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)
Jan 25, 2022, 7:00 am
#841
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: AA EP; WN CP;UA SILVER; MARRIOTT TITANIUM; HH DIAMOND; IHG PLAT; RADISSON PLAT; HYATT GLOBAL
Posts: 1,938
Also received the upgrade offer from $0 fee to the aka Surpass, 150K points for spending $3,000 in 3 months, accept offer by 3/31/2022. Interesting that I downgraded just a couple months ago. I have had this card open since 2005 when the Surpass was first launched and have been on the upgrade/downgrade merry go around at least 7 times.
Jan 29, 2022, 5:33 pm
#843
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2008
Location: San Francisco
Programs: GM on VX, UA, AA, HA, AS, SY; Budget Fastbreak
Posts: 27,612
i failed to upgrade it when the offer was 160k - now it’s 150k. At least I now applied for it because I will enjoy getting those hh points to avoid future resort fees :-)
Feb 7, 2022, 2:56 pm
#844
Join Date: Feb 2017
Programs: TrueBlue, Hilton Honors
Posts: 69
Has anyone had some but not all of their points post properly? My most recent statement is correct. My tracker in the app is correct when looking at the "points needed to make diamond" section. But the number of points is off--it looks like my base points posted for my february statement but not my bonus category points--even though they show up in my "points activity." they just didn't get added to the total. I'm not sure how long to give it before I call the diamond desk to investigate.
(I had just below 309K points. I earned just over 34k points, of which about 28.5k were base points. I am now at 336.5K points. The points activity shows 4 sections: base points, gas bonus, restaurants bonus, grocery bonus. But none of the bonus points were added to the total. I'm about 6k off).
(I had just below 309K points. I earned just over 34k points, of which about 28.5k were base points. I am now at 336.5K points. The points activity shows 4 sections: base points, gas bonus, restaurants bonus, grocery bonus. But none of the bonus points were added to the total. I'm about 6k off).
Mar 15, 2022, 10:08 am
#845
Join Date: Jan 2020
Programs: Marriott Titanium (Lifetime Gold), Caesars Diamond
Posts: 1,402
I tried to apply for this online and got:
It seems like a decent number of people are getting rejected for the same reason (see comments): https://onemileatatime.com/amex-denying-bonuses/
I currently have 4 amex cards (3 consumer, one business). Used to have Aspire and downgraded it to the free one. Tried calling CS and got the same message, CS said I can't do anything and nothing will change before the end of the month. I have no amex applications in the past 90 days and am probably like 2/24.
Based on your history with American Express welcome offers, introductory APR offers, or the number of cards you have opened and closed, you are not eligible to receive this welcome offer.We have not yet performed a credit check. Would you still like to proceed?
I currently have 4 amex cards (3 consumer, one business). Used to have Aspire and downgraded it to the free one. Tried calling CS and got the same message, CS said I can't do anything and nothing will change before the end of the month. I have no amex applications in the past 90 days and am probably like 2/24.
Mar 15, 2022, 8:35 pm
#846
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: Wyndham Diamond
Posts: 876
I tried to apply for this online and got:
It seems like a decent number of people are getting rejected for the same reason (see comments): https://onemileatatime.com/amex-denying-bonuses/
I currently have 4 amex cards (3 consumer, one business). Used to have Aspire and downgraded it to the free one. Tried calling CS and got the same message, CS said I can't do anything and nothing will change before the end of the month. I have no amex applications in the past 90 days and am probably like 2/24.
It seems like a decent number of people are getting rejected for the same reason (see comments): https://onemileatatime.com/amex-denying-bonuses/
I currently have 4 amex cards (3 consumer, one business). Used to have Aspire and downgraded it to the free one. Tried calling CS and got the same message, CS said I can't do anything and nothing will change before the end of the month. I have no amex applications in the past 90 days and am probably like 2/24.
Mar 15, 2022, 9:41 pm
#847
Join Date: Jan 2020
Programs: Marriott Titanium (Lifetime Gold), Caesars Diamond
Posts: 1,402
I believe the max is 5 cards. I only mentioned it in this thread because it looks like people also have issues with the same card (in the link above) but maybe it's a biased sample.
I have 4 credit cards: Bonvoy Brilliant, Bonvoy (fka SPG Amex), Bonvoy Business, and Hilton (free). Only one I've downgraded was Hilton Aspire to Hilton but that was two years ago. Haven't closed a card, though am planning to close the Bonvoy (fka SPG Amex) soon as it's redundant with the Brilliant.
Ah well, onto the next one...
I have 4 credit cards: Bonvoy Brilliant, Bonvoy (fka SPG Amex), Bonvoy Business, and Hilton (free). Only one I've downgraded was Hilton Aspire to Hilton but that was two years ago. Haven't closed a card, though am planning to close the Bonvoy (fka SPG Amex) soon as it's redundant with the Brilliant.
Ah well, onto the next one...
Oct 17, 2022, 6:49 pm
#848
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Dreamland
Posts: 928
15k Free night cert questions:
Upgraded earlier this year to Surpass
Hit 15k, got credit.
1) I assume I can not get a second night cert within the same year
2) How is year defined? Calendar? Cardmember?
2a) If calendar year, in theory, if you got a new card in December, hit 15k right away, then Jan 1 spent another 15k, you could get 2 within a month?
Upgraded earlier this year to Surpass
Hit 15k, got credit.
1) I assume I can not get a second night cert within the same year
2) How is year defined? Calendar? Cardmember?
2a) If calendar year, in theory, if you got a new card in December, hit 15k right away, then Jan 1 spent another 15k, you could get 2 within a month?
Oct 18, 2022, 1:52 am
#849
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Programs: Mucci, BA Gold, TK Elite, HHonors Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 7,691
Oct 18, 2022, 1:58 am
#850
Join Date: May 2009
Location: EUG
Programs: AS MVP, AA MM, HH Diamond, MR Gold
Posts: 8,220
I think it's a calendar year. Our countdown is to 12/31/22, and that's not our renewal date. And it's true you can only get one free night per year.
Hilton Honors Free Night Reward
If, in any calendar year of Card Membership, your total eligible purchases on your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card account reach $15,000, you will receive a Free Night Reward from Hilton Honors. The Free Night Reward will be issued in the form of a redeemable code and sent to you in an email from Hilton Honors to the email address listed on your Hilton Honors account. You will receive the Reward email within 8-12 weeks after you have met the purchase requirement. This benefit is only available to the Basic Card Member; however, eligible purchases made by Additional Card Members will contribute to the purchase requirement.
Oct 18, 2022, 7:34 am
#852
Join Date: May 2009
Location: EUG
Programs: AS MVP, AA MM, HH Diamond, MR Gold
Posts: 8,220
No problem. We also have an Aspire card and what's confusing about that one is one of the benefits is card year, and another is calendar year. It was just plain dumb luck we got it in December, so we just treat all the benefits on the same timetable.
But I sure wish you'd get a second FNC on the Surpass with 30K spend.
But I sure wish you'd get a second FNC on the Surpass with 30K spend.
Oct 18, 2022, 12:02 pm
#853
Join Date: Sep 2022
Posts: 108
Anyone running both Surpass and Aspire? Thinking of using those two cards for about half the year to hit the spend, get a FNC, then switch to Chase setup or Venture X for other half of the year. I know not to spread amongst TOO many ecosystems, but the Hilton setup with those two and a potential P2 Aspire could be awesome for half the year and acquiring the FNC, then going after Hyatt points the rest of the year.
Feb 13, 2023, 6:49 am
#854
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Bainbridge Island, WA
Posts: 8,964
Surpass Sign-up Free night cert....can I let a relative use it?
I have a free night Hilton Surpass Cert I got when I signed up for the card a year ago. It expires next month.
We don't really travel anymore.
Can I make a reservation in the name of a relative who does need to stay at an airport Hilton to catch an early flight in a few weeks?
Thanks.
We don't really travel anymore.
Can I make a reservation in the name of a relative who does need to stay at an airport Hilton to catch an early flight in a few weeks?
Thanks.
Feb 13, 2023, 8:42 am
#855
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: CA
Programs: BA, AA, United
Posts: 429
I have a free night Hilton Surpass Cert I got when I signed up for the card a year ago. It expires next month.
We don't really travel anymore.
Can I make a reservation in the name of a relative who does need to stay at an airport Hilton to catch an early flight in a few weeks?
Thanks.
We don't really travel anymore.
Can I make a reservation in the name of a relative who does need to stay at an airport Hilton to catch an early flight in a few weeks?
Thanks.