Hilton
- Hilton has just announced elevated welcome bonuses on two of its Amex credit cards, as well as a new name for its mid-level card.
- The mid-level card is now called the Hilton Honors Surpass Card from American Express, but it's keeping the same perks like free breakfast at certain Hilton brands.
- If you apply for the Surpass card and spend $4,000 in the first four months, you can earn 130,000 points and a free weekend night.
If you're looking to earn points or miles to book travel, one of the best strategies is opening up a rewards credit card and earning its welcome bonus. After you meet the minimum spending requirement, you'll get a large stash of rewards that can fund future airfare or hotel stays, and you'll continue to earn points or miles through spending on that card.
Anyone looking to earn points toward a hotel award stay should give Hilton's lineup of credit cards a look. The Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express can be a great option if you frequently stay with the hotel chain, as it offers complimentary Diamond status - the highest tier in the Hilton Honors loyalty program, with benefits like room upgrades and 20 bonus points per dollar spent. But that card has a $450 annual fee, so if you're more of an occasional Hilton guest or want to pay less out of pocket, these two other Hilton Amex cards could be better fits.
Hilton Honors Surpass Card
New bonus: 130,000 points and a free weekend night after you spend $4,000 in the first four months.
Old bonus: 125,000 points after you spend $2,000 in the first three months.
The mid-level option in Hilton's credit card lineup is getting a name change. It was previously known as the Hilton Honors Ascend Amex, but now it's the Hilton Honors Surpass Card from American Express, with the same $95 annual fee.
If you're familiar with Hilton's credit cards, you may recognize that "Surpass" name, and that's because the Ascend card was actually called the Surpass card before it got a makeover about a year ago. The name and the welcome bonus are all that's changing here; the card's other benefits like 12x points on Hilton purchases and complimentary Gold Hilton status will stay the same.
The new welcome bonus is an improvement. While you only get 5,000 additional Hilton points, the addition of a free weekend night can get you at least a few hundred dollars in value depending on which Hilton property you have in mind.
With the complimentary Hilton Gold status you get as a card holder, you can enjoy free breakfast, room upgrades, and 18x points on Hilton purchases (in addition to the 12x you'd earn on Hilton spending by using the Surpass card). You can also earn Diamond status after you spend $40,000 on the card in a calendar year.
Other Surpass card perks include a free weekend night after you spend $15,000 on the card in a calendar year, and 6x points at restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations in the US (and 3x points on all non-bonus category spending). You'll also get 10 free day passes to Priority Pass airport lounges each year.
Click here to learn more about the Hilton Surpass card from Business Insider's partner The Points Guy.
Hilton Honors American Express Card
New bonus: 90,000 points after you spend $2,000 in the first three months.
Old bonus: 75,000 points after you spend $1,000 in the first three months.
If you only stay at Hilton hotels once or twice a year, the Hilton Amex could be the right pick for you, since you'll avoid paying an annual fee but get a handful of perks to improve your stays.
The Hilton Amex gets you complimentary Silver status, with benefits including 12x points on Hilton stays (on top of the 7x points you'll earn on Hilton stays when you pay with the card) and a fifth night free on award stays. You can upgrade to Gold Hilton status when you spend $20,000 on your card in a calendar year, and you'll earn 5x points at restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations in the US (and 3x points on all non-bonus spending). Like with the other Hilton Amex cards, there are no foreign transaction fees.
Click here to learn more about the Hilton Amex card from Business Insider's partner The Points Guy.
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