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Hilton Honors Surpass vs Capital One Venture X: Which Is Better In 2025?
July 1, 2025
Editor's Picks
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: This card is ideal for earning Hilton Honors points on hotel stays and everyday spending at U.S. restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations.
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: This premium travel card is best for frequent travelers who can maximize rewards by booking through the Capital One Travel portal.
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Breakdown
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Why We Like It
Here’s a closer look at the specific benefits that make the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® (See Rates & Fees) a standout choice for travelers.
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- The card grants you automatic Hilton Honors Gold status, unlocking valuable hotel perks like room upgrades and daily food and beverage credits at U.S. properties (Terms Apply).
- You can rapidly accumulate points from both stays at Hilton properties and everyday U.S. spending on dining, groceries, and gas (Terms Apply).
- An annual Free Night Reward is attainable through card spending, offering a high-value redemption at hotels across the globe (Terms Apply).
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.
Pros
- Immediate Hilton Honors Gold status, which unlocks valuable perks like room upgrades and daily food and beverage credits at U.S. properties (Terms Apply).
- Generous rewards on both Hilton stays and everyday U.S. purchases at restaurants, supermarkets, and gas stations (Terms Apply).
- Valuable travel perks, including an attainable annual Free Night Reward and a path to top-tier Diamond status through spending (Terms Apply).
Cons
- Hilton Honors points are generally less valuable than points in other loyalty programs, and the dynamic pricing for award nights can make redemptions unpredictable.
- Key perks like the annual Free Night Reward are not automatic and require meeting a significant annual spending threshold (Terms Apply).
- The card lacks some premium travel benefits common to other travel cards, such as airport lounge access and primary rental car insurance.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Breakdown
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Why We Like It
Here’s a closer look at what makes the Capital One Venture X Rewards (See Rates & Fees) a standout choice for frequent travelers.
- It offers a simple rewards structure that earns miles on every purchase, with accelerated earnings on travel booked through Capital One.
- Cardholders receive complimentary access to a global network of airport lounges, including exclusive Capital One Lounges.
- Premium perks include annual travel credits and comprehensive travel protections that add significant value and peace of mind for travelers.
Pros
- A straightforward rewards structure that earns miles on every purchase, with accelerated rates on travel booked through the Capital One portal.
- Premium travel benefits including an annual travel credit, anniversary bonus miles, and complimentary access to a global network of airport lounges.
- Robust travel protections and no foreign transaction fees, making it ideal for international travel.
Cons
- The high annual fee can be a significant hurdle for those who don't travel frequently enough to offset the cost, as some reviews note.
- To earn the highest rewards rates, you must book through the Capital One Travel portal, which may not suit travelers who prefer booking directly.
- Travelers loyal to a specific airline or hotel chain might find that a co-branded card offers more tailored value.
Capital One Venture X Rewards vs Hilton Honors American Express Surpass®
Categories
Deciding which is better, the Hilton Honors Surpass or the Capital One Venture X, ultimately depends on your travel style and loyalty preferences. Each card caters to a different type of traveler, offering distinct benefits and reward structures.
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: This card is best for frequent guests of Hilton portfolio hotels and moderate travelers who want to earn hotel points and enjoy elite status perks without a premium annual fee. It also appeals to those who want to earn bonus points on everyday spending categories.
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Tailored for frequent travelers seeking luxury travel benefits, this card is ideal for those who book travel through the Capital One portal. It offers a simple rewards structure for earning on all purchases.
Redemption
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: Points are redeemed through the Hilton Honors loyalty program, primarily for free nights and room upgrades at Hilton properties. You can also use points for other travel-related expenses or transfer them to airline partners.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Miles can be redeemed for travel through the Capital One travel portal to cover flights, hotels, and rental cars. Alternatively, you can transfer your miles to a variety of airline and hotel loyalty programs or receive a statement credit for recent travel purchases.
Travel Perks
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: This card is deeply integrated with the Hilton travel ecosystem. Cardholders benefit from no foreign transaction fees and can earn complimentary lounge visits. The miles earned are primarily designed for redemptions within the extensive network of Hilton properties. Terms Apply.
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: This card offers a more flexible travel ecosystem, featuring a dedicated travel portal for booking flights, hotels, and car rentals. It also comes with no foreign transaction fees and provides unlimited complimentary access for the cardholder and guests to Capital One Lounges and partner lounge networks. Its miles can be redeemed through the portal or transferred to a wide array of airline and hotel partners.
Compare Top Rated Credit Cards with Kudos
To make an informed decision, you can use a financial companion like Kudos, a credit card comparison tool that helps you sort through nearly 3,000 cards to find the best fit for your spending habits.
- Test drive cards: Before you apply, you can simulate your potential earnings with a new card using your actual spending data. This feature gives you a personalized projection of annual rewards and net value without a hard credit pull.
- Check approval odds: Get a detailed, data-driven analysis of your chances of being approved for various cards based on your credit report.
- Get a welcome offer guarantee: If you find a better public welcome offer within three months of approval, Kudos will match it.
- Earn extra rewards: With Kudos Boost, you can earn additional rewards on top of what your credit card offers when shopping at participating stores.
- Automate rewards: When you shop online, Kudos can automatically select the best card in your wallet at checkout to ensure you’re always maximizing your rewards.
Who Should Choose the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass®?
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card is an excellent choice for frequent Hilton guests and moderate travelers who want to accelerate their point earnings on both hotel stays and everyday spending. Cardholders gain automatic Hilton Honors Gold status, unlocking perks like room upgrades and a daily food and beverage credit, while also earning 6x points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations. Ultimately, this card is for the value-conscious traveler who seeks substantial hotel benefits without the premium price tag of a top-tier card; Terms apply.
Who Should Choose the Capital One Venture X Rewards?
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is designed for frequent travelers with good to excellent credit who seek premium travel benefits without the complexity of other high-end cards. Its ideal users are those who maximize rewards by booking flights, hotels, and rental cars through the Capital One Travel portal to earn 5X to 10X miles on their spending. If you value perks like airport lounge access and can leverage the annual travel credits to offset the fee, this card offers significant value for your travel-heavy lifestyle.
Alternatives to Consider
If our deep dive into the Hilton Honors Surpass vs Capital One Venture X comparison has left you undecided, there are plenty of other fish in the sea. Let's look at a few other top-tier travel cards that might be a better fit for your travel style and spending habits.
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Tips for Application Success
Before You Apply
- Check your credit score - Most premium cards, like the Capital One Venture X and Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card, require good to excellent credit for approval.
- Plan your spending - Ensure you can naturally meet the minimum spend required to earn the Welcome Offer without financial strain.
- Know the rules - Be aware of issuer-specific restrictions, such as American Express’s one-bonus-per-lifetime policy, which could affect your eligibility.
Application Strategy
- Time your application strategically - Apply before a large planned purchase to help meet the minimum spend requirement for the Welcome Offer.
- Understand the ecosystem - Some cards, like the Capital One Venture X, provide maximum value when using the issuer’s travel portal.
- Evaluate long-term benefits - Consider if ongoing perks, like the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card’s elite status, align with your spending habits.
Our Methodology
We evaluate nearly 3,000 credit cards across the U.S. market — far more than the ~150 cards commonly featured on sites that focus only on products tied to affiliate commissions. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive, unbiased view of the credit card landscape so you can make confident, data-driven decisions.
Our editorial team combines deep industry experience with rigorous verification standards. While our experts surface the most relevant recommendations in our guides, you can also explore the full dataset yourself through our card explorer tool, which includes thousands of cards — more than 95% of which do not provide us with commissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which card is better for someone loyal to a specific hotel brand?
If you frequently stay with one hotel chain, a co-branded card offers benefits and points directly tied to that brand's loyalty program. This can lead to more streamlined rewards and elite status perks within that ecosystem.
Which card provides more flexibility for booking travel?
For travelers who prefer not to be tied to a single brand, a general travel rewards card is often a better fit. Its rewards can be used for a wider variety of travel purchases, including flights and stays at different hotels.
Are the rewards from these cards earned in the same way?
No, each card earns rewards within its own ecosystem. The Hilton Honors Surpass card earns Hilton Honors points, while the Capital One Venture X card earns miles that can be redeemed more broadly.
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Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are those of Kudos alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
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