Amex Hilton (Aspire and Surpass Only) CC Changes

[Zenichiro]

Remind me the Aspire 200 is for the Hilton MF credit I presume.
+ 50 on Aspire for Q4 Airline credit also for you & DW, I presume?
(so may add +100 to your math for P1 & P2 !

Correct. Already used the airline credits. Just have to sit down this weekend and pay the MFs.

 

[brp]

Correct. Already used the airline credits. Just have to sit down this weekend and pay the MFs.

I pay in late December (right after my statement closes) to get a few shekels more in interest. I see no reason to give HGVC (or anyone) my money sooner than required. Then second payment in late January.

Cheers.

 

[Zenichiro]

Supposedly NLL links are out for all personal Hilton cards if anyone is interested.

 

[mountainboy]

Interesting article at NYT re CC optimizers (& churners)...
Adding full text article..

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/business/credit-cards-churners.html?unlocked_article_code=1.s08.MiKV.ovIybjO8UJYv&smid=url-share

 

[brp]

Interesting article at NYT re CC optimizers (& churners)...
Adding full text article..

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/business/credit-cards-churners.html?unlocked_article_code=1.s08.MiKV.ovIybjO8UJYv&smid=url-share

I'm all for optimization. I see nothing wrong with churning (and I read a good bit about it on Flyertalk). It's just not where I want to spend my time.

Cheers.

 

[mountainboy]

churning (and I read a good bit about it on Flyertalk). It's just not where I want to spend my time.

Agree 100%!
Juice not worth the squeeze for me...

I'm all for optimization.

Absolutely!
Good to know & re-evaluate the CC portfolio so the CC Co's don't take away precious benefits (or add complicated benefits/coupons with higher fee like CSR) & appreciate positive changes when a new card or issues has a better product!
Vote with our wallets & optimize our CC/spend mix, to simplify life & not over-complicate things...
TY!

 

[Sapper]

Interesting article at NYT re CC optimizers (& churners)...
Adding full text article..

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/business/credit-cards-churners.html?unlocked_article_code=1.s08.MiKV.ovIybjO8UJYv&smid=url-share

Thank you for the unlocked article.

 

[thegortons]

Basic question on when you use a Hilton Surpass card for your MFs: Will you get just 12X in points OR since you are also Hilton Honors Gold, will you also get the 80% bonus on base points so a total of 14.4X?

 

[HuskerATL]

Basic question on when you use a Hilton Surpass card for your MFs: Will you get just 12X in points OR since you are also Hilton Honors Gold, will you also get the 80% bonus on base points so a total of 14.4X?

12x

 

[mountainboy]

Basic question on when you use a Hilton Surpass card for your MFs: Will you get just 12X in points OR since you are also Hilton Honors Gold, will you also get the 80% bonus on base points so a total of 14.4X?

@HuskerATL is Diamond Sir (no Goldie stuff for El Jefe)!

 

[HuskerATL]

@HuskerATL is Diamond Sir (no Goldie stuff for El Jefe)!

But, no base points or bonus points, just the spend points

 

[Tcherniaev]

I have a Hilton Aspire card. In the prior years, paying maintenance fees counted against $400 annual resort credit. But not this year. Is anyone else having this same issue? This is the primary reason why I have maintained the Aspire card.

 

[HuskerATL]

I have a Hilton Aspire card. In the prior years, paying maintenance fees counted against $400 annual resort credit. But not this year. Is anyone else having this same issue? This is the primary reason why I have maintained the Aspire card.

It works for us at Blvd. Where are you using it?

 

[Tcherniaev]

I have Parc Solei and SeaWorld timeshares, and I tried paying both MF with my card, just like I did last year. Last year I got credit the next day, and it's been two weeks now and no credit. Interestingly, Surplus card credit for $50 posted the next day (I paid half of MF with Surplus card and the rest with Aspire).

 

[HuskerATL]

I have Parc Solei and SeaWorld timeshares, and I tried paying both MF with my card, just like I did last year. Last year I got credit the next day, and it's been two weeks now and no credit. Interestingly, Surplus card credit for $50 posted the next day (I paid half of MF with Surplus card and the rest with Aspire).

Those should count. Watch it and if it doesn't happen, go to the Amex chat and tell them that you had spending at the property but didn't receive the credit. Don't mention MFs. They won't know anything about that.

https://www.hilton.com/en/p/hilton-honors/resort-credit-eligible-hotels/

 

[magmue]

Hilton Aspire card. In the prior years, paying maintenance fees counted against $400 annual resort credit.

IIRC, it's $200 per 6 months, meaning if you paid it all off in October, you will probably get $200.

 

[Tcherniaev]

IIRC, it's $200 per 6 months, meaning if you paid it all off in October, you will probably get $200.

I only paid $200, I was waiting for next year to pay the rest. But credits have not posted yet. It's been 10 days.

 

[HuskerATL]

I only paid $200, I was waiting for next year to pay the rest. But credits have not posted yet. It's been 10 days.

It can be slow...watch it and if doesn't in the next couple weeks or so, reach out to amex via chat. again, don't mention MFs, just spending at the eligible property.

 

[sueatty]

I only paid $200, I was waiting for next year to pay the rest. But credits have not posted yet. It's been 10 days.

That happened to me twice to me while paying my 2025 dues at HGVC Tuscany. I had to call Amex multiple times to get the $200 credit on my Aspire card in Dec 2024 and Jan 2025. They keep telling you to wait for it to post and call back if it does not. I paid $200 on the new bill this year in October instead of December so I could have more time to call them about the second half 2025 credit if it did not post. Of course since I was more prepared this year the credit posted within a few days no problem.

 

[fishwithwater]

Has anyone paid Elara HOA for next year yet? Does it trigger the credit? When I paid late last year and early this year, neither triggered the credit automatically.

 

[Reddart]

I paid Elara, not panicking yet, but maybe next week I’ll text them about it.

 

[1Kflyerguy]

The timing of when Amex credits post seems unpredictable. Sometimes they post right away, and other times it takes a while. As far as I can tell, with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant, which has a monthly dining credit, you will only see one of those post per billing cycle. You can dine twice during a billing cycle, but the 2nd restaurant credit won't post until the next billing cycle.

I wonder if some of these hotel or resort credits are posted based on a batch job that only runs periodically or certain days of the month... Just a thought

 

[Monkeyboy]

Purchased a gift card from Alaska’s website and was credited the airline fee. Purchasing miles didn’t work.

 

[brp]

As far as I can tell, with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant, which has a monthly dining credit, you will only see one of those post per billing cycle. You can dine twice during a billing cycle, but the 2nd restaurant credit won't post until the next billing cycle.

Not my experience. I've only had one case where the $25 dining credit was not in one dining transaction, but both posted in the same cycle, the first to full value and the second up to the $25 limit. And they now post pretty consistently within 2 days of the dining charge. Same with Platinum Resy and Lululemon.

(And I only add these non-Aspire DPs here as an indication of reasonable consistency of rebates across other Amex products that really should apply here).

Cheers.

 

[JohnnyO]

Hilton Amex Aspire referral is 15,000 HH points to referrer and 175,000 HH points to referree. We just made a referral so this information is current.