Hilton Honors American Express Card vs Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
Annual fees: Hilton Honors American Express Card $0/yr, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card $150/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Hilton Honors American Express Card on dining, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card on gas stations.
Card data as of November 13, 2026.
Hilton Honors American Express CardAmerican Express · No annual fee
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
American Express · $150/yr
Overview
- Annual fee
- Hilton Honors American Express Card$0LowestHilton Honors American Express Surpass Card$150
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- Hilton Honors American Express Card70,000 pointsHilton Honors American Express Surpass Card130,000 points
- Rewards
- Hilton Honors American Express CardHilton HonorsHilton Honors American Express Surpass CardHilton Honors
- Foreign transaction fee
- Hilton Honors American Express CardNoneHilton Honors American Express Surpass CardNone
- Network
- Hilton Honors American Express CardAmerican ExpressHilton Honors American Express Surpass CardAmerican Express
Earn ratesPer $1 spent
- Dining
- Hilton Honors American Express Card5xHilton Honors American Express Surpass Card6xHighest
- Gas Stations
- Hilton Honors American Express Card5xHilton Honors American Express Surpass Card6xHighest
- Grocery Stores
- Hilton Honors American Express Card5xHilton Honors American Express Surpass Card6xHighest
- Online Shopping
- Hilton Honors American Express Card3xHilton Honors American Express Surpass Card4xHighest
- Everything else
- Hilton Honors American Express Card3xHilton Honors American Express Surpass Card3x
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
- Travel
- Hilton Honors American Express Card—Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
- $200 Hilton property credit
Perks & access— means none on record
- Hotel status & programs
- Hilton Honors American Express Card
- Automatic Hilton Honors Silver Elite Status
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card- Automatic Hilton Honors Gold Elite Status
- Hilton Honors™ Upgrade to Diamond Status
- Car rental
- Hilton Honors American Express Card—Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
- National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive Status
- Other perks
- Hilton Honors American Express Card
- Amex Offers
- Early access to concerts and events
- 24/7 global travel assistance
- No foreign transaction fees
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
- Hilton Honors American Express Card—Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
- Baggage insurance
- Rental car
- Hilton Honors American Express Card
- Car rental insurance (secondary coverage)
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card- Car rental insurance
- Purchase & returns
- Hilton Honors American Express Card
- Up to $1,000 per item against damage or theft
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card- Up to $1,000 per item against damage or theft
- Extended warranty
- Hilton Honors American Express Card—Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
- Extended warranty adds up to 1 year
- Other protections
- Hilton Honors American Express Card
- Zero liability protection on fraudulent charges
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card- Zero liability protection on fraudulent charges
Pros & cons
- Pros
- Hilton Honors American Express Card
- No annual fee ever
- Automatic Hilton Silver status with 20% bonus points and late checkout
- Path to Gold status after $20,000 annual spend
- Solid 7X earning at Hilton properties, 5X at restaurants/supermarkets/gas
- No foreign transaction fees
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
- Hilton Honors American Express Card
- Only Silver status (lower than Surpass/Aspire Gold grants)
- Lower earn rates than premium Hilton cards (7X vs 12X at Hilton)
- No annual credits or free night rewards
- Points locked to Hilton with no transfer flexibility
- Amex network less accepted internationally than Visa/Mastercard
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
Expert Analysis
Both the Hilton Honors American Express Card and Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card come from the same issuer, but they target different spending profiles. Understanding where each card excels helps you pick the one that matches your lifestyle — or decide if holding both makes sense.
The Hilton Honors American Express Card's strongest category is Hilton Properties at 7X, while the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card leads with 12X on Hilton Hotels. Overall, the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card wins in more bonus categories (5 vs 3) — so the better choice depends on where you spend the most.
At $0/yr vs $150/yr, the Hilton Honors American Express Card is the more accessible option. The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card needs to deliver at least $150 in annual value through its premium benefits to justify the gap.
Key Differences
- Hilton Honors American Express Card earns 7X on Hilton Properties vs 3X for the other
- Hilton Honors American Express Card earns 7X on Hilton Hotels Resorts vs 3X for the other
- Hilton Honors American Express Card earns 5X on U.S. Gas Stations vs 3X for the other
- The Hilton Honors American Express Card costs $0/yr vs $150/yr — a $150 annual gap
Spending Scenarios
Which card wins in real-world spending situations?
$200/month on hilton properties
Hilton Honors American Express CardHilton Honors American Express Card earns 7X vs 3X. Over a year, that's 16,800 vs 7,200 points — a 9,600-point advantage.
$200/month on hilton hotels resorts
Hilton Honors American Express CardHilton Honors American Express Card earns 7X vs 3X. Over a year, that's 16,800 vs 7,200 points — a 9,600-point advantage.
$400/month on dining
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass CardHilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 6X vs 5X. Over a year, that's 28,800 vs 24,000 points — a 4,800-point advantage.
$600/month on grocery stores
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass CardHilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 6X vs 5X. Over a year, that's 43,200 vs 36,000 points — a 7,200-point advantage.
Mixed everyday spending, 2 trips/year
Hilton Honors American Express CardWithout heavy spending in the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card's premium categories, the $150 fee difference is hard to recover. The Hilton Honors American Express Card delivers better overall value for moderate spenders.
Who Should Get Which?
Get the Hilton Honors American Express Card if:
The Hilton Honors American Express Card is ideal for cardholders who prioritize spending heavily on hilton properties and hilton hotels resorts and keeping annual costs low. At $0/yr, it delivers strong no-fee value for its target audience.
Get the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card if:
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card is ideal for cardholders who prioritize spending heavily on dining and grocery stores. At $150/yr, it delivers solid return on the annual fee investment for its target audience.
Upgrade & Downgrade Path
Since both cards are from the same issuer, you may be able to hold both or product-change between them. Check with your issuer for current policies — your rewards balance transfers automatically.
Holding both cards can make sense if you want to maximize earn rates across different spending categories.
Category-by-Category Winner
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card wins in 4 of 4 categories. The Hilton Honors American Express Card leads in 0.
Dining
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 6X vs 5X
Grocery Stores
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 6X vs 5X
Gas Stations
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 6X vs 5X
Online Shopping
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 4X vs 3X
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.
Close — depends on how much of the credits you use
| Scenario | Hilton Honors American Express Card | Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $182 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $182 Year one: $462 | 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: $730 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $730 Year one: $1,010 | 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 | Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card |
Is the Fee Difference Worth It?
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card costs $150/yr — that's $150 more than the Hilton Honors American Express Card (no annual fee). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $150 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 $150 fee gap means the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card needs roughly $150 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on gas stations and dining and everyday spend.
The Bottom Line
Close — depends on how much of the credits you use
Published annual fees: Hilton Honors American Express Card $0/yr, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card $150/yr — a $150 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 $0/yr for the Hilton Honors American Express Card. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $150 gap must be offset by higher earn rates, welcome offers, or credits you will use.
- Which card earns more rewards, the Hilton Honors American Express Card or Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card?
- Both cards earn 3X on everyday purchases. The difference is in bonus categories — check the earn rate comparison above for a full breakdown.
- Should I get the Hilton Honors American Express Card or the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card?
- Use the spend scenarios on this page: the Hilton Honors American Express Card has a lower $0/yr fee; the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $150/yr.
Related Comparisons
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.