Press Release
November 23, 2000
NEW YORK, NY -- Citibank U.S.A. yesterday introduced the Hilton HHonors® Visa Platinum card, which will deliver
a wide range of benefits specially tailored for business and leisure travelers.
The card awards three Hilton HHonors points for each dollar spent using the Hilton HHonors Visa Platinum card at
any of more than 2,000 Hilton HHonors hotels, or two points for each dollar spent at the 19 million merchants that
accept Visa, the largest payments network in the world.
``Our partnership with Hilton HHonors allows us to deliver even more value to Citibank customers,'' said Thomas
G. Anderson, president of Citibank U.S.A. ``The program will enable Hilton HHonors Visa Platinum cardholders to
accrue HHonors points quickly, not only at Hilton HHonors hotels but also via the vast network of Visa acceptance
locations globally.''
More than 2,000 hotels worldwide participate in the Hilton HHonors guest reward program, including Hilton®,
Conrad International®, Doubletree®, Embassy Suites Hotels®, Hampton Inn®, Hampton Inn & Suites®,
Hilton Garden Inn® and Homewood Suites® by Hilton hotels.
``Hilton HHonors is constantly seeking new ways to bring value to our members. Now, we're pleased to be working
with Citibank to introduce the only Visa card to let travelers earn Hilton HHonors points for their charges,''
said Jeffrey Diskin, president and chief operating officer for Hilton HHonors Worldwide.
Citibank's Hilton HHonors Visa Platinum card has no annual fee and features an introductory zero-percent interest
rate on retail purchases, which rises to the prime rate plus 5.9 percent after the introductory six-month period
expires. Cardholders who take advantage of the initial offer also will receive 7,500 HHonors upon first use of
the card and will automatically become Hilton HHonors Silver VIP members for their first year of card membership.
Hilton HHonors Visa Platinum cardholders have access to a wide range of benefits, including auto rental and travel
accident insurance and round-the-clock travel assistance, such as medical and legal referrals, emergency card replacement
and cash advances. A 24-hour service line, 1-800-Visa-911, provides customer support.
For more information on the Hilton HHonors Visa Platinum Card, call 888-601-7083.
Hilton HHonors is a guest reward program that gives frequent travelers a faster way to earn the rewards they want
most. Enrolled members can earn HHonors points in addition to airline miles for the same stay, at nearly any rate,
at more than 2,000 participating Hilton, Conrad International, Doubletree, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hampton Inn,
Hampton Inn & Suites, Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites by Hilton hotels around the world.
HHonors is the only hotel program that allows its members to simultaneously accumulate both airline miles and hotel
points for the same stay - a benefit Hilton calls Double Dipping®.
Membership in Hilton HHonors is free. Travelers may enroll online by visiting www.hiltonhhonors.com. Or, to enroll
instantly in the program and make reservations, consumers in the U.S. and Canada may also call 1-800-HHONORS. Outside
the U.S. and Canada, travelers may call the Hilton Reservations Worldwide office in their area. Travelers also
may pick up an enrollment form with a temporary membership card at any participating hotel.
Citigroup (NYSE: C), the premier global financial services company, provides some 100 million consumers, corporations,
governments and institutions in over 100 countries with a broad range of financial products and services, including
consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, insurance, securities brokerage and asset management.
The 1998 merger of Citicorp and Travelers Group brought together such brand names as Citibank, Travelers, Salomon
Smith Barney, CitiFinancial and Primerica under Citigroup's trademark red umbrella. Additional information about
Citigroup may be found at http://www.citigroup.com.
Visa U.S.A. is the leading payment brand and the largest payment system in the United States, with more volume
than all other major payment cards combined. Visa plays a pivotal role in advancing new payment products and technologies
to benefit its more than 14,000 U.S. member financial institutions and their cardholders. There are more than 345
million Visa U.S.A. credit, commercial and check cards, which generate more than $765 billion in annual transaction
volume. Visa-branded cards are accepted at over 19 million locations worldwide, including some 643,000 ATMs in
the Visa/PLUS Global ATM Network. Visa's Internet address is www.visa.com.
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Contact:
Citibank
Keith Anderson, 212/793-1213
kfanders@travelers.com
or
Hilton Hotels Corp.
Jeanne Datz, 310/205-4545
Jeanne_datz@hilton.com
or
Visa U.S.A.
Sean Healy, 212/521-3934
sehealy@visa.com