Overnight, American Express made extensive changes to Hilton Aspire and Surpass cards, both shuffling around benefits and increasing the annual fees on each card. Some people will like the changes (including me), others will be disappointed. Regardless, many feared that Amex would eventually kill the excellent value proposition of the Aspire and, for now, it will remain a worthwhile card for many folks.
At the same time, three of the American Express Hilton Honors credit cards have new, limited time welcome offers for a substantial tranche of Hilton points (and in the case of the Aspire card, a free night certificate). These new offers represent or match the best that we’ve seen on the Hilton Surpass and Aspire cards for bonus points alone.
The Offers & Key Card Details
For more card information and to find an application link, see our dedicated card pages by clicking the names of the cards below.
| Card Offer and Details |
|---|
![](http://cdn.nextinsure.com/imaging/opt/e671653b-c490-4729-9c84-06cd764bdbe0.png?w=300" alt="Hilton Honors American Express Card" />) ⓘ $351 1st Yr Value EstimateClick to learn about first year value estimates 80K Points ⓘAffiliateThis is an affiliate offer. Frequent Miler may earn a commission if you are approved for this offer 80K points after $2K spend within the first 6 months. Terms apply. (Rates & Fees) No Annual Fee After clicking through, be sure to choose the card you want on the landing page. Recent better offer: (Expired 4/29/25) 70K points + free night certificate after $2K spend within the first 6 months. FM Mini Review: This card isn't particularly rewarding, but it's good to keep primarily for targeted Amex upgrade offers to the Surpass card. Earning rate: ✦ 7X Hilton eligible Hilton purchases ✦ 5X US restaurants, US Supermarkets, and US gas stations ✦ 3X on all other eligible purchases Card Info: Amex Credit Card issued by Amex. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees. Big spend bonus: Gold elite status with $20K in eligible purchases in calendar year Noteworthy perks: ✦ Free Silver status; Gold status with $20K in eligible purchases. ✦ Terms Apply. (Rates & Fees) |
| Card Offer and Details |
|---|
![](http://cdn.nextinsure.com/imaging/opt/0fb236dd-aecb-49ed-9f28-94aaf0efd9a2.png?w=300" alt="Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card" />) ⓘ $574 1st Yr Value Estimate$200 Hilton credit ($50 per quarter) valued at $150 Click to learn about first year value estimates 130K Points ⓘAffiliateThis is an affiliate offer. Frequent Miler may earn a commission if you are approved for this offer 130K points after $3K spend within the first 6 months. Terms apply. $150 Annual Fee Recent better offer: (Expired 4/29/25) 130K points + free night certificate after $3K spend within the first 6 months. FM Mini Review: Easy way to secure Hilton Gold status (which offers free breakfast among other perks). Those who want Diamond status may be better off with the Aspire card. Earning rate: ✦ 12X Hilton spend ✦ 6X U.S. restaurants, US Supermarkets, and US gas stations ✦ 4X U.S. Online Retail Purchases ✦ 3X on all other eligible purchases Base: 3X (1.44%) Dine: 6X (2.88%) Gas: 6X (2.88%) Grocery: 6X (2.88%) Shop: 4X (1.92%) Brand: 12X (5.76%) Card Info: Amex Credit Card issued by Amex. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees. Big spend bonus: ✦ Free night award after $15K in eligible purchases in calendar year ✦ Hilton Honors™ Diamond status with $40K in eligible purchases in a calendar year ✦ Terms apply Noteworthy perks: Automatic Hilton Honors™ Gold status. Hilton Honors™ Diamond status w/ $40K in eligible purchases in a calendar year. ✦ Up to $200 in Hilton credits ($50 per quarter) ✦ Terms Apply. (Rates & Fees) |
| Card Offer and Details |
|---|
 ⓘ $1000 1st Yr Value Estimate$400 Hilton resort credit ($200 per six months) valued at $280, Hilton Free Night valued at $490, $200 airline credit ($50 per quarter) valued at $160 Click to learn about first year value estimates 150K Points + free night certificate ⓘFriend-ReferralThis is a friend-referral offer. A member of the Frequent Miler community may earn a referral bonus if you are approved for this offer 150K after $6K spend in first 6 months. Free night certificate every year - first certificate is awarded 8-12 weeks after approval. Terms apply. $550 Annual Fee Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. Recent better offer: (Expired 4/29/25) 175K after $6K spend in first 6 months FM Mini Review: This card is loaded with valuable perks that are more than worth the card's annual fee if you stay in Hilton resorts at least twice per year. Earning rate: ✦ 14X Hilton spend ✦ 7X US restaurants, flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com, select car rental companies ✦ 3X on all other eligible purchases ✦ Terms & Limitations Apply. Card Info: Amex Credit Card issued by Amex. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees. Big spend bonus: Additional free night awards after $30K and $60K in eligible purchases in calendar year Noteworthy perks: ✦Annual Free Night Reward every year upon renewal ✦ Free Diamond Status ✦ Up to $400 Hilton Resort Credit per calendar year ($200 semi-annually) ✦ $200 Flight Credit ($50 per quarter for purchases directly with airlines or via Amex Travel) ✦ $199 CLEAR (R) Plus fee credit per calendar year ✦ $100 on-property credit w/ Aspire Card package ✦ Terms Apply. See Rates & Fees See also: Amex Hilton Aspire In-Depth Review |
Quick Thoughts
The offers on the Aspire and the Surpass cards are the most attractive to me. Each of these gives 170K+ of Hilton points and the Aspire offer combines it with a free night as well.
Hilton has possibly the most flexible free night certificates of any major hotel chain. You can use them for a standard room at almost any Hilton property worldwide, regardless of what the nightly cost is in cash or points. Originally, these certs were only applicable towards weekend stays, but during the pandemic, Hilton made them available for use any day of the week, a change that was made permanent in 2022.
Keep in mind that each Hilton card is considered a separate product, so it’s possible to get a welcome offer on all four cards without running afoul of Amex’s “one welcome offer in a lifetime rule.” Amex has been killing us lately by expanding “family” language to the Platinum, Gold and Delta cards, among others, but those terms haven’t migrated to the Hilton cards yet.
Note that these offers are available via referral, so if you’re in 2-player mode you can add even more points to the total haul. You don’t even need a Hilton card to refer someone, as referrals are possible from Membership Rewards (MR)-earning cards as well (ie, Amex Platinum, Gold, etc). Some folks are finding referral offers as high as 25K MR for referring a new cardholder, which is a significant addition to the Hilton offers.
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[…] Higher Signup Bonuses are here: Hilton Amex Cards: Limited Time Welcome Offers with Big Points. […]
If I apply for the Aspire, will I get the $200 semi-annual resort credit until the end of the year? Or will it only start on 1/1/24? It seems a bit unclear from the T&C. Thank you in advance!
I generated a referral link from my Hilton Honors biz card so that my P2 can get the Surpass, but the offer is only for 130k points, not 170k. Maybe this will change soon?
Duh…never mind. Have to select the right card once you get the referral link.
The perks you have listed for aspire show Annual Weekend Night Reward every year upon renewal. Isn’t it a free night any time now?
It is.
Since they just did this whole revamp, presumably the no family language is not going to be added to these soon. I mean, hopefully.
I’d been holding off on the Aspire as I didn’t need it yet and was hoping for the AMEX Platinum 150K offers. I recently gave up on Platinum after continual pop-up jail and then the recent changes to add family language to the Gold card (AMEX did me a favor with pop-up jail in saving myself from locking out SUB eligibility on the Gold Card – thanks AMEX I guess?).
Hadn’t turned around and gotten Aspire yet being busy with trips and work. With AMEX showing some grace and not nerfing the card and a higher SUB here’s hoping I don’t get pop-up jailed again!
…and no dice. Still pop-up jail for me!
For pre–existing cardholders who have yet to use the $250 resort credit, does the new $200 semi-annual resort credit replace it immediately ?
So if my P2 hasn’t had any Hilton cards, could I refer them for both the No annual fee and the Surpass card, and open them at the same time to earn both welcome bonuses?
Are these Amex points or Hilton points?
All co-branded cards (from any issuer) earn points for the rewards program of that card’s brand. All Hilton cards earn HH point. All Marriott cards earn Bonvoy points. All Delta cards earn Skymiles. Ect…
Interesting DPs –
P2 has 3 CC with Amex (Aspire,BBP, and Biz Bonvoy).
Applied for Hilton Surpass in July when it offered FNC pop-up for both P1/P2. Tried apping P2 again yesterday – popup.
Then logged into P2s account an applied for Biz Bonvoy with her other Bonvoy account (not the same Bonovoy# as the existing Bonvoy biz acct) – we merged/combined SPG accounts during the Marriott/SPG merger.
Shockingly no pop-up and instant approval –
Interestingly as well added Chase Boundless (5 * 50K certs) and Amex Brilliant in September to the orginal combined acct with two existing Bonvoy Biz cards and 35K FNC (circa 2018). C
Chatting with Amex confirmed was actually eligible for SUB 2 * 85K certs (was interested originally in mainly Platinum/FNA for upcoming trips – same result with Secure message for Boundless amount spent, the bonus and the spend by date.
Not sure I bypassed the eligibility matrix – and eligible for both SUBS.
Thinking I may wait 5 biz days and retry P2 for the Surpass to see if the pop-up is still applying for the card refresh ( then PC to 2nd Aspire). 170K for $3K may actually wait till December – we also added P1/P2 IHG Premier cards in last 21 days.
I’m a little confused where it says a free night is awarded on the Aspire “after meeting minimum spend”. I see that there is a FN within 8-12 weeks after “approval”, and there’s a “big spend” FN after $30k and $60k (same with Surpass after $15k). But I don’t see a minimum spend FN. Is there another FN that I’m missing?
It’s not after minimum spend, it’s 8-12 weeks after approval.
Ok cool thanks– look at the 1st paragraph under “Quick Thoughts”. That’s what had me confused.
I see what you mean, I fixed that. Thanks.
Please let Greg know he is not the only one who has not gotten the Aspire. I feel like I’m drowning in credit cards already. Time to downsize not upsize….sigh.
Just a reminder to start with the Hilton Honors or Surpass card in case Amex adds family language to the Surpass or Aspire
That’s what I did back in 2021 (Vanilla Hilton), then in 2022 (Surpass). There’s only one I Aspire to get. lol
I had an Aspire card (for which I earned a SUB) from late-2018 and closed it in 2022. What is the collective wisdom about how long it takes AmEx to “forget” you previously had a card? Is that counted from the opening date or closing date?
I recognize that I will get a pop-up warning if I’m not eligible, but I’m interested in knowing before I apply as to how this works. Thanks…
In theory it has been said as 7 years. I haven’t seen DP lately. However, a pop up should let you know if you won’t get the bonus due to already having the product, right?
I usually hear seven years
It’s somewhere between 5-7 years. As far as I know, no one really knows why some folks seem to be forgotten earlier and some later. To your point, there’s then the random times that Amex on a whim decides it doesn’t care and you don’t get a pop-up.
It’s counted from closing date.
Will current Aspire card holders be immediately subjected to the new list of benefits, which I consider a big downgrade, or only when their next renewal comes up? I
There’s another article about the changes (linked in the first sentence) that details this
Was wondering too for current card
holders, guess I will check the link