Paying at checkout w/ gift cards

[cmdg]

Wondering if this is possible... can we give our credit card as the security for room charges but then at the end of the trip pay with Disney gift cards? It'd be nice to save the 5% if I can use the ones from Target.

 

[dansdad]

Yep. Just make sure you don't go over the charging limit or the CC you put down will get charged.

Value = $500
Moderate = $1000
Deluxe = $1500

Just to be safe, I go to the front desk every couple days and use gift cards to pay what we've charged so far.

 

[cmdg]

Yep. Just make sure you don't go over the charging limit or the CC you put down will get charged.

Value = $500
Moderate = $1000
Deluxe = $1500

Just to be safe, I go to the front desk every couple days and use gift cards to pay what we've charged so far.

Thanks! Looks like it's time to go back to Target (after purchasing 80+ to pay for the WDW package!) We're on the dining plan, so I don't think/hope we'll have too many charges

 

[bluejasmine]

This is what Im doing as well! Both to pay off our trip and to pay our charges during the trip!

 

[maxiesmom]

From what I understand you have to take the gift cards down and pay the night before you leave. Otherwise they will run your credit card and you will be too late.

 

[DizneyLizzy]

From what I understand you have to take the gift cards down and pay the night before you leave. Otherwise they will run your credit card and you will be too late.

This is a true story!! Don't forget to do this. I always pay in the late afternoon the day before I check out, and then when I go to the parks for the last evening I take whatever gift card I have left and use that instead of my KTTW card.

 

[minnie mum]

Yep. Just make sure you don't go over the charging limit or the CC you put down will get charged.

Just to be safe, I go to the front desk every couple days and use gift cards to pay what we've charged so far.

I would definitely recommend that you do this. On our last 2 visits we intended to use cash to pay off our room charges. When DH went to the desk the night before our departure, both times they had already charged our credit card. And we had not yet reached our limit. In future we will definitely be making a couple of trips to the desk to pay off our charges DURING our stay to avoid this.

 

[bumbershoot]

From what I understand you have to take the gift cards down and pay the night before you leave. Otherwise they will run your credit card and you will be too late.

Definitely.


Then again, if I had giftcards in hand I'd just use those to pay for things, rather than put the extra step of charging to the room then paying the front desk.

 

[DisneyDmbNut]

yep - this is what I have done..bought the cards using the 5% off

 

[maxiesmom]

Definitely.


Then again, if I had giftcards in hand I'd just use those to pay for things, rather than put the extra step of charging to the room then paying the front desk.

I don't know. I was on the dining plan last trip, and tried to use gift cards to pay for the tip portion of the bill. It caused a lot of confusion at a few places. So much so that I'm not sure I will go that route again.

At one place they even put the bill on the gift card, even though I had told the waiter we were on the dining plan, and put my room key in the bill folder first. I was told it would take a week to 10 days to get the money credited back to my gift card, at which point I would have been home. Kind of frustrating, as it was one of my more expensive meals that trip.

 

[Sandi]

I don't know. I was on the dining plan last trip, and tried to use gift cards to pay for the tip portion of the bill. It caused a lot of confusion at a few places. So much so that I'm not sure I will go that route again.

At one place they even put the bill on the gift card, even though I had told the waiter we were on the dining plan, and put my room key in the bill folder first. I was told it would take a week to 10 days to get the money credited back to my gift card, at which point I would have been home. Kind of frustrating, as it was one of my more expensive meals that trip.

Not only that, but my Target has only $50 and $25 gift cards. We'll spend $200 on a meal and I don't want to be carrying around 8 gift cards in addition to my room key, etc. I like that all of the charges are on one folio.

I'm with the group that suggests going to the front desk every 2 or 3 days to apply the cards. I typically go at a slow time -- like 6:30 in the morning or 10:00 at night. The CMs are often looking for something to do at those times and I don't feel like I'm holding up a line.

I also wanted to mention that you can apply your gift cards to a package or room only reservation in advance of arrival. Just call WDTC and they'll take the numbers off your card. Don't toss your cards, though. If you need to cancel your trip, the refund will be made to the original form of payment, so you'll want your gift cards.

 

[melissafox18]

Thanks for posting this/asking the question! I was going to ask the same thing. And thanks for all the advice on using the gift cards! Our next trip is for my birthday, so I'm just going to ask for Disney gift cards and that will pay for our tips and gifts!

 

[maxiesmom]

I also wanted to mention that you can apply your gift cards to a package or room only reservation in advance of arrival. Just call WDTC and they'll take the numbers off your card. Don't toss your cards, though. If you need to cancel your trip, the refund will be made to the original form of payment, so you'll want your gift cards.

Is there a limit to the number of gift cards you can use?

 

[tmbacon]

Is there a limit to the number of gift cards you can use?

Not sure if there is a limit, but I can tell you that last time I was there I had 7 gift cards total of varying values, and had no issues at all.

 

[bluejasmine]

It's my understanding you can roll the gift cards all into one but a $1000 limit per card that's what I plan on doing before calling to pay off my package!

ASMU/POR Dec 16-22, 2012 & POFQ Sept 8-15, 2013

 

[Sandi]

Not sure if there is a limit, but I can tell you that last time I was there I had 7 gift cards total of varying values, and had no issues at all.

I've called with GCs several times. One time I had ten to use and the CM told me that the limit was 5, so I did 5 then and called the next day to apply 5 more. That was the only time I was told there was a limit (it was in 2012) and I've done more than 5 in the past and since. The CM who gave me a limit was very friendly and didn't seem unhelpful or anything, so I just let it go.

 

[Eeyore's My Favorite]

Wondering if this is possible... can we give our credit card as the security for room charges but then at the end of the trip pay with Disney gift cards? It'd be nice to save the 5% if I can use the ones from Target.

I just went to our local Target last week to inquire about the 5% discount on the Disney gifts cards & the Customer Service Staff was emphatic that you DO NOT get 5% off the Disney Cards even when purchased on your Target Card. I was going to buy the cards on my charge & then just pay it off with cash at the CS Desk but since there's not a discount doesn't seem worth it. I know I've purchased other gift cards there & the 5% discount wasn't applied to them.

 

[Dis703]

I just went to our local Target last week to inquire about the 5% discount on the Disney gifts cards & the Customer Service Staff was emphatic that you DO NOT get 5% off the Disney Cards even when purchased on your Target Card. I was going to buy the cards on my charge & then just pay it off with cash at the CS Desk but since there's not a discount doesn't seem worth it. I know I've purchased other gift cards there & the 5% discount wasn't applied to them.

Unless there is a specific rule at that individual store they would be wrong. The only gift card you don't get a discount on with the redcard 5% is a Target gift card. This is probably what they are thinking about. The Disney cards as well as the many dining and shopping cards they sell are included in the 5% off. I assure you I have purchased about $2000 of them already and got the discount. Many people have done it this way already. I'm actually stacking my discounts this weekend and purchasing the remaining gift cards with a 5% pharmacy rewards and the 5% redcard saving what ends up being just a little under 10%.

 

[ElizabethG]

I just went to our local Target last week to inquire about the 5% discount on the Disney gifts cards & the Customer Service Staff was emphatic that you DO NOT get 5% off the Disney Cards even when purchased on your Target Card. I was going to buy the cards on my charge & then just pay it off with cash at the CS Desk but since there's not a discount doesn't seem worth it. I know I've purchased other gift cards there & the 5% discount wasn't applied to them.

Unless there is a specific rule at that individual store they would be wrong. The only gift card you don't get a discount on with the redcard 5% is a Target gift card. This is probably what they are thinking about. The Disney cards as well as the many dining and shopping cards they sell are included in the 5% off. I assure you I have purchased about $2000 of them already and got the discount. Many people have done it this way already. I'm actually stacking my discounts this weekend and purchasing the remaining gift cards with a 5% pharmacy rewards and the 5% redcard saving what ends up being just a little under 10%.

A lot of the people who work in the stores don't know you get a discount. In training they are told you don't get discounts on gift cards. But, only the Target gift cards are 'gift cards'. The others, like the Disney and iTunes gift cards are 'entertainment cards'. They are a commodity, like a shirt. I've been told at the register several times that I won't get the discount off of that (pointing to Disney gift card). Then - swipe - and the discount comes off. Then, the employee looks shocked and usually says something about picking some up for themself.

 

[disney1990]

No limit that I know of. I know that, last June, we paid for our AK stay with gift cards. We also went each night to pay off charges so that they didn't get processed on our credit card.