Resorts blocking available cc limit??

[CaptJack]

Im trying to figure out something about the resort charging privelege.

When you use a credit card at check in for the resort card charging, is the amount they inform you of as your limit actually blocked from your available credit limit on your cc until check out?

For example, If I have a cc with an available limit of $10,000 and at check in Im told I have a resort limit of $1500 is that $1500 blocked from use except for the resort card from the $10,000?

I hope I asked that right.

Thanks

[skyhog]

Yes, the resort credit amount is actually processed as a temporary charge and would reduce the total credit limit availability you have on your card... the actual amount is adjusted on check-out.

[KiminChicago]

That's not what I remember from our November trip. The charges weren't applied to our credit card until we reached our limit, then our resort charging privileges didn't work until we went to Guest Services at the resort and they applied the charges to our credit card. This was at the Polynesian, it may work differently at different resorts.

[gepetto]

You don't have to get charging privileges, either. I have a hard time keeping up with room keys plus it's just as easy for me to use a credit card in the parks.

[Ted and Holly]

I used my check card for charging purposes several times. Since this is directly from my bank account, I kept a close eye on the charges. The charges were posted per day. There was no $1500 lump sum charged.

Ted

[mrsltg]

I'm almost positive that they block out the amount when they swipe your card. It makes sense, really, because what happens if you have a limited amount of credit and use it all and then run up a resort charge that Disney can't collect on? THey don't CHARGE your credit card, but they place a hold on the cash.

Hope this helps!

Erin :D

[TigrLvsPooh]

We always add room charging privledges. They swipe the card and check to see if a certain amount of money is available (ie. $500-$1000) but they have never charged anything to the card or held any amounts... not until check-out. Maybe it varies depending on which resort you stay at?

[cinmell]

I've used the room charge privledge twice at the Contemporay. Each time there was only one lump sum charged to my card. Each time I used a bank card so I checked my balance almost daily and the only charge was at the end of our stay. I hope this helps.

[Bob NC]

When you check into a deluxe, they get an approval on your credit card for $1500. They don't actually charge your card until that $1500 is used up. If you make charges to your room exceeding $1500, they actually put thru a charge on your card for the $1500....Then they get another $1500 approval.

Don't let anyone tell you they don't get a 'hold' or 'approval' on your card....Disney is not going to let you run around charging things to your room without concrete assurance they will be paid. They don't just 'trust ya' for it.

[CaptJack]

Thanks everyone:D

[TigrLvsPooh]

Bob NC... there is a difference between a "hold" and an "approval".

[karensi]

cinmell and Ted and Holly, if I understand you correctly you are able to use your debit card, money taken directly from your checking account type, for charges at the hotel and parks. Is this correct? Could I give them my $300 in Disney dollars upon check-in to be used towards my charges and after I exceeded that amount would they then charge to my card?:cool:

[Kermit]

Yes, you can have them use cash or Disney Dollars you give them when you charge purchases to your room.

A lot of people are talking about 2 different things here. Disney definitely runs all of your transactions as one big batch, either the day you check out or the day you reach the pre-defined limit that depends on which level of resort you're staying at. It's cheaper for them. Every time a vendor puts a charge on a credit card, the credit card company charges them. Disney saves tons of money doing it this way, and it makes any charging mistakes, such as double charges, easier to fix since they're usually caught before the transaction is run.

I don't have any concrete evidence, but my guess would be that they'd either put a hold on the funds or get an approval right when you check in. Anything else would be foolish on their part.

Because Disney runs all of your transactions as one batch, it's a good idea to read the fine print on your debit card before you go if that's what you want to use. Many of them have a limit on the dollar amount of transactions, regardless of how much money you have in your checking account. The charge will be declined if you go over that amount.

[Bob NC]

99ghsts......I'm sure you think you understand the policy....BUT, I don't believe for one second that Disney lets people charge thousands of dollars in 'good faith' before getting any assurance that they will be paid. I very well may be wrong here, but I have seen no evidence in my 25 years of paying money to WDW that they are in the habit of simply 'trusting' you to come up with money AFTER the fact.

[LibertyBelle]

What 999ghsts has posted is correct. I too have worked at WDW resorts for 5 years. I am sorry that you don't understand the policy BOB, it may seem silly to you but this is the way that it works, there is NO hold on your cc by the front desk. I can understand why 999 is a little upset. You would be too, if someone came to you and questioned your knowledge of the job you do everyday.

[Bob NC]

lol...I said I very well may be wrong.....I too have a lot of experience working the back office at hotel/motels....We never trusted anyone to have available money AFTER they check out....

If this is the case, then I'm curious as to why the limit is different at the different levels of resorts. If they are going to trust you for it, then why trust some folks more than others?

Since I always have a lot of credit available on my card, I never actually check to see if anyone has gotten an approval or not when I use it. But, I know that you can get an amount approved without actually putting a 'hold' on it.

[tripben]

I stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge a few months back and used my debit card to secure a charging privledge on my room key. I later realized I used the wrong card, as I had only about 50 dollars or so in that particular account at the time. I was given a $ 1500.00 limit, of which I only used about $ 490.00. Upon checkout, when the charges were finally run through I realized my mistake and gave the front desk a different card. I was told at check in that my card would only be charged if I had charged over $ 500.00 to my room key during my stay. If I happened to go over that amount each day, my card would be charged that much each day.

So, it seems as though the information stated previously by the Disney employees is entirely correct. I have used the room charge privledge at several different resorts, so it must be a policy for all resorts.

Maybe other hotels employ different means of securing payment? That might be where the miscommunication has arisen.

Sam

[moosebug]

Hi since you work at a Disney resort I was wondering if I can set up room charges with my debit card but before they charge my card if I can pay it off with traveler's checks. I really don't want to actually charge anything. i just don't wnat to carry around a lot of money with me. Thanks in advance for your reply!

[moosebug]

Okay great 999ghosts!!! Thank you!:p

[rebbeca]

I don't have "real" credit cards. I have bank cards and a Webcertificate Mastercard. When I check in, I always pay my total reservation in cash. I then have the Webcertificate Mastercard swiped. Both my son and I have room charging privleges at that point. Usually the night before check-out, I receive a note on the door saying we cannot do an instant check-out or whatever it is called and saying to please check out at the the front desk the next morning. Aalong with this is an itemized list of charges. The reason I get this paperwork is because the Webcertificate Mastercard usually only has $50-100 on it. I have never been questioned at check in and never been declined charging priviledges. On the morning of check-out, I pay the charges in cash. The first time I did this, I was really surprised that we could walk around charging each day when the card that was swiped did not have funds, but that is how it works.

[ralphd]

999ghsts,

Thanks, once again, for your input! Your input on the forums is appreciated and has always been helpful and credible.

ralphd
:D :D :D :D

[Carrieberry]

I also know 999ghsts is correct. When we stayed at the Polynesian in 98, we only had about $500 in our bank account. The trip was a gift to us, and we had traveler's checks. The check card was authorized for $1 to make sure it was an open account, which showed up immediately as we checked when we got to the room. We checked on our laptop and with online banking. We still received the $1500 limit even though we had nowhere near that amount in our account. I just went down with our travelers checks every couple of nights and when we only had three nights left, we just charged to the room. I think we did what most people do, we spent only what we knew we had in our account and then did express check out. We have been two more times, and both times the account was authorized for only $1, which like I said, usually is just to verify that the account is an open active account and that you didn't hand over an expired or closed account card whether it be a check/debit card or a regular credit card. The one time we did leave an actual credit card, we could not check for the $1 verification, but there was absolutley no hold placed on the card. We always check, because one time when we were in Vegas we left a card for incidentals at the Hard Rock hotel and they put a $200 hold on it without telling us and there was only $230 in the account. Needless to say, that wasn't very fun-esp in Las Vegas!

We have never had a problem with holds. I read somewhere that Disney has a deal with the credit card companies that they except that insure them payment even if the person bails before they can get a dime from them. Then the credit card company goes after the money via collection activiity. Not sure if this is true, but if it is it might explain why they are so trusting.

[VickiVM]

What if we want to leave $1000 in travelers checks at the front desk (we're booked on points at BCV) and charge on our room key. Will we receive any credit that may be due to us back in cash? Just thinking I might want to keep the CC with us for emergencies only and use Trav. cks as our budgeted spending money.

[Tinkbell]

Last year I purposely took a credit card with about $750 available credit on it for my room charging privleges. That was the amount I was willing to charge to the room. I was still given the $1500 limit at the Grand Floridian.

[Kimkimba]

Thanks 999ghsts for making this clear. I no longer have credit cards (got myself into HUGE debt and have since paid off) and only have bank/credit/debit cards now. Before, I never paid attention since I had a $10,000 max. Now I know better. This will work great for our trip, as I plan on having our room paid off by the time we get there. I really appreciate the accurate info; it makes me feel a lot more comfortable checking into a deluxe when I know I don't have a deluxe credit card.

[StrwLady]

VickiVM,

Im sure someone else can better answer your question but I think I remember a post where this was discussed (leaving cash or Travelers checks at the front desk and what happened at the end of the trip if money was left over). If I recall correctly (which doensn't always happen cus I have a 4 year old boy and im quiclky losing brain cells :cool: :cool: ) it was said that if money left over it is returned to you in disney dollars. As I said thats from memory.

Can someone else clarify this?

[mattjs]

Thanks so much 999ghsts,

Have never before seen this accurately explained. Very, very nice to finally understand preicisely how it works. Particularly the info on debit cards which we prefer to use.

Thanks again :D

[cinlee3]

Yes they do take your available credit. We stayed at CBR last Dec-Jan. We checked in with our CC. I told my husband to check on the charging privileges and he didn't completely understand (my fault, I didn't inform him). Anyway he went to charge a camera at MGM using the CC and it was declined:( so he used the debit card - His face was red and he was very embarrassed. Later that day, I charged several things, both at the park and at the resort, using the room key and the charges went through fine. Our CC does not have a very high limit and the only thing we used it for was CBR and a couple of other hotel nights on the road. The rest of time we used our debit card or cash.

So the answer is yes - While nothing was actually charged on our CC until we checked out - there was a reserve for a certain amount (don't know how much) on that account. I have first hand experience with this.

Also, make sure if you use a debit card that you know what your daily limit for withdrawls is.

[LibertyBelle]

cinlee3 I am not sure what happened in your particular situation if the hotel made an error and charged your card and then reveresed the charge (which happens often and will tie your card up) but I can assure you that there is NO hold put on your card in any way shape or form just for charging privledges. I have worked in WDW resorts for 5 years at the front desk and they only verify $1 to make sure the card has not been reported lost or stolen. Again, many things could have happened in your particular situation but again there is NO hold on the card The resort credit limit is exactlly the same for every guest (which is not possible if we were actually calling the credit card companies to verify funds and/or hold funds...everyone would have different limits based on their own account standing and that just simply is not the case)

[Tinkerbells2000]

999ghsts,or Libertybelle, can you do the room charge thing at the campground too?? We have almost always stayed at the Comtemporary, but now because we have too many children to stay in one room, we are taking the camper. I'm assuming since we still have a resort ID, this can be done.... And, is it the same procedure, since we will more than likely be using a debit card instead of an actual CC. Haven't decided fully what we are going to use yet.... Thanks

[Tinkerbells2000]

Thanks so much for your fast response... You're info has helped me a lot.... Have a great day.... Only 56 more days, and I'm almost all packed!!!!! :Pinkbounc :bounce:

[summerrluvv]

Originally posted by Bob NC
When you check into a deluxe, they get an approval on your credit card for $1500. They don't actually charge your card until that $1500 is used up. If you make charges to your room exceeding $1500, they actually put thru a charge on your card for the $1500....Then they get another $1500 approval.

Don't let anyone tell you they don't get a 'hold' or 'approval' on your card....Disney is not going to let you run around charging things to your room without concrete assurance they will be paid. They don't just 'trust ya' for it.

Well this wasn't the case when we stayed at the YC. We used our Visa Check card, which had about $900 on it, but were given a limit of $1500 to charge back to our room. Of course we didn't charge $1500, but there was never an authorization hold placed on the card, as I called the bank daily. We did think it was kind of weird that they would give us a limit that high when we didn't have money in the account.