The perfect gift to give a travel lover is a travel gift card. You can help to fund their next adventure, safe in the knowledge that they will be spending your gift points on the things they absolutely love. But before you buy any travel gift card you need to make sure you know the ins and outs of where the card can be spent.
The Expedia Group Global Hotel Card is one of the options you may be considering when looking to purchase a gift card. But before you buy, you may be wondering "Can I use a Global Hotel Card on Expedia?"
Below we will talk you through everything you need to know about the Global Hotel card by Expedia and where these gift cards can be spent. You will find the answers to questions such as:
- Can I use a Global Hotel Card on Expedia
- How do I make a booking using my Global Hotel Card?
- Can I cancel my Global Hotel Card booking?
American Express® Gold Card
Editor's Choice
60,000 Points
What is The Global Hotel Card?
The Global Hotel Card powered by Expedia is a gift card that allows holders to buy hotel and resort stays, vacation rentals, and stays at private homes across the globe.
There are more than 500,000 accommodation options worldwide included in the scheme. And the available vacation stays range from major hotel brands including Marriott, Accor, Intercontinental, Hilton, and Hyatt) to charming bed and breakfasts.
More than 300 different accommodation brands are available on the scheme, including the Hyatt and Hilton, and more than 150,000 vacation rentals and stays in villas and private homes worldwide.
The availability of accommodation, the prices quoted, and the booking process is all powered by Expedia. This service is provided by the Expedia affiliate network, a division of one the largest travel companies in the world.
Can I Use a Global Hotel Card on Expedia?
Global Hotel Cards are pretty clear that their gift cards can only be used to make bookings on their own online portal. Even though booking on their website is powered by Expedia's technology, that doesn't mean you can use the card to make any purchase on the Expedia website.
You can use your Expedia Group Global Hotel Card to book on the Global Hotel Card website only. The organization has a set inventory of accommodation options which currently numbers more than 350,000. Using the website you can book stays at major brands, resorts, and hotels including Marriott, Accor, intercontinental, Hyatt, and Hilton.
The reservation system is powered by Expedia, but not an extension of their own travel platform, and should be considered completely separate if you want to buy gift cards that can be used on the global travel site.
How to Redeem a Global Hotel Card to Book Your Travel
To book your stay you need to use the Global Hotel card website GlobalHotelCard.com and have your gift card details close to hand.
- Make a search of the accommodation database based on the currency of the gift card and make your choice from the available hotels, vacation rentals, and private homes to rent.
- Once you have selected your favorite from the available resorts and bed and breakfasts, follow the onscreen instructions to book your stay.
- When prompted, you need to enter the Global Hotel Gift card code (the 19-digit number) and your Pin Value (4 digits.)
- The credit on your gift card will then be applied as a full or partial payment against your reservation.
- You can use up to four Global Hotel Cards to pay for your booking. To do this you just need to re-enter each new pin code and card code before moving toward the next stage of the booking.
- If your gift card balance only covers part of the payment, you will be able to input your credit card details to cover the remaining amount.
Once you have made your booking, you will receive confirmation emails which should be printed and presented when you check in at your chosen accommodation.
Can You Use Your Hotel Loyalty Program When Booking with a Global Hotel Card?
You will not be able to include or manage your chosen hotel's loyalty program when you make your Global Hotel Card booking. Although at the discretion of the hotel chain, you may still be able to collect some points during your stay. (Make sure to enquire about this when you check in at your hotel.)
What If You Want to Cancel Your Booking?
If you have second thoughts about your travel dates and destination, or if something unexpected comes up, you will want to be able to use your points to book a different vacation later down the line. But is this possible?
Well, you are not able to change or modify your booking once it is confirmed, but you can cancel. The Global Hotel Card website states that this may result in a cancellation penalty through, so make sure you are aware of what this amount may be before confirming your cancellation.
If you do want to cancel your reservation, you should not approach the hotels or resorts directly. Instead, all cancellations should be made online using the Global Hotel Card site.
Summary: Can I Use a Global Hotel Card on Expedia?
Global Hotel Cards are a fantastic way of giving the gift of travel to your nearest and dearest. However, the gift recipient will be limited to booking their hotel and resort stays through the gift card website.
But as we have seen above, given that the inventory of possible stays numbers over 550,000 including all major hotel brands, resorts, and destinations across the globe. So, the restriction still offers travelers a vast variety of possible vacations and 350 major hotel brands are currently on the roster.
As with all gift card and loyalty schemes, you need to make sure you are aware of all of the terms and conditions before buying. If you purchase the card, make sure they know if they can use a Global Hotel card on Expedia before they waste their time trying to book on the Expedia site.
