Hilton Honors Amex Ascend Reverting Its Name Back to Surpass

Just over a year after it was rebranded as part of a roll-out of changes, the Hilton Honors American Express Ascend Card is reverting to its roots with another name change — back to the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card.

Don’t worry, though. It’s just the name that’s changing.

Originally introduced as the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card in February 2009, the card ran for a little over 10 years until a slew of changes rolled out for the Amex-Hilton credit card portfolio in January 2018 — adding new credit cards and updating others. Rebranded as the Hilton Honors American Express Ascend Card, it also picked up a handful of new, exciting benefits.

American Express announced that effective July 28, 2019, the Hilton Honors American Express Ascend Card will once again be known as the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card.

All of the key features of the card will remain untouched, according to an American Express spokesperson, along with the $150 annual fee (terms apply).

Cardmembers will still enjoy the following features:

• Earn 165,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first 6 months (offer ends 1/8/2025)

• 12X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on eligible purchases at participating Hilton hotels or resorts

• 6X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on purchases at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations

• 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on other eligible purchases

• A Free Night Reward after spending $15,000 on purchases in a calendar year

• Complimentary Hilton Honors Gold elite status. Plus, spend $40,000 on eligible purchases in a calendar year, and you can earn Hilton Honors Diamond status through the end of the next calendar year.

• Foreign transaction fee: None

Bottom line

Having two American Express credit cards with such close names — Ascend and Aspire — may be the driver behind this upcoming change to the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card, but cardmembers can rejoice knowing it’s only the name that’s getting an overhaul this time around.

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Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card

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Hilton Honors American Express Surpass^® Card

Learn How to Apply

See rates and fees | Terms Apply

Current Offer

Earn 165,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first 6 months (offer ends 1/8/2025)

Annual Fee

$150

Rewards Rate

12X points on eligible purchases at participating Hilton hotels or resorts; 6X points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations; 4X points on U.S. online retail purchases; and 3X points on all other eligible purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• Automatic Hilton Honors Gold Status and a path to reaching Diamond status
• $200 annual Hilton credit
• High non-bonus category earnings

Drawbacks

• Has an annual fee
• Free night reward has a spending requirement
• Low-value points

Card Details

• Earn 165,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first 6 months (offer ends 1/8/2025)
• 12X points on eligible purchases at participating Hilton hotels or resorts; 6X points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations; 4X points on U.S. online retail purchases; and 3X points on all other eligible purchases
• Terms apply