World of Hyatt Credit Card vs Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
Annual fees: World of Hyatt Credit Card $95/yr, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card $150/yr. Strongest bonus categories: World of Hyatt Credit Card on dining, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card on gas stations.
Card data as of October 12, 2026.
World of Hyatt Credit CardChase · $95/yr
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass CardAmerican Express · $150/yr
Overview
- Annual fee
- World of Hyatt Credit Card$95LowestHilton Honors American Express Surpass Card$150
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- World of Hyatt Credit CardUp to 60,000 pointsHilton Honors American Express Surpass Card130,000 points
- Rewards
- World of Hyatt Credit CardWorld of Hyatt Loyalty ProgramHilton Honors American Express Surpass CardHilton Honors
- Foreign transaction fee
- World of Hyatt Credit CardNoneHilton Honors American Express Surpass CardNone
- Network
- World of Hyatt Credit CardVisa SignatureHilton Honors American Express Surpass CardAmerican Express
Earn ratesPer $1 spent
- Dining
- World of Hyatt Credit Card2xHilton Honors American Express Surpass Card6xHighest
- Gas Stations
- World of Hyatt Credit Card1xHilton Honors American Express Surpass Card6xHighest
- Grocery Stores
- World of Hyatt Credit Card1xHilton Honors American Express Surpass Card6xHighest
- Online Shopping
- World of Hyatt Credit Card1xHilton Honors American Express Surpass Card4xHighest
- Fitness
- World of Hyatt Credit Card2xHilton Honors American Express Surpass Card3xHighest
- Flights
- World of Hyatt Credit Card2xHilton Honors American Express Surpass Card3xHighest
- Transit
- World of Hyatt Credit Card2xHilton Honors American Express Surpass Card3xHighest
- Everything else
- World of Hyatt Credit Card1xHilton Honors American Express Surpass Card3xHighest
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
- Travel
- World of Hyatt Credit Card—Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
- $200 Hilton property credit
- Dining & delivery
- World of Hyatt Credit Card
- DoorDash DashPass
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card—
Perks & access— means none on record
- Hotel status & programs
- World of Hyatt Credit Card
- Automatic World of Hyatt Discoverist Elite Status Included
- Annual Free Night Certificate at Category 1-4 Hyatt Hotels
- Bonus Free Night Certificate After Spending $15,000 Annually
- Receive 5 Tier-Qualifying Elite Night Credits Each Year
- Earn 2 Elite Night Credits for Every $5,000 Spent
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card- Automatic Hilton Honors Gold Elite Status
- Hilton Honors™ Upgrade to Diamond Status
- Car rental
- World of Hyatt Credit Card—Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
- National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive Status
- Other perks
- World of Hyatt Credit Card
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on International Purchases
- 24/7 Visa Signature Concierge Service at No Cost
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
- Trip insurance
- World of Hyatt Credit Card
- Up to $5,000 trip cancellation and interruption insurance
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card— - Baggage
- World of Hyatt Credit Card
- Up to $3,000 lost luggage reimbursement coverage
- Up to $500 baggage delay insurance coverage
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card- Baggage insurance
- Rental car
- World of Hyatt Credit Card
- Auto rental coverage (secondary in the U.S.)
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card- Car rental insurance
- Purchase & returns
- World of Hyatt Credit Card
- Up to $500 purchase protection per item
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card- Up to $1,000 per item against damage or theft
- Extended warranty
- World of Hyatt Credit Card
- Extended Warranty Adds 1 Year to Eligible Products
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card- Extended warranty adds up to 1 year
- Other protections
- World of Hyatt Credit Card—Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
- Zero liability protection on fraudulent charges
Pros & cons
- Pros
- World of Hyatt Credit Card
- $95 annual fee is remarkably low for a hotel status card
- 4X card points at participating Hyatt hotels; up to 9X combined with eligible World of Hyatt membership earnings
- Automatic Discoverist status with late checkout and room upgrades when available
- 5 tier-qualifying nights annually plus up to 10 more through spend
- Free night certificate each anniversary (Category 1-4)
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
- World of Hyatt Credit Card
- Free night certificates limited to Category 1-4 properties (excludes luxury)
- No airport lounge access or travel credits
- Hyatt has smaller global footprint than Hilton or Marriott
- 1X earn rate on non-bonus categories is below average
- Discoverist is entry-level status with limited benefits
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 8 of 8 categories. The World of Hyatt Credit Card leads in 0.
Dining
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 6X vs 2X
Fitness
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 3X vs 2X
Transit
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 3X vs 2X
Flights
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 3X vs 2X
Gas Stations
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 6X vs 1X
Grocery Stores
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.
Modeled value is close across spend levels — especially once statement credits are counted.
| Scenario | World of Hyatt Credit Card | Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $228 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $133 Year one: $628 | Rewards: $202 Credits (our usable estimate): $120 − Annual fee ($150) Ongoing: $172 Year one: $692 | Close — depends on how much of the credits you use | Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $911 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $816 Year one: $1,311 | Rewards: $806 Credits (our usable estimate): $120 − Annual fee ($150) Ongoing: $776 Year one: $1,296 | Close — depends on how much of the credits you use | Close — depends on how much of the credits you use |
Is the Fee Difference Worth It?
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card costs $150/yr — that's $55 more than the World of Hyatt Credit Card ($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:
- +Do most of your spending at grocery stores
- +Prefer a high flat rate across all spending
The Bottom Line
Modeled value is close across spend levels — especially once statement credits are counted.
Everyday (non-bonus) spend earns 3X on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card vs 1X on the other card.
Published annual fees: World of Hyatt Credit Card $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 World of Hyatt Credit Card. 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 World of Hyatt Credit Card 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 World of Hyatt Credit Card or the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card?
- Use the spend scenarios on this page: the World of Hyatt Credit Card 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 October 12, 2026, and each card page shows when its terms were last checked. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.