RedElmo

Has anyone used the Credit Card Authorization Form from Hyatt's site recently to pre-pay an amount towards the room first?

Anyone use this in the past? I would like to know how it works.

I have a point + cash booking for later in the year in Japan but would like to have Hyatt charge the cash portion now.

My understanding is I can fill out the form and fax it. But will they put the charge through right now or later? There is a sentence in the for which states "The credit card listed below may be billed for the estimated charges Ten (10) days prior to event/reservation date."

I would like the charge to go through now, not just 10 days prior to my stay.


Also what will happen if I do need to cancel? since the room is a refundable rate... would they just refund the amount?

Thanks!

Often1

The two issues are unrelated. The form is useful if you wish to pay for a room or other services and are or will not be present (in some countries or locations, merely providing a CC number orally is not sufficient).

But, this does not mean that the property actually will debit your CC right now or at any time prior to checkout (as opposed to placing a hold on some part of your CL at check-in).

If your room has a prepaid rate, you may need to pay for it at the time of booking, e.g. now. If your room requires a deposit, you may need to make that deposit now. But, if this is a standard arrangement where you pay at checkout, it is possible that there will be no debit until then.

The only way to confirm this is to call the property directly and have a conversation with an appropriate accounting person (depending on the size of the property). Even if the property does not debit in advance, might it do so in this instance? What will it do if you cancel?

RedElmo

That's what I'm trying to find out. I don't have a easy way to call the hotel so I'm looking to see if I can get answers here or from Hyatt directly before going the long distance call route. And hoping they can understand English. My questions are not as easy as where's the subway.

antonius66

I do this all the time. Just print the form out and in the comments write that you would like to have the credit card charged immediately for accounting purposes. Then just fax it in, and maybe send an email to confirm receipt if you don't see the charge within a couple of days. Or you can call and do the same thing.

Jimgotkp

Best to find the e-mail address of the person who should receive the CC authorization form. When you send them the completed form and scanned copy of the CC maybe mention that you'd like to have the reservation charged in advance for accounting purposes.

Often1

If language is a possible barrier, writing instructions which are out of the norm is asking for a problem. Just call and have a Japanese-speaker on with you.

You have internet access as you posted here, so you have free or close to free calling to Japan via Skype or any number of other services.

RedElmo

I'm still in the states. My trip is in December.
Thanks. I'll wait and see what Hyatt says. And keep the thread updated. This is new to me.

carrotjuice

I have done this before with GH Tokyo, HR Hakone and PH Tokyo. Corresponded directly with the hotel. They will pass to their Finance department to charge on the same day. Insist that they send you a credit card charge slip on the same day to be doubly sure.

But verify the amount and ask them to correct immediately if incorrect! GH Tokyo had in the past charged a larger amount incorrectly to my card, and they at the end of my stay had to refund the amount back to the original credit card. A big hassle.

RedElmo

Thank you. I think I'll have to figure out a way to work directly with the hotel. Thought part being an international property and I don't know Japanese haha

Jaimito Cartero

Surprisingly, some employees at foreign hotels actually speak English.

Call using Skype or similar VOIP, for probably 2-10 cents per minute.

carrotjuice

Just write to the hotel's standard email address on their website. Someone with near perfect (if not slightly verbose) command of English will write back soon enough with instructions.