Booking a room with debit card?

[DisJosh]

I tried last night but the Disney World web site kept telling my card number was invalid. Do I need a credit card to book? My debit is only a debit...so charging on it isn't an option. If I book by phone am I able to use debit?

Thanks

 

[barnum42]

If it's a Visa or Mastercard debit card then I would imagine it's not an issue.

Best idea would be to email or speak to them directly to see what the problem is.

 

[Robfasto]

As mentioned, as long as it is a Visa or Mastercard debit card there is not a problem as I have used mine many times in the post to book rooms.

 

[DisJosh]

It's a mastercard debit. However I can not charge with it. I have been able to use it on line to make opurchases in that past. So I didn't understand what the issue was. I'll probably just end up calling to book anyways.

 

[barnum42]

Just checking the obvious mistake - could you have mis-keyed any of the number / expiration date / security number /name / billing addreess combination?

 

[magicmom]

I dont know how much you were trying to pay for (like the whole thing or just the deposit) but I found that my bank has a daily max you can use your debit for unless you call them and ask them to up the daily limit for the purposes of booking your vacation.

On the other hand, I have had nothing but problems with the DisneyWorld website in the past. Your best bet is to call the Disney Travel Co. directly. I had a reservation booked last year online and when I needed to make a change it was a 30 minute ordeal with the travel co having to cancel that reservation and rebook another one through them anyway.

Good luck!

 

[JPVonDrake]

Another common problem with using a check card (debit card with a Mastercard or Visa logo) is that many banks have a per transaction or daily spending limit to prevent fraud. Check with your bank to see if this applies to your card.

Hope this helps! :sohappy:

 

[angelfaerie52]

hm

Ok, just to get this straight. If you can make purchases online and in stores, with a mastercard logo, you are charging, however, the money is taken out of your bank account. No debit card is a charge card, yet for all intensive purposes, you are charging. Just a little pet peeve of mine... I have explained this to thousands of people in my time working retail...

Anyway, the other obvious things are... Do you have enough money in your account? If you do, is it like dangerously close to the amount you are charging? As in, the trip is $1500, but you only have $1501 in your account. It might not get approved then. Also, your bank may put constraints on how much you can charge at one time. If that is so, can you do a minimum deposit, then charge the rest in another transaction?

I booked my trip with a debit card and had no troubles. I hope it works out for you. It may be best to get a confirmation number or any and all codes you have and call Disney.

It's a mastercard debit. However I can not charge with it. I have been able to use it on line to make opurchases in that past. So I didn't understand what the issue was. I'll probably just end up calling to book anyways.

 

[aviva_dawn]

Also, it is advisable to notify your bank before making ANY large purchase that is out of the ordinary with your card. (and before going on your trip as well.)
I normally use my Debit Check card to buy groceries, order online and pay for school needs like textbooks and supplies. Since I was going to be charging an unordinary cost (Over $1,000 to my card) I called the bank and told them this and they put a note in my account saying this. The transaction was approved and I had no trouble.

A customer service rep at my bank told me that if you live in one state (Take me for example....I live in California.) and your card is suddenly being used in Atlanta one day and Orlando the next, the fraud department of your bank becomes nervous and they can (and will.) put a "Fraud Alert" on your card so you can't use it. Then you have to call the bank, verify your identity and that makes things a bit inconvenient.

So, make a friendly call to your bank and tell them where you will be going to prevent any questions and about any unusual costs that you'll be charging to your card before you do them.


(Please don't take my post the wrong way, they are only a few suggestions, not the written law.)

 

[DisJosh]

It's only a $65 deposit lol.

It could be an issue of the money I thought was in the account not clearing yet. My bank is notoriously slow with that stuff. I transfered some money from PayPal to my account for the purpose of paying this down payment. PayPal says it cleared. It probably won't actually clear with my bank until tomorrow. Whoops.

Either way I'm going to be booked soon! lol :sohappy:

 

[Yellow Shoes]

Actually, a debit card is really a check without the float.

With a true genuine charge card, you get a few weeks before payment is due. For example, if my cut-off date is the 20th of the month, a charge I made on July 21 is not due until I get my September statement (the charges June 19-July 20 are on the August bill; July21-Aug 19 on the September bill).

A debit card is an immediate withdrawal from your checking account. Although the float time is getting shorter and shorter as more merchants do electronic payments, it is still possible to write a check but not have the money withdrawn for a few days. As an example, my church offering check goes in the plate on Sunday. Some weeks the deposit is made on Monday; sometimes on Tuesday. The money is usually not withdrawn until Wednesday.

However, if I stop at Home Depot on the way home from church and buy a widget with a debit card, that money is gone before I can drive home.

 

[K-dub]

Yellow Shoes, The "float" is swiftly disappearing for paper checks in the retail sector now too. The new check-clearing service is now debiting the account immediately after handing it to the retailer.

When they slide the check through the scanner, it debits the account, prints the transaction & check clearing info onto the back of the check, and they hand the paper check back to you as your receipt. They don't need it anymore, they've got their $$.

"Bad Check" writing and the associated exorbitant fees are quickly evaporating as a source of bottom-line gravy for banks.

 

[DisJosh]

Actually, a debit card is really a check without the float.

With a true genuine charge card, you get a few weeks before payment is due. For example, if my cut-off date is the 20th of the month, a charge I made on July 21 is not due until I get my September statement (the charges June 19-July 20 are on the August bill; July21-Aug 19 on the September bill).

A debit card is an immediate withdrawal from your checking account. Although the float time is getting shorter and shorter as more merchants do electronic payments, it is still possible to write a check but not have the money withdrawn for a few days. As an example, my church offering check goes in the plate on Sunday. Some weeks the deposit is made on Monday; sometimes on Tuesday. The money is usually not withdrawn until Wednesday.

However, if I stop at Home Depot on the way home from church and buy a widget with a debit card, that money is gone before I can drive home.

That's how I thought it worked. I CAN NOT charge with my debit even though it has a master card logo on it. All I can do is use it as a debit . When I use it the money is shortly thereafter taken from my checking account. When I slide my card through the key pad at a register the option to "charge" will not come up. It's simply a "check card."

 

[Kadee]

Debit/Check cards are the best thing that has come out in years. I use mine for everything....even local fastfood places take them now. When you pay your deposit for your Disney vacation on line, treat it JUST LIKE A CREDIT CARD. It uses the exact same process as a credit card, but the money does come directly out of your account. Most banks don't have a daily spending limit on debit/check cards unless YOU request that there be one put on it (like if your teenager has one from your account). I asked my bank about this because someone told me that she "was sure" they did this; that is why she didn't want one. I've bought MANY things online and it is processed JUST like a credit card. You even select "CREDIT CARD" when choosing your method of payment. I've used mine on disneyworld.com to make my deposit and payments on my vacation. If yours didn't work, then there is some other problem.

 

[DisJosh]

Debit/Check cards are the best thing that has come out in years. I use mine for everything....even local fastfood places take them now. When you pay your deposit for your Disney vacation on line, treat it JUST LIKE A CREDIT CARD. It uses the exact same process as a credit card, but the money does come directly out of your account. Most banks don't have a daily spending limit on debit/check cards unless YOU request that there be one put on it (like if your teenager has one from your account). I asked my bank about this because someone told me that she "was sure" they did this; that is why she didn't want one. I've bought MANY things online and it is processed JUST like a credit card. You even select "CREDIT CARD" when choosing your method of payment. I've used mine on disneyworld.com to make my deposit and payments on my vacation. If yours didn't work, then there is some other problem.

I understand all that. Believe me I use my debit plenty on line. I was just confused why it wasn't working on the Disney site. Like I said...I had thought my transfer cleared, but it hasn't. So that's probably what's causing an issue. When I'm sure that's all set I'll try again. Then again the error read something along the lines of "invalid card number." So who knows.

 

[angelfaerie52]

Actually, a debit card is really a check without the float.

With a true genuine charge card, you get a few weeks before payment is due. For example, if my cut-off date is the 20th of the month, a charge I made on July 21 is not due until I get my September statement (the charges June 19-July 20 are on the August bill; July21-Aug 19 on the September bill).

A debit card is an immediate withdrawal from your checking account. Although the float time is getting shorter and shorter as more merchants do electronic payments, it is still possible to write a check but not have the money withdrawn for a few days. As an example, my church offering check goes in the plate on Sunday. Some weeks the deposit is made on Monday; sometimes on Tuesday. The money is usually not withdrawn until Wednesday.

However, if I stop at Home Depot on the way home from church and buy a widget with a debit card, that money is gone before I can drive home.

Yes, you do not get a bill. However, you can use a debit machine, which immediately takes the money out, or swipe it as a charge. In the charge method, it is taken out right away, but it usually takes a day or two to clear, so your balance may be a bit higher if you call the bank and ask them.

 

[daveemtdave]

Another fact about the Debit/Credit card is fees. If you use it as a debit, some banks charge a fee; as a credit they do not. Also, either way my bank takes the money and holds it; if it is not presented within 72 hours, I am credited it back. What I do not like is when it is double swiped and twice the amount is held for that length of time.

 

[Kadee]

Another fact about the Debit/Credit card is fees. If you use it as a debit, some banks charge a fee; as a credit they do not. Also, either way my bank takes the money and holds it; if it is not presented within 72 hours, I am credited it back. What I do not like is when it is double swiped and twice the amount is held for that length of time.

None of that has ever happened to me. Everything usually comes directly out, I've NEVER been charged any kind of fee what-so-ever, and I have never been double charged for anything. I guess I am very fortunate. (Guess I won't be changing banks any time soon!) But, now that I think about it, there is ONE place that sometimes takes a while to clear the bank: the local chinese restaurant. Sometimes, it takes up to a week to even show up on my account. Strange.....very strange...:veryconfu

 

[righttrack]

The question is really, besides limits/fraud protection, can a hotelier pull an "auth" against your check card to cover future purchases. For example, when you check into a hotel, the hotel looks at your planned stay, and gets an authorization for, say, $200/per day. That is, by some formula, their average daily charges for such a stay. That "auth" does not result in a transaction, or anything that would appear on your bill. Its just a reservation of a portion of your credit line, to pay for anticipated charges. Does your check card, have such priviledges? If it does not, then it may not be used for certain purposes. This is also commonly used in restaurants. When you get the check, and hand the waitstaff your card, they go and run an auth for the bill +15-20%. Then they return the slip to you, with just the amount on the check, and a line for you to tip and total. At the end of the night, they charge your card the correct amount on your total line. You never see the initial charge/auth.

 

[DisJosh]

I'm booked! Everything cleared...that was the problem the first time around.