Changes to Hilton Premium Club

[oz_mark]

Not sure I want a Macquarie Visa Card

Hilton is committed to the Hilton Premium Club and we have gone the extra mile to continue to add value to this program. We are pleased to announce an exciting change to the program and as a valued member we wanted you to be the first to know.

Hilton together with Macquarie Bank will enhance the benefits offered with membership. You’ll continue to enjoy all the Hilton benefits you currently have, but they will now come as part of a new Visa Platinum credit card brought to you by Macquarie Bank^. You will earn 1.25 Macquarie reward points per dollar spent^^ on all your everyday purchases including those at Hilton Hotels, and continue to enjoy Hilton HHonors and Frequent Flyer points for your stays.

Unless it has other features related to the HHonors program....

 

[serfty]

It seems there is little choice being portrayed if you wish to retain HPC benefits:

Importantly, these changes do not impact on your current Hilton Premium Club membership and you can still enjoy all your membership benefits until the expiry date printed on your membership card. Shortly before your Hilton Premium Club expires, you will receive your Hilton Macquarie Platinum Card application form.

I wonder if one has to employ the Macquarie card to get the benefits of HPC or if one can simply file the card away and use another CC?

 

[oz_mark]

It seems there is little choice being portrayed if you wish to retain HPC benefits:

It is a shame to link it to a credit card in this way though. On the plus side, from the CC point of view, at least it will go some way to justifying the cost of the credit card, unlike most platinum credit cards on the market.

I wonder if one has to employ the Macquarie card to get the benefits of HPC or if one can simply file the card away and use another CC?

We'll have to wait and see the full details of the CC offer to see what we are up for.

 

[Danger]

I find the email from HPC a bit confusing and definitely lacking in detail.

My reading is the Visa card itself will become the HPC card (ie. one card). What do these Macquarie reward points get you? What are the "added benefits of a Visa Platinum card"? I also read the email as suggesting that if you don't accept the Macquarie card (or don't meet the criteria for the card) you can no longer be a member of HPC.

And the $295 annual fee. Thanks to the work of straitman I'm part of the corporate group tha got an almost two year membership for just under $200. So does this mean it's now going to be $295 per year?

Lots of questions.

 

[drron]

Well I will be out unless it has some of the features you can get on US Hilton branded CCs.There is one discussed on FT where I think it is spend $US20000 per year gets you gold,$40000 per year gets you diamond.
Now if that happens i would ditch my Citi plat Visa and go with this card.Metinks though that is wishful thinking.

 

[QF WP]

Re: www.hiltonpremiumclub.com

and then this today (see the bolded in red section in the middle of the message):

Important changes to the Hilton Premium Club program

Hilton is committed to the Hilton Premium Club and we have gone the extra mile to continue to add value to this program. We are pleased to announce an exciting change to the program and as a valued member we wanted you to be the first to know.​

Hilton together with Macquarie Bank will enhance the benefits offered with membership. You’ll continue to enjoy all the Hilton benefits you currently have, but they will now come as part of a new Visa Platinum credit card brought to you by Macquarie Bank^. You will earn 1.25 Macquarie reward points per dollar spent^^ on all your everyday purchases including those at Hilton Hotels, and continue to enjoy Hilton HHonors and Frequent Flyer points for your stays. ​

Once you are approved for a Hilton Macquarie Platinum Card, you can enjoy all the added benefits of a Visa Platinum credit card (which includes the Hilton Premium Club membership) for an initial application fee of only $275 per year (normally $295).​

The Hilton Macquarie Platinum Card will officially launch in November 2009, and it will replace the current Hilton Premium Club program. ​

Importantly, these changes do not impact on your current Hilton Premium Club membership and you can still enjoy all your membership benefits until the expiry date printed on your membership card. Shortly before your Hilton Premium Club expires, you will receive your Hilton Macquarie Platinum Card application form. ​

What do you need to do?​

To be eligible for the Hilton Macquarie Platinum Card, you must meet Macquarie Bank's credit criteria, which include being a permanent resident of Australia. ​

If you are an Australian resident and your current Hilton Premium Club membership has already expired or will shortly expire, look out soon for further information that will be sent to you about the Hilton Macquarie Platinum Card which includes the application form that you will need to complete and send back to us. ​

To ensure you are one of the first to take advantage of this exciting new offer, please let us know if your contact details have recently changed by completing the form below.​

If you have any questions at this stage please contact us on 1800 251 600 and press option 1 or on 0800 447 778 or email us at [email protected].

We hope you'll find the new Hilton Macquarie Platinum Card even more rewarding and thank oyu for your ongoing patronage. ​

Yours sincerely,

Robin Watters
Regional Director of Sales Australasia - Hilton Sales Worldwide


Interestingly, I am considering changing my Citibank Platinum, so maybe their timing is good - but I want one that transfers to AA, so will have to wait to see what the T&C's are...

 

[Mal]

Re: www.hiltonpremiumclub.com

Interesting development... Although I'd really rather see a direct sweep Hilton branded credit card in Australia rather than this half effort.

Pretty much rules out me having my card renewed until I become an Australian resident again!

 

[straitman]

Re: www.hiltonpremiumclub.com

Interesting development... Although I'd really rather see a direct sweep Hilton branded credit card in Australia rather than this half effort.

Pretty much rules out me having my card renewed until I become an Australian resident again!

Pretty much rules me out I think. I have no desire to do any more business with Macquarie Ripoffs Inc than I absolutely have to do.

 

[oz_mark]

Well I will be out unless it has some of the features you can get on US Hilton branded CCs.There is one discussed on FT where I think it is spend $US20000 per year gets you gold,$40000 per year gets you diamond.
Now if that happens i would ditch my Citi plat Visa and go with this card.Metinks though that is wishful thinking.

It would be nice if some of those features come across on the card, but I suspect wishful thinking is the truth.

On the other hand, if an HPC member is now with Citibank, and one of those paying $250 a year for the privilege, then switching to the Macquarie card would have some financial advantage. After all, the Citibank Platinum is not really the market leader it once was.

Still, I struggle to get past it being MacBank.

 

[oz_mark]

As I posted on the Hilton Premium Club thread.

Pretty much rules me out I think. I have no desire to do any more business with Macquarie Ripoffs Inc than I absolutely have to do.

I understand what your saying, and its an interesting couple of moves from MacBank (this + the Jetstar card). I wonder why the recent push on the retail banking side.

Now that the four big banks have managed to end up with similar products, it is good to see someone come in with some different products. Just a shame its Macquarie. Still, I will wait to see what the full offer is.

 

[JohnK]

Re: www.hiltonpremiumclub.com

Pretty much rules out me having my card renewed until I become an Australian resident again!

Unfortunately I do not need another credit card....

 

[straitman]

Just a shame its Macquarie. Still, I will wait to see what the full offer is.

I agree all be it sadly :!:

 

[oz_mark]

Re: www.hiltonpremiumclub.com

Unfortunately I do not need another credit card....

Indeed, if I went down this path, it would have to replace something.

 

[JohnK]

Re: www.hiltonpremiumclub.com

Indeed, if I went down this path, it would have to replace something.

Without knowing the full details it is difficult to speculate what will happen but it is not looking good. As Danger mentioned we received 2 years worth of HPC membership for ~AUD200 and now they want $295 per year. No thanks.

 

[straitman]

Re: www.hiltonpremiumclub.com

Without knowing the full details it is difficult to speculate what will happen but it is not looking good. As Danger mentioned we received 2 years worth of HPC membership for ~AUD200 and now they want $295 per year. No thanks.

We do need to remember that the ~$200 rate was exceptional and that $295 is closer to what would normally be paid.

 

[oz_mark]

Re: www.hiltonpremiumclub.com

Without knowing the full details it is difficult to speculate what will happen but it is not looking good. As Danger mentioned we received 2 years worth of HPC membership for ~AUD200 and now they want $295 per year. No thanks.

The $200 for 2 years was a special case, using a corporate/group membership and I am not sure that it has been offered recently. Having said that, I can certainly understand that what may be value at $200 is not such good value at $295, and that it is dependant on how much business you do with Hilton.

 

[Mal]

There is always the possibility of getting the annual fee waived for the credit card, which would make a 2 year membership around $295...

Still, I'm not really interested - and anyway can't get the card unless I fudge lots of info that I don't really want to fudge.

 

[DAS]

Who needs a credit card at 18.95% or whatever, when I just spoke to my bank and they reduced my % to 11.5%. I don;t need a MB Credit Vias card in my wallet. Just spoke to Hilton and they say if you don;t have it then basically you no member any more. Wonder how many members will jump ship. I don't even recall being advised this was even being considered, great customer service so you get no choice.

 

[oz_mark]

It seems there is little choice being portrayed if you wish to retain HPC benefits:

I wonder if one has to employ the Macquarie card to get the benefits of HPC or if one can simply file the card away and use another CC?

From what I can make of it, you will need to do the pre-authorisation on the Macquarie card, but can change your method of payment at checkout.

See the ACCC public register: Hilton Hotels of Australia Pty Limited - Notification - N94280

 

[QF WP]

At best, I'll close down my Citibank card and replace with the MacBank co-branded card and use it.

At worst, I'd also do what oz_mark suggested in the post above. My Amex business card is my prefered card for payment.