Hilton Honors American Specific Surpass® Card Evaluate 2023

American Specific just lately up to date a few of its Hilton co-branded bank cards, together with the Hilton Honors American Specific Surpass® Card. A few of the modifications—amongst them, Hilton credit and a brand new bonus spending class—add extra worth for cardholders. The latest replace additionally included a major improve to the cardboard’s annual price and the lack of one in all its greatest perks—airport lounge entry. 

TIME’s Take

Current updates to the Hilton Honors Surpass Card, together with an annual price improve from $95 to $150, have put the cardboard in a clumsy center floor. American Specific and Hilton provide a luxurious card and a no-fee card choice for loyal Hilton vacationers. With the elevated price and lack of advantages like airport lounge entry and free night time reward, it is onerous to know if the Hilton Honors Surpass Card gives sufficient worth to warrant getting over the opposite card choices. There’s nonetheless a substantial hole between the annual charges of the Surpass card and the Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Specific, however the Aspire card additionally comes with extra invaluable advantages and perks. 

Professionals and  Cons

Who’s the cardboard for? 

The Hilton Honors American Specific Surpass Card is for vacationers who regularly keep at Hilton accommodations and resorts, and wish entry to further model and journey advantages. It is also a great choice for Hilton followers who aren’t able to decide to the premium Hilton Honors American Specific Aspire Card and its $550 annual price however nonetheless need to take pleasure in some Hilton advantages not discovered with the no-fee card_name.

Rewards construction

Incomes Hilton factors

The Hilton Honors American Specific Surpass Card comes with a beneficiant sign-up bonus, which American Specific just lately elevated: 

Earn 170,000 Hilton Honors bonus factors after spending $3,000 in purchases inside the first six  months of card membership.

The Surpass card additionally earns factors on card purchases on the following charges: 

• 12 factors per greenback on eligible purchases at taking part accommodations or resorts inside the Hilton portfolio.
• 6 factors per greenback at U.S. eating places, together with takeout and supply.
• 6 factors per greenback at U.S. supermarkets.
• 6 factors per greenback at U.S. fuel stations.
• 4 factors per greenback on U.S. on-line retail purchases.
• 3 factors per greenback on different eligible purchases.

With a number of bonus classes out there for points-earning, together with the latest addition of U.S. on-line retail purchases, the Hilton Honors American Specific Surpass Card gives some ways to shortly enhance your factors stability relying in your spending habits. Like most resort playing cards, the Surpass card reserves its highest bonus price for purchases with the model. 

Redeeming Hilton factors

Award nights at Hilton properties usually begin at 5,000 factors per night time and might run upwards of 95,000 factors for the standard room at most properties. An award night time at a few of Hilton’s extra unique properties goes for 120,000 factors per night time. Hilton makes use of dynamic pricing for its rooms, which means the variety of factors wanted to guide an award night time is dependent upon the property and the timing of your keep. It’s also possible to guide stays at Hilton properties utilizing a mixture of factors and cash. 

Reserving award stays is one of the best ways to get probably the most worth out of your Hilton factors. Hilton Honors gives different redemption choices, which usually provide much less worth. Listed here are different methods you’ll be able to redeem Hilton factors:

• Switch your factors to twenty+ airline companions.
• Store with factors at Amazon.com.
• Store for merchandise by means of Hilton Honors’ on-line mall. 
• Use factors to pay for Lyft rides.
• Redeem factors for automobile leases with Alamo, Nationwide, and Enterprise.
• Redeem factors for VIP experiences like concert events, sporting occasions, and eating. 
• Pool factors with one other Hilton Honors member.
• Give factors to a different particular person.
• Share your factors with household or buddies. 

Level values fluctuate amongst redemptions. All the time verify the worth earlier than redeeming Hilton Honors factors. 

Options

Whereas the Hilton Honors American Specific Surpass Card does not provide the posh advantages discovered with the Aspire card, it nonetheless comes with invaluable options and perks that may offset the annual price if used. They embody:

Hilton Honors Gold standing

The Hilton Honors Surpass Card comes with complimentary Hilton Honors Gold standing, which gives advantages like a reduced price, no resort charges on award stays, an 80% factors bonus on stays, a each day meals and beverage credit score or continental breakfast, and a fifth night time free on award stays. 

It’s also possible to earn Hilton Honors Diamond standing by spending $40,000 on eligible purchases utilizing your card in a calendar yr. 

$200 Hilton credit score

One of many new perks of the Surpass card is the addition of $200 in Hilton assertion credit. You’ll be able to rise up to $50 in assertion credit per quarter for purchases at Hilton properties when utilizing your card. 

Free night time reward

Earlier card gives included a free night time reward, however that perk is gone. You’ll be able to nonetheless earn a free night time reward, but it surely requires $15,000 in spending in your card in a calendar yr. 

Nationwide Automobile Rental standing

One other new perk included with the Hilton Honors Surpass Card is complimentary Emerald Membership Government standing with Nationwide Automobile Rental (enrollment required). Government standing comes with perks like Government Space entry and assured upgrades on choose rental reservations.

No overseas transaction charges

The cardboard doesn’t cost overseas transaction charges on purchases made exterior of the U.S. That makes it good for touring internationally. 

Journey protections

The Hilton Honors Surpass Card comes with just a few journey advantages to guard you when touring. Cardholders obtain secondary automobile rental loss and injury insurance coverage after they use their card to guide a rental car and decline the rental firm’s optionally available collision insurance coverage. Different journey protections embody baggage insurance coverage and 24/7 emergency help by means of the International Help Hotline. 

Procuring protections

Cardholders additionally obtain client protections on eligible card purchases. Buy safety offers protection for brand spanking new card purchases in opposition to theft or injury for as much as 90 days from the acquisition date. Prolonged guarantee safety provides a further yr of guarantee protection on eligible card purchases with an authentic producer’s guarantee of 5 years or much less. 

The nice print

Curiosity Charges

• Common annual proportion price (APR): 20.99% to 29.99% (variable)
• Buy intro APR: N/A
• Steadiness switch intro APR: N/A

Charges

• Annual price: $150
• Steadiness switch price: N/A
• Money advance: Both $10 or 5% of the quantity of every money advance, whichever is bigger

What might be improved? 

With the elevated annual price, you may anticipate the Hilton Honors American Specific Surpass Card to return with extra elite model advantages as a substitute of eradicating these perks. At $150, the annual price is tough to justify except you propose to spend appreciable cash in your card to earn rewards or a free night time reward.

Card alternate options

Backside line 

The Hilton Honors Surpass Card is a mid-range co-branded card sandwiched between two Hilton playing cards with clear goal audiences. One gives an introduction to Hilton Honors perks with out the price of an annual price. The opposite gives elite Hilton and journey advantages with an elite-sized price ticket. Observe, although, that holders of that elite Hilton Honors Aspire card are additionally shedding their airline lounge privileges.

Due to its distinctive positioning, the Hilton Honors Surpass Card is barely proper for Hilton loyalists who fall between these two teams. A few of the card’s higher advantages include excessive spending necessities to unlock. Should you plan to spend appreciable cash on the cardboard, although, it’d make extra sense to go for the Hilton Honors Aspire Card regardless of the $550 price, particularly when you primarily keep at Hilton properties once you journey. 

Incessantly requested questions (FAQs)

Is the Hilton Honors Amex Surpass value it?

The Hilton Honors Surpass Card is well worth the $150 annual price, offered you spend sufficient cash on the cardboard to earn the sign-up bonus and also you make the most of many of the card’s Hilton, journey, and buying advantages. 

Do you get a free night time with a Hilton Surpass card?

The Hilton Surpass Card doesn’t robotically embody a free award night time for cardholders. You’ll be able to earn a free Hilton Honors award night time after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases together with your card in a calendar yr. 

What credit score rating is required for the Hilton Honors Surpass card?

American Specific doesn’t disclose credit score necessities for its bank cards. You’ll doubtless want good to wonderful credit score to qualify for the Hilton Honors Surpass card, which is a FICO rating of no less than 670. 

Does the Hilton Surpass card have lounge entry?

The Hilton American Specific Surpass Credit score Card doesn’t include airport lounge entry.