Room only payment question

[disneychick0412]

I booked my room only reservation with my debit card, and then I changed to a more expensive room and paid the deposit difference with my credit card.
I've only done a room only reservation one other time, and they automatically charged the balance. Can I go to the front desk when I arrive and pay the room balance with my preferred method of payment? I'm not sure which one they would automatically take from, and I have a preference. I'm not sure when they take the money, so that's why I'm asking.

Thanks!

 

[Miffy]

I would definitely go to the front desk when you check in to put your preferred card with your account.

I've never done exactly what you're describing, so I can't tell you what card they'd automatically use--and anyway, your case could be different.

The card is charged at checkout for the room, however, if you put other charges on your MB--food, for example--I think those are deducted the day they happen. So you want to make sure your preferred payment method is linked to your MB and also to your MDE, since you might be purchasing G+/ILL$.

BTW, I just double-checked on this by staring at the receipt for our most recent stay. With the exception of the initial deposit, the rest of the room charges were put through on checkout day.

 

[fla4fun]

If you do online check in you can enter the card you wish to use to pay for the room so the correct card is already on file.

 

[Mle8308]

And if you want to pay the balance by a different method (cash, different card, gift card), go to the FD the night before you leave.

 

[LoveDaisy]

You can go to the front desk when you arrive and if they have already charged the card on file they can reverse the charges and charge a different card. The front desk told me they normally charge the card on file at midnight on checkin day. I arrive at noon so 12 hours before I arrived. I had to use my company CC because I was at a work conference and they defaulted to the card I had on file from other trips. I wouldn’t care but my work has a policy we have to use our work CC for travel. I assume they don’t want us getting the points on our personal CC. Anyway be warned they may charge your card at midnight on checkin day.

 

[Miffy]

You can go to the front desk when you arrive and if they have already charged the card on file they can reverse the charges and charge a different card. The front desk told me they normally charge the card on file at midnight on checkin day. I arrive at noon so 12 hours before I arrived. I had to use my company CC because I was at a work conference and they defaulted to the card I had on file from other trips. I wouldn’t care but my work has a policy we have to use our work CC for travel. I assume they don’t want us getting the points on our personal CC. Anyway be warned they may charge your card at midnight on checkin day.

Whoa. That is interesting. I don't think that's ever happened to me. I've checked out early a couple of times and they didn't have to credit me for the days I wasn't there--I just didn't get charged for them. But perhaps it varies by resort?

Before responding to this thread, I looked at our recent receipt from AKL and the charges for the room were posted on checkout day. At least, according to the receipt they were.

 

[LoveDaisy]

I was staying at Grand Floridian. I didn’t ask if that was their normal policy or if it was because I was with a conference. I normally book a package that was my first time booking a room only. Hopefully someone else will chime in if it happened to them.

 

[DizneyFamof4]

Do you want to wait to pay it off? We almost always do a RO and I will call ahead of time and pay it off with GCs, so that on our 1st day I have a clean slate with a zero balance. Then we will charge everything to the room and I will go to the FD every few days and pay off the balance with our GCs and get a printout of all charges up to that point. I know I could wait for the night before checkout but I like to keep a better log of what we are spending

 

[HopperFan]

You can go to the front desk when you arrive and if they have already charged the card on file they can reverse the charges and charge a different card. The front desk told me they normally charge the card on file at midnight on checkin day. I arrive at noon so 12 hours before I arrived. I had to use my company CC because I was at a work conference and they defaulted to the card I had on file from other trips. I wouldn’t care but my work has a policy we have to use our work CC for travel. I assume they don’t want us getting the points on our personal CC. Anyway be warned they may charge your card at midnight on checkin day.

THIS^

We had to do this in 2014 (I remember because we were dropping DD at DCP and DH was working so he was paying. It had defaulted to my card at 6 am).

For at least 9 years every single time with ROOM ONLY they have charged my card the day of check in prior to our arrival. The only thing that was charged at the end of the trip was room charges. The receipt does show charges by date of use.

To OP I would call ahead to make sure what payment method is on your account OR call ahead and pay in advance OR go online and remove any payment option if you can, so that it will force you to the front desk to pay and get room number. I did this our trip in July since it was DS and I splitting the room cost.

 

[Gehrig1B]

For at least 9 years every single time with ROOM ONLY they have charged my card the day of check in prior to our arrival.

Absolutely has always been our experience as well... We always book "room only" as we are passholders.

 

[Wood Nymph]

We were staying at POR last month. My sister had a hold placed on her credit card for the balance of the room plus $100. She was confused about the amount and went to the front desk. They explained that it was a hold and she that it she would be charged the balance before check out. I had always assumed they would charge the credit card when you checked it, but that wasn't what happened at POR.

 

[DizneyFamof4]

We were staying at POR last month. My sister had a hold placed on her credit card for the balance of the room plus $100. She was confused about the amount and went to the front desk. They explained that it was a hold and she that it she would be charged the balance before check out. I had always assumed they would charge the credit card when you checked it, but that wasn't what happened at POR.

This is how the CM explained it to me. Any RO balance that is due, will be charged to the CC on file on the day of check-in, when the system rolls over to that day (around 3AM). Then they put a $100 hold on the CC and this is for any room charges during the stay and that balance, if any, will be due at checkout.

 

[gmi3804]

I'm DVC, so haven't done a room-only for years and years.

Aulani charges the HI tax upon check-in, to the online check-in card I had on file, but they've always reversed the charge for me so I can use my GC to pay that charge.

 

[SL6827]

I always call and pay the balance about a week or two before arrival.

 

[Euby]

We almost always do a RO and I will call ahead of time and pay it off with GCs, so that on our 1st day I have a clean slate with a zero balance. Then we will charge everything to the room and I will go to the FD every few days and pay off the balance with our GCs and get a printout of all charges up to that point. I know I could wait for the night before checkout but I like to keep a better log of what we are spending

This is exactly what I do. I leave the gift cards in the room safe, so I'm less likely to misplace them.

 

[gmi3804]

I always call and pay the balance about a week or two before arrival.

Why?

 

[SL6827]

Why?

Just to get those funds off my gift cards before we go.

 

[gmi3804]

Just to get those funds off my gift cards before we go.

Oh, OK, I didn't know you used GCs. I just have them credit my credit card after we check in and then give them the GC to charge.

 

[SL6827]

Oh, OK, I didn't know you used GCs. I just have them credit my credit card after we check in and then give them the GC to charge.

Ya, get that extra 5% off.

 

[gmi3804]

Ya, get that extra 5% off.

You know it!