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Calling in risks alerting Citi to the offer and having it withdrawn.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
Apr 16, 2016, 9:20 am
#961
Join Date: May 2009
Location: EUG
Programs: AS MVP, AA MM, HH Diamond, MR Gold
Posts: 8,220
I don't have a landing page.
Here is the link, i don't see any 24 months restriction anywhere, never tested it so you guys can check it out.
for people that try this link out please report back with results so others can benefit from your experience.
Here is the link, i don't see any 24 months restriction anywhere, never tested it so you guys can check it out.
for people that try this link out please report back with results so others can benefit from your experience.
Apr 16, 2016, 11:56 am
#963
Join Date: May 2009
Location: EUG
Programs: AS MVP, AA MM, HH Diamond, MR Gold
Posts: 8,220
I don't agree with that. While some will say you can't "if you have ever had this card before" I think they mean this to be the same thing. Otherwise what is the point of saying "new accounts only" at all?
Apr 16, 2016, 1:40 pm
#964
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: LHR
Programs: AA
Posts: 773
I'm not sure. But that language is pretty common and generally is taken to mean what it literally says, which is that the bonus is only applicable to the newly-opened credit card account, i.e. the one being granted through the application. My guess is that this is covering the case where someone who already has the card sees the offer and calls in and says "Hey, if I spend X amount of money in X months can I get that bonus? When I first got this card this bonus didn't exist, so I want it now," and they can say, "No, the bonus is for new accounts only."
Apr 16, 2016, 1:42 pm
#965
Join Date: May 2014
Location: SoCal
Posts: 2,164
Second: we agree to disagree, this is the same exact statement we had when we were able to churn it, City doesn't use the following statement that you mentioned above"if you have ever had this card before" with any of their cards, their restriction is written as Opened or closed within 24 months
Apr 16, 2016, 5:47 pm
#966
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,954
This has no relevance to churning. Citi has used this language in card offers for a very long time. It means that if you already hold a card you cannot attempt to qualify for this offer with spending on your existing card account.
Apr 19, 2016, 6:06 am
#967
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
I don't have a landing page.
Here is the link, i don't see any 24 months restriction anywhere, never tested it so you guys can check it out.
for people that try this link out please report back with results so others can benefit from your experience.
Here is the link, i don't see any 24 months restriction anywhere, never tested it so you guys can check it out.
for people that try this link out please report back with results so others can benefit from your experience.
Here's the problem: Citi has recently issued to offers where all the restrictions were only listed on the landing page, not anywhere on the application page (because Citi expected everyone to go through the landing page). So just because you don't have a landing page and don't see any restrictions doesn't mean that there aren't any restrictions, they may only show up on the landing page which you're missing for some reason.
Apr 19, 2016, 7:12 am
#968
Join Date: May 2014
Location: SoCal
Posts: 2,164
Well, where did you find the link then?
Here's the problem: Citi has recently issued to offers where all the restrictions were only listed on the landing page, not anywhere on the application page (because Citi expected everyone to go through the landing page). So just because you don't have a landing page and don't see any restrictions doesn't mean that there aren't any restrictions, they may only show up on the landing page which you're missing for some reason.
Here's the problem: Citi has recently issued to offers where all the restrictions were only listed on the landing page, not anywhere on the application page (because Citi expected everyone to go through the landing page). So just because you don't have a landing page and don't see any restrictions doesn't mean that there aren't any restrictions, they may only show up on the landing page which you're missing for some reason.
Apr 19, 2016, 8:15 am
#969
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,784
I honestly have not seen any citi application link ( within the last year) that didn't have the 18-24 months restriction that had bonus signup. As where i got the link from, i research app links by trial and error. my experience in the past when the app didn't have the restriction in the app we ended up getting the bonus, this is how the executive card lasted 9 months after citi started implementing the 18 months restriction. I think we need to test links to see if they work, if you guys feel uncomfortable using this link i will take it off.
The ideal person to try this link out is someone who is not overburdened with HPs, and who has recently opened this card, so is not worried about resetting the clock by another month or so. That's not me, because I'm only 9 months away from 24, so a reset would put me 15 months further away. But for some one who just opened a card a week ago it would be no big deal.
Apr 22, 2016, 6:05 pm
#970
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 6,606
I would gladly test the new link just risking a HP but anyone who uses any link also resets the 24 month clock so it's quite a gamble IMO for 40K
Amex now has a 100 K upgrade offer from Hilton Amex to Surpass.
I have been able to upgrade in the past and get 50K even though I already had the Surpass so I am going to try again for 100k.
It also says the AF is prorated so it should only cost me $40 or so
https://www.americanexpress.com/us/c...668-WOC0000332
I just upgraded my Amex to Surpass. The rep posted a bunch of charges that don't count towards the spend. VGC were listed ( as well as AMEX bought online. He said Visa gift cards don't count even if bought in person.......TIFWIW but I never heard of this before and he said it's not a new rule
Amex now has a 100 K upgrade offer from Hilton Amex to Surpass.
I have been able to upgrade in the past and get 50K even though I already had the Surpass so I am going to try again for 100k.
It also says the AF is prorated so it should only cost me $40 or so
https://www.americanexpress.com/us/c...668-WOC0000332
I just upgraded my Amex to Surpass. The rep posted a bunch of charges that don't count towards the spend. VGC were listed ( as well as AMEX bought online. He said Visa gift cards don't count even if bought in person.......TIFWIW but I never heard of this before and he said it's not a new rule
Last edited by flyer4512; Apr 22, 2016 at 9:38 pm
Apr 23, 2016, 8:53 am
#971
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,784
I just upgraded my Amex to Surpass. The rep posted a bunch of charges that don't count towards the spend. VGC were listed ( as well as AMEX bought online. He said Visa gift cards don't count even if bought in person.......TIFWIW but I never heard of this before and he said it's not a new rule
Apr 23, 2016, 9:20 am
#972
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,954
Last edited by mia; Apr 23, 2016 at 9:32 am
Apr 23, 2016, 1:50 pm
#973
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 6,606
There is a difference between GCs bought directly from AMEX, or bought in a bank, where the purchase is coded as a GC purchase, and GCs bought in grocery or drug stores, which almost always get coded as a "retail purchase". The former don't count towards min spnd, and the latter almost always do count.
Normally this would be no big deal and I would do $3k legit spend but with the possible Chase changes I have about $18 K in spends to make in the next 100 days so I'm going to have to get some GC's and sit on them for a bit. The Amex 100K upgrades were too good to pass . HOPEFULLY ( I don't see any language stating otherwise) we both get the 100K points as we have both had the Surpass in the past and this upgrade route has worked for me before.
Last edited by flyer4512; Apr 23, 2016 at 1:59 pm
Apr 24, 2016, 8:30 am
#974
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,762
I would gladly test the new link just risking a HP but anyone who uses any link also resets the 24 month clock so it's quite a gamble IMO for 40K
Amex now has a 100 K upgrade offer from Hilton Amex to Surpass.
I have been able to upgrade in the past and get 50K even though I already had the Surpass so I am going to try again for 100k.
It also says the AF is prorated so it should only cost me $40 or so
https://www.americanexpress.com/us/c...668-WOC0000332
I just upgraded my Amex to Surpass. The rep posted a bunch of charges that don't count towards the spend. VGC were listed ( as well as AMEX bought online. He said Visa gift cards don't count even if bought in person.......TIFWIW but I never heard of this before and he said it's not a new rule
Amex now has a 100 K upgrade offer from Hilton Amex to Surpass.
I have been able to upgrade in the past and get 50K even though I already had the Surpass so I am going to try again for 100k.
It also says the AF is prorated so it should only cost me $40 or so
https://www.americanexpress.com/us/c...668-WOC0000332
I just upgraded my Amex to Surpass. The rep posted a bunch of charges that don't count towards the spend. VGC were listed ( as well as AMEX bought online. He said Visa gift cards don't count even if bought in person.......TIFWIW but I never heard of this before and he said it's not a new rule
Did the upgrade process lead you to online chat to finish the upgrade? given you mentioned the rep "posted" posted noneligible purchases...
VGCs bought from retail merchants traditionally are treated as eligible purchases. I did this on a targeted PRG early March. Membership Reward bonus posted as available right at statement closed without ever going thru Pending. Spend pts though did go thru pending for one more billing cycle before it became available.
Apr 24, 2016, 8:33 am
#975
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,954
Eligible purchases do NOT include:
● fees or interest charges,
● balance transfers,
● cash advances,
● purchases of traveler's checks,
● purchases or reloading of prepaid cards, or
● purchases of any cash equivalents
● fees or interest charges,
● balance transfers,
● cash advances,
● purchases of traveler's checks,
● purchases or reloading of prepaid cards, or
● purchases of any cash equivalents
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/20589892-post1.html