Disney gift card for onboard account

[CisforCookie991]

If I go to Guest Services and have them put a gift card on the account for charges, can I then tell them to put the credit card as a backup for once the gift card run out, or do I have to monitor the spending then go back and change the method of payment to credit card?

And is it ok to just pull up the email on my phone and give them the gift card number, or do I need some kind of print-out/barcode?

Thanks!

 

[Dug720]

It should pull from the gift card first.

I've always had a hard card for them to swipe when I've done it.

Alternately you could:
A - use the gift card to purchase OBC which would definitely be used before the credit card or
B - just not put a credit card on your account to begin with and therefore all they'd have is the gift card...you'd be able to go over it by $300 before they'd freeze your account until you paid it off with a credit card

 

[CisforCookie991]

It should pull from the gift card first.

I've always had a hard card for them to swipe when I've done it.

Alternately you could:
A - use the gift card to purchase OBC which would definitely be used before the credit card or
B - just not put a credit card on your account to begin with and therefore all they'd have is the gift card...you'd be able to go over it by $300 before they'd freeze your account until you paid it off with a credit card

What happens if I don't use all the OBC? Can I get the difference back? Though I'm liking your B option. If I went over by that much without noticing, something would've gone really wrong.

 

[Dug720]

It would go back onto the gift card, so you'd need to hold onto it.

 

[sadiecatie]

You can actually purchase onboard credit ahead of time with a gift card (I’m planning to do so, just haven’t yet). I would assume they just pull from that first then use the card on file for additional charges past that amount.

You can do that from the “Purchase Onboard Gifts” page, then in the navigation bar choose “Onboard Credit”

 

[auntlynne]

 

[auntlynne]

 

[PrincessShmoo]

What happens if I don't use all the OBC? Can I get the difference back? Though I'm liking your B option. If I went over by that much without noticing, something would've gone really wrong.

You'd only get the refundable OBC, not any non-refundable.

Generally DCL will draw funds from the onboard account first from any non-refundable OBC you might have. Then refundable OBC, then gift cards, and then charge to a credit card that you may have added to the account.

 

[Mommb]

If you bring a gift card to Guest Services on the ship, they may not allow you to pay more than you have already charged, so you may need to go back after you have additional charges.

Buying yourself credits in advance will avoid this issue, so if you have a good idea of what you will spend, that is the easier option.

You can, of course, do both — put the amount you are sure to spend onto your account in advance, and go back to Guest Services to pay more if you spend more. As PrincessShmoo said, any funds on a gift card will be used before a credit card is charged, so you provide a credit card as backup but still pay with a gift card.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

If you bring a gift card to Guest Services on the ship, they may not allow you to pay more than you have already charged, so you may need to go back after you have additional charges.

Buying yourself credits in advance will avoid this issue, so if you have a good idea of what you will spend, that is the easier option.

You can, of course, do both — put the amount you are sure to spend onto your account in advance, and go back to Guest Services to pay more if you spend more. As PrincessShmoo said, any funds on a gift card will be used before a credit card is charged, so you provide a credit card as backup but still pay with a gift card.

No, you can add gift cards at any time onboard. If there's any left over, it will automatically be refunded back to the gift card, so keep the card once it's been added.

 

[anricat]

No, you can add gift cards at any time onboard. If there's any left over, it will automatically be refunded back to the gift card, so keep the card once it's been added.

This has either changed globally or it's different on the Wish. As we were debarking the Wish two months ago, I tapped my KTTW to debark and the little scanner buzzed and a big red X came up on my picture. It was actually rather unnerving! She said that I had a credit balance on my account from the gift card and I need to go to Guest Services prior to debarking to get it back. I told her it would just go back. She said, no, not any longer and they would not let me debark until I had gone back to sort it out. So back I went to wait in the ridiculously long line. When I got to the front and met with GS I asked what was going on and she said that it wasn't automatic anymore and we had to manually present the gift card for the funds to go back to. It was a pain.

 

[RedHead0186]

I know I'm not the OP, but I was just wondering this last night myself as I have some Disney gift cards I want to use on a cruise in April. Thanks everyone, this is super helpful!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

This has either changed globally or it's different on the Wish. As we were debarking the Wish two months ago, I tapped my KTTW to debark and the little scanner buzzed and a big red X came up on my picture. It was actually rather unnerving! She said that I had a credit balance on my account from the gift card and I need to go to Guest Services prior to debarking to get it back. I told her it would just go back. She said, no, not any longer and they would not let me debark until I had gone back to sort it out. So back I went to wait in the ridiculously long line. When I got to the front and met with GS I asked what was going on and she said that it wasn't automatic anymore and we had to manually present the gift card for the funds to go back to. It was a pain.

Well, that's sad. Maybe they had too many issues with people tossing the cards after they put them on the onboard accounts and then trying to get refunded once back home.

 

[Dug720]

Well, that's sad. Maybe they had too many issues with people tossing the cards after they put them on the onboard accounts and then trying to get refunded once back home.

I'll bet that's it. No matter how much they stress to NOT throw those cards away I'm sure at least half the people do.

 

[disneynan]

Thanks for this info! I plan to use my Disney Rewards dollars on the ship.

 

[cmph]

If I go to Guest Services and have them put a gift card on the account for charges, can I then tell them to put the credit card as a backup for once the gift card run out, or do I have to monitor the spending then go back and change the method of payment to credit card?

And is it ok to just pull up the email on my phone and give them the gift card number, or do I need some kind of print-out/barcode?

Thanks!

FYI - they CAN use your email for e-gift cards but will NOT use a printout. Doesn't matter if it has your email / contact info on the printout.

 

[CisforCookie991]

FYI - they CAN use your email for e-gift cards but will NOT use a printout. Doesn't matter if it has your email / contact info on the printout.

Huh interesting. And strange. A print out can be just as stolen as a physical card.

 

[cmph]

Huh interesting. And strange. A print out can be just as stolen as a physical card.

Preaching to the choir! Guess who has an electronic gift card that did NOT get applied to my cruise this week lol. I was annoyed. I didn't have the paid WiFi, and the email was too far down my inbox to pull up (which wasn't something I had thought about at all, until it happened).

I was mostly annoyed b/c I had tried to use my gift cards toward pre-paid gratuities, but that wasn't possible b/c they didn't cover the entire amount. That made no sense, b/c when I paid my reservation balance in full, I entered another old gift card first and the remainder went on my credit card. That wasn't possible for pre-paid gratuities though. I figured oh well, I'll just apply it to my account on board. Nope!

 

[CisforCookie991]

Preaching to the choir! Guess who has an electronic gift card that did NOT get applied to my cruise this week lol. I was annoyed. I didn't have the paid WiFi, and the email was too far down my inbox to pull up (which wasn't something I had thought about at all, until it happened).

I was mostly annoyed b/c I had tried to use my gift cards toward pre-paid gratuities, but that wasn't possible b/c they didn't cover the entire amount. That made no sense, b/c when I paid my reservation balance in full, I entered another old gift card first and the remainder went on my credit card. That wasn't possible for pre-paid gratuities though. I figured oh well, I'll just apply it to my account on board. Nope!

I wouldn’t have thought of that either. I usually get them from Target, and they send you a link you have to click on. I probably would’ve printed it on but not otherwise saved it on my phone, then gotten on board and not be able to access it.

 

[td002796]

You can actually purchase onboard credit ahead of time with a gift card (I’m planning to do so, just haven’t yet). I would assume they just pull from that first then use the card on file for additional charges past that amount.

You can do that from the “Purchase Onboard Gifts” page, then in the navigation bar choose “Onboard Credit”

Would OBC purchased as onboard gifts fall under non-refundable or refundable? I'm considering to purchase an amount over our estimated spending, and hoping to get a refund of the excess back to the DIS GC used to purchase the OBC. Thanks in advance for your response.