May 26, 2014, 3:09 pm
Last edit by: philemer
For the $50 quarterly credit, you may be interested in this: Report Hilton hotel restaurants that use hotel's merchant account (no stay) [FT AmEx Subforum]. Or https://www.buyhiltongiftcards.com/ also works, but they have not been available for Q1 2025.
Hilton HHonors American Express Surpass card. 130,000 points for spending $3,000 in 6 months; $150 annual fee. Current offer as of 8/19/25
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
Hilton HHonors American Express Surpass card. 130,000 points for spending $3,000 in 6 months; $150 annual fee. Current offer as of 8/19/25
- 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)
Mar 4, 2026 | 7:24 pm
#1441
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Rochester, MN
Programs: UA Silver, Hilton HHonors Diamond, IHG Plat
Posts: 2,498
Mar 8, 2026 | 2:43 pm
#1443
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 26,111
Don't count on a stay too near the end of the quarter to necessarily post the quarterly $50 credit correctly.
I reviewed my Hilton family hotel stays for the past couple of years, and many of them posted the credit at least one day after checkout. And it wasn't a big list, so it may be that some hotels might sometimes take even longer to post.
I reviewed my Hilton family hotel stays for the past couple of years, and many of them posted the credit at least one day after checkout. And it wasn't a big list, so it may be that some hotels might sometimes take even longer to post.
Mar 9, 2026 | 11:56 am
#1445
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: YVR
Posts: 654
Your comment is as helpful as directing something similar towards a victim who got into 3 not at fault traffic accidents in 2 years.
There were countless cases where they weren't coded as Hilton before the last 3 incidents in less than 2 years, but it wasnt a too big of a deal before $50/quarter credit era for stays of a few nights or less. Im sure there are a lot of people not seeing it worth disputing for.
After having weeks stays at one hotel, and Amex started quarterly credits, I had enough and started pursuing.Hilton US Amex: spends at hotels not earning multiplier
There are multiple reports of people unable to redeem Hilton GC, Im sure thats because their terminals werent coded as Hilton, and unable to redeem GC is a bigger deal than not earning Hilton spends multiplier for a couple of nights. People dont start making noises until the damage recovery is worthwhile for them to get to the bottom of it.
Since Amex and Hilton refuse to play fair games, I stopped playing it, too.
There were countless cases where they weren't coded as Hilton before the last 3 incidents in less than 2 years, but it wasnt a too big of a deal before $50/quarter credit era for stays of a few nights or less. Im sure there are a lot of people not seeing it worth disputing for.
After having weeks stays at one hotel, and Amex started quarterly credits, I had enough and started pursuing.Hilton US Amex: spends at hotels not earning multiplier
There are multiple reports of people unable to redeem Hilton GC, Im sure thats because their terminals werent coded as Hilton, and unable to redeem GC is a bigger deal than not earning Hilton spends multiplier for a couple of nights. People dont start making noises until the damage recovery is worthwhile for them to get to the bottom of it.
Since Amex and Hilton refuse to play fair games, I stopped playing it, too.
Mar 9, 2026 | 12:23 pm
#1446
Join Date: Nov 2007
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton Honors Diamond, Delta Gold
Posts: 6,631
Your comment is as helpful as directing something similar towards a victim who got into 3 not at fault traffic accidents in 2 years.
There were countless cases where they weren't coded as Hilton before the last 3 incidents in less than 2 years, but it wasnt a too big of a deal before $50/quarter credit era for stays of a few nights or less. Im sure there are a lot of people not seeing it worth disputing for.
After having weeks stays at one hotel, and Amex started quarterly credits, I had enough and started pursuing.Hilton US Amex: spends at hotels not earning multiplier
There are multiple reports of people unable to redeem Hilton GC, Im sure thats because their terminals werent coded as Hilton, and unable to redeem GC is a bigger deal than not earning Hilton spends multiplier for a couple of nights. People dont start making noises until the damage recovery is worthwhile for them to get to the bottom of it.
Since Amex and Hilton refuse to play fair games, I stopped playing it, too.
There were countless cases where they weren't coded as Hilton before the last 3 incidents in less than 2 years, but it wasnt a too big of a deal before $50/quarter credit era for stays of a few nights or less. Im sure there are a lot of people not seeing it worth disputing for.
After having weeks stays at one hotel, and Amex started quarterly credits, I had enough and started pursuing.Hilton US Amex: spends at hotels not earning multiplier
There are multiple reports of people unable to redeem Hilton GC, Im sure thats because their terminals werent coded as Hilton, and unable to redeem GC is a bigger deal than not earning Hilton spends multiplier for a couple of nights. People dont start making noises until the damage recovery is worthwhile for them to get to the bottom of it.
Since Amex and Hilton refuse to play fair games, I stopped playing it, too.
I'm not saying I haven't seen any other reports, I have, but it's not as common an occurrence as you make it out to be. Furthermore, the 2 properties where you had issues were both international and I believe this problem may be more common with non US based properties. I have also seen it be an issue here and there with SLH but that's a recent addition to Hilton from before the times of that thread.
I don't think we've seen reports of domestic US properties not triggering the credits and if it did happen, it was probably a one-off thing and not something that is prevalent.
Mar 10, 2026 | 10:20 pm
#1447
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: YVR
Posts: 654
With all due respect, where did you see countless cases of Hilton properties not coding properly? There wasn't even anyone else reporting anything of the sort in the the thread you started just for that reason.
I'm not saying I haven't seen any other reports, I have, but it's not as common an occurrence as you make it out to be. Furthermore, the 2 properties where you had issues were both international and I believe this problem may be more common with non US based properties. I have also seen it be an issue here and there with SLH but that's a recent addition to Hilton from before the times of that thread.
I don't think we've seen reports of domestic US properties not triggering the credits and if it did happen, it was probably a one-off thing and not something that is prevalent.
I'm not saying I haven't seen any other reports, I have, but it's not as common an occurrence as you make it out to be. Furthermore, the 2 properties where you had issues were both international and I believe this problem may be more common with non US based properties. I have also seen it be an issue here and there with SLH but that's a recent addition to Hilton from before the times of that thread.
I don't think we've seen reports of domestic US properties not triggering the credits and if it did happen, it was probably a one-off thing and not something that is prevalent.
Using my example today, I saw 700 Avios credited from my airbnb stay, then the exact amount was deducted for some reason a month later. Do I report this to BA and post about it online? No, unless I have time to kill, and I post about it as an example of how I handle small losses, not as a grief or a warning.
For many, they dont even realize they got short changed or scammed. I didnt realize this Avios discrepancy until today, which was credited in December, then pulled back in January.
I repeat what I said in my previous post: people, including myself, dont make noises until the loss become worthwhile to pursue, such as missing Hilton multiplier after weeks stays, $50 not posting after a single stay in a quarter, GC keeps getting declined, and so on.
Not US hotels? So what? Terms dont exclude non US hotels. Hilton has 35% of its rooms outside the US. Promise made, promise kept isnt there. Ive stopped staying at their hotels when theyre out of my way. I dont know how, but Im diamond again this year, but Im not bringing more of my business to Hilton.
Fun fact: Hilton has half a dozen hotels in Uzbekistan, but none of them even take amex!
Mar 10, 2026 | 10:44 pm
#1448
Join Date: Nov 2007
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton Honors Diamond, Delta Gold
Posts: 6,631
Do you agree there are countless traffic violations most parts of the world every day? Do you report all such violations to police? Of course not.
Using my example today, I saw 700 Avios credited from my airbnb stay, then the exact amount was deducted for some reason a month later. Do I report this to BA and post about it online? No, unless I have time to kill, and I post about it as an example of how I handle small losses, not as a grief or a warning.
For many, they dont even realize they got short changed or scammed. I didnt realize this Avios discrepancy until today, which was credited in December, then pulled back in January.
I repeat what I said in my previous post: people, including myself, dont make noises until the loss become worthwhile to pursue, such as missing Hilton multiplier after weeks stays, $50 not posting after a single stay in a quarter, GC keeps getting declined, and so on.
Not US hotels? So what? Terms dont exclude non US hotels. Hilton has 35% of its rooms outside the US. Promise made, promise kept isnt there. Ive stopped staying at their hotels when theyre out of my way. I dont know how, but Im diamond again this year, but Im not bringing more of my business to Hilton.
Fun fact: Hilton has half a dozen hotels in Uzbekistan, but none of them even take amex!
Using my example today, I saw 700 Avios credited from my airbnb stay, then the exact amount was deducted for some reason a month later. Do I report this to BA and post about it online? No, unless I have time to kill, and I post about it as an example of how I handle small losses, not as a grief or a warning.
For many, they dont even realize they got short changed or scammed. I didnt realize this Avios discrepancy until today, which was credited in December, then pulled back in January.
I repeat what I said in my previous post: people, including myself, dont make noises until the loss become worthwhile to pursue, such as missing Hilton multiplier after weeks stays, $50 not posting after a single stay in a quarter, GC keeps getting declined, and so on.
Not US hotels? So what? Terms dont exclude non US hotels. Hilton has 35% of its rooms outside the US. Promise made, promise kept isnt there. Ive stopped staying at their hotels when theyre out of my way. I dont know how, but Im diamond again this year, but Im not bringing more of my business to Hilton.
Fun fact: Hilton has half a dozen hotels in Uzbekistan, but none of them even take amex!
).What I didn't clarify in my previous post was that I was addressing the fact that the other FTer had stated in the post you quoted that they never had a Hilton charge not count and you were refuting that. So I'm going to assume that probably all or most of their stays were within the USA and that's why they never ran into any issue with a property not coding properly like you (and perhaps others) did.
It's definitely unacceptable for any property under the Hilton umbrella not to code properly and it should most certainly be brought to the attention of Hilton so it can be fixed. Not that I'm trying to convince you to give Hilton your business, but I still believe that the majority of their properties do code properly for the purposes of points and card benefits - the outliers should be called out so that they fix it for the future.
Mar 11, 2026 | 10:12 am
#1449
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Between AUS, EWR, and YTO In a little twisty maze of airline seats, all alike.. but I wanna go home with the armadillo
Programs: CO, NW, & UA forum moderator emeritus. Eurobonus Millionaire
Posts: 38,640
Mar 30, 2026 | 11:53 am
#1450
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: SFO
Programs: AY Gold, HH Diamond
Posts: 8,608
Regarding the spreadsheet with restaurant data points for the $50 quarterly credit, there are 2 locations in Palo Alto that are shaded red with the comment "No (yes via chat)".
Could someone clarify what this means? I could drive to Sunnyvale if needed, as that's confirmed "Yes", but Palo Alto is closer and preferable if it works. Thank you.
Could someone clarify what this means? I could drive to Sunnyvale if needed, as that's confirmed "Yes", but Palo Alto is closer and preferable if it works. Thank you.
Mar 30, 2026 | 1:30 pm
#1451
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: 718
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum, IHG Diamond
Posts: 1,111
Apr 2, 2026 | 9:21 pm
#1452
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Rochester, MN
Programs: UA Silver, Hilton HHonors Diamond, IHG Plat
Posts: 2,498
May 7, 2026 | 3:22 pm
#1453
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: SFO
Programs: UA1k3.1mm;AAexEXP;HyGlob;AccPlt;HHGld;OnyxPlt;MarLTTitIHGDiAm;RRVIP;BW D;HcomG
Posts: 2,878
I was surprised to see an offer in the Rewards & Benefits section of my account to receive $70 back after spending $200 at Hilton properties.
It expires 8/15/26.
DetailsEarn a one-time $70 statement credit after using your enrolled eligible Card to spend a minimum of $200 in one or more qualifying purchases on room rate and room charges, when you pay for your stay at participating Hilton properties from 4/15/2026 to 8/15/2026. Book at Hilton.com. See terms.
It expires 8/15/26.DetailsEarn a one-time $70 statement credit after using your enrolled eligible Card to spend a minimum of $200 in one or more qualifying purchases on room rate and room charges, when you pay for your stay at participating Hilton properties from 4/15/2026 to 8/15/2026. Book at Hilton.com. See terms.
Yesterday | 9:11 am
#1454
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Michigan, USA
Programs: Hilton Diamond; Delta Platinum
Posts: 612
I was surprised to see an offer in the Rewards & Benefits section of my account to receive $70 back after spending $200 at Hilton properties. It expires 8/15/26.
DetailsEarn a one-time $70 statement credit after using your enrolled eligible Card to spend a minimum of $200 in one or more qualifying purchases on room rate and room charges, when you pay for your stay at participating Hilton properties from 4/15/2026 to 8/15/2026. Book at Hilton.com. See terms.
It expires 8/15/26.DetailsEarn a one-time $70 statement credit after using your enrolled eligible Card to spend a minimum of $200 in one or more qualifying purchases on room rate and room charges, when you pay for your stay at participating Hilton properties from 4/15/2026 to 8/15/2026. Book at Hilton.com. See terms.
Yesterday | 1:50 pm
#1455
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: SFO
Programs: UA1k3.1mm;AAexEXP;HyGlob;AccPlt;HHGld;OnyxPlt;MarLTTitIHGDiAm;RRVIP;BW D;HcomG
Posts: 2,878
I have one for $40 off $200. I recently stayed in Aruba and they were very good about accepting multiple cards to maximize my quarterly credits but I had put the largest part of my bill on the one with the Amex offer. The offer never posted but I just noticed it says "Hotels in the US". Bummer, I didn't realize it was USA only. If you booked it on the USA Hilton site and it posts on your USA card, it's weird that they'd consider this not eligible.
Thanks for the alert.