How do the dining programs work behind the scenes?
Jul 23, 2012, 12:58 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Posts: 146
How do the dining programs work behind the scenes?
Just curious - How do the airline / hotel dining programs (Ex. AAdvantage dining, HHonors dining) work behind the scenes? Under any of the programs, you register a specific credit card and then receive air / hotel points when you use that card at a restaurant that participates in the program. How does the purchase information get routed back to the dining program for credit? Do the programs work directly with the Amex, Mastercard, and Visa networks? If you were to register one card to two different programs, would each program give you credit for a single purchase transaction?
Jul 23, 2012, 2:07 pm
#2
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: ATL
Programs: AA Gold, HH Diamond
Posts: 1,061
Just curious - How do the airline / hotel dining programs (Ex. AAdvantage dining, HHonors dining) work behind the scenes? Under any of the programs, you register a specific credit card and then receive air / hotel points when you use that card at a restaurant that participates in the program. How does the purchase information get routed back to the dining program for credit? Do the programs work directly with the Amex, Mastercard, and Visa networks? If you were to register one card to two different programs, would each program give you credit for a single purchase transaction?
Jul 23, 2012, 2:48 pm
#3
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: AA EXP, DL-Plat, WN-CP | Hotels: Choice-Gld, IHG-Plt, Rad-Gld, HH-Dia, Hyatt-Glob, Marriott-LtPlt
Posts: 2,889
I can only answer the last question. The system will not allow you to register one card for more than one program. If you try you will get a message saying this card has already been registered, something along that line. You can delete a card from one program and then re-register it in another if you want.
Jul 24, 2012, 8:49 am
#4
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Here, there, and everywhere
Programs: PC: Platinum, DL: PM, National: Exec
Posts: 806
In my experience, there is no need to delete the card from one program and then re-register it in another for Rewards Network affiliated dining programs - I have simply registered the card with a second program and it automatically removed it from the current program (while keeping it registered in the new program) and sent me emails to that effect.
Jul 24, 2012, 9:10 am
#5
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: ORD/MDW
Programs: AA EXP, DL-Plat, WN-CP | Hotels: Choice-Gld, IHG-Plt, Rad-Gld, HH-Dia, Hyatt-Glob, Marriott-LtPlt
Posts: 2,889
In my experience, there is no need to delete the card from one program and then re-register it in another for Rewards Network affiliated dining programs - I have simply registered the card with a second program and it automatically removed it from the current program (while keeping it registered in the new program) and sent me emails to that effect.
When I register a card with a different program, I first get an email related to the old program like the following:
You recently registered a credit or debit card you had previously registered with XXXXXXXXXXX DiningSM in another dining program operated by Rewards NetworkSM. Credit and debit cards can only be registered in one dining program run by Rewards Network at a time. As a result, you will no longer earn rewards through XXXXXXXXXXX DiningSM when you dine and pay with this card. Instead, you will earn rewards through the new program you moved the card to.
Thank you for updating your YYYYYYYYYYYYY Dining credit / debit card information. The changes you made are effective immediately.
Jul 24, 2012, 1:35 pm
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,933
The RN system won't easily let you delete (unregister) the last card from a particular RN program. You always need to leave one card there. (It doesn't have to be a current card, it can be an expired card, since they only check the number, not the expiration date, when you register.)
In all the cases where I've moved cards just by registering at the "new" program (without manually unregistering at the old program), it's been at least a couple months since I'd registered that card in the other program. (And I'm leaving a few cards in the old program in most cases.)
Jul 28, 2012, 12:35 pm
#7
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Here, there, and everywhere
Programs: PC: Platinum, DL: PM, National: Exec
Posts: 806
I wonder if it might work differently depending on how long the card had been registered, and/or how many cards you'll have left (after auto-deleting).
The RN system won't easily let you delete (unregister) the last card from a particular RN program. You always need to leave one card there. (It doesn't have to be a current card, it can be an expired card, since they only check the number, not the expiration date, when you register.)
In all the cases where I've moved cards just by registering at the "new" program (without manually unregistering at the old program), it's been at least a couple months since I'd registered that card in the other program. (And I'm leaving a few cards in the old program in most cases.)
The RN system won't easily let you delete (unregister) the last card from a particular RN program. You always need to leave one card there. (It doesn't have to be a current card, it can be an expired card, since they only check the number, not the expiration date, when you register.)
In all the cases where I've moved cards just by registering at the "new" program (without manually unregistering at the old program), it's been at least a couple months since I'd registered that card in the other program. (And I'm leaving a few cards in the old program in most cases.)
Nov 15, 2012, 8:25 pm
#8
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: HNL
Programs: AA Citi Visa and Amex, Citi AA Biz, SPG, Amex Green, Zync, Discover It (Starbucks Gold) HHonors Gold
Posts: 268
Just curious - How do the airline / hotel dining programs (Ex. AAdvantage dining, HHonors dining) work behind the scenes? Under any of the programs, you register a specific credit card and then receive air / hotel points when you use that card at a restaurant that participates in the program. How does the purchase information get routed back to the dining program for credit? Do the programs work directly with the Amex, Mastercard, and Visa networks? If you were to register one card to two different programs, would each program give you credit for a single purchase transaction?