Are we getting a bit ahead of ourselves with these claims of...

Are we getting a bit ahead of ourselves with these claims of Amex and Union Pay partnerships?
Reason being that SPT was able to use their technology against Visa and Mastercards prior to the 2020 announcements of official partnerships with them.... Also a Hotel that uses the exact same hold mechanism on any credit card doesn't need Visa or Mastercards official partnership to do so or am I wrong there?
My thoughts are the use of Amex and UnionPay on these websites is more of a reflection of what payment sources the Merchant accepts rather than an indication of looming partnership with both (as nice as that would be though!!). Not looking to take the wind out... just another thought on this item....