$150/yrHilton HonorsNo foreign feeAmexGood
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Hilton Honors Surpass vs. Hilton Honors Aspire
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Same issuer, same points currency, a $400 gap in annual fee. The Aspire answers with a free night award and a bigger resort credit — but only if you actually stay at Hilton resorts and book flights often enough to use the rest.
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Overview
$550/yrHilton HonorsNo foreign feeAmexExcellent
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Which wins on my spending?
Runs the optimizer on these two cards alone, one card allowed, against your own monthly spending.
Earn rates
Everyday categories
Dining
- Hilton Honors Surpass
- 6x
- Hilton Honors Aspire
- 7xHighest
Flights outside issuer portals
- Hilton Honors Surpass
- 3x
- Hilton Honors Aspire
- 7xHighest
Gas stations (excluding Costco Gas)
- Hilton Honors Surpass
- 6xHighest
- Hilton Honors Aspire
- 3x
Groceries — in store
- Hilton Honors Surpass
- 6xHighest
- Hilton Honors Aspire
- 3x
Groceries — online
- Hilton Honors Surpass
- 6xHighest
- Hilton Honors Aspire
- 3x
Hilton Properties
- Hilton Honors Surpass
- 12x
- Hilton Honors Aspire
- 14xHighest
Online retail
- Hilton Honors Surpass
- 4xHighest
- Hilton Honors Aspire
- 3x
Travel - Car Rentals / Agencies / Cruises
- Hilton Honors Surpass
- 3x
- Hilton Honors Aspire
- 7xHighest
Everything else
- Hilton Honors Surpass
- 3x
- Hilton Honors Aspire
- 3x
| Category | Hilton Honors Surpass | Hilton Honors Aspire |
|---|---|---|
| Dining | 6x | 7xHighest |
| Flights outside issuer portals | 3x | 7xHighest |
| Gas stations (excluding Costco Gas) | 6xHighest | 3x |
| Groceries — in store | 6xHighest | 3x |
| Groceries — online | 6xHighest | 3x |
| Hilton Properties | 12x | 14xHighest |
| Online retail | 4xHighest | 3x |
| Travel - Car Rentals / Agencies / Cruises | 3x | 7xHighest |
| Everything else | 3x | 3x |
Issuer travel portals 1 category — only earned when you book through that issuer’s portal
Amex Travel - Flights
- Hilton Honors Surpass
- 3x
- Hilton Honors Aspire
- 7xHighest
| Category | Hilton Honors Surpass | Hilton Honors Aspire |
|---|---|---|
| Amex Travel - Flights | 3x | 7xHighest |
Highest marks the highest listed rate, on each card that ties for it; a row where every card ties is not marked. Muted figures are base rates. Listed rates can still be subject to portal, spending-cap, or category-selection rules; review each card's details before deciding.
Credits and benefits
Hilton Resort Credit
- Hilton Honors Surpass
- $0/yr estimated usableUp to $200/yrConditional
- Hilton Honors Aspire
- —
Hilton Resort Credit
- Hilton Honors Surpass
- —
- Hilton Honors Aspire
- $200/yr estimated usableUp to $400/yrConditional
Airline Statement Credit
- Hilton Honors Surpass
- —
- Hilton Honors Aspire
- $200/yr estimated usableEasy to use
Annual Free Night Award
- Hilton Honors Surpass
- —
- Hilton Honors Aspire
- $200/yr estimated usableUp to $300/yrEasy to use
CLEAR Plus Credit
- Hilton Honors Surpass
- —
- Hilton Honors Aspire
- $0/yr estimated usableUp to $219/yrConditional
Waldorf Astoria / Conrad On-Property Credit
- Hilton Honors Surpass
- —
- Hilton Honors Aspire
- $0/yr estimated usableUp to $100/yrConditional
Estimated usable credit value
- Hilton Honors Surpass
- —
- Hilton Honors Aspire
- $600/yr
Maximum face value
- Hilton Honors Surpass
- $200/yr
- Hilton Honors Aspire
- $1,219/yr
| Credit | Hilton Honors Surpass | Hilton Honors Aspire |
|---|---|---|
| Hilton Resort Credit | $0/yr estimated usable Up to $200/yr Conditional | — |
| Hilton Resort Credit | — | $200/yr estimated usable Up to $400/yr Conditional |
| Airline Statement Credit | — | $200/yr estimated usable Easy to use |
| Annual Free Night Award | — | $200/yr estimated usable Up to $300/yr Easy to use |
| CLEAR Plus Credit | — | $0/yr estimated usable Up to $219/yr Conditional |
| Waldorf Astoria / Conrad On-Property Credit | — | $0/yr estimated usable Up to $100/yr Conditional |
| Estimated usable credit value | — | $600/yr |
| Maximum face value | $200/yr | $1,219/yr |
Estimated usable value applies the same conservative assumptions used by the optimizer. Maximum face value assumes every listed credit is used in full.
Find your modeled setup
The optimizer searches eligible portfolios against your stated spending—not just two cards at a time—and reports whether the result was proven within the selected catalog and run inputs.
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