iDine/Rewards Network - HHonors Amex will no longer yield bonus points for restaurant charges!

Timely e-mail from Frequentfliercrier.com

Amex Hilton Card Revises Earning Rates

According to credit card statements received by cardholders for the period ending December 2, the following changes in the earning rates for the Hilton credit card issued by American Express will take effect on January 1, 2009:

Cardholders will no longer earn bonus points for purchases at restaurants and post offices.

Cardholders will earn an additional bonus point for purchases made in other categories.

Cardholders will receive six points (instead of the previous five) per dollar spent at supermarkets, drug stores and gas stations, in addition to spending in the new categories of home telephone, cable, satellite TV and Internet service providers.

Cardholders will also earn three additional bonus points (for a total of six points) for each dollar spent at Hilton hotels when paying with the Hilton card.


Thank you FF Crier for the notice!

I know this is important to some of you for the double yield of using your HHonors AMEX when you dine at RN restaurants, so wanted you to have an adequate heads up of the impending changes!

This is interesting because the billing insert for my 12-15 statement includes the information posted above. However, I received a replacement for my expiring card yesterday. An enclosure there said benefits were changing in the new year, but the details are different than what was on my billing statement. In effect, the insert with the new card decribed the same rules as are in effect now -- five points, still get them at restaurants and USPS, for example.

For the record, here is the exact text from the insert that came with the bill.

We are replacing the first two paragraphs of the Points Accumulation Agreement with the following:
"You will receive three Hilton HHonors bonus points for each U.S. dollar of "Eligible Spending" (as defined below) on your Hilton HHonors
Card from American Express (the "Card").
You will receive three additional Hilton HHonors bonus points (for a total of six Hilton HHonors bonus points) for each U.S. dollar of Eligible
Spending at the following categories of merchants, excluding warehouse clubs and superstores: supermarkets; drug stores; stand-alone
gas stations; and home telephone, wireless, cable, satellite TV, and Internet service providers.
You will receive three additional Hilton HHonors bonus points (for a total of six Hilton HHonors bonus points) for each U.S. dollar of Eligible
Spending on the Card at any Hilton Family hotel worldwide (excluding Hilton Grand Vacations timeshare purchases and package sales).
All points are accumulated subject to the terms set forth below and to Hilton HHonors Terms and Conditions.
Hilton HHonors membership, earning of Points & Milesæ, and redemption of points are subject to Hilton HHonors Terms and Conditions."