In the latter part of 2023, American Express revamped its Hilton Honors co-brand cards. The mass-market Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card saw the annual fee increase from $95 to $150. AMEX and Hilton added a $200 Hilton Statement Credit to offset this increase. The credit is offered as $50 in statement credits each calendar quarter for eligible purchases charged directly with a property within the Hilton portfolio, including bookings and incidental charges.
If you can use the credit every quarter, the card becomes a cash-positive option. However, like other AMEX statement credits, there are restrictions on earning the $200 yearly credit.
We don’t stay at Hilton properties often, so I didn’t take advantage of the $50 credit at the beginning of the year. To test the credit, I planned to grab some items from the lobby during a Home2Suites stay. As it turned out, I didn’t have to because I unexpectedly received the credit when we went out to dinner.
$200 Hilton Statement Credit
The rules for the Hilton statement credit state that you’ll receive it for booking a room through an official Hilton channel (website, app) or for incidental charges to your room that are paid for at checkout with your Surpass card.
For a booking to be eligible for a statement credit, the booking must be made directly through a reservation channel operated by Hilton. Bookings or purchases made through a third party other than Hilton, such as an online travel website, will not be eligible for statement credit(s). At certain hotels, if your booking is part of a contract for an event, the purchase may not be eligible for a statement credit. For an incidental charge (including charges made at restaurants, spas, and other establishments within the hotel property) to be eligible for a statement credit, the incidental charge must be charged to your room and paid for with your Hilton Honors American Express Surpass Card at checkout.
This credit is new, so there is limited information on which charges qualify and which don’t. Several posts on the Hilton subreddit discuss which charges work to trigger the credit, but the situation is still evolving. I suggest not expecting anything to work besides paying for a room or incidental charges charged to your room and paid for with your card. Anything else carries a risk.
So, I was pleasantly surprised that we received the $50 credit when paying for dinner at a Hilton property while not staying there.
Dinner at Signia By Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek
We are winding down to the end of this year’s Orlando Magical Dining promotion. This is the time when local restaurants offer a three-course price-fixed menu. While we’ll often use this as a chance to check out new places, it’s also an opportunity to visit restaurants in one of the many Orlando hotels at a reasonable price point.
We wanted to see the Signia by Hilton at Bonnet Creek, a sister property to the Waldorf Astoria. It’s located adjacent to the Walt Disney World property in the Bonnet Creek development and underwent a significant upgrade when it was reflagged from the Hilton brand to Signia. It was the first hotel of the Signia by Hilton brand when it re-flagged in 2021.
La Luce is the signature restaurant at the Signia, created by famed Napa Valley chef and restaurateur Donna Scala. Since her passing, the restaurant now says that the location is “inspired” by her. They serve classic Italian fare like pizzas and pasta in an upscale dining room and outdoor deck overlooking the hotel pool.
The Magical Dining menu offers three courses for $40, a significant discount from the regular price. We had a great meal and paid with the Hilton Surpass AMEX. I wasn’t hoping to get the $50 credit, but I wanted to earn 6X Hilton Honors points for restaurant spending. If I was lucky, it might count as Hilton spending and earn me 12X points.
The charge shows as Signia Orlando La Luce. While it earned 6X points as restaurant spending, I also received the $50 Hilton credit.
Final Thought
Am I going to say that eating at a Hilton hotel property will trigger the $50 quarterly credit? No.
Do I think I’d receive a credit if I tried to repeat this at the same restaurant next quarter? Maybe.
Would I be upset if AMEX clawed this back? Yes.
Would they be wrong if they did? No.
Should they blame me for their IT? No, absolutely not!
Hilton has over 5,000 hotels worldwide. American Express can’t account for how each one of those properties processes credit card transactions. Understandably, they might not know if a charge was from the front desk or the restaurant, and because these credits are automated, there’s always a chance you’ll receive a credit when the letter of the contract says you’re not eligible.
The only thing to understand is that you have no right to complain if a restaurant charge doesn’t trigger the credit for your Surpass card if you’re not staying at the hotel. Don’t call AMEX and raise a ruckus. But if you follow the rules and still don’t receive the credit, you can let them know they owe you $50.
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3 comments
I did this same thing at a Hilton restaurant in my town and also got the credit.
@Joe, you can also get the credit by purchasing a Hilton Gift card with your Surpass. There’s a processing/shipping fee of around $2, but you’ll still come out ahead. Just make sure you purchase them at least a few days (preferably a a few weeks) before the quarter ends.
Keep in mind that there are definitely issues when trying to use them, especially outside the US (I’ve had 3 failures). Since the funds don’t expire, though, it’s better than letting the credit go to waste.
My experience is anything charged to the room during a stay triggers the credit. I make it a point to stay at a Hilton property at least quarterly (I’m retired, travel a lot and no reason not to book at least 1 night at a Hilton). If you pay for the stay it triggers the $50 but I stay in Singapore at a Hilton Garden Inn on points and the only thing I charged to the room were beers in the bar. Sure enough the total charges were around $70 and when I got home I saw the $50 credit was already applied. I doubt you get it just by using a Surpass at a Hilton property but if staying, even on points, any charges trigger it. Staying at a Hilton property in Trieste Italy next month (on points) and will make sure and charge enough in the bar to cover it. Diamond elite so breakfast for 2 is already covered and has a lounge for snacks and drinks in the afternoon at no cost but will find a way for some late night drinks to ensure I get the credit.