Originally Posted by
SPN Lifer
Hilton gift cards can be purchased in-person at some hotels, or online. The latter do not earn the Hilton Surpass AmEx card $50 quarterly credit; the former do get the Surpass credit.
Gift cards can indeed be used worldwide, but there are more reports of non-U.S. locales being less familiar with the procedure, as well as foreign exchange issues.
There are definitely reports of online gift card purchases earning the AmexEx Surpass $50 credit. I personally know it worked in December.