Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card vs IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
Both cards cost $150/yr. The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card leads on gas stations; the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card on gas stations.
Card data as of October 12, 2026.
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass CardAmerican Express · $150/yr
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit CardChase · $150/yr
Overview
- Annual fee
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card$150IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card$150
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card130,000 pointsIHG One Rewards Premier Credit CardUp to 190,000 points
- Rewards
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass CardHilton HonorsIHG One Rewards Premier Credit CardIHG One Rewards
- Foreign transaction fee
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass CardNoneIHG One Rewards Premier Credit CardNone
- Network
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass CardAmerican ExpressIHG One Rewards Premier Credit CardMastercard World Elite
Earn ratesPer $1 spent
- Dining
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card6xHighestIHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card5x
- Gas Stations
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card6xHighestIHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card5x
- Grocery Stores
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card6xHighestIHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card5x
- Car Rentals
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card3xIHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card5xHighest
- Flights
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card3xIHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card5xHighest
- Online Shopping
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card4xHighestIHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card3x
- Everything else
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card3xIHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card3x
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
- Travel
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
- $200 Hilton property credit
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card- $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck · $120 every 4 years
- $100 airline statement credit
- $100/yr IHG food & beverage · $25 quarterly
- $50/yr United TravelBank · $25 every 6 months
- Dining & delivery
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card—IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
- DoorDash DashPass
- $10/mo Instacart+
Perks & access— means none on record
- Hotel status & programs
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
- Automatic Hilton Honors Gold Elite Status
- Hilton Honors™ Upgrade to Diamond Status
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card- Automatic IHG Gold Elite status
- Platinum Elite at $15K spend, Diamond at $40K
- Car rental
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
- National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive Status
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card— - Other perks
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
- Amex Offers
- Early access to concerts and events
- 24/7 global travel assistance
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card- 30% reward points discount
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
- Trip insurance
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card—IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance · up to $5,000
- Baggage
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
- Baggage insurance
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card- Lost Luggage Reimbursement · up to $3,000
- Baggage delay insurance · up to $100
- Rental car
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
- Car rental insurance
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card— - Purchase & returns
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
- Up to $1,000 per item against damage or theft
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card- Purchase protection for new items · up to $500
- Extended warranty
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
- Extended warranty adds up to 1 year
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card- Extended warranty protection for eligible purchases · up to $1
- Other protections
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
- Zero liability protection on fraudulent charges
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card—
Pros & cons
- Pros
- 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
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card- $150 annual fee is offset by the Anniversary Free Night (up to 50,000 points) and the annual credits
- 10X points at IHG properties; 5X on directly booked flights, car rentals, dining, grocery and gas
- Automatic Gold Elite status; Platinum Elite after $15K annual spend
- Fourth night free on award stays effectively gives 25% discount
- Up to $100 in IHG food and beverage credits and a $100 airline statement credit each year
- Cons
- 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
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card- Free night capped at 50,000 points excludes top-tier properties
- IHG points valued around 0.5 cents per point - lower than competitors
- No airport lounge access included
- $50 United TravelBank credit requires separate registration
- Diamond Elite through spend requires hefty $40K annual threshold
Category-by-Category Winner
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card wins in 4 of 6 categories. The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card leads in 2.
W
Gas Stations
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 6X vs 5X
W
Dining
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 6X vs 5X
W
Grocery Stores
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 6X vs 5X
W
Online Shopping
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card earns 4X vs 3X
W
Flights
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card earns 5X vs 3X
W
Car Rentals
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card earns 5X 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.
Both scenarios favor the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
| Scenario | Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card | IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $202 Credits (our usable estimate): $120 − Annual fee ($150) Ongoing: $172 Year one: $692 | Rewards: $274 Credits (our usable estimate): $160 − Annual fee ($150) Ongoing: $284 Year one: $1,394 | IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card | IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $806 Credits (our usable estimate): $120 − Annual fee ($150) Ongoing: $776 Year one: $1,296 | Rewards: $1,094 Credits (our usable estimate): $160 − Annual fee ($150) Ongoing: $1,104 Year one: $2,214 | IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card | IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card |
What You Give Up
Choosing one card means missing out on these benefits from the other.
Choosing Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card means losing:
- -Global Entry credit
The Bottom Line
Both scenarios favor the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which card earns more rewards, the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card or IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card?
- Both cards earn 3X on everyday purchases. The difference is in bonus categories — check the earn rate comparison above for a full breakdown.
- What benefits does the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card have that the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card doesn't?
- The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card focuses on earn rates, while the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card offers travel credits.
- Should I get the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card or the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card?
- Both cards have the same $150/yr fee. Choose based on which bonus categories match your spending — check the earn rate comparison above.
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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.