mdbe

Depends on your status. I know that if you’re a Diamond they’re supposed to use the card on file and not ask for a signature. I’ve had this issue a couple times especially with night auditors and whenever I brought it up to the attn of the front desk mgr, I was comped points.

Christopher Bearfoot

I'd ask William the HiltonHonors Ambassador in these forums to give the official company line.

smmrfld

This has absolutely nothing to do with status...properties that require a swipe do so despite status IME.

:D!

Some properties require all guests to present a card while some waive this requirement for status members.

smmrfld

Umm, yes. That’s the point of this entire thread.

mdbe

See this thread below:

Hilton Payment at desk forgot Amex

and

Hilton brand standards used to state:


For Gold and Diamond VIP Members, the credit card information should be retrieved from the guest’s HHonors Profile / Reservation and verified with the guest that they would like to use the same credit card on file. Gold and Diamond VIP Members who have a valid credit card on their reservation record or eCheck-In ARE NOT required to provide a credit card or signature at check-in.

i could not find a 2018 hilton standards pdf but a google search yielded this on the 2019 HGI standards:

For Gold and Diamond members, the credit card information must be retrieved from the guest’s Hilton Honors Profile / Reservation and verified with the guests that they would like to use the same credit card on file. The hotel may also request the member to provide a credit card if needed or required by local law.

"MUST" is the operant word. I've had this issue before and have been comped points after pointing out brand standards. Same thing goes for various CC merchants asking for ID, which is against their merchant contract, and I report that to the Visa/MC/Amex as appropriate.

storewanderer

I have complained about this issue in the past. It was a property somewhere in Arizona. Wasn't the best neighborhood. Property felt like the fort knox but seemed to be safe enough (exterior corridors). They also took an imprint of my card and I had to sign a sales draft at checkout. I probably wouldn't have complained, had they not done the imprint.

As long as the card has been used at some point in time at some Hilton property, they are not supposed to ask for it if you are Gold or Diamond.

So if you get a new card (new card number) then they would be within their right to ask for the card and run it through the chip reader, only on the first use of that card at a given property.

Quite the opposite I have, lately, been offering my card when checking in. I have been wanting to see if Hilton's new chip readers process by "tap" since the Hilton AmEx Card has "tap." But so far in the past two years not one property has wanted my card even when I offer it "oh is that the card on file? okay we don't need that, go ahead and put your card away."

sofloflyer

How do I contact William?

Points Scrounger

I had a clerk acknowledge that was the policy, but insist on ID and card citing "past fraud" issues.

Hilton Honors Ambassador

You can send a private message to this user id along with the details of the stay, i.e, confirmation number. I'd be glad to ask and, if I can get an answer I can share, I'm more than willing to let you know.

However, I will offer this as a reference to policies...even if there is a general policy on this, there are always one-off exceptions where they cannot be easily met. For instance, not every hotel is using the same property management system and some are more flexible than others. In a case like that, the hotel is going to be given the discretion to handle it according to their ability.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders

storewanderer

Another thought here, if you knew you could do on-line check in. Once you had this issue with the front desk, you could have pulled out your phone (or gone over to the lobby computer and logged into HH) and done on-line check in... and checked in with that credit card. At that point you are checked in and the hotel cannot mess around with asking for another card, etc. since your card on file is already "checked in" (and authorization has been done).

You do not have to use a digital key to check in online. You can complete check in online but not use digital key (the "select your room" on the map thing).

BobOscar

The HGVC Flamingo Las Vegas location always wants your credit card inserted with chip, even though they know I'm a Diamond. And a Homewood Suites recently wanted my chip card inserted, and they also knew I was a Diamond member...

DELee

Pro tips:

0. Make sure you have on your person a) your ID, b) your relevant credit card that you used to book your room(s) with _before_ you depart on travel
1. Check in on the Hilton app if that's your gig
2. If not using the app, walk up to the counter at the hotel where you've reserved
3. Present both ID and relevant credit card to check in

Good luck!

David

royalbrett

One of things I liked at Hilton better than IHG properties is not having to produce my ID and credit card every time that I check in.

:D!

As IHG Spire I am often not asked for CC either.

ID is only ever needed in countries where it is a government requirement, except for the Netherlands where Hiltons and IHG properties seem to ask for ID on any reservations where points are used to prevent fraud.