Finally – an enhancement that isn’t an “enhancement.”
Hilton’s newly renamed Hilton Honors (no more HHonors) program has launched a feature where you can pool your points with up to 10 other people free of charge. There are yearly limits, but they are quite high.
Pooling points is great if you are going with a friend or friends on vacation and want to share the cost (in points) with them or if one of you has most of the points but someone else will contribute whatever they have.
Here is the FAQ from the Hilton Honors website at http://hiltonhonors3.hilton.com/en/promotions/points-and-money/faq.html
(Additional T&C’s are also found here.)
Points Pooling FAQs
- What is Points Pooling?
Points Pooling will allow Hilton Honors Members to combine their Points with family and friends to book a stay. With this perk, a Member (and up to 10 others) will now be able to combine their Points. For example, if a group of friends are taking a trip together and individually don’t have enough Points to cover their entire stay, they will now be able to combine their Points, free of charge, into one account to unlock new redemption opportunities. - Is there a fee to participate in the Points Pooling program?
No, there is no fee to participate in Points Pooling. - How many people can contribute to Points Pooling?
A total of 11 Hilton Honors Members can pool their Points together. One Member initiates the pooling and up to 10 other Members can contribute. - Do I need to create a new “pooled” account?
No. Members can use their existing account. - How many Points Pools can I be in?
There is no limit on the number of pools a member can be in at a given time. - Can you use Pooled Points for just room rates or can it be used for non-room rewards including shopping and experiences?
Yes, once Points are pooled, they can be used for any room or non-room reward product, including the experiences available on the Hilton Honors auction platform, Hilton Honors Shopping Mall and any other non-room reward products. - Can you combine Pooled Points with money?
Once Points are pooled they can be used for any room reward product, including a Points & Money Rewards™ reward reservation. - What is the minimum/maximum number of Points that can be pooled?
A Member can transfer a minimum of 1,000 Points and a maximum of 500,000 Points into a pool in a calendar year. A Member can receive up to 2 million Points in a calendar year. - Are there particular qualifications you must meet to be able to pool Points?
To use Points Pooling, you must be an active Member, be in the program for 30 days, and have a minimum Points balance of 1,000 Points. - When will Points Pooling be available?
Points Pooling is now available. Start pooling your Hilton Honors Points here. - When will the Points be shown in the other Member’s account and be ready for use?
The transferred or pooled Points will be available for use at the time of transfer, but please allow up to 24 hours for pooled Points to show up when you log in to your account - Where and how do I Points Pool once I have a group of Members that want to combine Points?
All Points Pooling activities will be transacted online via HiltonHonors.com. - Where do I go to transfer my Points to the Points Pool initiator?
The Points contributor must access the transfer page through the Points Pool invitation email sent on behalf ot the Points Pool initiator. - What’s the difference between Points Pooling and Points Transfer?
Points Transfer is a 1:1 transaction, while Points Pooling allows for combining Hilton Honors Points with up to 10 other people (11 including yourself). - After I send Points to a friend for Pooling, what happens if he/she cancels the trip? How can I get my Points back?
If your friend has to cancel his/her trip, he/she can simply transfer the Points back to your account for free.
