Originally Posted by
ZontarTheThingFromVenus
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?
The dining program works with the credit card networks. When you register your card on the dining program website, that card information is stored in a special file that is reconciled against all credit cards used at a Dining restaurant participant. A 'script' if you will is ran automatically at the end of each business day that will reconcile any 'registered dining credit card' to what is listed in the Dining database this information is then fed to the Dining Rewards network who will then credit the appropriate FF or Rewards account.