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Hilton Honors Amex Surpass vs Hilton Honors Amex Aspire

At our sample profile ($31,100/yr spend, only “easy” credits counted), the Hilton Honors Amex Surpass comes to $1,349 in the first year and $614 a year after that; the Hilton Honors Amex Aspire comes to $1,192 and $292. Annual fees are $150 and $550, against $200 and $819 a year in stated credits. Figures from the issuers’ pages, checked October 23, 2026; your spending will change the result.

Data checked by Chris Manns · Last updated October 23, 2026

	Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card	Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
Issuer	American Express	American Express
Annual fee	$150	$550
Welcome bonus	130,000 points≈ $735after $3,000 in 6 months	200,000 points≈ $900after $6,000 in 6 months
Rewards currency	Hilton Honors	Hilton Honors
Value per point	~0.45¢ each, median of 6 published valuations	~0.45¢ each, median of 6 published valuations
Earning	12x Hilton only Hotels (booked with the hotel) 6x Dining & takeout, Groceries, Gas & EV charging 3x everything else	14x Hilton only Hotels (booked with the hotel) 7x Flights (booked with the airline), Dining & takeout 3x everything else
Fee vs stated credits	$150 vs $200stated credits a year (face value) · + 1 free night	$550 vs $819stated credits a year (face value) · + 2 free nights
Yearly cost after year 1	$0fee − $150 of “easy” credits (our default)	$250fee − $300 of “easy” credits (our default)
Year 2+ value*	$614 each year after the first, after the annual fee	$292 each year after the first, after the annual fee
First-year value*	$1,349	$1,192
Credits & perks	Hilton credit niche $200/yr · up to $50 each quarter Free Night Reward after $15,000 spend easy 1 night ≈ $150 · once per calendar year	Annual Free Night Reward easy 1 night ≈ $150 · one in your first year of membership and every year on renewal Hilton Resort credit niche $400/yr · up to $200 Jan–Jun + $200 Jul–Dec Flight credit niche $200/yr · up to $50 each quarter CLEAR+ credit niche $219/yr · up to $219 per calendar year Extra Free Night Rewards from spend easy 1 night ≈ $150 · one after $30,000 and another after $60,000 in a calendar year (we count the first)
Perks (no $ unless the issuer states one)	Hilton Honors Gold status; Diamond after $40,000 spend in a calendar year National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status (enrollment required)	Hilton Honors Diamond status National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive status (enrollment required)
Source	Issuer page	Issuer page

Face value isn’t real value: a credit only saves you money if you’d have spent it anyway. *Year 2+ and first-year values use our sample profile and default credit ticks. Add a third card · How we calculate

Hilton Honors Amex Surpass vs Hilton Honors Amex Aspire: quick answers

Which has the bigger welcome bonus, Hilton Honors Amex Surpass vs Hilton Honors Amex Aspire?

The Hilton Honors Amex Aspire has the bigger headline bonus in dollars: 130,000 points (≈$735) vs 200,000 points (≈$900), at median published point values, checked October 23, 2026.

Which has the lower annual fee?

The Hilton Honors Amex Surpass: $150 vs $550 a year.

Which costs less after year 1, once credits are counted?

Yearly cost after year 1 (annual fee minus the easy credits we count by default): Hilton Honors Amex Surpass $0, Hilton Honors Amex Aspire $250. Tick the credits you’d really use on each card page to get your own figure.