I have not done it but I believe I read that someone was able to do it by putting a "4" in front of the number on the card. It's worth a try.

That is not possible with the new Gift Cards. With the older GC's that was possible as they used to post as Visa but even now the older GC's post only as "Gift Card", not VISA.

Yes, but . . .

Absolutely true if you have the Marriott Gift Card. However, lots of folks don't realize the distinction between the Marriott Gift Card on the one hand, and the Marriott Travel Card (or Vacation Card) on the other. The new Travel Cards (silver-grey color) explicitly state on the back that you *don't* get Marriott Reward points using them.

What I don't know is:

- Whether they have begun actually enforcing that; and

- Whether the same would apply to the red Travel Cards that don't carry the limiting language.

Anyone have any recent experiences?

In my experience, they are converted at the general interbank rate (not the property's "cash rate") at the time of the charge. The front desk calls the processing company (or maybe contacts via computer/internet) to make the charge against the Gift Card and is told the exchange rate, how much in dollars was taken off the card, and how much (in dollars) remains on the card.

They've been accepted at every non-US property I've tendered them at. (That was not true in the early years, though.)

That's not certain.

Even though the Vacation Cards (and the Travel Cards) have terms and conditions different from those on the Gift Cards, conditions that purport to limit their use generally to public commissionable rates, experience at different properties has varied. Personally, I have seen a few properties that strictly applied the T&C limitations, but in my experience most didn't (perhaps because when the cards were processed as VISA cards just as the Gift Cards were, the property got its money in any event).

I've heard reports, though, that enforcement is tightening. One property told me that Marriott had recently sent out a notice of some sort calling attention to the difference in the T&C.

Recently, I handed a vacation card to a clerk at checkout and she spent 5 minutes reading the fine print on the card. While reading, she mumbled something about not being sure the card could be used with a discount rate. As I started to indicate that I needed to get going, she gave up in frustration and just accepted the card.

I had on older gift card left so I tried using the 4 before the number and the system took it. However, when I check on the gift card balance it still shows the total amount without the amount for the reservation taken out. I am wondering if I will have a problem with the room.

Some hotels don't actually charge the card until the day you check in or are supposed to check in. This seems to vary by hotel as to whether the charge early or not.

This also happened to me and I received a call from the business office @ the San Diego Marina Marriott about a week before I was to check in. They said the card did not process and I had to give them another form of payment. On another occasion at the same hotel my prepayment with a gift card was not charged at all and I paid when I checked out. It's hardly ever the same experience.

The reservation is for the San Diego Marina Marriott this Weds, so we will see what happens.

using Marriott gift cards in Europe?
 

We will be in Spain and Portugal next weeks and wondering if I should bring the gift cards with me to use there? From previous posts I understand that I will probably not be able to use them at a AC hotel though in Madrid I was able to book using Marriott reward points. As I am sure there are downsides to doing this, I was hoping to spend some of the cards that I had forgotten to use in the states.
We will be in 2 AC hotels in Spain and 2 full service in either Spain or Portugal so will post upon my return. It will be interesting to see what Plat. status offers are made in these hotels.
Thanks

You can use them but a better choice would be a credit card with no foreign exchange fee, like the Marriott Premier card and some others that I am not familiar with. You are at the mercy of the hotel for an exchange rate when you use gift cards, bonus bucks, and credit cards that charge an exchange fee.

Thank you as I had forgotten about the transaction fee. I do have the black Marriott reward card so hopefully that is the one you are referring to in your email.

Yes, that is the one.

I think it's depends whether you get a discount when you bought the GC and how much GC you have. We got them last Dec. with the 10% off offer, so 10% off can counter the currency exchange fee, and the interest you loose on not using your GC.

I don't believe this is the case anymore for gift cards. This is the ONLY benefit as far as I can tell with the new system. The hotel has to get the exchange rate off of givex, and they don't charge an international 3% fee like the VISA based cards used to. Indeed, when I checked out of the Brussels Ren I found it funny that the rate of my gift card exchange was nearly 10% better than my bonus bucks (which was exchanged at the hotel's rate).