Hyatt Gold Passport - New Diners Card, MC Affiliation & FFN

Has anyone tried to use the new co-branded Diner's Club/Mastercard and received FFN credit?

The cards have "MC" leading 4 digits so they are now accepted anywhere a MC is. As a matter of fact, when shopping online it's necessary to select MC as a form of payment or the charge will not go through.

Thanks.

I got it. I used it. I was credited. (Apologies to G.Julius Caesar--I couldn't help it.)

Great! Thanks for posting. I can now get rid of the useless MC I got just for FFN promos.

From the merchants point of view, it really is a master card.

-David

And what are the benefits vs. a regular mastercard? I am currently using an AA mastercard, but if DC/MC is better I would certainly switch.

And what are the benefits vs. a regular mastercard? I am currently using an AA mastercard, but if DC/MC is better I would certainly switch.

The only reason I still have mine is for using it as a MasterCard for FFN. After this stint is over, i'll probably cash in my points and get rid of it. It used to be great with the 60 day grace period, but that has since gone. The rewards program is nice, but I think I'm going to move everything over to my AMEX.

And what are the benefits vs. a regular mastercard? I am currently using an AA mastercard, but if DC/MC is better I would certainly switch.

It cost more than the AA M/C. You have to compare their points program with something like Amex membership rewards, or maybe even the SPG Amex (Optima) card program.

It has the best points program of any card. You can transfer DC points to every major US airline and most other airlines. So, it's great for topping off an account or giving miles to others. Downside: There's a small fee for transfering DC points to airmiles. The fee can be paid in DC points or charged to your DC account.

It's also good for laundering miles from less often used programs into other programs. (Usually at a 50% loss in miles.)

They usually run a BA promo every year where the ratio of points:miles is impoved for a limited amount of time.

They also have some decent hotel awards, but I've never used them.

You can look at their catalog online at
http://www.dinersclubus.com/dce_content/clubRewardsandBenefits

-David

And the other significant benefit of the DC/MC is primary rental car insurance
(there seems to be an ongoing debate about whether this important benefit will be preserved in the future)

DC customer service tends to be better, not sure about recently though.