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Capital One Platinum Secured vs Hilton Honors Surpass: Which Is Better In 2026?
July 1, 2025
Editor's Picks
- Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card: This card is designed for building or rebuilding your credit history.
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: This card is ideal for frequent Hilton guests and travelers who want to earn rewards on hotel stays, dining, and groceries. Terms apply.
Capital One Platinum Secured Breakdown
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Why We Like It
This section breaks down why we like the Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card (See Rates & Fees).
- It’s a valuable stepping stone for those looking to build a credit history for the first time or rebuild a damaged one.
- The card offers flexible security deposit requirements, making it an accessible option for many people.
- It provides a clear path for growth, with automatic credit line reviews and the potential to graduate to an unsecured card.
Pros
- No annual fee: This card helps you focus on building credit without the extra cost of an annual fee.
- Builds credit history: Capital One reports your payment activity to all three major credit bureaus, which is essential for establishing or improving your credit score.
- Opportunity for growth: With responsible use, you could be automatically considered for a higher credit line and eventually graduate to an unsecured card.
Cons
- Security deposit required: You’ll need to provide a refundable security deposit to open your account.
- High APR: This card comes with a high variable APR, which can be costly if you carry a balance.
- Limited benefits: It lacks many of the perks and features commonly found with unsecured credit cards.
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Breakdown
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Why We Like It
This section breaks down the key reasons we're fans of the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card(See Rates & Fees).
- It provides automatic Hilton Honors Gold status, unlocking valuable hotel perks just for being a cardmember.
- The card offers strong rewards on everyday purchases, allowing you to accumulate points quickly even when you're not traveling.
- Cardholders can earn a Free Night Reward through eligible spending, adding significant value for loyal guests.
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
- Offers a pathway to earn top-tier Hilton Honors Diamond status through eligible spending, unlocking the highest level of hotel benefits.
- A great companion for international trips, as it has no foreign transaction fees.
Cons
- The value of Hilton Honors points can be inconsistent and may be lower when compared to other hotel loyalty programs.
- An annual Free Night Reward is not an automatic perk and requires meeting a spending threshold.
- The card lacks some premium travel benefits like airport lounge access, which are available on other travel cards.
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® vs Capital One Platinum Secured
Categories
Deciding which is better, the Capital One Platinum Secured or Hilton Honors Surpass, depends entirely on your financial goals and credit history. These two cards serve vastly different purposes, one focused on building credit and the other on travel rewards.
- Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card is designed for individuals looking to establish or improve their credit history. It's an ideal starting point for those with a limited or poor credit profile.
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card is best suited for frequent travelers who stay at Hilton properties and want to enjoy enhanced benefits. This card is intended for those with a good to excellent credit score.
Redemption
Capital One Platinum Secured: As a card designed for building credit, it does not offer a rewards program for redeeming points or cashback. The primary financial return is the refund of your security deposit upon closing or upgrading the account in good standing.
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass®: This card allows you to earn points on your spending, which can be redeemed for stays at hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio. Points can also be used for other travel-related perks and experiences.
Compare Top Rated Credit Cards with Kudos
For a more personalized comparison, tools like Kudos can help you evaluate nearly 3,000 credit cards by analyzing your actual spending habits.
- Test Drive Cards: The platform's Test Drive feature lets you simulate potential earnings with different cards using your real transaction history before you apply.
- Personalized Recommendations: Get matched with cards that will earn you the most rewards based on your unique spending patterns.
- Approval Odds: Receive a detailed analysis of your approval odds based on your credit report.
- Welcome Offer Guarantee: If you find a better welcome offer for a card you got through Kudos within three months, the platform will match it.
- Kudos Boost: Earn extra rewards on top of your credit card points when you shop at participating stores.
Who Should Choose the Capital One Platinum Secured?
The Platinum Secured card from Capital One is designed for individuals who are building or rebuilding their credit, including those with a limited or poor credit history. It is also an excellent tool for students and recent immigrants who need to establish a credit profile in the U.S. for the first time. Because the card reports to all three major credit bureaus, it offers a direct way to improve your credit score with responsible use.
Who Should Choose the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass®?
The Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card is an excellent choice for moderate travelers who frequently stay at Hilton properties but want to avoid the high annual fee of a premium card. Cardholders can leverage automatic Gold status for valuable perks like room upgrades and a daily food and beverage credit, all while earning 6x points at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets, and U.S. gas stations (Terms apply). This card is ultimately designed for value-conscious travelers looking to maximize their everyday spending to fund future aspirational trips, especially when using benefits like the fifth night free on award stays.
Alternatives to Consider
The Capital One Platinum Secured vs Hilton Honors Surpass comparison showcases cards on opposite ends of the credit card spectrum, so if neither one is right for you, let's explore some other excellent alternatives.
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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.
Tips for Application Success
Before You Apply
- Check your credit score - Card requirements vary, with premium cards often needing good to excellent credit while others are designed for building credit.
- Review application rules - Be aware of issuer policies, like the American Express one-bonus-per-lifetime rule, which could affect your eligibility for a welcome offer.
- Plan your spending - Make sure you can meet any minimum spending requirements for a bonus with your regular purchasing habits.
Application Strategy
- Time your application strategically - Apply when you see an elevated welcome offer or early in the year for cards with calendar-year spending benefits.
- Know the issuer's process - Some issuers let you see your offer before a hard credit inquiry, while others may require a security deposit to open an account.
- Align the card with your goals - Choose a card that helps you build credit history or one that maximizes rewards for 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
What is a secured credit card?
A secured credit card requires a cash security deposit when you open the account, which typically becomes your credit limit. It's designed to help individuals build or rebuild their credit history with responsible use.
Can I upgrade from the Capital One Platinum Secured to a different card?
Yes, with a history of on-time payments, Capital One may review your account for an upgrade to an unsecured card and refund your security deposit. This process can sometimes happen automatically after several months of responsible card usage.
What are Hilton Honors points and how can I use them?
Hilton Honors points are the loyalty currency of the Hilton hotel portfolio, which you can earn with the Surpass card. You can redeem these points for free hotel nights, room upgrades, and other travel-related experiences.
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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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