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hotels that requires credit cards for incidentals and won't take anything else

hotels that requires credit cards for incidentals and won't take anything else

Old Dec 19, 2010, 10:21 pm
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hotels that require credit cards for incidentals and won't take anything else

Recently booked a room at the Coast Gateway in SEA through Priceline, good price, paid with my debit card; I was satisifed. Noticed the fine print in the email verification that said a major credit card would be required at check in.

Contacted the hotel, and they verified that cash wouldn't be accepted, nor would a debit card. Their exact reply:

"At this time the Coast Gateway Hotel in Seattle does require a credit card and valid photo identification at check in, they do not accept any substitutions. The temporary hold to the credit card will be $20.00USD for any incidentals."

I dumped credit cards more than a decade ago, around when debit cards came on the scene. I've always been able to use either cash or a secondary debit card for reservations.

Do you think they really would've turned me away over a $20 hold? Maybe the rep I got is wrong? Just to be safe I've already applied and been approved for a credit card, so it's academic now, but it's still a frustrating experience.

Last edited by ryanmm; Dec 20, 2010 at 9:29 am
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Old Dec 19, 2010, 10:59 pm
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I'd be surprised if they wouldn't take a debit card. Only problem is that locks/puts a hold on real cash. $20 though... thats usually a lot less than I see hotels want to use for a hold.
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Old Dec 20, 2010, 12:51 am
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This is SOP for probably 95% of the hotels these days. And yes, I've seen hotels turn away business because the client was going to only pay in cash.

As for the hold, no personal experience on that one.
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Old Dec 20, 2010, 2:03 am
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I tend to find the opposite. I find more and more hotels demanding cash deposits instead of credit cards for incidentals (even though the room is being paid with credit card). Some demand deposits as high as $1000 per night in cash, even on rooms priced at a fraction of that cost.

Of course, most of my travel is in West Africa where the volume of credit card chargebacks can touch 90% at times, so undoubtedly that may play a part in their thinking.
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Old Dec 22, 2010, 8:26 pm
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I hate deposits for a pre-paid hotel room, either cash or CC. For me, excessive deposits are a reason not no stay there. Fortunately there are still hotels out there without any hold needed. Maybe a thread to collect names on those hotels? Just in the last months for me: Hampshite Beethoven in Amsterdam and Monterey hotel in Tokyo.
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Old Dec 22, 2010, 8:33 pm
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I stood behind 6 people checking in at the LAX Marriott, they ALL had debit cards and they were all refused. They wanted credit cards only although they would take greenbacks, but not a debit card. Three of them pulled out credit cards and the other three I happened to be traveling with so we just used my card and then they cashed out on check out.

It is becoming more and more the norm to demand a credit card and I am seeing it at check in a lot more.
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Old Dec 22, 2010, 9:03 pm
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You can get a prepaid card if you need it for deposits and things like that.

It is, for whatever reason, becoming more and more common in hotels to only want to put the hold (and the ability to charge more should you go over the $20) on a credit card.
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Old Dec 22, 2010, 10:35 pm
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Originally Posted by janwillem
I hate deposits for a pre-paid hotel room, either cash or CC. For me, excessive deposits are a reason not no stay there. Fortunately there are still hotels out there without any hold needed. Maybe a thread to collect names on those hotels? Just in the last months for me: Hampshite Beethoven in Amsterdam and Monterey hotel in Tokyo.
I found that all 3 hotels I stayed at in Amsterdam required a cash deposit. Hotel Nes wanted 50euro Nh carsana held on to 100 euro and Rookies also wanted 50euro. I stayed at each 3 nights.

Only one I had any trouble with was the Carsana trying to charge me for mini bar usage that I did not use.
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Old Dec 24, 2010, 11:53 am
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I believe the reason that most hotels are now refusing debit cards for incidentals is because the cardholder might incur overdraft charges if there isn't enough in the account or be unable to pay other charges. The FTC's got a good writeup on the process, and USA Today also did a story on it.
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Old Dec 24, 2010, 10:10 pm
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I suggest you stay at Motel 6. They take cash and do not require any kind of plastic or deposit. Also local calls are free and usually check out is at noon.

There have been a few times places here in the USA would not accept people who don't have credit card. So I've just stayed somewhere else. However in Canada places of lodging seem to be more prone to require at least a credit card number though I've never see any refuse cash.
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Old Dec 24, 2010, 11:44 pm
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Originally Posted by ryanmm
I dumped credit cards more than a decade ago, around when debit cards came on the scene.
What kind of rights do you have with a debit card with billing disputes? Do you find you have the same protection that you get in credit card disputes, or less protection? I've never had a debit card (really haven't seen the need to have one, even though my bank reminds me it's available to me every so often).

I know the Fair Credit Billing Act covers credit card disputes. Is there a comparable law that covers debit card disputes and gives you the same rights? Ever had to dispute one of your transactions?
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Old Dec 25, 2010, 6:18 am
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Never heard of the hold before. No hotel I have been at has ever said they would hold a certain amount. Shouldn't they tell the customer they are doing that?
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Old Dec 25, 2010, 12:13 pm
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Virtually evey hotel I've been in which have used my CC has put a hold on it. The odd few have told me but the vast majority don't bother.
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Old Dec 25, 2010, 9:10 pm
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Originally Posted by Braindrain
Virtually evey hotel I've been in which have used my CC has put a hold on it. The odd few have told me but the vast majority don't bother.
Likewise. Just this week the InterContinental in SIN mentioned they were taking an SGD$900 hold for a two night stay (around SGD$600). It's never been a problem for me because almost all my travel expenses go on an Amex charge card, so I never see the "hold".

I wonder how hotels identify and refuse debit cards? My debit cards look like any other Visa and Mastercard with no particularly identifying artefacts.
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Old Dec 25, 2010, 9:16 pm
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Originally Posted by ajnz
I wonder how hotels identify and refuse debit cards? My debit cards look like any other Visa and Mastercard with no particularly identifying artefacts.
The ones issued in the US often (always?) say "DEBIT" on the face of them somewhere. Also, there's probably something on the mag stripe that indicates its a debit card, if for no other reason than to indicate that it's also valid for PIN-based POS purchases.
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