Hilton Amex no anual fee: 65,000 points [Expired]
Oct 24, 2012, 6:56 pm
#46
Suspended
Join Date: May 2012
Location: ORD
Programs: AA, UA, AS, DL, BA, F9, IHG Plat, HH Gold, CC Gold, SPG Gold, MR Silver
Posts: 1,786
I still like the HHonors Surpass better.
True, it's 60k points versus 65k, but the first 40k on the Surpass comes after first purchase, and the next 20k comes after $3k spend. And you get Gold status. With the deal above, you only get Silver status (i.e. no chance of free room upgrades) and you have to spend $750 to get your first set of bonus points and another $3k to get the next set of bonus points.
Surpass: $75 annual fee (not waived), 40,000 points immediately, 20,000 after $3k spend, Gold status
Regular: no annual fee, 40,000 points after $750 spend, 25,000 after the next $3,000 spend ($3,750 spend total), Silver status
True, it's 60k points versus 65k, but the first 40k on the Surpass comes after first purchase, and the next 20k comes after $3k spend. And you get Gold status. With the deal above, you only get Silver status (i.e. no chance of free room upgrades) and you have to spend $750 to get your first set of bonus points and another $3k to get the next set of bonus points.
Surpass: $75 annual fee (not waived), 40,000 points immediately, 20,000 after $3k spend, Gold status
Regular: no annual fee, 40,000 points after $750 spend, 25,000 after the next $3,000 spend ($3,750 spend total), Silver status
Oct 24, 2012, 8:20 pm
#47
Join Date: Sep 2012
Programs: HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Diamond, DL Diamond, UA Silver
Posts: 107
Oct 24, 2012, 9:22 pm
#50
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Posts: 1,277
Some people get email (or regular mail? not positive) offers to upgrade their regular HHonors card to the Surpass and get a 50k bonus when they do. So getting this one first and then waiting for that offer to upgrade to the Surpass without another credit hit. But there's no guarantee you'll get the offer.
Oct 24, 2012, 9:49 pm
#51
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,634
Some people get email (or regular mail? not positive) offers to upgrade their regular HHonors card to the Surpass and get a 50k bonus when they do. So getting this one first and then waiting for that offer to upgrade to the Surpass without another credit hit. But there's no guarantee you'll get the offer.
As described above I think getting the regular is the better option for me anyway (esp. because I already have the Citi card for Gold status), so I'll probably get the regular.
Oct 24, 2012, 9:51 pm
#52
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: SAN
Posts: 1,396
Anyone know if you need to be APPROVED by the expiration date or merely APPLY by the expiration date? I thought I saw another thread about the SPG card that said you had to be approved by expiration date. Is that an across the board AMEX policy?
I was planning on applying for this card but was hoping to wait until next year (I have some old inquiries finally falling off my credit) but with the bump on the bonus I might pull the trigger early - just trying to wait as long as possible.
I was planning on applying for this card but was hoping to wait until next year (I have some old inquiries finally falling off my credit) but with the bump on the bonus I might pull the trigger early - just trying to wait as long as possible.
Oct 24, 2012, 9:55 pm
#53
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: BOS .. but soon SFO
Programs: UA PLAT, TK GLD, Hilton Diamond, IC PLAT, SPG GLD, Marriott GLD
Posts: 1,528
I have the final outcome on double dipping
Applied for no-fee hilton in Jan 2012
Was told by CSR that I would qualify for SURPASS bonus since I never had a surpass and it had been over 90 days since i got my card.
Applied and was approved and met spend but I was rejected for the SURPASS bonus and finally got clarification from AMEX from a supervisor.
AMEX considers all hilton cards as one product, it doesn't matter what kind of hilton card it is, what benefits you get, or if you pay an annual fee.
In order to qualify for multiple hilton bonuses you need to have 12 months +1 day from your last application AND have the account closed for a minimum of 90 days.
you CAN NOT have ANY hilton AMEX open if you plan on double dipping.
However, if I had clicked this link to upgrade my fee-free to SURPASS, I would have gotten an additional 50k for $3k spend
http://www304.americanexpress.com/ge...Honors-Surpass
(if it doesn't show up, log into your amex account)
SO, if you want to double dip, get this card, meet the spend, get the points, then upgrade to the SURPASS for $75 annual fee and meet the new spend.
You can potentially get 115k hilton points.
Again, upgrading qualifies for the bonus points, getting a separate surpass does not
Applied for no-fee hilton in Jan 2012
Was told by CSR that I would qualify for SURPASS bonus since I never had a surpass and it had been over 90 days since i got my card.
Applied and was approved and met spend but I was rejected for the SURPASS bonus and finally got clarification from AMEX from a supervisor.
AMEX considers all hilton cards as one product, it doesn't matter what kind of hilton card it is, what benefits you get, or if you pay an annual fee.
In order to qualify for multiple hilton bonuses you need to have 12 months +1 day from your last application AND have the account closed for a minimum of 90 days.
you CAN NOT have ANY hilton AMEX open if you plan on double dipping.
However, if I had clicked this link to upgrade my fee-free to SURPASS, I would have gotten an additional 50k for $3k spend
http://www304.americanexpress.com/ge...Honors-Surpass
(if it doesn't show up, log into your amex account)
SO, if you want to double dip, get this card, meet the spend, get the points, then upgrade to the SURPASS for $75 annual fee and meet the new spend.
You can potentially get 115k hilton points.
Again, upgrading qualifies for the bonus points, getting a separate surpass does not
Oct 24, 2012, 9:58 pm
#54
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,634
Anyone know if you need to be APPROVED by the expiration date or merely APPLY by the expiration date? I thought I saw another thread about the SPG card that said you had to be approved by expiration date. Is that an across the board AMEX policy?
I was planning on applying for this card but was hoping to wait until next year (I have some old inquiries finally falling off my credit) but with the bump on the bonus I might pull the trigger early - just trying to wait as long as possible.
I was planning on applying for this card but was hoping to wait until next year (I have some old inquiries finally falling off my credit) but with the bump on the bonus I might pull the trigger early - just trying to wait as long as possible.
Oct 24, 2012, 10:18 pm
#55
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: SAN
Posts: 1,396
I have the final outcome on double dipping
Applied for no-fee hilton in Jan 2012
Was told by CSR that I would qualify for SURPASS bonus since I never had a surpass and it had been over 90 days since i got my card.
Applied and was approved and met spend but I was rejected for the SURPASS bonus and finally got clarification from AMEX from a supervisor.
AMEX considers all hilton cards as one product, it doesn't matter what kind of hilton card it is, what benefits you get, or if you pay an annual fee.
In order to qualify for multiple hilton bonuses you need to have 12 months +1 day from your last application AND have the account closed for a minimum of 90 days.
you CAN NOT have ANY hilton AMEX open if you plan on double dipping.
However, if I had clicked this link to upgrade my fee-free to SURPASS, I would have gotten an additional 50k for $3k spend
http://www304.americanexpress.com/ge...Honors-Surpass
(if it doesn't show up, log into your amex account)
SO, if you want to double dip, get this card, meet the spend, get the points, then upgrade to the SURPASS for $75 annual fee and meet the new spend.
You can potentially get 115k hilton points.
Again, upgrading qualifies for the bonus points, getting a separate surpass does not
Applied for no-fee hilton in Jan 2012
Was told by CSR that I would qualify for SURPASS bonus since I never had a surpass and it had been over 90 days since i got my card.
Applied and was approved and met spend but I was rejected for the SURPASS bonus and finally got clarification from AMEX from a supervisor.
AMEX considers all hilton cards as one product, it doesn't matter what kind of hilton card it is, what benefits you get, or if you pay an annual fee.
In order to qualify for multiple hilton bonuses you need to have 12 months +1 day from your last application AND have the account closed for a minimum of 90 days.
you CAN NOT have ANY hilton AMEX open if you plan on double dipping.
However, if I had clicked this link to upgrade my fee-free to SURPASS, I would have gotten an additional 50k for $3k spend
http://www304.americanexpress.com/ge...Honors-Surpass
(if it doesn't show up, log into your amex account)
SO, if you want to double dip, get this card, meet the spend, get the points, then upgrade to the SURPASS for $75 annual fee and meet the new spend.
You can potentially get 115k hilton points.
Again, upgrading qualifies for the bonus points, getting a separate surpass does not
The fine print looks pretty clear on this "Welcome bonus offer not available to applicants who have had this product within the last 12 months or any other Consumer Hilton HHonors™ Card from American Express account within the last 90 days."
Oct 24, 2012, 10:18 pm
#56
Join Date: Nov 2007
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton Honors Diamond, Delta Gold
Posts: 4,357
I currently have 1 regular Amex Hilton that I opened quite a number of years ago, so certainly more than 12 months since the last app. So, you are saying that in order to sign up for this 65k bonus I need to close that card and wait 90 days? That will obviously put me past the deadline for applying for the card with the 65k bonus, but this info seems to differ from what happened to me with the Amex Gold card. As I've previously posted, my old Gold card is a few years old as well and I applied and was approved for a new Gold Card in 6/2012 when they had 1 of their 75k bonuses. By mid-July I had met my spend and the points posted. I never closed the first Gold card and am currently using both cards and the points feed into the same MR account.
Oct 24, 2012, 10:21 pm
#57
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: SAN
Posts: 1,396
If I decide to apply for this offer, I certainly will not apply on the last day.
Oct 24, 2012, 10:22 pm
#58
Join Date: Nov 2007
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton Honors Diamond, Delta Gold
Posts: 4,357
This is the exact same wording used in the fine print for the Amex Gold and as stated above I still "had" a Gold card when approved for a new one and bonus points were received because the app for that first Gold card was way more than 12 months old. That's why I'm wondering if I can apply for this Hilton and get the bonus points. I may give it a shot just to see what happens and will of course report back.
Oct 24, 2012, 10:23 pm
#59
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: SAN
Posts: 1,396
This is the exact same wording used in the fine print for the Amex Gold and as stated above I still "had" a Gold card when approved for a new one and bonus points were received because the app for that first Gold card was way more than 12 months old. That's why I'm wondering if I can apply for this Hilton and get the bonus points. I may give it a shot just to see what happens and will of course report back.