Amex Hilton Changes

[Great3]

Can the legacy $250 resort credit be used for room reservations at resorts or only incidentals billed to the room? We still have $250 on one card and $60 on the other to use. No applicable resorts MF since Scotland does not seem to work anymore. Gift card shop at Elara could not be billed to room but Starbucks could.

Should I have purchased Starbucks gift cards to room?

Any other ideas to use before Dec 31st?

Yes, another idea as @GT75 already pointed out here: https://tugbbs.com/forums/threads/amex-hilton-changes.357558/post-2991080

You can always pay part of his MFs in order to get the credit. LOL! Sorry, I had just had to remind you!!!!

Great3

 

[GT75]

I just made the charges last week, now waiting to see if they actually credit me. If so, just awesome, I will just count my lucky stars. If not, oh well, I gave it a shot, and didn't expect it anyways when I applied for the 2nd Aspire card for myself.

For SW and the old AmEx airline credit, did you remember to keep the ticket purchases below $100? For me, that required 3 ticket purchases.
What is crazy was that I got both the $50 new airline credit and ~$93 old credit on the first purchase.

 

[Great3]

For SW and the old AmEx airline credit, did you remember to keep the ticket purchases below $100? For me, that required 3 ticket purchases.
What is crazy was that I got both the $50 new airline credit and ~$93 old credit on the first purchase.

Yes, I did 3 seperate charges over several days. In fact, as of yesterday last night, nothing was credited back yet, but this morning, I saw the first of three charges get credited back, so I am fully confident the other 2 charges will get auto credited back as well soon.

Again, thanks to this thread, you and everybody else that post their experiences, the AMEX Hilton Aspire is just awesome this year for 2023, getting to double dip for one annual fee.

Great3

 

[raddoc]

Hopefully you referred her?

Can someone get a referral bonus if they don't have the same card? I'm thinking about getting a Surpass, can someone get a referral bonus if they have an Amex Platinum and not a Surpass?

 

[Zenichiro]

Yes I think so. If they send you the link you can scroll through and select a different card I believe. Is this what you meant?

 

[raddoc]

Yes I think so. If they send you the link you can scroll through and select a different card I believe. Is this what you meant?

I think so. I have never opened a card by referral before so I'm not aware of how the process would work. Based on your response it sounds like I would be able to open the referral link and select a different card even if the referrer doesn't have it (the Surpass in this case). If so, that answers my question.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

If you've had the card before and are referring, make sure to look at the terms as to whether bonus lifetime language is included. When I tried to refer it included the lifetime language so we opted for a non-referral without the lifetime language to ensure the bonus could be earned because my DH had the card before.

 

[Zenichiro]

I think so. I have never opened a card by referral before so I'm not aware of how the process would work. Based on your response it sounds like I would be able to open the referral link and select a different card even if the referrer doesn't have it (the Surpass in this case). If so, that answers my question.

Yes this is correct. Not everyone has every card on their referral link though from what I’ve seen in the past

 

[raddoc]

Just tried to have a referral sent but got an error message:

"Sorry, we cannot complete your referral request at this time."

Anyone have experience with this?

 

[BingoBangoBongo]

If anyone was curious, I got the surpass $50 quarterly Hilton credit for paying maintenance fees at Elara (HGVC).

How long did it take for the Credit to post after the charge?

 

[Reddart]

How long did it take for the Credit to post after the charge?

I think I payed on Monday and it posted the credit on that Friday.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

PSA: There are problems with Hilton Giftcards on the HGVC site. After trying online and via phone to apply to MF, AMEX rejected the card even though it was confirmed that the card was active and there is a balance on the card.

In my first attempt I forgot to enter that I was only paying $100 so perhaps it was trying to pay the entire balance with it and was rejected? But when I put in $100 for subsequent attempts it still rejected the card.

Amex/RPG informed me that I cannot use that card now with HGVC because of "multiple attempts" and I should try to use it elsewhere. I reminded the rep that this can only be used at a HIlton. I do not want to show up upon checkout and find it is rejected yet again. I also do not know when I will be staying at a Hilton hotel next so they have agreed to refund the balance.

Hilton cards worked in the past. I do not know if AMEX's anti-fraud measures have made them now unusable on the HGVC site or if this is a one-off snafu.

Please share you data points as I will need gift cards to make the Surpass credit work for quarters (summer/fall) in which there is no MF to pay.

 

[1Kflyerguy]

PSA: There are problems with Hilton Giftcards on the HGVC site. After trying online and via phone to apply to MF, AMEX rejected the card even though it was confirmed that the card was active and there is a balance on the card.



Please share you data points as I will need gift cards to make the Surpass credit work for quarters (summer/fall) in which there is no MF to pay.

Hotel gift cards seem to be problematic in general. That has been my personal and observed experiences. I have never tried to use one for MF payments, but even on property they can be challenging. Frequently the front desk desk can't figure out how to apply them, and they often have to involve multiple people to get one to go though. I have seen this even at ordinary hotels, not timeshares.

Now that most timeshare and hotel companies are separate it makes sense that you may not be able to use a Hilton giftcard for a payment to HGVC as they are separate companies.

Personally if I am going the gift card route, i would assume i need to use those up on property, even though that is also a hassle.

 

[brp]

Hotel gift cards seem to be problematic in general. That has been my personal and observed experiences. I have never tried to use one for MF payments, but even on property they can be challenging. Frequently the front desk desk can't figure out how to apply them, and they often have to involve multiple people to get one to go though. I have seen this even at ordinary hotels, not timeshares.

Now that most timeshare and hotel companies are separate it makes sense that you may not be able to use a Hilton giftcard for a payment to HGVC as they are separate companies.

Personally if I am going the gift card route, i would assume i need to use those up on property, even though that is also a hassle.

We get Hyatt GCs are part of the yearly qualification. The card is sent digitally, which I like. But, even though it has a barcode, the folks at the hotel have to enter the long number manually. Most do know how to do it, so it works pretty well. But definitely clunky to use. Since it's free, we'll work through this each year

Cheers.

 

[Bird01]

Be sure to call in every 13 months to get a “retention bonus”. I got 15000 HH points this year (I have a Surpass)

Never heard of this. Please explain

 

[Reddart]

Never heard of this. Please explaIn

How To Get Credit Card Retention Offers: Strategies & Policy

Credit card retention offers can help you decide whether or not you want to keep a card open. Find out more about how to get these offers.

upgradedpoints.com

 

[GMan82]

Well, I just tried applying for a new Aspire card and got sent to the pop-up prison. The message read as follows:

"GMan82, you are not eligible to receive the welcome offer. In determining eligibility, we considered your history with credit card balance transfers, your history as an American Express Card Member, the number of credit cards that you have opened and closed and other factors. Would you like to proceed? Note: Your application will be considered withdrawn if no action is taken on this page."

Interesting, I have no credit card balance or transfers. I haven't really used my two amex cards (delta reserve and hilton surpass) for anything other than delta and hilton purchases recently, having focused on the Chase family of cards (Hyatt, CSP, and now my new Freedom Unlimited for the 2x offer). Also, my Chase Freedom was just opened last month. I called up amex and they said it's unlikely this would change. Oh well, guess I'll upgrade the card to Aspire and forego the bonus. I barely stay at the hiltons anyway, outside of HGV now, but do occasionally abroad. Still want Diamond and the resort credit, airline credit, and down the line the Clear credit make it worth it.

 

[Zenichiro]

Well, I just tried applying for a new Aspire card and got sent to the pop-up prison. The message read as follows:

"GMan82, you are not eligible to receive the welcome offer. In determining eligibility, we considered your history with credit card balance transfers, your history as an American Express Card Member, the number of credit cards that you have opened and closed and other factors. Would you like to proceed? Note: Your application will be considered withdrawn if no action is taken on this page."

Interesting, I have no credit card balance or transfers. I haven't really used my two amex cards (delta reserve and hilton surpass) for anything other than delta and hilton purchases recently, having focused on the Chase family of cards (Hyatt, CSP, and now my new Freedom Unlimited for the 2x offer). Also, my Chase Freedom was just opened last month. I called up amex and they said it's unlikely this would change. Oh well, guess I'll upgrade the card to Aspire and forego the bonus. I barely stay at the hiltons anyway, outside of HGV now, but do occasionally abroad. Still want Diamond and the resort credit, airline credit, and down the line the Clear credit make it worth it.

There is an instant approval no lifetime offer on Dr of credit for the Surpass. You could upgrade the Surpass to Aspire and apply for the Surpass, still getting a Welcome offer.

American Express Hilton No Lifetime Language Offers - Doctor Of Credit

American Express currently has a number of Hilton links with no lifetime language

www.doctorofcredit.com

 

[GMan82]

Interesting. I’ll have to do that later this month! Can at least recoup almost all the missed points! I want to wait to receive my new card first though, before re-applying for the surpass. I’m so annoyed with them that I might keep that card for a few months or whatever the minimum is and then cancel it.

 

[letsgobobby]

it took nine days but buying a gc on alaska dot com got me the credit

 

[brp]

it took nine days but buying a gc on alaska dot com got me the credit

Thanks. The other option was to buy a cheap ticket and cancel for the credit. But this is a more convenient approach since GCs have no expiration. Not that a credit with, basically, two years of life would go unused on AS.

Cheers.

 

[GMan82]

Thanks. The other option was to buy a cheap ticket and cancel for the credit. But this is a more convenient approach since GCs have no expiration. Not that a credit with, basically, two years of life would go unused on AS.

Cheers.

Has anyone tried this for Delta? I wonder if Delta GCs work, because I think they’ve worked in other instances for other cards’ airline benefits.

 

[rickandcindy23]

I did a search for the comparison of the Aspire and Surpass cards and didn't see the CLEAR benefit listed on the Aspire.

I was trying to decide whether to cancel my card, keep it, or have Rick apply for it. He wasn't impressed with any of the benefits I listed for the card from the comparison chart, and the cost was a lot, considering we don't own Hilton points. The Clear intrigued him, yet it's not listed as a benefit.

 

[brp]

I did a search for the comparison of the Aspire and Surpass cards and didn't see the CLEAR benefit listed on the Aspire.

I was trying to decide whether to cancel my card, keep it, or have Rick apply for it. He wasn't impressed with any of the benefits I listed for the card from the comparison chart, and the cost was a lot, considering we don't own Hilton points. The Clear intrigued him, yet it's not listed as a benefit.

Odd to not see it. It is listed on this Amex link

Benefits Dashboard

global.americanexpress.com

Cheers.

 

[Sandy VDH]

Clear is definitely on Aspire I did this recently.