Visa Dollars - pay off room charges?

[disneymom2twins]

I have just been on the phone with two different CMs and I still don't have a warm cozy feeling...I am just going to lay this out as an example - I think it is easier to follow:

Me: - get my "debit" card of my Disney Reward Dollars before I go to WDW. My total was $500

I have charged the 18% gratuitites all week to my room (using the KTTW card), plus souviners, OOP meals, etc. My total is $450.

Upon check-out of the Poly, they tell me "your balance is $450, do you want to keep it on your Visa Credit Card?" I say, no, I am going to use my reward dollars. I hand them the rewards debit card, they take off the $450, I have a balance of $50.

Isn't that a proper way for all of this to work?


The CMs I spoke with said I had to make sure they had the equipment to do an inquiry to the balance of the rewards card and that the restaurants themselves couldn't do this. The put me in touch with the Poly, and they said they could, but again, no one sounded too sure.

I guess my alternative would be to use it to buy disney dollars and pay it off that way?

 

[Anne's Family]

I've used my Disney Visa Rewards Card at restaurants and gift shops all throughout WDW with no problems. I've also used it to pay off my room bill at the end of the trip. Can't imagine you'll have any trouble.

Just to double check though, when you get there ask the front desk if you will be able to use your Disney Rewards Card to pay off your room bill. Maybe some CMs might not be up on it even though they've been around for quite awhile.

I like the idea of charging everything to the card during the trip and using Rewards dollars to pay it off. Just racks up more rewards for next trip!

 

[disneyorvegas]

I've used my Disney Visa Rewards Card at restaurants and gift shops all throughout WDW with no problems. I've also used it to pay off my room bill at the end of the trip. Can't imagine you'll have any trouble.

Just to double check though, when you get there ask the front desk if you will be able to use your Disney Rewards Card to pay off your room bill. Maybe some CMs might not be up on it even though they've been around for quite awhile.

I like the idea of charging everything to the card during the trip and using Rewards dollars to pay it off. Just racks up more rewards for next trip!

Do you mean pay off your credit card with your reward $? I didn't know you could do that!

 

[bjakmom]

I have used my rewards card to pay off room charges. **TIP: be sure and go down the day/evening BEFORE checkout to apply your rewards card to the balance!! At BWV I went down the morning of checkout and was told that they process the balances during the night shift and everything was already charged to my VISA (cc on account). It took a while to do, but the CM credited my VISA and then used my rewards card to pay for the charges - so now I save myself that long wait at checkout and go down the day before - no problems so far!

 

[Cindy's Mom]

OP - WDW settles your account around 2-3a the morning of check out. If you haven't paid off your account with the Disney Dollars prior to that, they will automatically charge your Visa that you left on account.

Also keep in mind that the Visa you left with them, will not have a hold amount on it, they just swipe it to make sure its a valid account.

Make sure that the night before you are to leave, settle up with the front desk with your Disney dollars.

Your KTTK are good until midnight on the day of departure, so you will still have charging capabilities and those charges will be billed to your Visa.

Did I make it even MORE confusing for you

 

[Karnak]

It has always seemed easier to me to use my reward card when I check into my resort, and then charge meals, etc. back to my room as a go along. That way, I only have one card to carry around.

Karnak

 

[LISAVWL]

We did this last month. The PP are correct -- make sure you "settle up" the night prior to check out b/c they will charge the account you left on hold during the night shift. We went down just after dinner on our last night and paid our room balance with our reward gift card and were left with a balance of $20 on the gift card. confused3 that's never happened before!) We'll be using the remainder in October.

 

[KathylovesPooh]

It has always seemed easier to me to use my reward card when I check into my resort, and then charge meals, etc. back to my room as a go along. That way, I only have one card to carry around.

Karnak

You mean they'll let you use your Rewards card at check-in and won't ask for a credit card?

We've always just left a credit card at check-in and then gone done during the trip to apply the VISA rewards.

 

[Ms.Grumpy]

Thanks to all for the great tips. I am saving my DVisa $ to pay for the gratuities, how I love FD!

 

[disneymom2twins]

So glad I asked the question here. I would so have totally done it the morning of, so thanks for the valuable info!!!

So one last question, now that I have settled up a weeks worth of room charges on Thursday night (we are leaving Friday) - say I have $100 left on my rewards card. Can I use that to pay OOP for my Crystal Palace breakfast the next morning, or will the restaurant not take it?

I lied - two last questions - if after all is said and done, say I have $20 left on my rewards card. Can I just hold on to that for next time? Is there an expiration for it, or should I buy disney dollars to be safe?

 

[disneymom2twins]

OP - WDW settles your account around 2-3a the morning of check out. If you haven't paid off your account with the Disney Dollars prior to that, they will automatically charge your Visa that you left on account.

Also keep in mind that the Visa you left with them, will not have a hold amount on it, they just swipe it to make sure its a valid account.

Make sure that the night before you are to leave, settle up with the front desk with your Disney dollars.

Your KTTK are good until midnight on the day of departure, so you will still have charging capabilities and those charges will be billed to your Visa.

Did I make it even MORE confusing for you

Not confusing at all - totally understand!!

 

[KathylovesPooh]

So glad I asked the question here. I would so have totally done it the morning of, so thanks for the valuable info!!!

So one last question, now that I have settled up a weeks worth of room charges on Thursday night (we are leaving Friday) - say I have $100 left on my rewards card. Can I use that to pay OOP for my Crystal Palace breakfast the next morning, or will the restaurant not take it?

I lied - two last questions - if after all is said and done, say I have $20 left on my rewards card. Can I just hold on to that for next time? Is there an expiration for it, or should I buy disney dollars to be safe?

Yes, while I haven't done it you can use the Disney Rewards card to pay the restaurant directly. On the Disney Rewards website they list the restaurants.

There is an expiration date on rewards points that have been transferred to a rewards card. Not sure how long it is - but you will want to check that one. Lucky you to have $ left over.

 

[teedisney]

Very good thread. I think Chase should add this to their FAQs

This is our first time staying onsite with the card and Reward dollars so very helpful. We will charge back to the room, do the reward dollars, then we'll pay the rest on the Disney Visa.

Prev. we stayed offsite and bought tickets with the rewards dollars.

 

[disneymom2twins]

Yes, while I haven't done it you can use the Disney Rewards card to pay the restaurant directly. On the Disney Rewards website they list the restaurants.

There is an expiration date on rewards points that have been transferred to a rewards card. Not sure how long it is - but you will want to check that one. Lucky you to have $ left over.

I probably won't have any money left. Just wishful thinking!! Just wanted to ask the question

 

[bjakmom]

Until you move the rewards $$ over to the rewards card, the rewards are good for something like 6 years (I just checked mine - under 'rewards history'- and only 48 of my 224 points expire in 2013- the rest are good even past that date) - since I last used up all of my points about a year ago that seems about right. Once you move your reward $$ over to the rewards card they WILL EXPIRE on the date listed at the bottom of the card (usually december of the next year if I remember correctly). I never move $$ over to the card until I'm sure I need (have spent!) it. They move the $$ practically instantaneously when you call. See how much you need towards your room charges and move over only as much as you need - then you can keep the rest of your rewards $$ for the next trip (with no worries about them expiring)!!

 

[Anne's Family]

Do you mean pay off your credit card with your reward $? I didn't know you could do that!

No, I mean I pay the resort bill with the Reward card. I charge to my KTTW card throughout the trip. I think I mistyped that I charge to my Visa throughout the trip. That didn't make sense. Brain fart.

 

[disneyorvegas]

OK! We usually brin our rewards card with us throughout the parks and pay for souvenirs, meals, etc. with that and if anything is left we put it towards our room.

 

[KathylovesPooh]

Until you move the rewards $$ over to the rewards card, the rewards are good for something like 6 years (I just checked mine - under 'rewards history'- and only 48 of my 224 points expire in 2013- the rest are good even past that date) - since I last used up all of my points about a year ago that seems about right. Once you move your reward $$ over to the rewards card they WILL EXPIRE on the date listed at the bottom of the card (usually december of the next year if I remember correctly). I never move $$ over to the card until I'm sure I need (have spent!) it. They move the $$ practically instantaneously when you call. See how much you need towards your room charges and move over only as much as you need - then you can keep the rest of your rewards $$ for the next trip (with no worries about them expiring)!!

Disneymomwith twins - this is an important point. Make sure you budget and get an idea of what you'll spend. Kathy

 

[MickeysMonkey]

I hope so!

 

[Karnak]

You mean they'll let you use your Rewards card at check-in and won't ask for a credit card?

No, what I meant to say was that when I check into my resort I use BOTH my credit card AND the Visa Rewards Card, asking the CM to credit my resort account with a credit as indicated on the Rewards Card.

For example: If my total room charge is $1,500.00, and I have $400.00 on my Visa Rewards Card, I simply have them credit my resort bill with the $400.00.

Then, if I charge, say, $300.00 to my room card during my visit to WDW in restaurants and shops, my total bill would now amount to $1,500.00 for my room, PLUS the $350.00 meal and shop charges, for a grand total of $1,850.00, LESS the $400.00 credit on my Rewards Card. The remaining amount due to WDW would be $1,450.00, which is charged to my credit card upon checkout.

Therefore, as I said in my orginal post, I only have to carry ONE card (my room card), around with me while I enjoy myself in the parks.

Karnak

PS: The only way I wouldn't need the credit card would be if my Visa Rewards Card had a balance large enough to cover all of the expenses in the example above, and since the CM at the time of check in would have no way of knowing how much I was going to charge during my stay at WDW, he or she would no doubt want a credit card on file just in case I lost my mind and went on a massive spending spree in the Disney shops.