Questions about the Disney Hotels Chargecard

[jillrobinson]

We've never bothered to use this before.
Although I think I've enough in Euros to see us through the weekend, I'm worried that if I overspend during the 2 days (perish the thought), I might not have enough left over to cover the cost of our "Inventions" meal Saturday night, although I've used my credit card in the shops before, I'm wary about using it in a restaurant so the best solution would seem to be the Hotel chargecard.
If I remember rightly there is a section on the form given to you on checkin that you do or don't complete dependant on whether you wish to use the facility. Is that it then, once you've given your c/c details do you just handover the pink ID card for payment, when do you get charged, is it daily, is there a limit on spending and do you need to sign at check out or do you just leave your key as usual. Do you get a list of what you've spent at the hotel ?

One more thing do I need to know the pin number, I hardly ever use my credit card and when I do I always have to write the pin down, I'm hopeless I know, I'd hate to get stuck there entering different variations of numbers, it happened to me once in Iceland (the shop not the country) when I'd inadvertently left my debit card at home, anyway I didn't get it right and had to leave my shopping behind - very embarressing.

 

[martinacris]

Hi Jill,

Hope Liam is better and that you are already to leave. ! Regarding the hotel chargecard, as far as I know, it CAN'T be used at the restaurants. Only for the shops! When I checked in I gave a CC number in order to have the charges sent there....then once the amount arrives to €300 they automatically charge you , even if you are still there and have not checked out. That's what happened to us...the charges were correct...it's just that they did not tell me about the 300€.
So for the restaurants we paid cash, always remembering to hand over our share holder's card when asking for the bill.
Hope this helps !!

Have a great trip !!

 

[wideeyes]

can't answer all your questions however anything spent using the charge card will go on to the hotel bill, they will not take the payment of your credit card until you check out of the hotel if you keep within the hotel limit. Once you reach the hotel limit they will then take a payment from the credit card.
You can use the express check, which means they will take the hotel bill from your credit card without you needing to go to reception and then you can leave you room key in the box, or you can go to the desk to pay your bill if you want to use another payment method such as cash or a different credit card.

On another note, Inventions used chip and pin for credit card payments so they bring the payment processor to your table, there is no need to give them your credit card at all, it is like how it works in the shops here now.

 

[tennisfan]

I'm sure i've used the charge card in the hotel restaurants before but it would have been ages ago if I did

Once you have the pink slip you just show that wherever you purchase goods and it then charged to your room.

What will happen is if you chose Express check out, the bill will be on your door handle the morning you leave. You then get the chance to query anything on it. If I remember rightly it is all charged on to your credit card when you check out. Not sure about the pin number as I haven't stayed since we had chip & pin introduced over here. Take it with you just in case.

 

[marcus.ka]

I always pay for anything (shops/restaurants) with my CC. You can use a CC in almost every store and restaurant! And I have payed at Inventions and California Grill with my CC.
But if I would come from a non Euro country than I would use the Hotel charge card for everything I would spent in the resort, because you only have on debit then and not many single ones!
And I never had to enter my pin number for a Visa or a MasterCard. You only have to sign and that's it!

 

[thehails]

When we were there in September last year you could use the charge card to pay most resturant bills (there are a few that you cant, I think Rainforest Cafe may be one of these).

You just register your credit card at reception when you check in (didn't need to enter pin number) and then it is taken from your card in one lump sum when you check out (at least that is what happened with ours).

Express check out is really helpful, everything you have charged to your hotel card is listed in date order with the amount spent, it then shows the total taken from your credit card, you then just drop the keys in the box and leave.

We have used both the charge card and express checkout each time we have been to DLRP without any problems.

Have a great time

 

[jillrobinson]

Thanks everyone I think I may very well register my card this time as no-one seems to report any problems, just in case, if I do look like I'm going to overspend then I've that to fall back on, (it's all that 15th Anniversary merchandise I'm worried about), knowing that if necessary I can always use chip & pin @ Inventions.

BTW Whilst at the PO getting my Euros the lady behind the counter mentioned that they have recently launched a credit card with no additional overseas expences.

 

[sjaakie]

The pink ID has changed into this:

You can pay in almost everything without a problem. Shops,restaurants and also some carts witch are in the parks.

 

[jillrobinson]

The pink ID has changed into this:

You can pay in almost everything without a problem. Shops,restaurants and also some carts witch are in the parks.

Thanks sjaakie

1 more thing - will they ask me if I'm going to use Express check out ?

 

[tennisfan]

Yes, I always use it as it is so simple. You put your room key in the box at reception as the key is cancelled from 11am anyway so it is of no use to anyone and you bill is put on your door during the night on your last night.

 

[Raci]

When we stayed, I got a chargecard as a back-up in case my CC wasn't accepted.
I used it in 2 restaurants and 1 shop When I spent to much for the cash I was carrying.

I choose not to use Express checkout though, because at the end of the holiday I had some cash left and used that to pay off the chargecard.
It was ideal as it was like waiting til the end of the trip to decide how much of the spending should go on the CC. It was a lovely surprise not to need to leave anything on it and it guaranteed I had cash for all the smaller purchases during the whole week.

Well worth doing, very easy to use. Just make sure if you pay it off with cash they give you a receipt, I had to ask for one. Which could have been a disaster if it still came through on my CC bill.

 

[tennisfan]

I never knew you could use cash to pay off the bill before you leave. I might do that this time.