Jun 12, 2013, 11:05 am
Last edit by: vah4883
Limited-time offers
Hilton HHonors American Express card. 80,000 points for spending $2,000 in 3 months; no annual fee. Ends May 31, 2017
Hilton HHonors American Express Ascend card. 100,000 points for spending $3,000 ; $95 annual fee.
Hilton HHonors American Express card application page. 75,000 points for spending $1,000 in 3 months; no annual fee.
Public offer expired Feb 1, 2017 (this link brings up a page: "This campaign has expired. Thank you for your interest."), but Refer a Friend links still active. This one has the referral ID stripped out.
Citi HH Visa 40K application page (spend $1K/4 mos.)
Ongoing offersPublic offer expired Feb 1, 2017 (this link brings up a page: "This campaign has expired. Thank you for your interest."), but Refer a Friend links still active. This one has the referral ID stripped out.
Citi HH Visa 40K application page (spend $1K/4 mos.)
- This offer does not contain an explicit 24-month restriction.
If you apply using this link & are not instantly approved, DO NOT CALL CITI.
Calling in risks alerting Citi to the offer and having it withdrawn.
Amex HH Surpass Card
FlyerTalk discussion thread: The Hilton HHonors® Surpass(SM) Card from American Express Citi Hilton HHonors Reserve Card
Flyertalk discussion thread: Citi Hilton HHonors Reserve Card Citi HH Visa 60K application page. You can also apply by calling 1-866-615-2274.
Flyertalk discussion thread: Citi Hilton HHonors VISA [60k-75k, read Wiki to choose] Basic Amex HH Card
FAQ- Annual fee: $75, no first-year waiver.
- Signup bonus: 75K points for spending $3K in the first 3 months.
- Earning: 12 HHonors points per dollar on Hilton spend; 6 points/$ at U.S. restaurants, supermarkets & gas stations; and 3 points/$ on everything else.
- Elite status: Hilton Gold status for as long as you have the card and Diamond status after $40,000 in annual spend.
- Booking bonus: 500 bonus points for every stay (including award stays) booked directly with Hilton & guaranteed with the card
- Important limitation on this offer: "Welcome bonus offer not available to applicants who have or have had this product."
FlyerTalk discussion thread: The Hilton HHonors® Surpass(SM) Card from American Express
- Annual fee: $95, no first-year waiver.
- Signup bonus: 2 free weekend nights after $2500 in spend within four months. These free nights are valid at all Hilton redemption categories, including Waldorf Astoria properties.
- Anniversary bonus: 1 free weekend night each year after $10,000 in spend.
- Earning: 10 HHonors points per dollar on Hilton spend, 5 points per dollar on air and car rental, and 3 on everything else.
- Elite status: Hilton Gold status for as long as you have the card and Diamond status after $40,000 in annual spend.
- No foreign currency transaction fees.
- Important limitation on this offer: "Weekend Night Certificates offer is not available if you have had a Citi Hilton HHonors Card account that was opened or closed in the past 24 months.."
Flyertalk discussion thread: Citi Hilton HHonors Reserve Card
- No annual fee.
- Signup bonus: 60K points for spending $1K in the first 4 months
- Earning: 6 HHonors points per dollar on Hilton spend; 3 points/$ at U.S. supermarkets, drugstores & gas stations; and 2 points/$ on everything else.
- Elite status: Hilton Silver status for as long as you have the card.
- Fast track To Gold status: After four qualifying stays within your first 91 days of cardmembership, receive Gold status through the end of the following calendar year.
- Important limitation on this offer: "Hilton HHonors Bonus Points offer not available if you have had a Citi Hilton HHonors Visa Signature Card account that was opened or closed in the past 24 months."
Flyertalk discussion thread: Citi Hilton HHonors VISA [60k-75k, read Wiki to choose]
Offer for 50K points (spend $750/3mos.) + $50 credit for first purchase: Make a dummy reservation on Hilton site. Offer will appear on page before final booking. (Cannot be linked to directly.)
Offer for 50K points (spend $750/3mos.)
Offer for 50K points (spend $750/3mos.)
- No annual fee.
- Earning: 7 HHonors points per dollar on Hilton spend; 5 points/$ at U.S. restaurants, supermarkets & gas stations; and 3 on everything else.
- Elite status: Hilton Silver status for as long as you have the card and Gold status after $20,000 in annual spend.
- Booking bonus: 500 bonus points for every stay (including award stays) booked directly with Hilton & guaranteed with the card
1. Are these cards churnable?
As of May 1, 2014, Amex will not give a signup bonus to card applicants who have held the card in the past ~7 years, even if the applicant has never earned a previous signup bonus for it. However, it is still possible to upgrade an existing Hilton Amex to the Surpass card to earn a bonus (and reportedly to do this more than once by later downgrading & then upgrading again). The best strategy is to earn a Surpass signup bonus first, and only afterward pursue the upgrade bonus(es).
In August 2016, Citi began inserting language into applications and landing pages requiring a 24-month wait from the date of the opening or closure of any Citi Hilton card. Previously, the Citi Hilton Signature Visa and Reserve cards were on separate clocks for each applicant. Now there is a single 24-month clock reset by open/close of either type of card. For more info, see the wiki at Citi Hilton HHonors VISA [60k-75k, read Wiki to choose].
2. I have met the spending. When will my bonus post?
For Amex cards, the bonus will post a few days after meeting the spend. The points from the actual spend will post after statement is generated. For Citi products, bonus points post only at statement close.
3. What happened to the Amex drugstore category spending bonus?
Changes to Hilton Amex cards as of May 2013 are explained here:
http://boardingarea.com/blogs/viewfr...at-we-thought/
4. What is the link to upgrade from no fee card to Surpass card for 50,000 after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months?
This link redirects to this landing page. Application page.
You need to be logged into your Amex account first, then click on the link above, then click Upgrade. (This does not work for all people. It is suspected that only people that have had the no-fee card for at least one year are able to upgrade to the Surpass card.) There is generally no hard pull on your credit report for upgrading.
5. Does having one of these Hilton cards preclude me from successfully earning the signup bonus on a different one?
No. All four cards are separate products. Having (or having previously had) one of them has no effect on your bonus eligibility for the others--but note, as discussed in FAQ #1, that opening or closing any Citi Hilton card will affect your eligibility for any new Citi Hilton card bonus.
As of May 1, 2014, Amex will not give a signup bonus to card applicants who have held the card in the past ~7 years, even if the applicant has never earned a previous signup bonus for it. However, it is still possible to upgrade an existing Hilton Amex to the Surpass card to earn a bonus (and reportedly to do this more than once by later downgrading & then upgrading again). The best strategy is to earn a Surpass signup bonus first, and only afterward pursue the upgrade bonus(es).
In August 2016, Citi began inserting language into applications and landing pages requiring a 24-month wait from the date of the opening or closure of any Citi Hilton card. Previously, the Citi Hilton Signature Visa and Reserve cards were on separate clocks for each applicant. Now there is a single 24-month clock reset by open/close of either type of card. For more info, see the wiki at Citi Hilton HHonors VISA [60k-75k, read Wiki to choose].
2. I have met the spending. When will my bonus post?
For Amex cards, the bonus will post a few days after meeting the spend. The points from the actual spend will post after statement is generated. For Citi products, bonus points post only at statement close.
3. What happened to the Amex drugstore category spending bonus?
Changes to Hilton Amex cards as of May 2013 are explained here:
http://boardingarea.com/blogs/viewfr...at-we-thought/
4. What is the link to upgrade from no fee card to Surpass card for 50,000 after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months?
This link redirects to this landing page. Application page.
You need to be logged into your Amex account first, then click on the link above, then click Upgrade. (This does not work for all people. It is suspected that only people that have had the no-fee card for at least one year are able to upgrade to the Surpass card.) There is generally no hard pull on your credit report for upgrading.
5. Does having one of these Hilton cards preclude me from successfully earning the signup bonus on a different one?
No. All four cards are separate products. Having (or having previously had) one of them has no effect on your bonus eligibility for the others--but note, as discussed in FAQ #1, that opening or closing any Citi Hilton card will affect your eligibility for any new Citi Hilton card bonus.
Ongoing offers for Hilton cards issued by Amex or Citi
Mar 24, 2013, 11:36 am
#91
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Omaha, NE
Posts: 9
Just recieved my amex hilton today. Can someone PM an easy/cheap way to meet the minimum spend. I've applied for a bluebird and have an old paypal account.
Mar 24, 2013, 1:50 pm
#92
formerly sahiljain22
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: BOS;NYC;YVR;YYZ;DEL;BOM
Programs: Amex Plat; HH Diamond; SPG Plat; Hyatt Diamond; United 1K; National EE; HSBC Premier
Posts: 532
I would recommend starting with the manufactured spending forum as the latest ways always get posted there. This can be too personalized - I use a mix of APs with gift cards. Others use paypal. And there is the option of VR with bluebird if you can find those cards locally.
Apr 4, 2013, 8:56 am
#93
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 255
I wonder how soon i can downgrade after upgrade to avoid the annual fee? thanks.
Apr 12, 2013, 11:16 am
#94
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Melbourne, Florida, USA
Posts: 2,983
I have updated the OP with new offers valid through 6/30/2013.
Apr 25, 2013, 10:57 am
#95
Join Date: Nov 2008
Programs: SPG Gold, Hilton Diamon, IHG Spire
Posts: 374
Thank you for the thread michael_v.
I applied today and was told Hilton system is down (not validating membership), so they can't process the applications until May 1st. Wondering if anyone got the same problem? Thanks.
I applied today and was told Hilton system is down (not validating membership), so they can't process the applications until May 1st. Wondering if anyone got the same problem? Thanks.
Apr 25, 2013, 2:05 pm
#96
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Huntsville, AL
Posts: 86
Signup for Amazon payments....you and spouse/friend etc. Send a payment (as good/services) for $XXX. Move money from Amazon to your bank and pay off the card........Your done.
Apr 25, 2013, 9:47 pm
#97
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Diamond, IHG Plat
Posts: 275
Hi thanks for the great information in this thread. I read that many had to wait at least a year before upgrading the no-fee card to the surpass. I have also tried logging in and clicking through the upgrade link but it says my card is not valid for upgrade and I have had it for about half a year.
Did anyone get to upgrade to surpass in less than a year? Is there anything else I can try? Thanks for any help and comment.
Did anyone get to upgrade to surpass in less than a year? Is there anything else I can try? Thanks for any help and comment.
Apr 25, 2013, 10:29 pm
#98
Join Date: Nov 2008
Programs: SPG Gold, Hilton Diamon, IHG Spire
Posts: 374
Hi thanks for the great information in this thread. I read that many had to wait at least a year before upgrading the no-fee card to the surpass. I have also tried logging in and clicking through the upgrade link but it says my card is not valid for upgrade and I have had it for about half a year.
Did anyone get to upgrade to surpass in less than a year? Is there anything else I can try? Thanks for any help and comment.
Did anyone get to upgrade to surpass in less than a year? Is there anything else I can try? Thanks for any help and comment.
May 10, 2013, 6:35 am
#99
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold, Will never by anything with airlines
Posts: 287
Have the no fee HH Amex, anyone know how long it takes Gold status to hit after meeting $20k spend?
May 10, 2013, 12:50 pm
#100
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Houston, TX
Programs: HHonors Gold, PC Plat, WN A+
Posts: 30
That 3000/3 spend requirement is insanely high for the Surpass upgrade. That works out to about 6% rewards rate, assuming 0.5 CPP. You can get more than that by just buying GCs with Chase Ink.
May 10, 2013, 1:36 pm
#101
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: SAN
Posts: 1,396
Plus you're getting at least 3 points per dollar base spend, and with the number of bonus categories probably way higher than that.
How is 20 points per dollar bad?! Of course there are more lucrative currencies out there, but even if you value Hilton points at a low .4 cpp that works out to 8% - plus there is no credit pull on an upgrade, which most people here value!
May 10, 2013, 2:10 pm
#102
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold, Will never by anything with airlines
Posts: 287
50,000 points / $3,000 spend = 16.67 points per dollar.
Plus you're getting at least 3 points per dollar base spend, and with the number of bonus categories probably way higher than that.
How is 20 points per dollar bad?! Of course there are more lucrative currencies out there, but even if you value Hilton points at a low .4 cpp that works out to 8% - plus there is no credit pull on an upgrade, which most people here value!
Plus you're getting at least 3 points per dollar base spend, and with the number of bonus categories probably way higher than that.
How is 20 points per dollar bad?! Of course there are more lucrative currencies out there, but even if you value Hilton points at a low .4 cpp that works out to 8% - plus there is no credit pull on an upgrade, which most people here value!
I have been finding great cash+point deals, and been getting redemption rates between .8-1.3ccp
Also, can downgrade and get recover some AF
May 12, 2013, 10:23 pm
#103
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 94
So, I didn't know about the law that doesn't let credit card companies add a fee to a no-fee credit card less than a year old (still kind of a noob to all this), so when I was offered an upgrade through Amex's website of my no fee Hilton HHonors card (or so I thought) to an annual fee Hhonors Surpass card, with 50k bonus after 3k/3 month spend, I decided to go for it. The site said congratulations, your new card is on the way.
It took me several days to realize what they'd done was leave my no-fee Hhonors card alone, but switched my Gold Delta to the Hhonors Surpass card. I decided to let it go as is.
Now what I'm running into is that they gave me a completely new HHonors account number. I don't have any login info for this and when I contacted them about it, they told me to ask Hilton.
I spent a lot of time looking to see if anyone has encountered this before, but I can't find much. What I did read was that most people say to wait until after the bonus posts in order to merge HHonors accounts. I also have heard that I won't get the bonus points since I got a bonus with the no-fee card.
I want to have access to the HHonors account they set up for the Surpass card, because of Hilton stay in June, but I don't think my bonus will have posted by then (if indeed I do get the bonus). I'm worried if I contact Hilton to get access to the new account, they'll see I have two accounts and want to merge them and somehow that will affect my (possible) bonus with Amex.
Has anyone had any sort of experience like this or any bits of wisdom they can give me? Call Hilton to get access to the new account? Will I or won't I get the bonus? Should I ask Amex about the bonus on the Surpass card? Or will that attract attention I don't want? Or does that not matter?
It took me several days to realize what they'd done was leave my no-fee Hhonors card alone, but switched my Gold Delta to the Hhonors Surpass card. I decided to let it go as is.
Now what I'm running into is that they gave me a completely new HHonors account number. I don't have any login info for this and when I contacted them about it, they told me to ask Hilton.
I spent a lot of time looking to see if anyone has encountered this before, but I can't find much. What I did read was that most people say to wait until after the bonus posts in order to merge HHonors accounts. I also have heard that I won't get the bonus points since I got a bonus with the no-fee card.
I want to have access to the HHonors account they set up for the Surpass card, because of Hilton stay in June, but I don't think my bonus will have posted by then (if indeed I do get the bonus). I'm worried if I contact Hilton to get access to the new account, they'll see I have two accounts and want to merge them and somehow that will affect my (possible) bonus with Amex.
Has anyone had any sort of experience like this or any bits of wisdom they can give me? Call Hilton to get access to the new account? Will I or won't I get the bonus? Should I ask Amex about the bonus on the Surpass card? Or will that attract attention I don't want? Or does that not matter?
May 13, 2013, 9:29 am
#104
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: AZ
Programs: HH Diamond
Posts: 200
Now what I'm running into is that they gave me a completely new HHonors account number. I don't have any login info for this and when I contacted them about it, they told me to ask Hilton.
I spent a lot of time looking to see if anyone has encountered this before, but I can't find much. What I did read was that most people say to wait until after the bonus posts in order to merge HHonors accounts. I also have heard that I won't get the bonus points since I got a bonus with the no-fee card.
I want to have access to the HHonors account they set up for the Surpass card, because of Hilton stay in June, but I don't think my bonus will have posted by then (if indeed I do get the bonus). I'm worried if I contact Hilton to get access to the new account, they'll see I have two accounts and want to merge them and somehow that will affect my (possible) bonus with Amex.
Has anyone had any sort of experience like this or any bits of wisdom they can give me? Call Hilton to get access to the new account? Will I or won't I get the bonus? Should I ask Amex about the bonus on the Surpass card? Or will that attract attention I don't want? Or does that not matter?
I spent a lot of time looking to see if anyone has encountered this before, but I can't find much. What I did read was that most people say to wait until after the bonus posts in order to merge HHonors accounts. I also have heard that I won't get the bonus points since I got a bonus with the no-fee card.
I want to have access to the HHonors account they set up for the Surpass card, because of Hilton stay in June, but I don't think my bonus will have posted by then (if indeed I do get the bonus). I'm worried if I contact Hilton to get access to the new account, they'll see I have two accounts and want to merge them and somehow that will affect my (possible) bonus with Amex.
Has anyone had any sort of experience like this or any bits of wisdom they can give me? Call Hilton to get access to the new account? Will I or won't I get the bonus? Should I ask Amex about the bonus on the Surpass card? Or will that attract attention I don't want? Or does that not matter?
Re: the bonus. I don't know whether you will get the extra bonus as my situation was with regular credit card applications.
Good luck.
May 13, 2013, 9:01 pm
#105
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 212
An hour later, I checked the mailbox and my son has once again gotten the 60,000 point targeted offer! (Which is odd; he actually did accept the first one and has the card!) So it is very much alive. I realize that lots of offers come and go - snail mail, what you can get calling AMEX, online links, etc - and that all have different bonuses and perks. But does anyone know if I can call or pm AMEX to ask them to match the 60,000, given that a) I did inquire about a better offer before applying, and b) someone in my household actually got a better offer the very same day. I am Gold with HH, but I doubt that matters much to AMEX!
What is the best way to go about this? Thanks.