What to Ask at a Hotel Prior to Using Your Credit Card at Checkin

Many people travel during the summer, and this means staying at a hotel. Most people use their credit or debit card for their hotel stay, and run into issues with their card balances due to not understanding what their card will be used for during their stay. This article will provide a bit of insight as to what happens to your card once you leave it on file at the front desk during your hotel stay.

If you're planning on paying cash when you check out, ask what amount of money the card will be "held" for. All credit and debit cards are authorized for the full amount of the stay, plus extra funds for incidentals. Some hotels will authorize the card for $10 above the stay amount daily, some will hold up to $100 above and beyond the hotel stay amount for every day of your stay. An authorization is NOT a charge, it means that the hotel is verifying and holding these funds to make sure that your card has the proper amount for the stay (plus incidentals) which means there is a temporary hold on those funds for up to 14 days after the hotel releases the amount. This means if you pay cash at checkout and your card was held for $300, the hotel will release the $300 from your card and give you a receipt that you paid cash, but your bank or card company can take up to 14 days to release the amount on their end. Many people fail to realize this, and end up traveling with a card that has funds they cannot spend on it. Ask at checkin the amount they will be holding on your card, as if you are planning on paying cash it may just be best to pay the cash upfront with deposit (provided the hotel policy allows it) to avoid placing a large hold on your card.

Keep in mind that most hotels will not allow cash until checkout, meaning you must provide a credit or debit card to be authorized for the full amount of your stay PLUS your daily incidental hold when you check in. Do not waste your time or the hotel clerk's time in handing them a card without proper funds, as it will decline and you will not be able to check in. If you do not have a valid credit or debit card (a card that has funds enough for the hotel's authorization needs) and they will not allow a cash payment with deposit, you will have to find other lodgings. Traveler's cheques will also not work, as for the safety of the hotel financially they must have a credit or debit card at checkin to guarantee payment at checkout.

Also keep in mind that if you are wanting to pay cash at checkout and you fail to return to the desk at checkout, or bring cash to checkout after the checkout time (say you bring cash to pay for your room at 2 pm and checkout was at noon) your credit or debit has already been charged. A hotel automatically checks out guests once the maids have verified the room is empty if checkout time has already passed and the guest has not come to the desk to pay. This means if you have a card on file and you don't come to physically check out, you not only don't get a receipt but you also have to pay with that card. If you pay after checkout time, you will get a receipt that you've paid cash, but once again the refund to your card will take up to 14 days to appear, and you are out those funds until your bank or card company also refunds those fees to you. The hotel has the right to charge the card on file at checkout if you don't come down and pay cash, so make sure you pay prior to them automatically charging your card.

If you get room service, make long distance calls, or charge lounge tickets and restaurant fees to your room and don't otherwise specify, the hotel will automatically charge it to your card on file. Also, if you trash the room, smoke in a non-smoking room, or take pillows and blankets that belong to the hotel, or if you bring in a pet without notifying the hotel (some hotels make you pay a pet fee or don't allow pets at all) you will be charged the appropriate fees to your bill, with or without notice.

Ask at checkin if you can pay with more than one credit or debit card, and if you can use more than one card to hold the room. Do this prior to handing over your card, because once it's authorized for the full amount it cannot be immediately reversed. Most hotels will authorize 2 or more cards for equal authorization amounts to lower the hold on each card, but it's up to you to make it clear what you would like to do prior to providing your card. Once again, once the authorization is on there, it is out of the hotel's hands. They can reverse the authorization on their end if you choose to auth a different card or wanted more than one on there, but it will still take your bank or card company up to 14 days to complete the reversal of funds. As a former hotel clerk, I cannot stress this point to y'all enough.

Prepaid cards and gift cards can often not be used at hotels and gas stations, mainly because they cannot be verified and authorized for amounts. Even if you have $500 on your gift card, if it cannot be authorized, you cannot use it. Hotel clerks can do nothing about it, so don't make them talk to your customer service rep on the phone to try to charge it. The system will not let you use a prepaid card or a gift card, period. Have another form of payment available.

It is up to the guest to inform the hotel clerk of their concerns about funds and holds on their credit and debit cards. If you wait until checkout to ask why a hold of $250 is still on your card even though you've already paid, it just creates confusion and frustration on both parts. Stay informed, ask questions, and know what you're getting into, and you should be just fine.