Is this a change to paying dues with gift cards?

[jennypenny]

If it encourages people to pay in full instead of opting for monthly payments, DVC gets more of their dues money upfront for the year. That's the benefit for Disney ... they get the cash earlier.

 

[Cyberc1978]

So now the big question becomes after Feb 15th when late penalties kick in....if someone tries this after that date, will it automatically add a late penalty when autopay is stopped so GC can be entered? Or, will they no longer even allow you to re enroll in autopay after Feb 15th?

But, you are right, even if they allow the three step process, its not going to be as easy as before.....they definitely have decided they don't want people to take advantage of monthly option and gift card payements at the same time.

I was always under the impression that if you enrolled into autopay then you paid your dues for the following year. So by enrolling for auto payment in 2025 you prepaid your dues for 2026.

It made sense because ie 2025 dues have a due date no later than
January 15th and was considered late starting with fees by February 15th.

But I understand now that by enrolling into autopay for ie 2025 you more or less push your 2025 dues payment in front of you throughout 2025.

Even though Disney does not consider that late payment, it is, you pay throughout 2025 even though it’s clearly stated that payments after January 15th is late.

Either the association needs the money absolutely no later than February 14th or they don’t. If they don’t the deadline for 2025 dues should be 12/31/25.

Might need to consider enrolling into autopay.

 

[BeachClub2014]

I was always under the impression that if you enrolled into autopay then you paid your dues for the following year. So by enrolling for auto payment in 2025 you prepaid your dues for 2026.

It made sense because ie 2025 dues have a due date no later than
January 15th and was considered late starting with fees by February 15th.

But I understand now that by enrolling into autopay for ie 2025 you more or less push your 2025 dues payment in front of you throughout 2025.

Even though Disney does not consider that late payment, it is, you pay throughout 2025 even though it’s clearly stated that payments after January 15th is late.

Either the association needs the money absolutely no later than February 14th or they don’t. If they don’t the deadline for 2025 dues should be 12/31/25.

Might need to consider enrolling into autopay.

We typically use the autopay feature for paying dues, and like many others, we had traditionally used Disney gift cards to pay them on a rolling monthly basis. That ability was helpful and allowed us to save on the dues overall.

I suspect that the "next shoe to drop" will be DVC charging the member a monthly fee to use the autopay option for paying dues. I hope that I am wrong, but I can see this coming.

 

[eticketplease]

Does this benefit Disney in terms of less people wanting to suddenly sell contracts mid year because they are already paid in full? I always thought it would be beneficial to be monthly if selling but I’ve never sold before.

I've also never sold before but I believe your dues have to be paid in full before selling. Similar to selling a house if your HOA dues are not paid they could place a lien on the property holding up the sale.

 

[trenty]

If someone keeps buying gift cards after January 2025, then they have to hold them until they can apply them in January 2026 for the 2026 dues, if they are on the monthly plan.

My worry is that if I buy GCs throughout 2025 for 2026 dues and Disney stops accepting GC for dues, I would have money tied up in gift cards.

 

[Sandisw]

My worry is that if I buy GCs throughout 2025 for 2026 dues and Disney stops accepting GC for dues, I would have money tied up in gift cards.

That would certainly be a risk. But a low one because DVC is still a Disney company and I don’t see any reasons they’d not accept gift cards.

The rules have always stated monthly payments had to come from a bank account. I don’t think they expected everyone to work around that with the gift card…

Now they are simply going to enforce the rule.

 

[trenty]

That would certainly be a risk. But a low one because DVC is still a Disney company and I don’t see any reasons they’d not accept gift cards.

The rules have always stated monthly payments had to come from a bank account. I don’t think they expected everyone to work around that with the gift card…

Now they are simply going to enforce the rule.

I hope you are correct. I have almost enough to pay in full for 2025 now. So by Feb 15, I will make sure I have enough, or just pay the small balance with a CC.
And I will probably continue to accumulate in 2025 for 2026, and hope for the best.

 

[Sandisw]

I was always under the impression that if you enrolled into autopay then you paid your dues for the following year. So by enrolling for auto payment in 2025 you prepaid your dues for 2026.

It made sense because ie 2025 dues have a due date no later than
January 15th and was considered late starting with fees by February 15th.

But I understand now that by enrolling into autopay for ie 2025 you more or less push your 2025 dues payment in front of you throughout 2025.

Even though Disney does not consider that late payment, it is, you pay throughout 2025 even though it’s clearly stated that payments after January 15th is late.

Either the association needs the money absolutely no later than February 14th or they don’t. If they don’t the deadline for 2025 dues should be 12/31/25.

Might need to consider enrolling into autopay.

They basically are allowing people a 12 month interest fee loan to pay their dues.

But, the dues are for operating costs which happen every month so I think that plays a role in why they allow it, not to mention it helps with selling DVc because you don’t have to come up with that big bill every January.

A late fee only comes into play if you don’t set up monthly payments, or if you do and your monthly payment is rejected.

Even with monthly payments, you can pay in full at anytime which is nice because I do that starting in June. I pay one contract of my five off every month.

I teach two graduate level classes in the summer and that pay goes right to my dues! Since I can use my CC to pay their balance, I at least get rewards for some of it!

 

[Sandisw]

I've also never sold before but I believe your dues have to be paid in full before selling. Similar to selling a house if your HOA dues are not paid they could place a lien on the property holding up the sale.

Yes, you can’t close a contract until you pay in full. You’d be reimbursed at closing via the settlement if the buyer has agreed to reimburse you.

 

[Sandisw]

I hope you are correct. I have almost enough to pay in full for 2025 now. So by Feb 15, I will make sure I have enough, or just pay the small balance with a CC.
And I will probably continue to accumulate in 2025 for 2026, and hope for the best.

I will add that I really believe that if they are going to eliminate that or even the monthly option, they will let owners know well in advance.

 

[RuntheMouse]

Even with monthly payments, you can pay in full at anytime which is nice because I do that starting in June. I pay one contract of my five off every month.

I think that’s what I am going to end up doing as well rather than stressing over this change with the GCs. I’ll use the discounted GCs for my actual trip spending then.

 

[trenty]

So...I have enough in gc to pay about 70% of my 2025 dues. I hope to get the rest in gift cards by Feb 15.

Should I:
1. prepay what I have now?
2. wait until closer to Jan 15, turn off autopay and pay what I have (might be full amt)
3. turn off autopay before Jan 15 and pay full amt by Feb 15 - hopefully all with gc?
4. Stop thinking about this and just deal with it around jan 10?

 

[Sandisw]

So...I have enough in gc to pay about 70% of my 2025 dues. I hope to get the rest in gift cards by Feb 15.

Should I:
1. prepay what I have now?
2. wait until closer to Jan 15, turn off autopay and pay what I have (might be full amt)
3. turn off autopay before Jan 15 and pay full amt by Feb 15 - hopefully all with gc?
4. Stop thinking about this and just deal with it around jan 10?

I am not a fan of putting a credit on my account until the amount is actually posted. Just because they wlll be doing stuff in my account.

But, once the actually dues are there, the go in and add them by turning off auto pay, pay and put it back on so you don’t forget and miss the January deadline.

 

[trenty]

I am not a fan of putting a credit on my account until the amount is actually posted. Just because they wlll be doing stuff in my account.

But, once the actually dues are there, the go in and add them by turning off auto pay, pay and put it back on so you don’t forget and miss the January deadline.

That is what I am thinking. I am not a fan of prepaying anything. thanks

 

[808blessing]

I pay ahead usually so I am unfamiliar with monthly. Do you have to manually- auto-enroll for monthly every year or does the selection keep rolling over automatically?

 

[Sandisw]

I pay ahead usually so I am unfamiliar with monthly. Do you have to manually- auto-enroll for monthly every year or does the selection keep rolling over automatically?

No, you set it up once for each contract/membership and then it stays until you cancel.

I haven’t changed mine in years!

 

[eticketplease]

So...I have enough in gc to pay about 70% of my 2025 dues. I hope to get the rest in gift cards by Feb 15.

Should I:
1. prepay what I have now?
2. wait until closer to Jan 15, turn off autopay and pay what I have (might be full amt)
3. turn off autopay before Jan 15 and pay full amt by Feb 15 - hopefully all with gc?
4. Stop thinking about this and just deal with it around jan 10?

I’m with @Sandisw on this. I once prepaid and then there adjustments and I had a small credit sit there until the next year. I just wait until they are loaded and then pay them now.

 

[VGCgroupie]

I’m with @Sandisw on this. I once prepaid and then there adjustments and I had a small credit sit there until the next year. I just wait until they are loaded and then pay them now.

I prepaid only 1k on each contract that would be over 1k in dues so those will still have a balance once the dues hit. Hopefully it works out smoothly and they don’t reallocate it or anything.

 

[Genie+]

That would certainly be a risk. But a low one because DVC is still a Disney company and I don’t see any reasons they’d not accept gift cards.

The rules have always stated monthly payments had to come from a bank account. I don’t think they expected everyone to work around that with the gift card…

Now they are simply going to enforce the rule.

The gift card strategy has gained in popularity. Year on year the amount of people using auto pay, gifts cards, and combined probably increases. Maybe it’s become too much impact on the bottom line and they’re making us choose one or the other, or hopefully figure out a newfangled strategy!

 

[BeachClub2014]

The gift card strategy has gained in popularity. Year on year the amount of people using auto pay, gifts cards, and combined probably increases. Maybe it’s become too much impact on the bottom line and they’re making us choose one or the other, or hopefully figure out a newfangled strategy!

The gift card strategy is excellent for the owner! If DVC stopped the monthly GC workaround to discourage the use of GCs overall, I wonder if it's whatever division sells the GCs to the store. If we, as owners, redeem the GC dollar for dollar, it seems like DVC is getting that same dollar. DVC isn't selling the GCs to the store unless I am way off base, which is entirely possible.