Apple Pay at Marriott hotels
 

Does anyone have experience paying their hotel bill using Apple Pay (Amex)?

I found this old press release but not sure this program was expanded to more hotels:
https://news.marriott.com/2015/03/ap...to-its-guests/

I've done it. Saved my butt on trips where I forgot my wallet.

As this is a feature of the CC processing company chosen by the property, I would guess it will be up to each property to decide if they want to incur the added expense. I use Samsung Pay when I can but find many stores don't want to change out their unit, especially many had to do it not too long ago to handle the chips. I suspect all new services will offer the benefit.

Yes but here PayWave is commonplace and most retailers and hotels will have PayWave-enabled devices (which is what Apple Pay uses). In backward places like the USA it's far more likely that the retailer won't have upgraded their machines. They've barely caught up with Chip-and-PIN

It's probably country specific. I travel mainly in the US and the UK. Given how long Apple Pay has been available in those markets and the press release, I thought more hotels would have adopted it.

FWIW Samsung pay works in more scenarios as it supports the old magnetic stripe readers by mimicking a physical card in addition to the more modern readers compatible with Apple Pay.

Hmm that's interesting! Would that work at the hotel you think?

Hmmm, I've never seen that. NFC has to be on for Samsung Pay (and turns it on and off as needed). I've never seen a means to do a magnetic scan, but I always carry real cards in case needed.

I've seen it in Europe where tap to pay is more prevalent, but yet to stay at a property where they accepted in the US or Asia.

Why not call the property directly and speak with the front desk? You will then have a definitive answer.

You'd probably have to explain/convince them to try it since most hotel staff wouldn't be familiar with MST (not even all Samsung owners know it's there), so they'd just think it won't work because "Apple Pay doesn't work". Especially since most have the card reader behind the desk. I first got it with an S7 just over 3 years ago when merchants were still replacing readers for chips, so I ran into plenty of older card readers early on and it almost always worked. Cashiers would often tell me "we haven't replaced our readers yet, it doesn't take Apple Pay" and then be amazed it worked anyway.

It's automatic, you don't have to setup anything extra. I know it always took a little longer than NFC, so I suspect it would try NFC, then if that failed, try MST, maybe alternating or something. I use it a lot less nowadays since NFC readers are so much more prevalent. I don't think it ever worked with the kind of stripe reader where you stick the card in and pull it back out (eg gas station pay-at-the-pump), but it generally worked at the kind you'd see at stores with the reader being a swipe on the side or top.

That said, I rarely tried it at a place where the card reader wasn't up front for me to use. Maybe once or twice over the years when I'd forgotten my wallet. eg, the common US restaurant where the server takes your card from the table and runs it at their terminal or a hotel where it's behind the desk.

Just chiming in to say that Samsung Pay works even when the merchant doesn't have a contactless/NFC payment terminal. Truly fantastic.

I may have to watch a lot closer. I have found many readers that didn't work and most I have to move the phone all over to find the reader. The good ones have a label showing where to place the phone. Some clerks have tried telling me Yes for Apple Pay but no for Samsung Pay,,, um no, they both use the same services IME.