Update: reader iahphx may be seeing once-in-a-lifetime language using this link. As mentioned in the post, please be sure to check the terms when upgrading. I’ll update the post or remove this warning as appropriate once more DPs roll in.
Update: readers have reported not seeing this language, so I’m crossing the above out for now. Still – check your offer terms carefully! They’re very short.
The first upgrade offer people were seeing after the recent change to the signup bonuses American Express’s Hilton cards contained once in a lifetime language in their terms (“Welcome bonus offer not available to applicants who have or have had this product”), such as this once-in-a-lifetime link.
I’m very happy to report we’ve found an upgrade offer without that language, thanks to reader Joe-SC1 and confirmation from reddit user SJ0! Always be sure to check the terms when upgrading, in case things change.
The bonus is (oddly) not displayed directly on the page. You can click on “REVIEW CARD BENEFITS”, then “Benefit Terms”, and then scroll up slightly to see the terms, without logging in (or just go directly there). There is no mention of “Welcome bonus offer not available to applicants who have or have had this product” & the offer terms state:
You can earn 100,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases on your Card in your first 3 months of Card Membership starting from the date your account is approved.
You will need to log in to see if you are targeted for this upgrade offer–not everyone will be! (Alas, I am not.)
You can read more about American Express upgrade offers by consulting this article.
Questions, comments, and anything else can be dropped in the comments below!
FAQ
Q: Can you get the upgrade bonus if you currently have a Hilton Honors & a Hilton Honors Surpass card? —TomT
A: I haven’t heard any DPs to the contrary, so my answer would be yes because the offer terms do not include “Welcome bonus offer not available to applicants who have or have had this product”. There is no hard pull from upgrading, so there’s not much to lose in any case.
Q: If you currently have a Hilton Honors card, but have never had a Hilton Honors Surpass card and apply for a new Hilton Honors Surpass card, can you get the upgrade bonus on your Hilton Honors card? —Joe-SC1
A: Again, I haven’t heard any DPs to the contrary, so my answer would be yes, assuming you’ll still be targeted for the upgrade after your new Hilton Honors Surpass card is approved. Personally, I would go for the new application no matter what because the weekend free night for keeping the card in year 2 is very, very good. (Assuming you aren’t running into any new account issues or the 4–5 CC limit with American Express.) Since there’s no hard pull for the upgrade, there isn’t much to lose.
Q: Can you downgrade from the Hilton Honors Surpass to the Hilton Honors, then upgrade using this? —Jeremy
A: Unknown, due to the timeline. The problem is that you have to be targeted for the upgrade offer (for instance, I am not) and we do not know how targeting works. It’s possible that the offer is only targeted at existing cardholders as of the time when the promotion went live and will not be targeted at people after that.
In better news, there are some users who have downgraded recently who were targeted: Milo (downgraded 3–4 months ago), gary (downgraded 4–5 months ago).
Q: Does upgrading require a hard pull? —DW
A: No.
