Debit card or Universal Gift card when making Hotel reservation

[Tigger2ntinkerbell]

My daughter does not have a credit card. And she wants to book Universal Hotel room. Can she use her debit card or is she able to use her Universal gift card to book a hotel room? TIA

 

[MinnieMSue]

I am guessing she cannot use the universal gift card because the hotels are owned by Lowes not universal. She can use a debit card but the hotels often put a hold on the card (the top three I know put $200 a night on the card). You can tell them at check in to not do that and not do any room charges. If she does on-line check-in before arrival they will definitely put the hold on the card. So I recommend she not do that unless she doesn't mind the hold.

 

[GulAtiCa]

So, according to Universal's website & some searching, you can use a gift card to make a resort stay, but the deposit still need to be on a Debit/Credit Card. After that, you can pay off the rest of the balance with a gift card when you check in.
https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/gift-cards/purchase.html

A Debit Card will be just fine btw.

 

[Tigger2ntinkerbell]

Thank you I'll let her know.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I am guessing she cannot use the universal gift card because the hotels are owned by Lowes not universal. She can use a debit card but the hotels often put a hold on the card (the top three I know put $200 a night on the card). You can tell them at check in to not do that and not do any room charges. If she does on-line check-in before arrival they will definitely put the hold on the card. So I recommend she not do that unless she doesn't mind the hold.

My niece is in the same position as OP's daughter. When you say $200/night hold do you mean each night it will hold another $200? or right from the start of a 5-nt stay, they will put $1000 hold?
I might need to tell her to decline charging to her room. They are on a tight budget.

 

[MinnieMSue]

My niece is in the same position as OP's daughter. When you say $200/night hold do you mean each night it will hold another $200? or right from the start of a 5-nt stay, they will put $1000 hold?
I might need to tell her to decline charging to her room. They are on a tight budget.

When I did online checkin they put $200 on per night of my stay as a hold. My bank dropped it off quickly after a few days but they put $600 hold for 3 nights on. Next trip I am just checking in at the desk and telling them I don’t want to have a hold and that I won’t do room charging (which I never do anyway). From what I have heard you can ask this in person if you don’t do the online checkin before your stay.

 

[christophfam]

My niece is in the same position as OP's daughter. When you say $200/night hold do you mean each night it will hold another $200? or right from the start of a 5-nt stay, they will put $1000 hold?
I might need to tell her to decline charging to her room. They are on a tight budget.

Definitely tell them to decline room charging. Do not do online checkin as it doesn’t give you the option to decline. Just tell them at the desk when she checks in that she does not want room charging for the room.

 

[christophfam]

So, according to Universal's website & some searching, you can use a gift card to make a resort stay, but the deposit still need to be on a Debit/Credit Card. After that, you can pay off the rest of the balance with a gift card when you check in.
https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/gift-cards/purchase.html

A Debit Card will be just fine btw.

This is correct. I have used my debit card to book the room online and then paid the balance at the resort with a gift card. It would have been fine to use my debit card for the balance as well. And as I said in another post, just decline the incidental hold for room charging if you don’t want it messing up you account balance on a debit card.

 

[mort1331]

can you charge your meals in the parks to the room or purchases,,,like at WDW?

 

[georgina]

can you charge your meals in the parks to the room or purchases,,,like at WDW?

Yes, but I don't think it works before you have a room assigned or after you checkout.

Charge it with Your Room Key Card​

Keep it simple when you dine and shop by charging purchases across the Resort to your room key card.

https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/places-to-stay/hotels/at-a-glance/hotels-benefits