If you’re in the market for a personal Hilton card and are willing to pay an annual fee to receive a great welcome offer and benefits, you may be wondering whether to apply for the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card (see rates and fees) or the benefits-heavy Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card (see rates and fees).
Today, we will walk through the ins and outs of both cards to help you decide which is right for you.
The information for the Hilton Aspire Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Hilton Surpass vs. Hilton Aspire comparison
| Hilton Surpass | Hilton Aspire | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $95 (see rates and fees) | $450 (see rates and fees) |
| Welcome offer | Earn 130,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $2,000 in purchases on the card in the first three months of card membership | Earn 150,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $4,000 in eligible purchases on the card in the first three months of card membership
|
| Earning rates | 12 points per dollar on eligible Hilton purchases
6 points per dollar at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations 3 points per dollar on other eligible purchases |
14 points per dollar on eligible Hilton purchases
7 points per dollar on U.S. restaurants, select car rentals and flights booked directly with the airline or at AmexTravel.com 3 points per dollar on other eligible purchases |
| Statement credits | None | Up to $250 annual credit for airline incidental fees
Up to $250 Hilton resort statement credit each cardmember year valid at participating resorts Up to $100 property credit on eligible stays of two or more nights at Waldorf Astoria and Conrad hotels Enrollment is required for select benefits |
| Elite status | Hilton Honors Gold; upgrade to Diamond by spending $40,000 in a calendar year | Hilton Honors Diamond |
| Lounge access | 10 Priority Pass visits a year (enrollment required) | Priority Pass Select membership, with up to two free guests per visit (enrollment required) |
| Free nights | Free night reward after you spend $15,000 in a calendar year | One free night reward within your first year, and another every year after you renew
A second free night reward after you spend $60,000 in a calendar year |
| Other benefits | No foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees)
Travel and shopping protections Complimentary ShopRunner membership Enrollment is required for select benefits
|
No foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees)
Travel and shopping protections Complimentary ShopRunner membership Enrollment is required for select benefits
|
Hilton Surpass vs. Hilton Aspire welcome offer
The Hilton Surpass is currently offering new applicants 130,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after they spend $2,000 in purchases on the card in the first three months of card membership. TPG values Hilton points at 0.6 cents each, so the welcome offer is worth $780 toward travel.
Meanwhile, the Hilton Aspire is currently offering new applicants 150,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after they spend $4,000 in purchases on the card in the first three months of card membership. TPG values Hilton points at 0.6 cents each, so the welcome offer is worth $900 toward travel.
Winner: Hilton Aspire
Hilton Surpass vs. Hilton Aspire benefits
Both cards are geared toward those who stay at Hilton or Hilton portfolio properties, so you can expect to find a variety of benefits relating to Hilton property stays, among other benefits as well.
The Hilton Surpass comes with a $95 annual fee and provides complimentary Gold status, which includes perks like a fifth night free on standard room stays and an 80% bonus on all base points. Get upgraded to Diamond status by spending $40,000 in a calendar year. You also receive a free night reward for use at eligible properties after spending $15,000 in a calendar year. A complimentary Priority Pass Select membership offers 10 visits a year to any of the 1400+ lounges within the Priority Pass network (enrollment required).
On the other hand, the Hilton Aspire has a $450 annual fee and provides complimentary Diamond status, including free premium Wi-Fi, a 100% bonus on base points, and room upgrades. The Aspire also offers a free night reward in the first year of membership, including every year upon card approval, with the ability to receive a second free night award after you spend $60,000 in a calendar year. The Priority Pass membership offers full access to the network’s 1400 lounges instead of the limited 10 visits offered through the Surpass card and the ability to bring two free guests.
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Where these cards greatly differ is the slew of credits the Aspire card has to offer. These include an up-to-$250 annual credit for airline incidental fees, $250 Hilton resort statement credit each cardmember year valid at participating resorts, $100 property credit on eligible stays of two or more nights at Waldorf Astoria and Conrad hotels, purchase protection on purchase, and baggage loss and damage insurance.
In terms of travel and shopping protections, both cards offer robust perks, but the Aspire takes the crown in this category.
Winner: Hilton Aspire
Earning points with the Hilton Surpass vs. Hilton Aspire
The Hilton Surpass earns 12 points per dollar on eligible purchases at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio. The card also earns 6 points per dollar at U.S. restaurants (including takeout and delivery), U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations while earning 3 points per dollar on other eligible purchases.
The Hilton Aspire card offers slightly better earning rates with 14 points per dollar on eligible purchases at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio, 7 points per dollar at U.S. restaurants (including takeout and delivery), U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations while earning 3 points per dollar on other eligible purchases. In addition to these rates, the card earns 7 points per dollar on select travel, including flights booked directly with airlines or AmexTravel.com and car rentals booked directly with select car rental companies.
Winner: Hilton Aspire
Redeeming points with the Hilton Surpass vs. Hilton Aspire
Both cards allow you to earn Hilton Honors points through credit card spending, which are automatically deposited into your Hilton Honors account. You can redeem points for free nights (no blackout dates), Lyft rides, rental cars, transfers to airline partners, shopping and experiences.
Hilton Honors doesn’t have an award chart for hotel redemptions. Therefore, the miles you need vary depending on the hotel, room type, booking and stay dates. The Points Explorer tool offered through Hilton is an excellent way to determine how many points you need. Plug in how many points you’re working with, where you wish to travel, or a destination type and the tool will provide you with a list of results that match your criteria.
Winner: Tie
Should I get the Hilton Surpass or the Hilton Aspire?
The Hilton Surpass is one of the best mid-tier hotel credit cards out there and offers outsized value for its low $95 annual fee. However, you can easily get value out of the higher $450 annual fee on the Hilton Aspire if you maximize the statement credits and are able to enjoy Hilton Diamond status benefits by staying at Hilton properties a few times a year.
How to upgrade from the Hilton Surpass to the Hilton Aspire
It’s easy to upgrade from the Surpass to the Aspire by calling American Express customer service. However, unless you’re targeted for an upgrade offer, switching to the Hilton Aspire won’t allow you to earn a welcome bonus. This may make you ineligible to earn one in the future due to Amex’s one-bonus per-lifetime policy.
Related: A complete guide to Amex one-bonus-per-lifetime restrictions
Bottom line
The Aspire has an incredibly compelling value proposition and can pay for itself (and then some) over time, but there’s no way around the upfront $450 annual fee. More-frequent travelers will have even less trouble taking advantage of the free night, statement credits and Hilton Diamond status. The Surpass offers an outstanding welcome bonus with a low spend requirement, solid rewards and perks for less-frequent travelers at a much more manageable $95 annual fee to help you jumpstart your entry into the Hilton portfolio.
Application link: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, click here.
