Guys

I am not sure whether it is appropriate to ask this question by opening a new thread ,Sorry in case I am wrong

But..... When checking into a hotel A form of deposit is going to be requested
of course
and I ran into a situation where Hotel staff wanted me to sign in advance on the blank credit card voucher as a guarantee at reception upon check-in it didn't seem logical for me but anyway I complied at that point

Now I want to be clear is it a common practice you guys ever experienced?

it is kind of a budget hotel

Thank you very much guys for your input into this !

Hi,
I was in Shanghai last year and the hotel did not recognize credit cards except China credit cards.
I was required to pay in full the hotel rates in advance.

New thread is fine, no worries.

It is normal for a Chinese hotel to ask for a deposit and most Chinese guests use a local card. Normally, whether local or foreign card is used, the deposit will be run on a separate charge slip as a block, but not actually processed as a transaction. Then upon departure it is released separately from the actual room charges.

In intl branded hotels a card is fine for deposit. In budget Chinese hotels, I prefer not to use a card and instead use cash deposit which is always an option. Sometimes the deposit is as little as RMB 100 or 200, sometimes it is equal to one night's stay, sometimes equal to the entire stay. This is one reason I carry a wad of cash RMB around. A receipt for the deposit is always given and you must present this when checking out to get your refund. In addition to keeping my credit card information more secure, the cash method has the benefit of being refundable by even the most junior of clerks that happen to be stationed at the front desk. I've never had any deposit cash or card not 100% refunded. And I've never had a card-based deposit run as unauthorized. Hopefully this will help put your mind at ease.

Jiejie:

Many thanks for allowing the new thread and the knowlegde you brought to helping me deal with this situation and I learned that cash should be more preferable to be used in a budget hotel, I will always do that in the future tks
But could you also tell me is it Ok to put a signature on the blank cc slip that they swiped upon check-in, though it is as a block but I feel that I already gave my authorization to them to legitimately charge me on my cc or should I worry about that? as I remember they did it to me in 2010 at a 4* hotel
is it possible to decline the signature ? or if you were in that situation would you sign it?
Thank you very much in advance!

Thanks lot James for sharing your experience ...so "a wad of cash" is always a way to approach here

I've stayed in a plethora of budget hotels in China, and nearly all have asked for a deposit of at least 200元. Also, I'd advise you to get a corner room, since the walls are usually very thin in these places, and having one at the far end of the hall might cut down on the decibels a bit. Also, if it's the budget type of place that is located above a bar and below karaoke, well...good luck with that! However, you may get lucky and find that some of those "motels" offer computers in the room- look out for 电脑 to be sure.

Also, don't be alarmed when, upon check out, someone has to run up to your room to make sure you didn't break/drink anything. It's not as if this is an uncommon occurrence, but I just mention it because it's not usually done too efficiently.

Well, it's not up to me to "allow" a new thread , so you feel free to post one when you feel the situation warrants! The China forum is used to getting questions on how to do procedures for various travel tasks that might be routine elsewhere, so ask away when the spirit moves you.

On the signature question, yes it's OK to sign the deposit authorization slip. Typically Chinese hotels consider this more like a "security deposit" you'd pay for an apartment--it's to cover potential damage or missing items, or incidentals such as minibar, laundry, etc. They usually want payment for the basic room charges separately and up front, whether cash or credit card. When you check out, ask for the slip back--they'll give it all to you and if carbon slips (about 90% of what I see), will return all copies. Just hang onto until a few months of statements have come in and confirm no charges have been made.

And as said above, allow about 10 minutes to check out, as the front desk will call up to housekeeping to send somebody to the room to do a check for missing/damaged items, before they'll release the deposit and complete your checkout.

Whenever staying in budget hotels, I always call the front desk while I am preparing my things for checkout so the fuwuyuan can visit my room while I'm still there. Not only does this save time, but it also helps avert "he said, she said" arguments (which are, admittedly, quite rare).

This is a good plan. However, most budget hotels aren't blessed with English speakers, so being able to phone down and speak in Mandarin would be prerequisite to being able to communicate your intentions and wishes. For non-Mandarin speakers, usually showing up at the desk with your stuff is enough to relate intent of check-out and set the wheels in motion.

Thank you all very much for your valuable inputs ,they do help

to some extent I mis-understood the ambassador's function in some regards
very clear now.......

thanks guys again !

Are you referring to the 168s, Hantings and Green Trees? Or the even more budget-types (above and below bars)? I think the former in popular tourist areas have had one person who knows a bit of English ("check-out" for sure), but definitely not that latter.

Yes, those types, Jinjiang Inns, etc. as well as independent non-chains. Sorry, but my experience is even in cities such as Nanjing, Xi'an, Chengdu, etc. there is rarely ever a (broken) English speaker around. And particularly not on early morning or late night duty, or on weekends. I've even encountered this in more upscale Chinese hotels (those 4* types)--though I deal in Mandarin so English speaking presence or absence is not a consideration for me. But this is a sidebar conversation to what the OP was asking about, which is what are norms for dealing with deposits.

I have regularly signed these inside and out of China and never had a problem, nor has the card actually be run. I would not worry. You always have the dispute mechanism, and the timestamp on the receipt will show it was made at checkin.

I have to say I had never encountered the room check anywhere in the world prior to a check out at a mid-level hotel in Xi'an. What's odd is there was really nothing to damage, although the front desk mumbled something that made me think they were worried I might have made off with the mattress or the toilet.

It's not just about damages; it's about ensuring that guests don't steal hotel property.

There are always stuff you can damage, unless you were in a jail cell. Can't you just throw a porcelain cup at the TV?

And not long ago, even a dirty towel or blown light bulb that you didn't notify them during check-in will be on your tab. Probably many properties still do that today.