Pre-pay credit card??

[christianweecare]

Oops! Sorry, folks! I hit the wrong key!

Anyway, have any of you ever pre-paid your credit card to cover your WDW expenses? I am considering doing this to pay our room balances and to purchase our AP's. Then I will take along traveler's checks for our spending money. I thought about prepaying the credit card so I will not come home to a bill. I will already have the funds set aside. Any pros and cons to doing it this way? Thanks for your advise!

 

[christianweecare]

No one has done this before?

 

[jlp651]

I'm thinking of doing this too...I'm hoping someone will reply...

 

[christianweecare]

I am considering doing this to avoid having to carry so much in traveler's checks. DH is dead set against coming home to a credit card bill. However, I did suggest to him that we prepay the credit card so that there will be no balance whenever we get home. I know exactly how much our room balances are at the WL & AKL, and I know how much it will cost to purchase 2 AP's. That will leave traveler's checks and a little cash to pay for meals and purchases.

 

[jlp651]

I heard that if you prepay your actual credit card-things might not go thru...something about only being able to charge so much a day...I guess that would have to be something to talk to your credit card co. about...May want to consider prepaid credit gift cards with the mastercard or visa logo...thats always a thought and when its gone its gone...

 

[disneyjunkie]

Originally posted by jlp651
May want to consider prepaid credit gift cards with the mastercard or visa logo...thats always a thought and when its gone its gone...

Can you explain how this works? Is there a site I checkout to get more info?

 

[NotUrsula]

Just to be clear, this is not about putting a positive balance on a CC because you anticipate charging some large item that costs more than your limit. Most CC's won't let you do that. This is about not coming home from vacation to the immediate downer of big bills to pay for fun that is already gone.

I do usually pay off our room, flights, and car rental before I leave home; on the day we leave, actually (no sense giving up the interest on my bank balance any sooner than I have to to get my peace of mind.) I also usually throw in an additional flat amount that I think will be about equal to what we normally spend on meals over the course of a trip. There may be something left to pay when we get home, but it's never very much.

As to pre-paid cards, there are the Visa BUXX cards, and then American Express also has a program, though I'm not sure what exactly it is called; probably a plastic version of their Gift Cheques.
They work just like the sort of gift cards you get from stores. If you have a bank-sponsored debit card w/ a Visa logo, that also pulls from your checking account.

Whenever you go on a long trip, it's a good idea to call your CC company and tell them where you are going and for what dates; that way, you won't kick off the fraud alarms when your card suddenly has a whole lot of charges far away from home.

 

[christianweecare]

Thanks, NotUrsula! That was very helpful! Anyone else with experience doing this?

 

[LeftCoaster]

Originally posted by jlp651
I heard that if you prepay your actual credit card-things might not go thru...something about only being able to charge so much a day...I guess that would have to be something to talk to your credit card co. about...May want to consider prepaid credit gift cards with the mastercard or visa logo...thats always a thought and when its gone its gone...

The downside to the Credit Giftcards is that you have to keep track of your balance on them. Let's say you're purchasing a $20 item and have $10 left on the credit giftcard. If you don't know how much is left on it, your card will get declined. The clerk will have to enter the exact amount that's left into the register. You can call the customer service number on the back to find out your balance but, that just gets annoying. Press 1 for... Press 2 for... Press 3 for....

 

[BethR]

Would it not make more sense to just have the money set aside in a bank account and then pay the bill when you get home? That way, if you have it in a savings account, it can make a few pennies for you. Better that than giving the CC company use of your money before you spend it.

Just my thoughts...

 

[disneefamily]

Disnee Dad Says.............................We always prepay on our credit card, to cover most of the expenses. The one percent rebate for using the card, is equal to an entire years interest at todays pitiful rates. And I don't need to carry a wad of bills that someone might steal.
It took three trips to figure it out, but on our fourth trip, we prepaid as usuall, and left the card at home so no one could steal it or use it.

 

[Piper]

I prepay a few weeks ahead of time---then go online and pay the balance as soon as it is posted....no problems.

 

[Disbug]

I think the best advice is to have a card that has awards attached to it (like a Discover Card or the Starwood Platinum American Express). When I reserve my room and the bill comes I pay it in full (just like I had paid in cash). BUT, with the added benefit of earning CASHBACK or points that can be used at the Dolphin or Swan to rent a room next year. I know you are referring to paying before you go... so maybe you can get the CRO to charge the entire amount instead of just one night's room up front. Since I have made it a habit to never have running balances on credit cards I don't have any experience with the prepaid credit cards.

 

[phorsenuf]

I myself try not to use credit cards. If I do, I only use them for little amounts. What I did was get a debit card, the kind with the mastercard logo for my paypal account. Every week I put money into it. That's the card I am using on our Disney trip. This way I will know how much I have, how much I can spend and not be tempted to spend away as I might with a regular credit card! Plus, it keeps my credit card available for any emergancy that might pop up.
I know you are talking about prepaying your card, but for me personally, I would probably end up using it more than I should! LOL We all know how all those little things can suddenly add up.

 

[Nathan's Grandma]

We have three rooms under our name. The reason is Disney Club and if a deal comes out for Disney Visa we will put it on that.

I told my BIL that I needed the balance for the rooms and the van rental (splitting a 15 passenger) for the nine of us thirty days in advance. I will put pay the bill on-line five days in advance. The last two times we went to Disney with them, they did not have enough money to pay and used our credit card for their trip (very long story.) They did eventually pay us back but not the interest on the card.

This time if I do not have it to pay before we go, I will cancel their room and they can re-book it themselves.

 

[NotUrsula]

>> Would it not make more sense to just have the money set aside in a bank account and then pay the bill when you get home? That way, if you have it in a savings account, it can make a few pennies for you. Better that than giving the CC company use of your money before you spend it. <<

Our trips are usually 5-6 days, and usually straddle a weekend. I normally mail the check to the CC company at a mailbox at the airport on our way out of town. By the time the company posts the check, we are two days from the end of the trip.

My CC is a Starwood AMEX, so each trip pays for future trips, but the interest on that card is high if I don't pay it within the grace period. I save up all the money we will need for the trip and keep it in an interest-bearing account until the last minute, so I only lose a couple of days of the puny interest on the bank balance. Airfare and park passes are bought in advance and paid for at that time; we strike when the discount iron is hot.

For me, it is a psychological thing; I enjoy the vacation more when I know that it is already paid for, and to me, that is worth a dollar or two of lost interest.

 

[jlp651]

So, How do I get a paypal account?

 

[Disbug]

PayPal Link Here is a link to PayPal. *If you use this link, PayPal will credit my account $5.00.

Thanks!

 

[jlp651]

Thanks Disbug-I'll take a look...still very undecided about all of this...but working on it...where I get stuck is that I don't have a huge credit limit-enough for when emergencies come about...maybe pre paying it isnt the way to go...and it doesnt look like gift cards with visa logo's are either...guess it will have to be cash, travelers checks and disney dollars...it just seemed so much easier to have a card for what ever amount just for the boat...but who knows...t