Balance Due? Pay with gift cards?

[roliepolieoliefan]

Ok I convinced DH to stay at the Royal Pacific instead of the Best Western.

I already paid the deposit of the first nights stay. When is the balance due? Can I pay the remainder with a Universal gift card?

 

[macraven]

yes you can
if you booked room only, balance due when you check out of the hotel.

 

[DizzyStitch]

I plan to do this as well. Can't beat the extra rewards on my Disney card and the Fuel Perks I will get from Giant Eagle! I love little extras like these. Now if only I had a crystal ball to tell me when Giant Eagle would have double fuel perks!

 

[dmhgolfer1903]

Just be careful, I did this a few years ago and it was very aggrevating. The hotels do not take the gift cards, your have to go to the parks office and exchange the gift cards to universal dollars, then pay with universal dollars at the hotel, and the office does not have large bills because its designed for kids to use so If you get a few hundreds dollars for the giant eagle gas as I did you will get alot of ones and fives. 1.5 hrs at the office and then at check out waiting for then to count hundreds of dollars in ones and fives again.

 

[macraven]

Just be careful, I did this a few years ago and it was very aggrevating. The hotels do not take the gift cards, your have to go to the parks office and exchange the gift cards to universal dollars, then pay with universal dollars at the hotel, and the office does not have large bills because its designed for kids to use so If you get a few hundreds dollars for the giant eagle gas as I did you will get alot of ones and fives. 1.5 hrs at the office and then at check out waiting for then to count hundreds of dollars in ones and fives again.

no, it is not that way now.
it may have been like that when you went a couple of years ago but that has all changed.

a few months back a new system was implemented for the use of gift cards, usable in the parks and at the onsite hotels.

you can buy the gift cards online at the UO webstore.
http://www.universalorlando.com/Gift-Cards.aspx



read up on it here:

http://www.universalorlando.com/Gift-Card-FAQs.aspx?Intsrch=gift cards

 

[dmhgolfer1903]

Well I don't know, because the gift cards at Giant Eagle are not reloadable so I hope they work the same, because I'll be trying them out this June based on your assurance. Thanks

 

[macraven]

Well I don't know, because the gift cards at Giant Eagle are not reloadable so I hope they work the same, because I'll be trying them out this June based on your assurance. Thanks

i wasn't talking about using Giant Eagle gc.
to be honest, i don't know what a Giant Eagle is.

I'm talking about the Universal Orlando gift cards.
I put the link up so you could read it and see the Universal Orlando gc are accepted at the hotels and the parks.


The Universal Orlando Gift Cards are reloadable.

at the end of the above link, a phone number is given for help.
I suggest you call their toll free number and ask if Universal Orlando gift cards bought at the Giant Eagle are currently coded as the gc's bought onlne or in the parks.:


Who can I contact if I have a question about my gift card?
The Universal Orlando Resort Gift Cards information line at 1-888-322-1565 is open from 7:30 am to 10:00 pm, Monday through Saturday, and 7:30 am to 9:00 pm Sunday, Eastern Time.

 

[macraven]

I plan to do this as well. Can't beat the extra rewards on my Disney card and the Fuel Perks I will get from Giant Eagle! I love little extras like these. Now if only I had a crystal ball to tell me when Giant Eagle would have double fuel perks!

I lost connection to my internet after i posted about the UO gc's last night.

so, i was unable to come back to comment here.

now that i have service again, i suggest you also call the number for information on usage of the UO gc.

I don't know about universal gc that are being sold at offsite places such as Giant Eagle of elsewhere.

This new program started up recently this year and you can buy the Universal Orlando gift cards thru Universal.

I have no idea if gift cards for universal sold at grocery stores, department stores, etc, are coded for acceptance at the UO and onsite hotels.
You need to call and check that out.

I was under the impression that the old system of exchanging gc for funny money was no longer in usage.

i listed both links in the above post to help answer your questions and for you to contact UO directly.
it is a toll free number.

 

[DizzyStitch]

I just talked to guest services and they said the cards with amounts on the face (like the ones at Giant Eagle) are older cards and the only way you can use them to pay for the hotel is to exchange them for Universal Cash in the paarks. But she did say to look at the card and see what restrictions are listed on the card. Some cards may be ok to use at the hotel. I really was hoping this was going to be easy as Disney. Time for more research!

 

[macraven]

I just talked to guest services and they said the cards with amounts on the face (like the ones at Giant Eagle) are older cards and the only way you can use them to pay for the hotel is to exchange them for Universal Cash in the paarks. But she did say to look at the card and see what restrictions are listed on the card. Some cards may be ok to use at the hotel. I really was hoping this was going to be easy as Disney. Time for more research!

since the new version universal orlando gift cards came out a few months ago, i wouldn't imagine cards you bought from a grocery store would be the current ones.

the pics of the new g. cards are in the link i posted in a previous post in this thread.

the issue with older gc for the parks did not include usage for the hotels.

like the TM told you, read your gc you already have for the restrictions.
wish you the best in your research.

 

[DizzyStitch]

I did read the back of the card and it's pretty ambiguous. Yuse for food and merchandise and "many other things" at Universal. I will call again when I have the gift card in hand to see what the real deal is. And Giant Eagle is still selling these even though Universal says it is phasing them out. Being the trip planner and payer in the family is so much fun!

 

[macraven]

sounds like the older gc.
the ones that you have to go thru guest service for the exchange process.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

I just talked to guest services and they said the cards with amounts on the face (like the ones at Giant Eagle) are older cards and the only way you can use them to pay for the hotel is to exchange them for Universal Cash in the paarks. But she did say to look at the card and see what restrictions are listed on the card. Some cards may be ok to use at the hotel. I really was hoping this was going to be easy as Disney. Time for more research!

We just returned from Universal and used the Giant Eagle gift cards. We were able to use them for our stay at the RPH but yes they had to be exchanged at guest services at the park for a Universal gift card.
After we did that we could use them anywhere.

 

[JennyL1984]

Are there any deals on US gift cards like with Disney? I bought the $100 GC with $10 bonus from Sam's club last summer to pay for our Disney trip.

 

[DizzyStitch]

I finally got around to looking at the back of my Universal Gift Cards from Giant Eagle. They direct you to the same site as the ones you can buy online from Universal. They are the Resort Cards, which are different from the old cards that Giant Eagle used to Sell. One last phone call and I have some major savings!

 

[scottmel]

I finally got around to looking at the back of my Universal Gift Cards from Giant Eagle. They direct you to the same site as the ones you can buy online from Universal. They are the Resort Cards, which are different from the old cards that Giant Eagle used to Sell. One last phone call and I have some major savings!

Thanks much for posting this.I have older cards from Giant Eagle that I planned on using at Mythos, etc. I just added on an additional night to Hard Rock - first night I paid on my CC but would love to use my giant eagle/chase bonus this month for the second night. Is your universal gift card that you got recent for ALL resort hotels (the big 3)...can you tell? Of course double perks ended last night but I am over 6.50 on a gallon of gas! LOL! So this might push me to 7 or so...thanks!!!

 

[DizzyStitch]

Yes the back has logos for all three resorts. The front is Harry Potter. I ended up with 15.00 in fuel perks. $450.00 worth of free fuel. I think that is a pretty nice discount just for going on vacation.

 

[scottmel]

thanks much Dizzystitch! I am going to get more than to cover my 2nd night. You can't beat it...it is like a secret pincode with the savings. FYI if you have chase rewards visa it is an additional 5% off grocery store purchases which yes these do count towards so when it is double fuel perks it equates to getting a 100 gift card or 83!!!! 17% off for doing nothing! thanks again. Am off to order yet MORE gift cards!

 

[DizzyStitch]

LOL! Excellent job for figuring out my savings! I love savings! This is what has me excited about going down! I like to get discounts. You should see me when our Chick Fil A gives away food! But this is why I can afford this vacation!