New Credit Card Authorization Holds

[DisLiss]

My point is, we will spend less than we would have since they have made it inconvenient to use the Magic Band. We have absolutely no idea how much will be locked up on the credit card as a result of room charging, because at the moment it seems like experiences are widely variable. I didn't say we have no budget, and I didn't say we OVERSPEND with room charging. I said we will spend less. Because we will.

Exactly. Our budget is set up with $X.00 per day for spending money. And we set that daily amount considerably higher than we think we really need to be sure we're not hit with a higher bill than we want to have at the end. But if kid #2 wants me to come see some toy at the end of the day when I'm hot & tired, so I can charge it for him, my answer is going to be "Not now, sweetie. We can buy things on our Disney Springs day." If he can buy it with his band, I'm far more likely to to turn to his older sibling and ask him to go escort his brother over to buy said item. It's not about a budget. It's about me being hot, tired, and lazy!

Yep. They are on their last day and CC company contacted them thinking it was fraud. And yes it’s about $4500 in charged & the same amount again in holds.

That's completely ridiculous and just the kind of thing I wouldn't want to end my trip dealing with. I wish they'd just let you link gift cards to your room account instead. Then, even if I planned to use my credit card, I could simply buy Disney gift cards with my credit card as I went along, and add them to my account each morning during breakfast, or while others in my party were getting ready for the day.

 

[PolyRob]

Holy! I’ve been watching one DVC FB group throughout the day where posters are indicating problems with holds. One popped just now with almost $9000 in holds

That's just crazy!

 

[Iowamomof4]

I haven't been to Disney since they updated the app to include the room folio. Is there a particular thread I could check out to find out more information? I don't want to derail this one. But my biggest question is, is it just everything you charge to the room? I mean, I guess it would be.

 

[whatsthebuzz]

I haven't been to Disney since they updated the app to include the room folio. Is there a particular thread I could check out to find out more information? I don't want to derail this one. But my biggest question is, is it just everything you charge to the room? I mean, I guess it would be.

Yes. Once you're onsite if you tap your resort reservation it will give you an option to see all of your room charges. I'm not there at this moment so I can't see that option and don't remember the exact words but it's obvious and easy to find.

 

[PolyRob]

I haven't been to Disney since they updated the app to include the room folio. Is there a particular thread I could check out to find out more information? I don't want to derail this one. But my biggest question is, is it just everything you charge to the room? I mean, I guess it would be.

This post explains what features were added with the update. You basically tap on your resort reservation, then "view charges" and it looks like the screenshot in this post:

https://touringplans.com/blog/2017/08/23/updates-my-disney-experience-app/

 

[Iowamomof4]

This post explains what features were added with the update. You basically tap on your resort reservation, then "view charges" and it looks like the screenshot in this post:

https://touringplans.com/blog/2017/08/23/updates-my-disney-experience-app/

Thank you! Sounds like it will be very helpful on our upcoming trip!

 

[AngiTN]

My main concern with all of these little holds is that it might set off fraud protection and get the card shut off. I carry multiple cards so it's not a huge problem but the card I use for Disney trips gives high cash back for travel so when we charge everything to the room we get the highest level of cash back on everything we spend onsite. Can we go to the front desk and ask them to just charge the card in advance, say $5000 over the room cost so that we can just pull from that credit as we go and avoid the constant holds? That's the minimum we ever spend and if we use that up it should be near the end of our trip and the holds won't have a chance to get out of control.

Unless they have made a change at the same time that they've rolled out this new policy no, you can not prepay room charges in advance.

 

[MarkinNM]

My main concern with all of these little holds is that it might set off fraud protection and get the card shut off. I carry multiple cards .....

I can say that my CC company will def shut it down after a few of the same amount being charged back to back to back.....I use one main CC for our charges and do have a backup just in case something happens but it has a small limits, I keep it that way as I can pay it off as needed.....This is a stupid way to do business.....

 

[Scoobie]

I can say that my CC company will def shut it down after a few of the same amount being charged back to back to back.....I use one main CC for our charges and do have a backup just in case something happens but it has a small limits, I keep it that way as I can pay it off as needed.....This is a stupid way to do business.....

Mine will, too. I'm thinking of putting my small limit card on file, that I hardly use, and actually using a different card for trip purchases that Disney wouldn't have access to. So, no magic band purchases. Has anyone reported having a hold placed on a CC that they had not been using?

 

[Nancyg56]

I always find it funny when people say they would spend more money by charging to the room, really, we have a budget and once that is hit, we stop spending, doesn't matter how we are charging it.

I think you made a huge leap here. I also will likely spend less money, but that does not mean I am treating my card or my charging back to teh room priviledge as an infinite balance. It means that I am a lazy shopper. I have never once left any vacation with a balance that I charged to my card, so the whole MB ease of swiping thing did not mean I overspent my budget. I have always charged back even when the band did not exist. It was easy, fast and an efficient way to manage my shopping.

This new process means that if I want to charge back I am taking a chance that I am going to be at least inconvenienced on vacation, and I am not a fan of any kind of self induced stress while on vacation. So now no more charging back to the room. None. I'm okay wth one $100 hold, but no more.

I know I need to pay the tip in cash now when I dine, and that takes time. I will manage my spending based on what that line looks like, how much cash I chose to carry with me that day and what is left. I do take my card and cash, but I never carry more than $100 at a time, so once that is gone, it's gone. What I left behind is still there, and it was allocated to spending, but I seldom go back to any shop once I leave. Therefore: less money spent.

 

[Patches Lee]

I think you made a huge leap here. I also will likely spend less money, but that does not mean I am treating my card or my charging back to teh room priviledge as an infinite balance. It means that I am a lazy shopper. I have never once left any vacation with a balance that I charged to my card, so the whole MB ease of swiping thing did not mean I overspent my budget. I have always charged back even when the band did not exist. It was easy, fast and an efficient way to manage my shopping.

This new process means that if I want to charge back I am taking a chance that I am going to be at least inconvenienced on vacation, and I am not a fan of any kind of self induced stress while on vacation. So now no more charging back to the room. None. I'm okay wth one $100 hold, but no more.

I know I need to pay the tip in cash now when I dine, and that takes time. I will manage my spending based on what that line looks like, how much cash I chose to carry with me that day and what is left. I do take my card and cash, but I never carry more than $100 at a time, so once that is gone, it's gone. What I left behind is still there, and it was allocated to spending, but I seldom go back to any shop once I leave. Therefore: less money spent.

This makes plenty of sense. We don't particularly drink so the need to carry IDs and wallets is less than for other individuals. Only carry a small amount of cash because if it's lost there is no getting it back vs reporting a card lost. Now we will need both and since we only have one card for vacation expenditures we will be less likely to spend since we split up sometimes.

 

[Searc]

Mine will, too. I'm thinking of putting my small limit card on file, that I hardly use, and actually using a different card for trip purchases that Disney wouldn't have access to. So, no magic band purchases. Has anyone reported having a hold placed on a CC that they had not been using?

The first $100 hold is put on your card before you arrive, before the card is even used.

 

[Turksmom]

Sorry to derail again- yes, I tried the search feature first- Can Samsung Pay be used at WDW?

 

[P'colaBeachBum]

The first $100 hold is put on your card before you arrive, before the card is even used.

Did you pay off your room/package ( 0 balance) before you did online check-in?

 

[Spridell]

Did you pay off your room/package ( 0 balance) before you did online check-in?

From what I am gathering even if you start the trip off with $0 balance they will still put the $100 hold on your card if you do the online check-in.

 

[Spridell]

Yep. They are on their last day and CC company contacted them thinking it was fraud. And yes it’s about $4500 in charged & the same amount again in holds.

See that's the problem Disney has and I really do think they will change this policy in the near future.

They are matching the amount owed with holds. That is going to cause a lot of problems. They need to figure out another solution that does not tie up so much credit on someones CC.

 

[AngiTN]

From what I am gathering even if you start the trip off with $0 balance they will still put the $100 hold on your card if you do the online check-in.

Right. If you put a card down during online check-in there will be 1 $100 charge run. I'm sure you can either 1, not use your band and never have another run or 2, have the charging privalges turned off when you arrive. Either way, there would not be another done and that $100 would never be a finalized charge.

 

[AngiTN]

See that's the problem Disney has and I really do think they will change this policy in the near future.

They are matching the amount owed with holds. That is going to cause a lot of problems. They need to figure out another solution that does not tie up so much credit on someones CC.

I think they underestimated how long it takes some card issuers to release the holds. It seems they expected them to fall off in 24 hours. When they do, their method works. The charge goes through and the hold falls off at the same time essentially. This isn't happening in many cases though so the charge and the hold are overlapping. For several days sometimes.

I think they could get the $100 preauthorization, or even up it to $200, then run all charges each night. All guests start at $0 the next day. Run another preauthorization to be sure the credit level is there and repeat.
Wouldn't that work? And keep them from getting burned, left holding a lot of unpaid charges? And prevent so many weird charges? Yes, that's a lot of processing every night but so what? It's all automated.

 

[Spridell]

I think they underestimated how long it takes some card issuers to release the holds. It seems they expected them to fall off in 24 hours. When they do, their method works. The charge goes through and the hold falls off at the same time essentially. This isn't happening in many cases though so the charge and the hold are overlapping. For several days sometimes.

I think they could get the $100 preauthorization, or even up it to $200, then run all charges each night. All guests start at $0 the next day. Run another preauthorization to be sure the credit level is there and repeat.
Wouldn't that work? And keep them from getting burned, left holding a lot of unpaid charges? And prevent so many weird charges? Yes, that's a lot of processing every night but so what? It's all automated.

I think you hit the nail right on the head. Disney did not expect these companies to keep the holds on for so long. And every company is different and has their own procedures.

Running the charges each night I think could be the answer.

 

[ninafeliz]

I think they underestimated how long it takes some card issuers to release the holds. It seems they expected them to fall off in 24 hours. When they do, their method works. The charge goes through and the hold falls off at the same time essentially. This isn't happening in many cases though so the charge and the hold are overlapping. For several days sometimes.

I think they could get the $100 preauthorization, or even up it to $200, then run all charges each night. All guests start at $0 the next day. Run another preauthorization to be sure the credit level is there and repeat.
Wouldn't that work? And keep them from getting burned, left holding a lot of unpaid charges? And prevent so many weird charges? Yes, that's a lot of processing every night but so what? It's all automated.

Didn’t someone earlier in this thread comment that the Disney Chase VISA credit card had the hold take a long time to disappear? I could be wrong, but I thought I remembered that because it made me roll my eyes. Of course Disney comes up with the plan and their branded Visa doesn’t handle it well. I know they don’t directly run the Visa, just brand it, but still...