Did they start doing this?? RE: Room charging

[Carrieberry]

Hi everyone! I was looking through a post today about payment being received up front and in full for future trips and was surprised to read this quote regarding room charging:

Quote:

"Next, we where just there and usually they take the imprint of cc and at the end of your stay charges are sent to room if ok you ok them and they do your cc at that time. NOT this time, the imprinted the card, and charged immediately! I was worried cause of long trip, would not be home when this got on my bill and might be late... But was told this is how we do it now, payment upon immediate arrival!"


Has this happened to anyone else? Is this new policy? Ghosts999 can you verify or any other resort CMs know about this? I'm going to be pretty bummed if I have $1500 charged to my cc on arrival! There would be no advantage to room charging if this was the case. What about people who don't have $1500 available on their cards? Just really want to confirm this!!

 

[Tinkbell]

You do not need $1500 on your cc. I was there in July and they will charge your account once you hit that $1500. If you don't spend that much, they charge when you check out. My credit card did not have any "holds" on it (I checked) and according to my statement, the charges were made on my checkout day.

Maybe this person paid her room balance with her cc. I know that they do that up front upon arrival.

 

[Humphrey1227]

Yes we did pay our room balance with the cc, because collect am express membership points with the cc. But the room balance has never been charged to the card the 1st day before always at the end of the trip. Now any other room charges were charged the last day: phone calls, purchases etc... .

 

[Carrieberry]

Oh ok! I misunderstood! I'm so sorry, my apologies a hundred times! Since we have always been charged our room portion on check in, I guess I just thought you meant room charges. I didn't know that they ever waited to charge you for the room portion until the end of your stay, that would be great!! Thanks again to both of you and I apologize again for the mistake!

 

[Humphrey1227]

No problem Its early and maybe I'm not typing clearly!

 

[Carrieberry]

Maybe I'm just not thinking clearly! that would be more likely. I'm not a morning person!

 

[Disney-Kim]

every other hotel I have stayed in charges your "account" for each nights stay but the actual charge was not put through to my credit card till we checked out. then I noticed it takes a few days for it to show up on my Amex.
Now this is in the real world???? so not sure whats up with Disney.

 

[LKS]

Not sure I followed all that, but room ressies do state that the balance is due, at latest, on your arrival date and my room balance at WDW has always been charged at check-in, then the other room charges were billed on check-out. Out in the real world, no one else has ever charged my card on check-in. Only in WDW.

 

[jaguar9748]

Disney will bill your credit card for the balance of your room charge upon checkin. To avoid this, you can prepay your balance before you arrive.

While I hear lots of people say that Disney doesn't place holds on accounts, I really think the Contemporary did to us last month. I queried the manager and she stated no, they don't. All I know is that my available balance decreased after I checked into the Contemporary and increased when I left. How does one expain that?

 

[WDWalways]

I have always paid my first night plus tax prior to departure and paid the balance due at check in. I pay in cash so I never have to worry about them charging on my credit card.

 

[SueEllen]

There was a time when Disney charged your room balance when you checked out, but that was some time ago. My last several stays over the last year or two have had the balance charged at checkin, and the room charges charged at checkout.

Sue Ellen

 

[MHopkins2]

*nod* to SueEllen, but also, there is a room charge limit based on the level of resort. (I think it's $500 All Stars, $1000 Mods, $1500 Deluxes, but could be wrong on the specifics.) Once you reach that "limit," they put the charge through on your card. So it wouldn't be odd to get home from two weeks at the All Stars to see a credit card bill like:

7/1 $670.24 (balance of room rate upon checkin)
7/5 $500 (first room charge "batch")
7/9 $500 (second room charge "batch")
etc.
7/15 $129.67 (balance of room charge upon checkout)

 

[polyfan]

When we went in April, they imprinted our cc, then each day there was a hotel charge. We went again in July, and they did it differently. They charged the cc for the entire room cost when we arrived. Myabe it is a new policy, since it was different for us this time.

 

[Humphrey1227]

Thank you poly fan for explaining this clearly! This is what I ment! It makes me worry about a situation a few years ago, what if something happens or your unhappy with resort and decide to change resorts if possible... does disney call it a "package" and your stuck? Or will they allow the money to transfer to a different resort? I knew we used to get a detailed bill stating each day + taxes + any charges etc... and then added up and if nothing out of order they just charged you then at check out. This is not a big deal, yes I could easily bring cash / check to pay but I am saving my am ex membership rewards for that free disney cruise, at this rate I will be 129 years old when I acquire the points? So I only need about 109,000 more points / dollars spent before we get it, and I start saving for my sister's tix!

 

[DeeP]

It has been at least 3 or 4 yrs since WDW resorts waited until check out to charge the room balance to your cc. Now they charge the entire room balance due at check in. On your room portfolio it shows as seperate charges per day but the entire balance is charged to your cc when you check in. Maybe they had problems with people skipping out without paying their bill??? I don't know, but I do know I have had the entire room balance charged to my cc at check in for at least the last 3-4 yrs at all WDW resorts from value up to deluxe resorts. You can opt to pay the entire room balance with cash, travelers checks. etc upon check in, if you prefer but either way the entire room balance is paid in full before you even step foot in your room. If for some reason you check out early a refund for the nights already prepaid is either given as a credit to your cc or a check is mailed to you as a refund, depending on how the balance was paid orginally. There are also limitations on the refunds depending on whether the room was booked through Disney travel club or CRO.