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Instant Hilton Gold using Visa Infinite and the Luhn Algorithm!

 

UPDATE: Sorry everyone, this promotion has now expired.

A while ago Hilton Hhonors was offering gold status to anyone who could provide a valid Visa Infinite card number. This got widely spread amongst the likes of One Mile at a Time, and View from the Wing. The numbers that were provided on there were quickly shut down — understandably.

However, I decided to revisit their page, and it looks like Hilton are STILL offering it, with the expiry being pushed back all the time. At the time of writing the deadline is 31st May 2013. Since American Express decided to cut away Hilton Gold to their UK Platinum Card holders, cardholders have been looking for another way to get renew Hilton Gold. This is your opportunity so get it quick!

Using the Luhn Algorithm, you can generate a valid 16 digit card number which seems to pass Hilton's ‘verification' process. Last time round only Hhonors accounts registered in Australia were being promoted to Gold, so this may be a requirement still. Until enough people give me confirmation that this works this requirement is still speculative. Still, you have nothing to lose by trying, and please please please let me know if it works[EDIT: I can confirm that you need to change your address to Australia first for this to work.]

You can easily create a new account to Australia, or change the country of your address in your existing Hhonors profile to Australia, perform this trick, then change the country back.

I've tried doing this with a newly-created account in Australia. I get the “congratulations” screen so now it's a waiting game to see if the account's elite status tier will change to Gold. Last time round the higher status was changed instantly, but I'm still waiting… [EDIT: I can confirm it has worked on my account! It takes roughly 20 mins for the new status to kick in, possibly up to 2 hours for some people. Try logging out and back in if you don't see your profile updated to Gold after that time.]

Successful input of Visa Infinite card for my new account in Australia. Let's see if this will work!

Successful input of Visa Infinite card for my new account in Australia. Let's see if this will work!

If you're still interested here's how it works:

Start off with the first 6 digits of 442394 as this is Visa Infinite's Issue identifier, then make up any 9 digits afterwards. It is important that you don't use the same numbers as mine, because there were suggestions that their systems might be blocking repeated numbers, but try to follow the steps as I describe:

4423 9412 3456 789 (notice this is 15 digits long)

double every other number starting from the 1st, and ending on the 15th.

8443 (18)422 64(10)6 (14)8(18)

Where the doubled number is greater than 10, which I've included in parentheses in my example, subtract 9 to make sure it's smaller than 10.

8443 9422 6416 589

Now add up each of these digits.

8+4+4+3+9+4+2+2+6+4+1+6+5+8+9 = 75

Take the next multiple of 10 up from your sum, which in this case is 80, and deduct your answer above from it:

80-75 = 5

That result is the final,16th digit of your made up Visa Infinite credit card number, so now your final result is

4423 9412 3456 789 and 5

You can even verify that your number works using this online validator (you could of course just bash all the numbers from 0-9 for the final digit until it works – but I wanted you to read my post!)

Like I say, don't use the same numbers as mine, thus hopefully stopping your number being disabled!

Once you have generated your 16 digit card number, head to the HHonors Visa Infinite promotion page and plug in your number (Don't forget to register your account to Australia first!). You will be asked to log into your account. If nothing has changed since last time then all should be well.

Enjoy your new Hilton Gold status! (maybe!)

56 Comments

    1. are you working out your number before you load the page? If it’s the other way around are you taking too long?
      Otherwise try loading a new browser session, (using incognito mode works here too). You can only try your credit card number once though! If you try multiple time the system appears to block it so generate a new number before trying again.

        1. now understand that safari was the reason of session out for me also. I shld try in office. Thanks for the all tips.

    1. I did last year when it was even easier than generating a 16 digit number. They didn’t bat an eyelid and welcomed us to the hotel as usual!

  1. since this is only for 1 year, i need to only do this just before it expires in may so I could get it all the way till may 2014..hopefully it lasts that long before it stops working

    1. Possibly. Two issues though. Firstly I don’t know if this renews status for existing gold members – the T&C doesn’t specify that.
      Another is it might get pulled, so you are better off doing it now and hoping your status gets pushed back.

  2. Thanks, it worked! All of the other sites that say to use 4119 45xx xxxx xxxx are all b.s. Everyone who says they got it using 4119 45 in January and later must be trolls, because it would not work for me. After trying the prefix you posted, bingo!

    You’re my new favorite blog!

    1. oops, RTFI…sorted it!

      so in brief, changed my UK blue account to an Australian address (just googled a shop and used theirs). (also deleted my BA avios transfer details just to be on the sfae side)

      finally sorted a valid number after many tries (if you get a “too many tries” just close page and delete cookies/history)

      took about 2 hours to update to gold. went in and changed address back to UK.

      Also as Iberia gets you 5 avios to BA’s 1 I have changed my earnings to my new Iberia account.

      hope that helps.

        1. beg your pardon, my mistake, again! I changed to Iberia on Accor hotels, (lot of mucking about with ff/points programs by me recently) as accor offer 5 to 1, hilton is actually the reverse, 1 ba avios per dollar, but only 1 in avios per $10. So i have hilton to BA and Accor to Iberia.

          1. Can I ask…. after you did this did you suddenly see a strange banner on your initial sign-in page that said, “You’re just 0 points away from Diamond Status”. I’ve just completed this and I’m trying to see whether it’s worked.

          2. Nope, I’ve got “You’re just 120000 points away from Diamond Status — see the benefits you’ll receive”. I doubt anything will materialise of your one though!

    1. no, not yet! but it would not suprise me. Would not be rocket science to see who had done this if/when they get wind of it, if they have not already.

      I continue to get account/update emails saying I am blue, but my account definately says Gold.

      I have a Hilton stay coming up and it has let me request a free upgrade, so I hope it last that long at least.

  3. Hey im having some trouble i logged in and im stuck at blue status i cannot figure out exactly how to get to diamond or gold. i would love for this to work i have changed my adress and saved it like 3 times.

    1. the trick only gets you to gold, not diamond. Assuming you got the ‘congratulations’ screen, you need to log out and back in, perhaps wait a few hours. If you’re still stuck send me an email and I’ll try to help you

    1. This link works. I entered all the 15 numbers starting from 442394, and then add the system generated digit at the end and the website accepted. I have to do this in April so that my status is good for a whole year…so continuing my hopes this wont be noticed yet.

  4. I think I made a mistake; even after receving confimation message “Congratulation”, I submmitted another 16 digits again πŸ™
    In that case, Will Hilton give me a gold credit?

    1. I have no idea! How come you submitted another 16 numbers? The only way to know is to check to see if your account. Don’t call them!!

  5. this works so far. wait to see if accepted at counter as their website states that they have a right to refuse if reservation via fraud or error means… i’m not sure either of these terms qualify, so enjoy!

  6. since this expires in 1 year, i’m gonna wait till close to end of May, as my trip in 2014 is close to may and I wanna make this count!

  7. I just did this by opening a new account, followed the steps and got Gold, now my question is how do I merge this new account with my existing one which just got downgraded from Gold to Blue – as I still got over 100,000 points in it ??

  8. The visa card generator creates a credit card by first loading a generator to the personal computer of the user. Then the user makes a choice of which credit card he wants to generate. The computer processes the data and then creates the card. Once the card has been created, the process is done.

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