Don't miss your chance to earn 150k Hilton Honors points with the Surpass Card
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
The end of 2019 isn't just marking the end of a decade. It's also the end of the 150,000-point elevated welcome bonus for the Hilton Honors American Express® Surpass Card.
You only have until Dec. 31, 2019, to take advantage of the current offer: 150,000 Hilton points after spending $3,000 in the first three months, plus a TPG reader-exclusive $100 statement credit after making your first purchase with the card in the first three months. While we don't consider Hilton points the most valuable hotel loyalty currency (we rank them at 0.6 cents apiece), this offer is still worth a total of $1,000 — the same value as the current Chase Sapphire Reserve welcome bonus, but with only a $95 annual fee (see rates and fees).
This bonus can get you a wealth of stellar redemptions, especially when you maximize your points with other Hilton perks and benefits to stretch out its worth. When you add in the points you'll earn while hitting the welcome bonus spending requirement, this bonus alone rounds out to between 159,000 and 186,000 points (depending on what purchases you're using to hit the bonus). Assuming you end up with the average of 172,500 points total after earning the bonus, that's enough for a two-night stay at the Hilton DoubleTree in Vail, Colorado, during peak season (bookable for 80,000 points per night) or a three-night stay at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Breckenridge, Colorado (bookable for 60,000 points per night).
If you're hoping to redeem this bonus for a tropical getaway, you also have plenty of options, from a three-night stay at the Hilton Grand Naniloa on the Big Island in Hawaii to a one-night stay at the luxurious Waldorf Astoria Maldives.
The Hilton Honors Surpass has more to offer than just the bonus. The card earns 12x points at participating Hilton hotels and resorts (a 7.2% return), 6x points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations (a 3.6% return) and 3x points everywhere else (a 1.8% return). You're also earning 18x on eligible Hilton hotel and resort stays through the Hilton Honors program because you get complimentary Hilton Gold Status with the Surpass, meaning you're really earning a total of 30x on those purchases (a lucrative 18% return).
Complimentary Hilton Gold elite status provides breakfast for you and a guest on most Hilton stays and offers a fifth night free during award night stays (which can stretch this bonus out even farther). You can also buy your way to top-tier Diamond status through the end of the following year by spending $40,000 on your card in a calendar year. Other benefits include a free weekend night after spending $15,000 in a calendar year, 10 Priority Pass lounge entries each year, extended warranty protection, return protection, purchase protection and no foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees).
This bonus and the long-term benefits that come with the card are available for just $95 in annual fees every year.
Related: Check out our full Hilton Honors Surpass Card review
Bottom Line
You only have about a week and a half left to take advantage of this offer, exclusively available to TPG readers. If you stay at Hilton properties even occasionally, are eligible for a bonus and are in the market for a new card, this limited-time offer is certainly appealing. I can't predict what future limited-time offers will look like — and Amex's "one-per-card-per-lifetime" limit on welcome offers means you'll want to apply when an elevated one like this is available.
Apply now to get 150,000 bonus Hilton Honors points and a $100 statement credit: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card
Additional reporting by Katie Genter.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Surpass card, please click here.