DDP and Gift Cards

[wdwfan]

I'm taking a good amount of gift cards down with me when I go in 2 weeks and was planning on using them to fill in the gaps of the DDP, mainly appetizers when we want them, alcoholic beverages and other out of pocket cost at restaurants. I was wondering if a tip can be covered using a gift card? Thanks!

 

[mom2of2]

Yes the tip can be put on a gift card

 

[PictureJumpr]

As PP said, yes.. but please be careful!

Tips and anything else authorized against a gift card balance or credit card account will not be actually deducted from that balance until the ticket is "closed." When making merchandise or quick-service food purchases, this is immediate.

When using these in a TS restaurant, the tickets will typically not be "closed" until the server cashes him/herself out at the end of his/her shift. At WDW, I have had it take as many as 3 days for a ticket to close against a gift/rewards card I used to pay for a tip or a drink or whatever.

By which time you may already have re-spent that money not realizing it hadn't been deducted from your card balance yet. And so when the server tries to "close" your ticket against the funds on the gift card, it may be declined and they will receive nothing if your card didn't have much extra on it to begin with.

So please be careful, so that the money you intended to give the server actually is available for them to claim when they close your ticket at the end of the night.

 

[wdwfan]

I see what you are saying. I'll be sure to leave room on the gift card for the tip. On the other hand, I'm thinking maybe it'll be easier to just bring cash down for the tips. Thanks!























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[mickeynut1]

I'm taking a good amount of gift cards down with me when I go in 2 weeks and was planning on using them to fill in the gaps of the DDP, mainly appetizers when we want them, alcoholic beverages and other out of pocket cost at restaurants. I was wondering if a tip can be covered using a gift card? Thanks!

I used a gc strictly for tips when we had the DlxDDP and it worked out great. In my experience, the amount was deducted right away, showing the amount left on the gc at the bottom of the receipt.

 

[aubriee]

I used a gc strictly for tips when we had the DlxDDP and it worked out great. In my experience, the amount was deducted right away, showing the amount left on the gc at the bottom of the receipt.

Same here. I hate carrying cash, so we always use gift cards down there.

 

[maxiesmom]

I tried using gift cards to pay for tips and extras the last time I was on the Dining Plan, and I won't do it again.

The wait staff seemed to be confused by it, and twice they messed things up. One time the waiter charged the whole bill to my gift card, even though I told him more than once I was on the Dining Plan. And the bad thing is the credit back to your card can take more than a week to show up. So I was stuck paying for an extra meal.

For my next trip I am going to try another approach--charging the tips on my room key and then using the gift cards to pay that off. Got that idea here on the Dis! As long as you pay everything off the day before you check out you are fine. That way they don't run the credit card you used to add charging to the room keys.

 

[Miss Potts]

That's how I handle it! I charge everything to the room and the night before checkout I apply my gift cards. I actually hate carrying the gift cards around too... I don't want to lose anything with cash attached to it.

 

[wdwfan]

Thanks so much everyone! I'm going to do it that way, too. I'll charge all the extras, including tip, onto my room charge and then use my gift cards to settle the balance. This site is great!!

 

[RoyalMom]

For my next trip I am going to try another approach--charging the tips on my room key and then using the gift cards to pay that off. Got that idea here on the Dis! As long as you pay everything off the day before you check out you are fine. That way they don't run the credit card you used to add charging to the room keys.

^ genius.