn rates, welcome offers, or credits you will use.
- Which card earns more rewards, the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express or Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card?
- The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card has a higher base earn rate (3X vs 1X), but both cards have different bonus categories where they excel.
- Should I get the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express or the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card?
- Use the spend scenarios on this page: the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express has a lower $95/yr fee; the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $150/yr.
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Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; catalog last published November 13, 2026, and each card page shows when its terms were last checked. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.