help on room card charging

[metman]

when you arrive at disney and they ask do you want room charging

does this mean everytime you buy something does your credit card get charged or do they do it once a day
or do they just charge one bill on the last day when you leave.
i ask this as i am comming from england and if i get one final bill how will i be able to check to see if we have not been over charged.

thanks

 

[Walt Sent Me]

This means that you can use your room card as a credit card at all WDW shops and restraunts. Then when you check out you pay the tab.

Funny story:

My family and I spent our first time staying on Property last Thanksgiving. We decided NOT to take this option. So we enjoyed our vacation and when we began to check out a week later, we were shocked. Somehow our room key was charged over $1000 in food and gifts!!!!! Turns out the cast member at the front desk typed in the wrong room number. Whoever stayed in that room surely had a great time!

 

[Pippa]

Hi metman! :wave:

Myself and my husband also do the room charging thing. You leave a card inprint when you check in, they then give you your room key-card which is also your charge card for purchases. They only debit your credit/debit card when a) you check out or b) when you balance hits a certain amount (can't remember off the top of my head how much).

Hope this helps

 

[awallaceunc]

I've considered using this option, but am not sure I see much of a benefit. To those who do use it: why? Is it just more convenient to be dealing with one less card, or do you like using a Disney card?

-Aaron

 

[steviej]

we take the room charge only so we don't like to carry a lot of money in the parks with us.

 

[kal1484]

I've considered using this option, but am not sure I see much of a benefit. To those who do use it: why? Is it just more convenient to be dealing with one less card, or do you like using a Disney card?

-Aaron

I like the one less card deal. You don't have to worry about anything, since your card is on your room card. I always get my card on it, even if we don't use it.

 

[RonAnnArbor]

There is really no convenience involved - it just gives you an additional option to a charge card or atm card. One card on a lanyard is much easier, particurly in the water parks. I don't associate anything with my room card. I just use my ATM card as I go so I always know how much I am spending. They take the ATM Visa debit cards everywhere they take the room key. I guess it is just one of those "cool to have everything on one card" kind of things, no real convenience. My wallet is in my pocket all the time, it doesn't matter which card I use.

 

[awallaceunc]

Ah, so you could pay your total Disney charge balance off with cash as well as a card when you check out? Yes, that does make for a nice alternative.

-Aaron

 

[RonAnnArbor]

Ah, so you could pay your total Disney charge balance off with cash as well as a card when you check out? Yes, that does make for a nice alternative.

-Aaron

No, that is not necessarily true. :lookaroun Check with your check-in person to make sure you understand all of their current policies. If they wait until you have charged a certain amount of money before processing the credit, then make sure you know what their current limits are. If they process the payments on a certain time of the week, make sure you know which day they process to so you can pay with cash. Their policies seem to change all the time and depending on what credit card (or debit card) and Bank you are using. Coming from overseas, they might process your payments at the end of every business day. CHECK WITH THEM. Don't assume you will be able to pay it all at the end of your trip. The idea here is that they give you the "convenience" of linking a credit card to the room key. That is ALL it is intended to do, not as an alternative method of credit within the park. CHECK when you arrive.

 

[Monty]

when you arrive at disney and they ask do you want room charging

does this mean everytime you buy something does your credit card get charged or do they do it once a day
or do they just charge one bill on the last day when you leave.
i ask this as i am comming from england and if i get one final bill how will i be able to check to see if we have not been over charged.

thanks

When you use your room key as a charge card, they pre-authorize an amount against your card. The pre-authorization amount becomes your "limit". When you reach the limit, they bill that amount to your card and then pre-authorize again for a new amount [you don't "run out" unless the additional authorization isn't granted]. Your last night at the resort, they hang an invoice on your door handle. It will have a list of the charges against your room card. If there are any discrepancies, you can raise them at the front desk and they'll correct them. Then your total bill can either be paid in cash or billed to the credit card you used on check-in or another.

The invoice doesn't show what you purchased, just where and what the total was. Keep your receipts as you go for comparison.

A major advantage to using your room key is if it's lost or stolen, you're only losing your room key. Report it to Guest Relations and they'll cancel the card and issue a replacement. Any charges on a stolen card will be impossible as soon as you report it and I believe they'll forgive anything that is clearly fraudulent [so long as you report it ASAP].

 

[awallaceunc]

No, that is not necessarily true. :lookaroun Check with your check-in person to make sure you understand all of their current policies. If they wait until you have charged a certain amount of money before processing the credit, then make sure you know what their current limits are. If they process the payments on a certain time of the week, make sure you know which day they process to so you can pay with cash. Their policies seem to change all the time and depending on what credit card (or debit card) and Bank you are using. Coming from overseas, they might process your payments at the end of every business day. CHECK WITH THEM. Don't assume you will be able to pay it all at the end of your trip. The idea here is that they give you the "convenience" of linking a credit card to the room key. That is ALL it is intended to do, not as an alternative method of credit within the park. CHECK when you arrive.

I think you're confusing me with the original poster. I'm not from overseas, and I don't plan on using the card- I'm just curious about it. Of course, I'd never do anything without verifying any and all assumptions with Disney first. Thanks for the clarification, though.

-Aaron

 

[wannabeBelle]

I always put down a Credit Card at check in for for express check out. I dont want to have to worry about coming back to the Front Desk to clear up any charges that I may have incurred on my room phone etc. I have the charge priviliedge but I havent really used it much. As I said it is more for convienience. Belle

 

[Nicole]

I've considered using this option, but am not sure I see much of a benefit. To those who do use it: why? Is it just more convenient to be dealing with one less card, or do you like using a Disney card?

-Aaron

To me, the advantage is that if I lose my room key I can go to any guest services counter and immediately have it cancelled. I also know that it can't be used anywhere outside of the parks. If I lose my Visa card I have to find a phone and figure out the number to call to cancel it (since it's on the card) and hope that whoever stole it didn't just try to buy a Harley on eBay.

I also like that I can give my teenage kids charging privileges (they have earned this perk) so if they want something else for lunch than I do they can go get it themselves. And at the end of the trip I have an itemized list of all the purchases we made. Makes budgeting for a future trip easier.

 

[tigsmom]

I've considered using this option, but am not sure I see much of a benefit. To those who do use it: why? Is it just more convenient to be dealing with one less card, or do you like using a Disney card?

-Aaron

My DH & I and also my oldest always get charging privilages on our room keys because its easier than carrying a credit card or cash. My daughter can take her sister to the snackbar or shop and get what they need and not have to worry. Since she goes off by herself at times its easy for her to get a meal or snack and not have to worry about running out of cash. She always calls and asks for permission to buy anything extra (like jewelry, etc that may be expensive) and pays us back from her own money.

 

[kag1984]

I used to work in the Back Office of the Front Desk at the All Stars, and the way that the room charging works is that when you check in you can choose if you wan't charging privledges on your room key or not. But they do not preauthorize your card for the amount you are being credited by the resort, instead they run a balance through, usually $1.00 just to make sure that the card is active. Disney will then give you a credit of $500 for the Value Resorts, $1000 for the moderate resorts, and $1500 for the deluxe resorts. Once you are ready to check out or you reach the credit limit Disney has given you, based on the resort your staying at, they will charge the card you placed on file. If you would prefer to pay in cash or by check you can do that as well, you just want to make sure that you stop by your front desk to take care of the bill BEFORE you get to your credit limit, or the NIGHT BEFORE you check out (whichever comes first). Also any time you like you can stop by your front desk and ask for your Folio (technical term for current charges to your room, also includes phone charges and anything you charge to your room) and check that against your reciepts in case you are worried about unauthorized charges.

After working in the Front Desk one of the main benefits I've seen of this service is that if you don't have this service and your credit card is lost or stolen you S.O.L. but if you have this service you can leave your CC locked in your room safe where it is... well safe. Now if you loose your Room Key with charging privledges it is very easy for them to replace that and cancle the charging privledges, access to the room, and tickets on the lost/stolen room key. You don't even have to go back to your resort to have it cancled, you can do it right from any park House Phone by dialing 0 and asking the operator to connect you to your resort. Then when you get back to your resort at the end of the day they can print you a new room key (with valid Photo ID). Also if anything is charged back to your room from the stolen card Disney is usually pretty good about resolving it. You might have to pay for the unauthorized charges for a couple of days, but once they have done their research and find out that it is actually a false charge they will credit you back. Hope that helps to answer some of your questions.

 

[DisneyJill]

FYI...the limits are:

$500 for value resorts
$1000 for moderate
$1500 for deluxe

If the card is nearing the limit, the front desk should let you know. Not everyone wants to pay with the card that is being held, so they will give you the option to pay the balance with cash before "refreshing" the card limit.

Edit: DOH! I didn't read all the way to the bottom. Sorry, Kag1984. Wasn't trying to steal your thunder.

 

[shoppingnut]

The advantage of using a credit card for all purchase, etc. for people coming from overseas is that instead of having all little charges on a credit card for which they get hit with various bank fees for converting currency and such each time they use it and those fees can add up quickly, they use the credit card at the hotel it gets charged once at the end of the trip, so there is one fee from the bank.

 

[shoppingnut]

FYI...the limits are:

$500 for value resorts
$1000 for moderate
$1500 for deluxe

Last time I was at POR they were going to do an authorization for $1,500, but I decided I really only wanted it for phone and dsl use, so I told them I only wanted $100 pre-authorized. Yes, you can do this, I have done it many times, you don't have to have the amount that they set.

 

[PatsRule]

I agree with the advantages of the room key charge card. My daughter had charging privileges (to a limit) and it worked out well because I didn't have to be with her all the time. She's 16 so it's not cool to hang with Dad all the time. Another advantage for me is they print DVC Member right on it so with one card I can get in my room, charge something to my room, and get any DVC discount that may be available.

 

[GenerationX]

There is one other potential advantage to charging purchases to your room. If your credit card's billing cycle ends in the middle of your trip, everything you charge will be on the next month's bill. As long as you pay your credit card bills in full, you will accrue no interest charges on your Disney purchases and will have delayed actual payment a full month.