Amex Hilton Honors Surpass
The Amex Hilton Honors Surpass from American Express has a $150 annual fee. At $2,650 a month of typical household spending it pays about $402 a year after fees, before statement credits, $234 less than the Citi Double Cash, a flat 2% card.
Terms checked October 27, 2026. Net values use the spending mix of 1,229 U.S. households in the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Expenditure Interview Survey. This is an estimate, not financial advice.
What does the Amex Hilton Honors Surpass earn?
12x Hilton hotel purchases; 6x dining; 6x groceries; 6x gas; 4x U.S. online retail (online shopping and Amazon); 3x on everything else. Points valued at 0.4 cents (NerdWallet 2026).
How much would it pay you a year?
This is the card's rewards minus its annual fee, at three spending levels, with spending split the way the survey households split theirs. Statement credits and sign-up bonuses are left out.
| Spending a month | Amex Hilton Honors Surpass | Citi Double Cash (2%) |
|---|---|---|
| $1,500 | $162 | $360 |
| $2,650 (the survey median) | $402 | $636 |
| $5,000 | $891 | $1,200 |
The mix is 30% everything else, 25% groceries, 16% phone and utilities, 13% dining, and smaller shares elsewhere. Your own split decides the real answer: add your statements to work it out on what you actually spent.
How did it do for real households?
We ran each of the 1,229 households in the 2024 survey through every card, on 12 straight months of their own spending. It was never the best of the 53 cards for any household, and never paid more than the Citi Double Cash, a flat 2% card. For the median household it paid $214 a year less than the flat 2% card.
The survey records spending categories but not merchants, so merchant bonuses and statement credits never count there, which favors flat cards. How we ran the household test.
What credits does it come with?
Up to $200 a year in credits, worth that much only if you would spend at these merchants anyway. PointMaxx counts a credit only when your statements show you'd have used it.
| Credit | Up to |
|---|---|
| Hilton credit | $50 a quarter ($200 a year) |
Fees and sign-up bonus
- Annual fee: $150.
- Foreign transaction fee: none.
- Sign-up bonus: 130,000 points ($520 at 0.4¢ a point) after $3,000 of spending in 6 months. Offers change and can differ by applicant, so check the issuer's page.
Other benefits
- Hilton Honors Gold status: complimentary
- Free Night Reward at $15,000 spend: earned after $15,000 in eligible purchases in a calendar year
- National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status: enrollment through Amex account required
- Car rental loss and damage insurance: secondary, up to $50,000, rentals up to 30 days
- Baggage insurance: up to $1,250 carry-on and $500 checked
- Purchase protection: 90 days
- Extended warranty: adds 1 year to warranties of 5 years or less
Cards that pay about the same
At $2,650 a month, these pay closest to the Amex Hilton Honors Surpass:
- Capital One VentureOne: $398 a year
- Chase United Gateway: $411 a year
- Chase Marriott Bonvoy Boundless: $392 a year
- Bank of America Premium Rewards: $413 a year
See what it would have paid you
Add your statementsFree, in your browser. Your statements are never uploaded.
PointMaxx runs a year of your own card statements against 53 U.S. cards, after annual fees, caps and the credits you'd really use. No statements on hand? The quick estimate asks seven questions instead.
Sources
- hilton.com/en/hilton-honors/credit-cards/
- thepointsguy.com/credit-cards/hilton-honors-amex-current-offers/
- travelingformiles.com/amex-has-launched-new-welcome-offers-across-all-hilton-honors-cards-including-a-record-200000-point-offer/
- insideflyer.com/posts/amex-offers-130-000-hilton-points-with-no-first-year-fee-3
- bankrate.com/finance/credit-cards/pdp/hilton-honors-american-express-surpass-card
- frequentmiler.com/hilton-honors-american-express-surpass-card/
- hellosafe.com/credit-card-insurance/united-states/american-express/hilton-honors-surpass
- Household spending: BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys public-use microdata, 2024 Interview Survey.
See a wrong rate? Tell us. PointMaxx is not affiliated with or endorsed by American Express; the card's name is used only to say which card is meant.