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Calling in risks alerting Citi to the offer and having it withdrawn.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
May 14, 2013, 9:28 am
#106
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: DFW
Posts: 685
I just hit $20k about two days before my April billing period ended (May 7th). I think I had gold status by May 8th or 9th, verified both on my statement PDF and on the HHonors site.
May 15, 2013, 12:35 pm
#107
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 114
I did a churn today, and before applying for the AMEX HH offer which provides 50,000 points, I called AMEX to see if there might be a better offer. My adult son had also received the above targeted offer that wwwny had, so I knew there had been offers floating around recently. The telephone rep could only offer cards with lower signup bonuses, so I declined, and promptly applied successfully for the 50,000 point offer.
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.
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.
May 15, 2013, 6:24 pm
#108
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 212
Update: Via @AskAmex on twitter they agreed to give me the 10,000 points. Haven't seen them in the account as yet but will wait until tomorrow and see if they show. Said they don't do this because offer went to my son, not me, but did it as a one time thing. So I am pleased. I think twitter is good for solving problems like this since it is a little more public than just being on the phone with a rep.
Last edited by TWA44; May 16, 2013 at 1:18 pm
May 16, 2013, 7:36 pm
#109
Join Date: May 2011
Programs: AA, Delta, Continental, Emirates, BA, Virgin Atlantic, US Airways
Posts: 194
So I got the HHonors card in February - met my spend and got the 50,000 points. From what I gathered I can do one or the other
Six months after opening the card ask for the upgrade to the Surpass card with the sign up bonus
OR
If refused the upgrade, cancel the Hilton standard card then apply for the Surpass card
Is that accurate? Do I need to continue to spend on this card in order for the upgrade to work? And do I need to really wait for 6 months after getting the regular no fee Hilton Honors card?
Six months after opening the card ask for the upgrade to the Surpass card with the sign up bonus
OR
If refused the upgrade, cancel the Hilton standard card then apply for the Surpass card
Is that accurate? Do I need to continue to spend on this card in order for the upgrade to work? And do I need to really wait for 6 months after getting the regular no fee Hilton Honors card?
May 16, 2013, 7:53 pm
#110
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: SAN
Posts: 1,396
So I got the HHonors card in February - met my spend and got the 50,000 points. From what I gathered I can do one or the other
Six months after opening the card ask for the upgrade to the Surpass card with the sign up bonus
OR
If refused the upgrade, cancel the Hilton standard card then apply for the Surpass card
Is that accurate? Do I need to continue to spend on this card in order for the upgrade to work? And do I need to really wait for 6 months after getting the regular no fee Hilton Honors card?
Six months after opening the card ask for the upgrade to the Surpass card with the sign up bonus
OR
If refused the upgrade, cancel the Hilton standard card then apply for the Surpass card
Is that accurate? Do I need to continue to spend on this card in order for the upgrade to work? And do I need to really wait for 6 months after getting the regular no fee Hilton Honors card?
May 16, 2013, 10:50 pm
#111
Join Date: May 2003
Location: CA
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 2,879
Ongoing offers for Hilton Amex credit cards
If you cancel, you will need to wait 3 months before you apply for the Surpass card.
May 17, 2013, 12:45 pm
#113
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Heaven
Posts: 552
applied today ..In good standing with Amex but no instant approval..hoping to be approved soon. Also, applied HH Citi and was approved instantly.
May 17, 2013, 3:57 pm
#114
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,763
Note it is "similar product", not "same product".
To give an example, AMEX lumps all Membership Reward earning personal cards into the "similar product" group, and even spell them out in the fine prints.
Therefore, essentially you have to cancel an HHonor card, wait 12 months then to be eligible for the bonus again, be it regular or Surpass.
The upgrade route is the only way to get around this.
May 22, 2013, 11:10 am
#115
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold, Will never by anything with airlines
Posts: 287
May 22, 2013, 1:34 pm
#116
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: SPG Gold, AA Exec. Platinum
Posts: 37
So applied for the HHonors, got the "congratulations" approved screen, then get an email about an hour later saying we are processing your application. 
Anyone have this happen before..?
Anyone have this happen before..?
May 22, 2013, 2:22 pm
#117
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Beverly Hills
Posts: 713
Opened AMEX DL Gold 09/12 wi $95 AF/$500spend/30kmiles. 10/12 was curious about downgrading, ended up downgrading to BCE, but also asked about upgrading and rep told me you can't upgrade to a card with a higher AF within 1 yr due to Dodd Frank. Doesn't really make sense if you WANT to upgrade
May 22, 2013, 5:13 pm
#118
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: The Phoenix Desert
Programs: Hilton Cubic Zirconia, Marriott Fools Gold
Posts: 1,692
I had a similar deal last month with the Blue Cash Preferred. Sent them a PM and they gave me the $250 cash rewards instead of the $150 I had applied for in Feb. So as of a few weeks ago they hadn't completely done away with post-app matches.
May 22, 2013, 9:10 pm
#119
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 131
I want to open both Amex Blue and the Amex Hilton HHonors cards.
Is it possible to apply for both same day? Can I add a business card in there as well?
Thanks!
Is it possible to apply for both same day? Can I add a business card in there as well?
Thanks!
Jun 12, 2013, 10:40 am
#120
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Melbourne, Florida, USA
Posts: 2,983
I have updated OP with links with exp date 8/31/2013.
Does anyone know how to start a wiki for this thread?
Does anyone know how to start a wiki for this thread?