joelmeu

(Crud, it looks like this was already mentioned elsewhere, but I missed it at first. Please delete as this is duplicative.)

Citi has a limited time offer (expires April 18th, 2014) for their Citi Hilton HHonors Visa Signature Card right now:

- Instead of the usual 40,000 HHonors points after you spend $1000 in the first 4 months, you get 50,000 HHonors points. (At a value of about 1/2 cent each, that's an additional $50 worth of HHonors points.)
- Also, you can earn a $50 statement credit after spending $50 on your first stay at any Hilton hotel or resort during the first 6 months of card membership.

Other benefits remain the same, including:
- Earn 3 HHonors points per dollar spent at supermarkets, gas stations, and drug stores
- Earn 6 HHonors points per dollar spent at participating Hilton properties
- Earn 2 HHonors points per dollar spent elsewhere
- No annual fee

http://creditcards.citicards.com/usc...0k/default.htm

BarryL

Any gold status? Annual fee?

sdsearch

That's a different Citi Hilton card: The Reserve. The Reserve gives Gold Status, has an (un-waived) $95 annual fee, and earns weekend free night certificates (no points) as the signup+spend bonus.

This is the no-annual-fee card which has been around for years and years. It gives bonus points (no certs) as the signup+spend bonus, and no automatic Gold status (it may give Silver, but who cares?). It does give you fast track to Gold status on four stays. Please read the page linked above for details.

This is the card you get for the points and not much else. (And it's churnable for more bonus points.)

controller1

The card gives Silver status upon card approval. The current terms of the card state the following for obtaining Gold status:
If a cardmember wishes to obtain HHonors Gold status, just complete four qualifying stays within first 91 days of cardmembership. Once a member achieves Gold status, it will remain in effect for the calendar year in which the Gold status was earned and the subsequent calendar year. Thereafter, the standard requirements must be met in order to maintain Gold status.

igneous

nice, might grab this for a quick free night. Have a feeling the points will take too long to come for me though

flyer4512

I just activated my 40K and $50 credit card a few hours ago. PM'd Citi hoping for the 50K

Citi Pm'd me back confirming they will give me 50K plus $50

The old deal of 40k plus $50 had you spending the $50 at Hilton within 3 months, the new deal gives you 6 months.

SanDiego1K

Thanks, joelmeu, for your post. I had seen comments about the card but hadn't noticed a link. Your comprehensive post was just what I needed to apply. I'm approved, and look forward to an easy 50K points and $50 credit after appropriate spend.

Xelint

Applied and approved.

Thanks for the link and deal

Finkface

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but does the $50 have to be spent on an actual stay, i.e. room charge? Or can I just wander into a Hilton, buy a drink and dinner at the bar and use my card? Will it code as 'Hilton' and generate the statement credit? Any other creative ways to spend $50?

flyer4512

It's doesn't have to be used to pay for a stay but it seems the $50 needs to be charged to the room.


In order to qualify for this one-time statement credit, the minimum $50 purchase requirement must be met and will include charges at hotel restaurants, lounges, retail stores, or spas, which are charged to the cardmember’s hotel room bill and settled using the Citi® Hilton HHonors™ Visa Signature® card upon checkout. Certain on-property vendors may not permit cardmember to charge to their hotel room, and such charges will not be applied toward the purchase requirement. Credit will appear on billing statement 6-8 weeks after purchase requirement has been met.

controller1

If I were a betting man, regardless of what the T&Cs state, as long as the card is used at a Hilton establishment I would bet Citi will not be able to distinguish between a restaurant only charge or a charge to the room since in all likelihood it will appear to Citi the same.

Finkface

That was my thought as well and why I posed the question. I will volunteer to test this out and report back.

HansGruber

Except it won't be on a folio like it would be on your room bill. Typically the restaurant has it's own POS system with a different name than the hotel. Even the hotel bars have different names more often than not.

I agree though it's still worth a try and would be a useful data point.

Xelint

Were you able to test this?

Thanks

Finkface

Not yet. My stay starts May 1. I won't be paying for the room, so no folio, but i will charge dinner one night and see if that is good enough. Will report back.