Card comparison
Which card is better between Hilton Honors American Express Surpass and Spark Cash Plus?
Spark Cash Plus is the better overall pick over Hilton Honors American Express Surpass because it leads on Madeen's weighted scorecard (56 vs 45) across categories, bonus, benefits, and fee.
Effective rate Hilton Honors American Express Surpass
Annual fee Tie
Welcome bonus Spark Cash Plus
Benefits value Spark Cash Plus
Spark Cash Plus is the stronger overall pick between Hilton Honors American Express Surpass and Spark Cash Plus because it leads on Madeen's weighted scorecard (56 vs 45) across categories, bonus, benefits, and fee. Hilton Honors American Express Surpass (3% top effective rate) vs Spark Cash Plus (2%): Madeen's catalog compares fees vs fees across dining, grocery, gas, and travel — not just headline categories.
Choose A if
Choose Hilton Honors American Express Surpass when its strongest categories, bonus, or perks match how you actually spend.
Choose B if
Choose Spark Cash Plus when the fee, welcome bonus, or issuer ecosystem fits better than the headline winner.
Full comparison
How do Hilton Honors American Express Surpass and Spark Cash Plus compare across all spend categories?
Across all five spend categories, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass and Spark Cash Plus trade wins row by row. Hilton Honors American Express Surpass peaks at 3% effective; Spark Cash Plus peaks at 2%. Hilton Honors American Express Surpass wins the headline effective-rate view in this pair.
| Category / metric | Hilton Honors American Express Surpass | Spark Cash Plus | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dining | 6x points (3%) | 2% back (2%) | Hilton Honors American Express Surpass · 1 pts |
| Grocery | 6x points (3%) | 2% back (2%) | Hilton Honors American Express Surpass · 1 pts |
| Gas | 6x points (3%) | 2% back (2%) | Hilton Honors American Express Surpass · 1 pts |
| Travel | 3x points (1.5%) | 2% back (2%) | Spark Cash Plus · 0.5 pts |
| Other | 4x points (2%) | 2% back (2%) | Tie |
| Welcome bonus | ~$650 estimated | $2000 | Spark Cash Plus |
| Est. annual benefits | $315/yr | $620/yr | Spark Cash Plus |
| Annual fee | $150 | $150 | Tie |
| Holistic overall | 45 pts (cat 24, bonus 5, benefits 8, fee 8) | 56 pts (cat 16, bonus 15, benefits 17, fee 8) | Spark Cash Plus |
Madeen take
How to think about this pair
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass (3% top effective rate) vs Spark Cash Plus (2%): Madeen's catalog compares fees vs fees across dining, grocery, gas, and travel — not just headline categories.
Strategy
Use Hilton Honors American Express Surpass when Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 6x points. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement.. Use Spark Cash Plus when Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 2% back. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement.. Hilton Honors American Express Surpass is.
Welcome bonus playbook
If you are chasing a welcome bonus, Spark Cash Plus leads on catalog bonus value. For long-term category earn after the bonus, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass is the stronger keeper in this pair — but only if its annual fee still makes sense for your spend.
Madeen analysis
Which card has stronger benefits: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass or Spark Cash Plus?
Madeen estimates $315 annual benefit value on Hilton Honors American Express Surpass versus $620 on Spark Cash Plus. Credits only matter if you will use them.
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass
Total est. value: $315/yr
Credits and perks only help if you will actually use them in a typical year.
- $200 Hilton Credit $200/yr
- Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance $40/yr
- Free Night Reward $25/yr
- Global Assist® Hotline $25/yr
- ShopRunner $25/yr
Spark Cash Plus
Total est. value: $620/yr
Credits and perks only help if you will actually use them in a typical year.
- Sofar Sounds $240/yr
- Visa Signature Concierge $150/yr
- OpenTable $120/yr
- Roadside Assistance $50/yr
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver $10/yr
Welcome bonus
Which welcome bonus is stronger for Hilton Honors American Express Surpass or Spark Cash Plus?
If you are chasing a welcome bonus, Spark Cash Plus leads on catalog bonus value. For long-term category earn after the bonus, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass is the stronger keeper in this pair — but only if its annual fee still makes sense for your spend. Hilton Honors American Express Surpass lists 130k Hilton Honors; Spark Cash Plus lists $2,000.
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass
130k Hilton Honors
Spark Cash Plus
$2,000
Caps & conditions
Caps and earn limits
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass has catalog caps that can change the winner on heavy category spend, while Spark Cash Plus looks cleaner on cap structure in this snapshot.
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass
- 6X points on dining at U.S. restaurants, including takeout and delivery
- 6X points on gas at U.S. gas stations
- 6X points on groceries at U.S. supermarkets
- 4X points U.S online retail purchases
Who should pick which
Scenario playbook
Cashback-first user
Pick Tie
The two cards are too close for a clear winner in this scenario.
Travel & points user
Pick Hilton Honors American Express Surpass
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass is the stronger travel-style pick because it combines better reward value with more travel-friendly positioning.
No annual fee priority
Pick Hilton Honors American Express Surpass
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass is easier to keep for no-fee users because it has the lighter annual-fee burden in this pair.
Heavy dining spend
Pick Hilton Honors American Express Surpass
For restaurant and dining-coded spend, the winner is whoever posts the stronger dining effective rate after caps and exclusions — see the category matrix for the current snapshot.
Heavy grocery spend
Pick Hilton Honors American Express Surpass
Supermarket and grocery coding can differ from superstores and delivery, so compare the grocery row before you optimize a weekly shopping basket.
Welcome bonus chaser
Pick Spark Cash Plus
If you are chasing a welcome bonus, Spark Cash Plus leads on catalog bonus value. For long-term category earn after the bonus, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass is the stronger keeper in this pair — but only if its annual fee still makes sense for your spend.
Fee-sensitive keeper
Pick Tie
When you want the card that is easiest to keep year two, annual fee often matters more than a narrow category edge.
Decision guide
Which card is better between Hilton Honors American Express Surpass and Spark Cash Plus?
Spark Cash Plus is the better overall pick because it leads on Madeen's weighted scorecard (56 vs 45) across categories, bonus, benefits, and fee. Hilton Honors American Express Surpass (3% top effective rate) vs Spark Cash Plus (2%): Madeen's catalog compares fees vs fees across dining, grocery, gas, and travel — not just headline categories.
When should you pick Hilton Honors American Express Surpass over Spark Cash Plus?
Choose Hilton Honors American Express Surpass if Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 6x points. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement.. Best for dining-heavy spend when the $150 fee fits your usage; confirm issuer terms before applying.
Strengths
- Strongest Madeen category is dining at about 3% effective (6x points).
- That dining rate ranks higher than about 81% of cards we track in the category.
- No foreign transaction fee listed.
Tradeoffs
- $150 annual fee requires enough spend in bonus categories to offset.
- Multiple caps, activations, or exclusions may limit headline earn rates.
When should you pick Spark Cash Plus over Hilton Honors American Express Surpass?
Choose Spark Cash Plus if Best for spenders who put meaningful volume in dining and can earn 2% back. The welcome bonus can help if you can meet the spend requirement.. Worth a look for dining spend if you need a business card and can use cash back the way you redeem today.
Strengths
- Strongest Madeen category is dining at about 2% effective (2% back).
- No foreign transaction fee listed.
- Welcome bonus may add value if you can meet spend requirements.
Tradeoffs
- $150 annual fee requires enough spend in bonus categories to offset.
- Business card — rewards and liability rules differ from consumer cards.
Common questions about Hilton Honors American Express Surpass vs Spark Cash Plus
Which card is better between Hilton Honors American Express Surpass and Spark Cash Plus?
Spark Cash Plus is the stronger overall fit because it leads on Madeen's weighted scorecard (56 vs 45) across categories, bonus, benefits, and fee. The overall winner depends on your spend mix — use the scorecard rows and scenario playbook to see where each card actually wins.
Which card wins on dining: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass or Spark Cash Plus?
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass leads dining at 3% effective versus 2%.
Which card is better for cashback users: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass or Spark Cash Plus?
Tie is the better cashback-style pick between Hilton Honors American Express Surpass and Spark Cash Plus.
Which welcome bonus is stronger between Hilton Honors American Express Surpass and Spark Cash Plus?
If you are chasing a welcome bonus, Spark Cash Plus leads on catalog bonus value. For long-term category earn after the bonus, Hilton Honors American Express Surpass is the stronger keeper in this pair — but only if its annual fee still makes sense for your spend.
Which card has stronger benefits: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass or Spark Cash Plus?
Spark Cash Plus leads on estimated annual benefit value in the Madeen snapshot.
Which card has the lower annual fee: Hilton Honors American Express Surpass or Spark Cash Plus?
Tie has the simpler fee story in this pair ($150 vs $150). Annual fee only wins if you use the rewards and credits that justify it.
Is Hilton Honors American Express Surpass or Spark Cash Plus better for travel spend?
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass is the stronger travel-style pick between Hilton Honors American Express Surpass and Spark Cash Plus in this snapshot.
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Reviewed by Madeen editorial review
Catalog snapshot 2026-05-01
Updated 2026-08-16
Content tier Premium depth
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