Visa Check Card ??

[Antonia]

When we check in, I plan to pay with my Visa check card. Will they also put some kind of hold on the check card for purposes of charging back to the room? I have done this at WDW and I don't believe there was a hold adn we just had up to $1500 worth of charging privileges. Wondered if Universal was any different. Any one with any experience with the VISA check card at check in???

 

[DStar4cup]

I am very interested in this also. I am trying to get everything budgeted and don't want any surprizes!!!
Thanks for the help!!

 

[Antonia]

I read somewhere that they put a $300 per day hold on the card -I would never charge that much per day to my room. Does anyone know if this is true and if so, how long does the hold stay in effect? I know they do not do that at WDW and hopefully Universal does it more like Disney.

 

[Muushka]

What is the advantage of using a check card over a credit card?

 

[DStar4cup]

Originally posted by Muushka
What is the advantage of using a check card over a credit card?

Nothing that I know of. I just would rather pay with my check card so that it is paid for and not charged. I don't like to use my credit cards unless I have to.

 

[disneyagain]

I wouldn't recommend using a check card at a hotel. We had an experience last winter in Albany, NY. I'll try and make a long story short my DH employer was paying for his hotel room for the week(monday-Thurs), we went up to stay for one night (friday) we were paying for this night, we booked the additional night. When my DH went to check out they put the whole 5 nights on our check card. We had them correct it, well it doesn't just happen at the hotel, the charge does, but the credit goes through accounting. So now we have 6 nights on our card (5 original and the 1 correction). Of course it was a holiday weekend and banks/hotel accounting was closed on Monday.....So the original $100 we were going to spend was now $600 out of our check card and the money didn't get put back into (taken off hold) until Tuesday. Not a big deal we were heading back home and there was sufficient funds in the account, but I'd hate to have that happen when I expected to be able to use that money on vacation.

It never even occured to me until this happened. We'll use our credit card this summer at HRH and pay it off with a check when we get home and the bill is correct.

 

[DStar4cup]

I am actually planning on prepaying my hotel by check. Number one question I have is if I do this do and don't plan on having charging privledges(sp?) on my room key will my credit card or debit card still have to have a high deposit amount taken out?

 

[Muushka]

Number one question I have is if I do this do and don't plan on having charging privledges(sp?) on my room key will my credit card or debit card still have to have a high deposit amount taken out?

Gee, we always charge our room, and I really don't remember them ever taking a high deposit out. We don't usually opt for the charging priveleges at USF, and the only thing they tell us that we are charged for is the room. Upon checkout, we check other charges (like parking for example) and have not had a problem.

It would be a huge problem (to me) to give a hotel access to my checking account. At least the credit card people absorb the problem until it is straightened out. Also, if what I understand is correct, what happens if they put a wrong amount on your check card and it throws off your balance, and you write checks for $$ you don't have?????? I have a headache just thinking about it!

 

[Antonia]

I hate it when a post goes awry. All I wanted to know was what people's experiences were with a hold being put on a certain amount if they put down a check card when they check in at a Universal hotel. I have not had a problem with using my check card to make hotel reservations, etc. I have used it at WDW and many other places. I use it all the time for all kinds of things. And I try not to use a credit card for anything short of an emergency.

 

[DStar4cup]

Antonia,

I sorry if I was the cause of this thread going awry. I am like you I only like to use my credit card in case of emergency. I have used my debit card to pay for hotels for years now. I was only hoping to find out if my debit/check card was going to have a large charge against it even though I am going to prepay my room and not have charging priveledges with my room key. Again I am sorry if I am the cause of this thread going awry.

 

[Muushka]

Oops, sorry Antonia My own personal paranoia.

 

[Dznefreek]

What the hotel will do is run your check card through to capture an authorization number. It lets them know the card is good as well.

We were just in Las Vegas and this is what they did at the Luxor and when we got home all of our room charges were on the one number.

Typically they will get an authorization for around $60.00 (depending on hotel) and when you check out run everything under the one auth. number.

Disney sometimes sets daily limits but the last time I did it it was a $2000.00 limit. Then they just want you to settle up and they will renew your room charging privileges.

 

[Antonia]

Okay, here is the scoop on checking in with the Visa check card direct from The Royal Pacific - - - they put a hold on your card equivalent to $250 per day of your stay. And she said depending on which bank you use, it can take up to two weeks for the hold to come off. For this reason, they do not recommend it. Needless to say, this is very different from WDW and we will not do this with the Visa check card to get charging privileges to the room. We will just use the card to do our own charging and forget charging to the room - sounds like food there may be too expensive anyway.

 

[Buschfan]

Thanks for the information on the deposit. Wow, I guess we will cancel our reservation for next weekend. We only use debit cards and it is no way they are going to put a hold on my money! We did not plan on charging anything to the room key. Heck, we were going to bring a cooler and lunch meat for sandwiches. We were going to stay at Porofino and I expect they will hold funds on my debit card there also.
Are you required to have room charging privileges? Can you say no thanks and just pay for expenses on you own?

 

[MsDisney]

We were going to stay at Porofino and I expect they will hold funds on my debit card there also.

They won't hold funds on your card unless you want the ability to charge things to your room. Pay your balance in advance and then just don't leave a credit card on the room upon check-in.

They can't make you put down a credit card, not everyone has the resources to even have $250 a day tied up for credit card holds!

Don't cancel your stay...just keep your card out of their paws!

Karen

 

[Buschfan]

Thanks for the reply Karen. I was about to call today to cancel. I was right at the 5 day window. Glad I don't have to have my debit card tied up. Thanks again, I really wanted to stay onsite for a change...

 

[msr709]

Another way to be sure they don't hold anything on your card is pay cash! (And I think they consider a debit card as cash) I asked and they told me they do not hold anything UNLESS you are using charges to the room key, that's the only time they hold any amount. Its really great to stay onsite, you won't regret it, go and have fun! HTH

 

[Antonia]

msr709 and MsDisney are right - you do not have to have charging privileges and you can still pay for the room with the debit card, just not have charging privileges and then you won't face the $250 per day hold. Personally, I have never stayed at any hotel that put such an enormous hold on your card.