May 26, 2014, 3:09 pm
Last edit by: rrgg
Hilton HHonors American Express Surpass card. 155,000 points for spending $3,000 in 3 months; $95 annual fee. Offer Expires Apr. 17, 2024
Hilton HHonors American Express Surpass card. 170,000 points for spending $3,000 in 3 months; $95 annual fee. Expired Jan 17 2024
Hilton HHonors American Express Surpass card. 130,000 points for spending $4,000 in 4 months; $95 annual fee. OFFER EXPIRED AUG 28.
Hilton HHonors American Express Ascend card. 75,000 points for spending $2,000 in 3 months+ 25,000 points after additional $1000 in 6 months; $95 annual fee.
Note: For existing Surpass card holders, AMEX verbally confirmed that on or after 20 January 2018, card holders can call in and request cards be converted to Aspire - while maintaining the same credit card number, balance limits, PIN, etc.
Card features:
Check your application status
Linking AmexAscend Surpass to your Hilton Honors account.Many (most?) have reported that a new Hilton Honors number gets assigned by Amex even when they put their existing Hilton Honors number in the application, and it can take several weeks to get this worked out. However, the key to making things go smoothly seems to be an exact match of your name and address between Amex and Hilton, including adding your middle initial to your Hilton Honors account if you use it on your Amex. When everything matches, an Amex rep should be able to update the account number, it should "go through" immediately, and the correct Hilton account number will be reflected on the Amex website in about 2 days.
Is the AmexAscend Surpass 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 Ascend 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 Ascend Surpass signup bonus first, and only afterward pursue the upgrade bonus(es).
For information on other Hilton-branded credit cards, see the wiki at Ongoing offers for Hilton cards issued by Amex or Citi
- Important limitation on this offer: "Welcome bonus offer not available to applicants who have or have had this product."
Note: For existing Surpass card holders, AMEX verbally confirmed that on or after 20 January 2018, card holders can call in and request cards be converted to Aspire - while maintaining the same credit card number, balance limits, PIN, etc.
Card features:
- Annual fee:
$95$150, no first-year waiver. - Earning: 12 HHonors points per dollar on Hilton spend; 6 points/$ at U.S. restaurants, supermarkets & gas stations; 4 points for online retail purchases (as of 2023); 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
Check your application status
Linking Amex
Is the Amex
For information on other Hilton-branded credit cards, see the wiki at Ongoing offers for Hilton cards issued by Amex or Citi
The Hilton Honors Surpass Card from American Express (formerly called Ascend)
May 9, 2017, 10:24 pm
#211
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: YVR, HNL
Programs: AS 75k, UA peon, BA Bronze, AC E50k, Marriott Plat, HH Diamond, Fairmont Plat (RIP)
Posts: 7,834
If you have a look at the last page of this thread http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/citi-...x-citi-30.html, the language in the upgrade offer recently changed and now includes the once-in-a-lifetime exclusion for Amex Surpass upgrades.
If you try to upgrade now, you will see this:
OFFER TERMS
Welcome bonus offer not available to applicants who have or have had this product.
There was a link floating around without that language but I suspect that loophole will be sewn up very shortly. I wouldn't count on being able to re-upgrade again if you have already gotten the bonus from a Surpass.
If you try to upgrade now, you will see this:
OFFER TERMS
Welcome bonus offer not available to applicants who have or have had this product.
There was a link floating around without that language but I suspect that loophole will be sewn up very shortly. I wouldn't count on being able to re-upgrade again if you have already gotten the bonus from a Surpass.
May 15, 2017, 11:44 pm
#212
Join Date: May 2013
Programs: Hyatt Platinum, IHG Platinum, Aadvantage Platinum
Posts: 180
Applied today and was instantly approved. Then I got an email saying that while they review my application I should not apply for another Amex Surpass card?
Well am I approved or not? I thought that was obnoxious. They shouldn't withdraw approval. I've never had the card before but have the no fee version. The only problem could be that I'm at 5 Amex cards and a Business Gold. Maybe there's a limit?
Well am I approved or not? I thought that was obnoxious. They shouldn't withdraw approval. I've never had the card before but have the no fee version. The only problem could be that I'm at 5 Amex cards and a Business Gold. Maybe there's a limit?
May 15, 2017, 11:46 pm
#213
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Pacific Northwest
Programs: UA Gold 1MM, AS 75k, AA Plat, Bonvoyed Gold, Honors Dia, Hyatt Explorer, IHG Plat, ...
Posts: 16,857
What do you see online? When I was approved, the card image changed pretty quickly from the NAF card to the Surpass card.
May 16, 2017, 6:19 am
#214
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 79
I applied for the Surpass offer with the free weekend night after first anniversary. Does that mean I will have to pay the annual fee twice (now and then after 1 year)? Or can I cancel the card right at the anniversary and still get the free weekend night? Thanks.
May 16, 2017, 7:07 am
#215
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: New York
Programs: Navy A-4 Skyhawk, B727 FE/FO, S80 FO, B757/767 FO, B737 CA
Posts: 1,342
"To receive the free weekend night award your Card account must not be cancelled or in default at the time of fulfilment."
I think fulfillment means when you use it....not when the 1 night credit is added to your account.
May 22, 2017, 11:17 am
#216
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: CA
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Gold
Posts: 129
I had the Hilton Honors no fee card and recently applied for the Surpass 100k offer. A few days later I upgraded the no fee card using the link without the once in a lifetime language. After waiting for the bonus for the first card I asked through chat about the status and they said it should post after my May19 statement. Today I chatted and the person said I wasn’t eligible for the bonus since I already had the surpass card. She then referred to my no fee card as the surpass card that I had opened in 2016. I told her that this had been the no fee card, which I had upgraded after I had been approved for my first surpass card. They are submitted an inquiry. Anyone else had this issue?
May 22, 2017, 2:40 pm
#217
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 4,431
I spent $3057 on my upgraded Surpass card and got the 100K HH points. Of that spend, I got about $600 back in AMEX Offers credits. I previously thought that Offer credits are deducted from the total spend when it comes to requirement, but sure enough, the points are there. Would it be prudent to spend an additional $600 so the amount I actually owe is >$3K?
May 25, 2017, 12:12 pm
#218
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: CA & Europe
Programs: AA Life-Plat 5MM, HH Diamond, IHG Plat, UA, BA
Posts: 738
I can also confirm that Amex posts the bonus points as soon as I reached the required spend, not waiting for the end of statement period.
I think they are the only card co doing this. Other card companies wait for end of statement period.
I think they are the only card co doing this. Other card companies wait for end of statement period.
May 30, 2017, 8:16 pm
#220
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 6
HHOnors 12week hold before Gold Status - Long Description, need some advice..
May 1st -
I applied for the Surpass card about 3 weeks ago, got instantly approved ( have been a cardmember 20+ years ). A few days later, i checked my hilton membership status and they said that amex has not sent anything over, you have to check with them.
May 10th --
I called amex and they said, as per us, you are already a gold member. Please check with Hilton. I called Hilton and they opened a ticket with Amex.
May 14th -
3 days later I called Hilton and the lady said, Amex has said that I need 20000 points before they upgrade me to Gold.
May 23th
So I call American express, they said, something wrong with the system, reconfirmed the hilton Honors card number and said, it should process and you should have gold card next day or so.
May 30rd -
a week passed, called Amex, they said as per our unwritten rule, you need to wait 12 weeks before geting gold card status. Its in the terms and conditions. I said, hold on, let me get Hilton HHonors also on the call. So with both on the call, Amex goes through the T&C and said, yes it says that you should have direct Gold status, but in our internal notes it does not.
They also mention that we dont know who said about $20,000 K requirement, but that is not correct.
So I have AMex Supervisor on the call, and he insists that I am incorrect, and then T&C mentions the same 12 weeks hold period. 5 minutes of reading the T&C again, he says he is wrong.
Goes to his Manager and comes back, he says the same, I need to wait 12 weeks before they upgrade me to gold.
So i said, can i pursue a lawsuit, they said sure, its not in the T&C, but he cant do anything about it.
HHonors has nothing to do with this. The Supervisor was apolgetic, but he said Amex has told this rule to them in unpublished guidelines.
I did record this conversation, should i just go ahead and consult a lawyer, or should i try to have a conversation again with another Supervisor to put some sense into them.
Sorry about the Rant..
I applied for the Surpass card about 3 weeks ago, got instantly approved ( have been a cardmember 20+ years ). A few days later, i checked my hilton membership status and they said that amex has not sent anything over, you have to check with them.
May 10th --
I called amex and they said, as per us, you are already a gold member. Please check with Hilton. I called Hilton and they opened a ticket with Amex.
May 14th -
3 days later I called Hilton and the lady said, Amex has said that I need 20000 points before they upgrade me to Gold.
May 23th
So I call American express, they said, something wrong with the system, reconfirmed the hilton Honors card number and said, it should process and you should have gold card next day or so.
May 30rd -
a week passed, called Amex, they said as per our unwritten rule, you need to wait 12 weeks before geting gold card status. Its in the terms and conditions. I said, hold on, let me get Hilton HHonors also on the call. So with both on the call, Amex goes through the T&C and said, yes it says that you should have direct Gold status, but in our internal notes it does not.
They also mention that we dont know who said about $20,000 K requirement, but that is not correct.
So I have AMex Supervisor on the call, and he insists that I am incorrect, and then T&C mentions the same 12 weeks hold period. 5 minutes of reading the T&C again, he says he is wrong.
Goes to his Manager and comes back, he says the same, I need to wait 12 weeks before they upgrade me to gold.
So i said, can i pursue a lawsuit, they said sure, its not in the T&C, but he cant do anything about it.
HHonors has nothing to do with this. The Supervisor was apolgetic, but he said Amex has told this rule to them in unpublished guidelines.
I did record this conversation, should i just go ahead and consult a lawyer, or should i try to have a conversation again with another Supervisor to put some sense into them.
Sorry about the Rant..
May 30, 2017, 11:13 pm
#221
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 4,431
I sent my wife a referral for the Surpass card, and noticed my link didn't offer the free night at anniversary. But on Dr of Credit's site, some people were able to post referral links w/ the anniversary night. How are some people able to get this?
Jun 1, 2017, 4:57 pm
#222
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Miami, FL
Programs: UA 1MM, AA Plat, Marriott LT Titanium, Hyatt Glob, IHG ♢ Amb, Hilton ♢, Hertz Pres
Posts: 6,018
Looks like Amex is the winner. They kept the relationship with Hilton. Citi is gone Jan 1, 2018.
https://skift.com/2017/06/01/america...card-provider/
https://skift.com/2017/06/01/america...card-provider/
Jun 1, 2017, 11:55 pm
#223
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 4,431
My wife just received her Surpass card. She created a HH account shortly before signing up for this card; her HH balance is 0 points, but to prevent confusion, she entered that HH account number in the AMEX application. She just added the new Surpass card to her online AMEX account, but the profile says HH number "not available" and balance "not available". So it doesn't seem like this card is linked to any HH number, not her existing HH account nor a new account number. Does she have to call AMEX to make that link? She hasn't used the card yet. It's worth noting that when she logs on to her HH account, it shows Silver status (from a match). So it's definitely not linked to Surpass, which would give Gold.
Jun 2, 2017, 8:15 am
#224
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: New York
Programs: Navy A-4 Skyhawk, B727 FE/FO, S80 FO, B757/767 FO, B737 CA
Posts: 1,342
My wife just received her Surpass card. She created a HH account shortly before signing up for this card; her HH balance is 0 points, but to prevent confusion, she entered that HH account number in the AMEX application. She just added the new Surpass card to her online AMEX account, but the profile says HH number "not available" and balance "not available". So it doesn't seem like this card is linked to any HH number, not her existing HH account nor a new account number. Does she have to call AMEX to make that link? She hasn't used the card yet. It's worth noting that when she logs on to her HH account, it shows Silver status (from a match). So it's definitely not linked to Surpass, which would give Gold.
Jun 2, 2017, 9:57 am
#225
FlyerTalk Evangelist & Ambassador: China
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: DEN
Programs: DL DM/MM, UA 1K, AA Exp, HH Dia, WOH Glob, IHG Plat, Marriott Gold, NA EE, Hertz PC
Posts: 17,423
Just upgraded to the Surpass for the 100K offer for spending 3K. Oddly enough it was on my Amex account online for a few weeks then disappeared. I called Amex and they said once the offer is gone they cannot resurrect it.
One week later, offer was back so I jumped on it. ^
One week later, offer was back so I jumped on it. ^