Hilton Surpass vs. Hilton Business: Which mid-tier Hilton card is better for you?

If you’re in the market for a new Hilton credit card, American Express has an impressive lineup — ranging from no annual fee to premium offerings.

Today, we’ll look at the two mid-range Hilton cards: the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card and the Hilton Honors American Express Business Card.

Here’s a closer look at both cards to help you decide which is worth adding to your wallet.

Hilton Surpass vs. Hilton Business comparison

Hilton Surpass vs. Hilton Business welcome offer

New Hilton Surpass applicants can earn 155,000 Hilton Honors points after they spend $3,000 in purchases on the card within the first six months of card membership. Those welcome offer points equate to $930 in value, based on TPG’s most recent valuations.

This isn’t quite the highest offer we’ve seen for the Hilton Surpass, but it meets our criteria for when to apply.

Meanwhile, the Hilton Business card is currently offering 175,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on the card in the first six months of card membership. The highest offer we’ve seen in the past is 180,000 bonus points, so the current offer is almost as good as it gets and certainly worth considering.

You don’t have to have an office with dozens of employees to apply for a business card. A side hustle or consulting gig may be more than enough to qualify you for a small-business card. You could also apply for both cards and earn up to 330,000 bonus points.

But before applying for either, be sure to check Amex’s application restrictions and ensure you’re eligible for the bonus.

Winner: Hilton Business. A higher signup bonus can help new cardmembers redeem points for hotel stays.

Related: Better together: An ultimate guide to the best credit card pairings

Hilton Surpass vs. Hilton Business benefits

With both cards, you can enjoy a wide assortment of perks:

• Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold elite status: With Gold status, you’ll earn an 80% points bonus on Hilton stays, the fifth night free on award redemptions, elite-tier rollover nights, complimentary breakfast or food and beverage credit at all Hilton hotels, room upgrades (when available) and more.
• National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status: Benefits include guaranteed upgrades, access to Executive Area cars (in the USA and Canada) and no second driver fees.
• Travel protections: Baggage insurance* and car rental loss and damage insurance** are included with both cards.
• No foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees for Surpass and Hilton Business)

However, both cards do have some key differences.

The Hilton Surpass earns up to $200 in statement credits annually (up to $50 each quarter) on eligible purchases made with Hilton. These can include room reservations, incidentals or spa charges.

In addition, a huge perk of the Surpass is the ability to earn a free night reward after you spend $15,000 in a calendar year. Free night rewards can be used at select properties, although it’s still an impressive list and can be combined with redemption bookings that take advantage of Hilton’s fifth-night-free perk.

On the other hand, the Hilton Business provides up to $240 in statement credits annually on eligible purchases made with Hilton, which are split into $60 quarterly statement credits. The statement credit can be used for room reservations, incidentals, and charges at Hilton food and beverage outlets.

*Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.
**Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered, and geographic restrictions apply. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.

Winner: Hilton Surpass. Despite the lower statement credit, earning a free night reward based on spend is a useful perk.

Earning points with the Hilton Surpass vs. Hilton Business

With either the Hilton Business card or the Hilton Surpass card, you’ll earn 12 points per dollar on eligible purchases at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio, which gives you a solid 7.2% return, according to TPG valuations.

The Hilton Business card also earns 5 Hilton points per dollar on the first $100,000 in purchases per calendar year and then 3 points per dollar after that.

Meanwhile, the Hilton Surpass earns 6 Hilton points per dollar at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations. You’ll also get 4 points per dollar spent on U.S. online retail purchases and 3 points per dollar spent on other eligible purchases.

While there is some overlap in terms of bonus categories, the biggest perk is that you’ll earn 6 points per dollar spent on a total of three unique categories with the Hilton Surpass and 4 points per dollar with online retailers. In comparison, the Hilton Business card falls short by not offering any bonus categories and limiting point accrual for other purchases to the first $100,000 spent.

Winner: Hilton Surpass. There are far more chances to earn additional points with bonus categories and no spending limit.

Related: Hot take: Why doubling down on one rewards program may be better than diversifying

Redeeming points with the Hilton Surpass vs. Hilton Business

The Hilton Surpass and Hilton Business earn Hilton Honor points through credit card spending. You can redeem your points for free nights (no blackout dates), Lyft rides, rental cars, transfers to airline partners, shopping and experiences.

The best redemption of points is to book free nights. However, since the Hilton Honors program lacks an award chart, the number of points you need to redeem for free nights depends on the hotel, room type, booking and stay dates. The Points Explorer tool by Hilton is a great way to determine how many points you need. Simply input your destination or travel theme and how many points you’d like to spend, and you’ll be presented with a list of options that fit your specifications.

TPG managing editor Matt Moffitt enjoys redeeming his Hilton Honors points to book three- and four-star hotels abroad, since those properties tend to offer a higher redemption value than the ones in the U.S. He maximizes his points by booking five-night stays to take advantage of the fifth-night-free perk.

Winner: Tie. Both cards earn the same points and offer the same redemption options.

Should I get the Hilton Surpass or the Hilton Business?

The Hilton Surpass is the better mid-tier Hilton card for most, thanks to its manageable $150 annual fee, automatic Hilton Honors Gold status, the opportunity to earn a free night reward and $200 statement credit. Despite the Hilton Business offering a higher annual statement credit of $260, it has a higher annual fee of $195, no free night rewards and a weaker earning structure than the Surpass.

Bottom line

There are some valuable benefits to having one — or both — of these cards in your wallet. If you already have or had either card in the past, consider applying for the other to expand your earning potential and maximize statement credits. From generous welcome bonuses to Hilton Honors Gold status, both cards compete well, but if you had to pick one, the Hilton Surpass takes the lead with a favorable earning rate and lower annual fee.

---

Apply here: Hilton Honors American Express Business Card

Apply here: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass

---

For rates and fees of the Hilton Business card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Surpass card, click here.