Debit cards.

[stljason1]

Do Hotels accept Debit cards as payment? Because I recently used one to reserve a room online at the Howard Johnson in Sandusky, and now ive heard that some hotels dont accept them. But if I reserved the room with it how could they not accept it? Dosent make any sense to me. Any information would be appreciated.

 

Thanks

[jarmor]

they will accept it as long as it has the visa/mastercard logo on it, and you have $12,519.68 in the bank...

[WillMontu]

It depends on how you use the debit card. If it has a VISA logo, you're all set, as it can be used just like a credit card. If you use it as an ATM card (using a PIN), a lot of places won't take it (other than the supermarket).

If you find yourself in trouble, you can always find an ATM and get money that way (most places still take cash, I think)

[stljason1]

Is that suppoused to be a joke or what? It is a Visa, if thats any consolation.

 

EDIT: I was talking to Jamar

[CoasterFanatic]

I use my Visa Check for almost everything when I travel and I have never had a problem with it.

 

On the other hand, I never use it for Car Rentals. Most car rental companies require a pretty good size deposit (they are giving you a car after all) and if you use a check card they will essentially freeze all that money in your account. Sometimes it can take well over a week before it is available again.

 

For Car Rental, I always use the charge card.

[USRoadTripper]

Do Hotels accept Debit cards as payment? Because I recently used one to reserve a room online at the Howard Johnson in Sandusky, and now ive heard that some hotels dont accept them. But if I reserved the room with it how could they not accept it? Dosent make any sense to me. Any information would be appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

I work in a hotel, and the reason we don't accept them is very similar to the rental car comment. When I swipe a check card to hold someone's room when they check in, it automatically authorizes room and tax plus $20 per day for incidentals you may or may not use. And when it authorizes, it holds aside that money in your account until you check out and it is charged, or until the hotel asks that the hold be taken off (like if you pay in cash, or change to a different card). These holds, however, can cause stuff to start bouncing if you were expecting a paycheck to be deposited partway through your trip, and you didn't really have enough money in there to pay for it all the second you checked in. Not to mention that if you don't spend all the $20 a day it holds for incidentals, it can take up to a week for the hold to be taken off that money.

You don't have the same problem with credit cards since every charge you make is making the balance grow bigger, not smaller like on a check card. Worst that can happen (realistically) with a credit card is that it gets declined. Worst that can happen with a check card is that outstanding purchases can start clearing while you have that hold on there and you could be hit with overdraft fees!

My hotel won't accept a check card to hold the room at check in, but we will accept them at check out, once you have your final bill, and we know exactly how much to charge to it. It doesn't put a hold on it, and it charges just like if you bought something in a store.

Sorry to be long winded about it, but I have to explain this to people EVERY SINGLE DAY, and still most people won't understand (and get ticked that you won't take their card).

-Julie