Both the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card and the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card are great options for frequent travelers who want to earn rewards and enjoy elite status with their respective hotel chains.
However, there are some key differences between the cards – let's compare them side by side – features, benefits, drawbacks and protections.
General Comparison
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IHG® One Rewards Premier | Hilton Amex Surpass | |
Annual Fee | $99 | $150 ( See Rates and Fees. ) |
Rewards | Up to 10X points from IHG® on stays for being an IHG One Rewards member. Up to 6X points from IHG® on stays with Platinum Elite Status. 5X total points on travel, dining, and at gas stations and 3X points per $1 spent on all other purchases. | Earn 12x Points on hotels & resorts at eligible purchases at hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio. Earn 6x Points on dining at U.S. restaurants , and for takeout and delivery in the U.S, on groceries at U.S. supermarkets and at U.S. gas stations. Earn 4X Points for each dollar on U.S. Online Retail Purchases and 3X Points on all other purchases |
Welcome bonus | 140,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening | 165,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 in purchases on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership |
0% Intro APR | N/A | N/A |
Foreign Transaction Fee | $0 | $0. ( See Rates and Fees. ) |
Purchase APR | 20.99% – 27.99% variable | 20.24% – 29.24% variable APR |
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Hilton Surpass vs. IHG Premier: Point Rewards Analysis
When comparing points rewards, the Surpass Card clearly outshines the IHG Rewards Premier Card, offering a significantly higher points-earning potential.
Although Hilton points may have a slightly lower individual value than IHG points, the sheer volume of points earned with the Surpass Card makes it the more rewarding and advantageous choice overall.
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Spend Per Category | IHG® One Rewards Premier | Hilton Honors Amex Surpass |
$10,000 – U.S Supermarkets | 20,000 points | 60,000 points |
$4,000 – Restaurants
| 8,000 points | 24,000 points |
$4,000 – Airline | 4,000 points | 12,000 points |
$5,000 – Hotels | 50,000 points | 60,000 points |
$4,000 – Gas | 8,000 points | 24,000 points |
Total Points | 90,000 points | 180,000 points |
Redemption Value (Estimated) | 1 point = ~0.7 cent | 1 point = ~0.6 cent |
Estimated Annual Value | $630 | $1,080 |
Hilton Surpass offers various ways for you to redeem points you earn through its loyalty program. You can use points to book free hotel stays, covering the cost of your room.
Beyond hotel stays, you can also redeem points for experiences, travel, shopping, and more through the Hilton Honors program
The IHG card lets you earn and redeem points for free hotel nights, gift cards, or merchandise. Enjoy perks like anniversary free nights and automatic elite status.
Which Hotel Benefits You'll Get With Each Card?
IHG® One Rewards Premier
- Redeem 3 Nights, Get 4th Night Free: Enjoy a complimentary fourth night when redeeming points for a consecutive four-night stay at an IHG hotel.
- 20% Discount on Reward Points Purchases: Save 20% on purchases of IHG reward points when using your IHG One credit card, allowing you to maximize your point accumulation and potentially unlock additional benefits within the IHG loyalty program.
- Anniversary Free Night: Receive a complimentary night each account anniversary year, redeemable for stays at IHG hotels, with a redemption cap of 40,000 points.
- IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite Status: Enjoy Platinum Elite status in the IHG Rewards program as an IHG One Rewards Premier cardmember.
- Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS Statement Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits every 4 years to cover the application fees for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS.
Hilton Amex Surpass Card
$200 Hilton Credit: Enjoy up to $50 in statement credits per quarter, totaling $200 annually, for direct purchases with Hilton properties using your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card.
- Hilton Honors™ Upgrade to Diamond Status: Achieve Hilton Honors Diamond status by spending $40,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year, extending the status through the end of the next calendar year.
- Free Night Reward: Earn a Free Night Reward from Hilton Honors after spending $15,000 (Surpass) or $30,000 (Aspire) on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year.
- Send & Split®: In the American Express® App, Send & Split® lets you send money and split purchases with Venmo and PayPal users, paying friends without standard fees, and seamlessly splitting Amex purchases. Earn rewards for the split purchase, and enrollment is required with applicable terms.
- ShopRunner: Enjoy complimentary membership with ShopRunner, providing free 2-day shipping on eligible items from a network of 100+ online stores, accessible by enrolling with your eligible Card at shoprunner.com/americanexpress.
- Hilton Honors Gold Status: Receive complimentary Gold Status, providing benefits such as a 5th night free on standard room stays of 5+ nights, and an 80% Bonus on all Base Points to accelerate your free night earnings.
- National Car Rental® Status: Surpass® Card Members can receive free National Car Rental® Emerald Club Executive® status. This includes benefits like access to the Executive Area (for full-size reservations and above) in the USA and Canada. Enrollment is required.
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers.
Which Protections You'll Get With Each Card?
Each of these cards offers travel insurance and other protection:
IHG® One Rewards Premier
- Baggage Delay Insurance: Receive reimbursement, up to $100 a day for 3 days, for essential purchases like toiletries and clothing in the event of baggage delays over 6 hours by a passenger carrier.
- Lost Luggage Reimbursement: Obtain coverage up to $3,000 per passenger if checked or carry-on luggage is damaged or lost by the carrier, extending protection to immediate family members.
- Purchase Protection: Benefit from coverage on new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft, offering reimbursement up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account.
- Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance: Receive reimbursement, up to $5,000 per person and $10,000 per trip, for pre-paid, non-refundable travel expenses in case of trip cancellation or interruption due to covered situations like sickness or severe weather.
Hilton Amex Surpass Card
- Extended Warranty: Use your Eligible Card for Covered Purchases and benefit from an extended warranty, matching the Original Manufacturer's Warranty for up to one additional year on warranties of 5 years or less in the United States or its territories.
Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance: When using your eligible Card to reserve and pay for a rental vehicle, and declining the collision damage waiver, you're covered for damage or theft in a covered territory. Exclusions apply, and the coverage is secondary without liability coverage.
- Global Assist® Hotline: As a Card Member, access the Global Assist® Hotline for travel assistance over 100 miles from home, providing services like lost passport replacement, translation, missing luggage, and emergency legal and medical referrals. Costs from third-party service providers are the Card Member's responsibility.
Dispute Resolution: If faced with unrecognized charges or billing issues, American Express collaborates with you and the merchant to resolve the problem promptly.
Purchase Protection: Covered Purchases made with your Eligible Card are protected for up to 90 days from the purchase date, covering theft or accidental damage, with limits of up to $1,000 per occurrence and $50,000 per calendar year.
When You Might Prefer The Hilton Amex Surpass?
You might prefer the Hilton Amex Surpass card over the IHG Rewards Premier Card in the following situations:
Better Point Rewards Ratio: According to our analysis, the Surpass card drive much more points for the same spend and its estimated annual value of rewards are higher compared to IHG. This is the main and most important reason to prefer the Surpass card.
Hilton Loyalty and Gold Status Benefits: If you frequently stay at Hilton hotels and highly value elite status perks, the Hilton Honors Surpass Card offers complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status, providing advantages like room upgrades, free breakfast, and late checkout.
- You Need Global Presence and Diverse Properties: If you frequently travel internationally or prefer a broader range of hotel options, the Hilton Honors Surpass Card might be preferable. Hilton has a larger global footprint, offering a variety of properties from luxury to budget, making it suitable for a wider range of travel styles.
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When You Might Prefer The IHG Rewards Premier Card?
You might prefer the IHG Rewards Premier Card when:
IHG Loyalty and Platinum Elite Status Benefits: If you have a strong preference for IHG hotels and value elite status perks, the IHG Rewards Premier Card offers Platinum Elite status, providing benefits like room upgrades and bonus points during stays.
You Prefer A Lower Annual Fee: The IHG One Rewards Premier has a lower annual fee compared to the Hilton Honors Surpass card. If you're on a tighter budget, the IHG One Rewards Premier card may be a more affordable option.
You Want An Anniversary Free Night Certificate: The IHG Rewards Premier Card provides an anniversary free night certificate for use at eligible IHG hotels. If you can maximize the value of this certificate, particularly at higher-end properties, it adds significant ongoing value to the card.
Compare The Alternatives
If you're looking for a travel rewards credit card with hotel benefits – there are some excellent alternatives you may want to consider:
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Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
| The Platinum Card® from American Express | Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card | |
Annual Fee | $650. See Rates & Fees | $695. See Rates & Fees | $95 |
Rewards | 2X – 6X
6 Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program, 3 points at Worldwide restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines and 2 points on all other eligible purchases
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1X – 5X
5X points on up to $500,000 spent on directly-booked airfare and flights and prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel (per calendar year), 2X points on prepaid car rentals through American Express Travel and 1X points on all other purchases
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1x – 6X
6X points for every $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® credit card. Plus, earn up to 10X points from Marriott for being a Marriott Bonvoy® member. Plus, earn up to 1X point from Marriott with Silver Elite Status. Earn 3X points for every $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining. Earn 2X points for every $1 you spend on all other purchases.
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Welcome bonus | 95,000 points
95,000 Marriott Bonvoy points after spending $6,000 within the first 6 months of card membership.
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80,000 points
80,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $8,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership
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125,000 points
Earn 125,000 Bonus Points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from your account opening.
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Foreign Transaction Fee | $0 | $0. See Rates & Fees | $0. |
Purchase APR | 20.24% – 29.24% Variable | See Pay Over Time APR | 21.49%–28.49% variable |
Compare Hilton Honors Amex Surpass Card
The Surpass card boasts a notably higher annual fee, justified by its superior rewards ratio and benefits compared to the Hilton Honors card.
If you can maximize your points, rewards, and benefits, the Hilton Aspire is our winner. But, if your spend is not so high – the Surpass wins.
Hilton Honors Surpass vs. Hilton Aspire Card: How They Compare?
The Hilton Amex Surpass is our winner as it offers higher estimated total cashback than the Marriot Boundless card and additional hotel perks.
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless vs. Hilton Amex Surpass: Side By Side Comparison
The Hilton Honors Surpass wins at estimated cashback, while the Amex Gold card is the winner for everyday spending and extra benefits.
The Hilton Surpass and World of Hyatt card are two of the best medium tier hotel cards with great cash back rates and extra hotel perks.
World of Hyatt Card vs. Hilton Amex Surpass: Side By Side Comparison
