Please walk me through paying for meals with Magic bands

[lisamarie12]

I still have not decided whether to get a dining plan or pay out of pocket. Right now it looks like out of pocket may save a little bit, but some of that is assuming that our 4 year old DD will share most quick service meals (or other meals where you do not have to pay per person) and snacks with me. Which of course you can never count on a 4 year old, except to be unpredictable. If we do dining plan I will probably add another character meal and we will order dd her own meal all the time. I doubt she will eat much, but who knows.

So, assuming that we pay out of pocket, it would be great to not have to carry around cash or credit card around the parks. Can you link a credit card to your magic band and pay with that? How does it work? are you basically charging it to the room and credit card on file? Is there a limit?

I have heard some people mention gift cards to pay for it. I prefer that idea. But it would probably be partially on gift card since I don't want to put too much on gift cards. How does that work?

If someone could walk me through the mechanics that would be great. Its pretty much the only thing right now making me lean more to dining plan but if its easy to pay with wristband, I might just pay with gift cards or credit...

 

[Pkltm]

First off yes you can attached a credit card to your band, you will set up a pin as well. The charges will go on the room and then you can have them applied to the credit card, pay cash or gift card. The limit depends on where you stay, I believe it is $500 at value, $1000 Moderate and $1500 at deluxe. Once you hit that limit further charges are declined until you pay off the balance.

 

[turkey1031]

So when you charge something on the magic band it's not immediately being charged to your credit card. It's just being charged to your room. I periodically go to the front desk and use my gift cards to pay off room charges. Anything I haven't paid off by checkout day gets charged to my credit card on file.

 

[lisamarie12]

First off yes you can attached a credit card to your band, you will set up a pin as well. The charges will go on the room and then you can have them applied to the credit card, pay cash or gift card. The limit depends on where you stay, I believe it is $500 at value, $1000 Moderate and $1500 at deluxe. Once you hit that limit further charges are declined until you pay off the balance.

Thanks. How do you pay off the balance? Can you just go to the resort check in and put a gift card done, or authorize a charge on your credit card? We may go over $500. Can you put a gc on your account from the start with a credit card back up or do you have to go and get them applied after you charge?

 

[Supermom3]

The way I understand it it that once you hit your $500 limit, your credit card on file will automatically be charged, and then you can start over charging again until you hit another $500. For this you do not need to go to the front desk each time.

If you prefer for your charges to not go on the credit card, then you need to go to the front desk and ask them to apply a gift card or cash to your balance before you reach the $500 limit amount so that it doesn't automatically charge your card.

Using the dining plan also uses your Magicband, but just to subtract the credits from the dining plan, and then you are also able to charge any tips or extras to the room.

 

[Pkltm]

We hit the $500 and they did not charge our card, the will do it that night but not right away, we were out and had to call the resort and request that they clear it

 

[Figmentmommy]

First off yes you can attached a credit card to your band, you will set up a pin as well. The charges will go on the room and then you can have them applied to the credit card, pay cash or gift card. The limit depends on where you stay, I believe it is $500 at value, $1000 Moderate and $1500 at deluxe. Once you hit that limit further charges are declined until you pay off the balance.

We did not find that charges are declined at the limit amount but that the card on file is charged once you hit your limit and then you start over again until you hit the limit again at which point your card is charged again and so on. I am also certain these amounts have been lowered. We stayed at Coronado Springs Resort in December and our credit card on file was charged once we hit $500, then it was charged again at the end of our trip for a few hundred dollars more. In November 2013 the limit was $1000 so our card was only charged once. If you want to pay off room charges with cash or a gift card it needs to be done before it hits the credit card on file. The best way to do this is to pay it down every couple of days or the evening before you check out if you haven't gone over the resort limit.

 

[aaarcher86]

We've also had our card charged automatically. The only time they didn't was because it declined because of a bad expiration date, and I had to call.

 

[chilepeppr4]

The way I understand it it that once you hit your $500 limit, your credit card on file will automatically be charged, and then you can start over charging again until you hit another $500. For this you do not need to go to the front desk each time.

If you prefer for your charges to not go on the credit card, then you need to go to the front desk and ask them to apply a gift card or cash to your balance before you reach the $500 limit amount so that it doesn't automatically charge your card.

Using the dining plan also uses your Magicband, but just to subtract the credits from the dining plan, and then you are also able to charge any tips or extras to the room.

Can you leave tips in cash for the server?

 

[jtowntoflorida]

First off yes you can attached a credit card to your band, you will set up a pin as well. The charges will go on the room and then you can have them applied to the credit card, pay cash or gift card. The limit depends on where you stay, I believe it is $500 at value, $1000 Moderate and $1500 at deluxe. Once you hit that limit further charges are declined until you pay off the balance.

We did not find that charges are declined at the limit amount but that the card on file is charged once you hit your limit and then you start over again until you hit the limit again at which point your card is charged again and so on. I am also certain these amounts have been lowered. We stayed at Coronado Springs Resort in December and our credit card on file was charged once we hit $500, then it was charged again at the end of our trip for a few hundred dollars more. In November 2013 the limit was $1000 so our card was only charged once. If you want to pay off room charges with cash or a gift card it needs to be done before it hits the credit card on file. The best way to do this is to pay it down every couple of days or the evening before you check out if you haven't gone over the resort limit.

The issue with "charges being declined" is that if you hit your limit at a point during the day but then want to make more charges that same day, the restaurant/vendor will have to call some central billing office for authorization. The issue comes up because credit card charges aren't processed until midnight, so there can be a span of time between the limit being hit and the charges being processed through the credit card, when vendors/restaurants won't be able to charge to the room without having to make a call. It happened to us in December on our last night at BOG. Our server said that she could call if we preferred, but it sometimes takes time and it would be easier and faster just to charge our card directly for our meal, which is what we did. Plus, we get double points on restaurant spend on Friday nights, so it was a win-win.

The limit was still $1500 for Deluxe resorts in December.

 

[aaarcher86]

Can you leave tips in cash for the server?

Yes, of course. I'd just be sure to write CASH on the tip line or something.

 

[POOHsie]

Yes, of course. I'd just be sure to write CASH on the tip line or something.

Agreed. Especially parties of 6 or more who are automatically charged a tip. You could pay cash and the server could also charge the tip if not paying attention. So write CASH on the tip line, so there's no misunderstanding.

OP -- the resort will charge your expenses to your CC in the early morning hours prior to check-out (2am). So it's too late to wait until check-out to settle your CC charges with cash or GCs. Some time in the day before check-out, stop by the front desk and settle up as much as you can with your cash or GCs. Any CC charges beyond those that were already settled, will appear on an email after your visit.