Through May 31, 2017, new cardmembers who sign up for either a Hilton Honors or Hilton Surpass credit card from American Express are eligible for sweetened sign-up bonuses.

• The Hilton Honors no annual fee card will now earn 80,000 Hilton Honors points after you spend $2,000 in the first 3 months. That’s up from the 75,000 points previously offered, but requires $1,000 more in spending, which makes it a mediocre value proposition for most people.
• On the other hand, the new offer for the Hilton Honors Surpass Card is much better. New cardmembers will now receive a free night certificate on their Card Membership anniversary in addition to earning 100,000 points after spending $3,000 in their first 3 months. Getting the free night certificate does require that you pay the $75 annual fee for the second year, but you should easily be able to redeem the free night certificate for a value far exceeding $75.

Key features of the no annual fee Hilton Honors Card include:

• Earn 7x Hilton Honors points for each dollar of spending with a participating hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio
• Earn 5x Hilton Honors points for each dollar spent at US restaurants, supermarkets and gas stations
• Earn 3x Hilton Honors points for each dollar spent everywhere else
• Earn 500 bonus Hilton Honors points when you use your card to both book online and pay for your Hilton stay
• Earn complimentary Hilton Honors Silver status with your Card. Plus, spend $20,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn an upgrade to Hilton Honors Gold status through the end of the next calendar year.

Key features of the Hilton Honors Surpass Card include:

• Earn 12x Hilton Honors points for each dollar of spending with a participating hotel or resort within the Hilton portfolio
• Earn 6x Hilton Honors points for each dollar spent at US restaurants, supermarkets and gas stations
• Earn 3x Hilton Honors points for each dollar spent everywhere else
• Earn 500 bonus Hilton Honors points when you use your card to both book online and pay for your Hilton stay
• Earn complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status with your Card. Plus, spend $40,000 on eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year and you can earn an upgrade to Hilton Honors Diamond status through the end of the next calendar year.

The Surpass card carries a $75 annual fee.

New Hilton Honors Features

Hilton has recently been making a number of changes to its program. Among them is a new feature that allows members to combine points and cash to redeem for a free night. In addition, beginning in April 2017, Hilton will be introducing a feature that allows family and friends to pool their points when traveling together.

For more information on the cards or to apply for these offers, see the following links:

• Hilton Honors Cardfrom American Express
• Hilton Honors Surpass Card from American Express