Check to See If You’re Targeted for a 150,000-Point Hilton Upgrade Offer
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
If you have the Hilton Honors American Express Card in your wallet, you may want to check your account, as you might be targeted for a significant upgrade.
As first reported by Doctor of Credit, some no-annual-fee cardholders are being targeted for the Hilton Honors American Express Ascend Card (which is getting a name change to Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card next month) or the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card. Both will come with the same bonus though have slightly different spending requirements:
- Hilton Ascend: Upgrade and earn 150,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the card within your first three months of Card Membership
- Hilton Aspire: Upgrade and earn 150,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $4,000 in purchases on the card within your first three months of card membership
Note that the upgrade offer on the Ascend card is 25,000 points higher than the publicly available welcome bonus, though the Aspire upgrade bonus is identical to the normal welcome bonus on the card. The big benefit of upgrading rather than applying fresh is that it shouldn't result in a hard inquiry, and you should be able to keep your account number and your associated account history.
To check your eligibility, visit this page for the Ascend card and this one for the Aspire card. You could also look through your Amex Offers or check your email, though it's worth noting that TPG Editor Nick Ewen was targeted for the upgrade (and took it) by clicking on the link but did not receive notification of the offer elsewhere.
Note that in either case, if you do successfully upgrade, you'll be immediately responsible for a prorated portion of the upgraded card's annual fee based on your current account's anniversary date, so bear that in mind as you decide whether to pull the trigger.
As we've written before, the Hilton Ascend card is a powerful one to keep in your wallet, as it will net you complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status, a healthy 12 points per dollar spent on Hilton stays, and 6 points per dollar spent at US restaurants, supermarkets and gas stations. It does carry an annual fee of $95 (See: Rates & Fees), though you can easily cover that fee with the array of benefits.
However, the Aspire is loaded with even more perks, including 14 points per dollar spent at Hilton hotels and 7 points per dollar spent for flights booked directly with airlines or AmexTravel, car rentals, and restaurants in the US. You'll also get complimentary Hilton Honors Diamond status, which offers a 100% point bonus. It also comes with an annual weekend free night certificate, though it does have a helfty annual fee of $450 (See: Rates & Fees).
If you already have the Hilton Ascend card, you may be eligible for a 150,000-point upgrade offer to the Aspire as well, so be sure to check your Amex Offers & Benefits section.
Note that both of these upgrade offers are slated to end July 16, though they could always be pulled earlier. In order to maximize the upgrade and get your bonus, you'll want to act sooner rather than later.
For rates & fees of the Hilton Amex Aspire, please click here.
For rates & fees of the Hilton Amex Ascend, please click here.