Questions about charging to room keys

[wdwmom2+1]

:brick:
I'm sure this has been answered as I tried searching but my computer is Not cooporating So I thought I'd ask!

We've charged to our room key one trip about 11 years ago and havent done so since. We are going next month and I was curious how it works. I hear everyone say its wonderful.

I have a debit card say I wanted 500 available to charge, do they charge your credit card on day and take that money out or do they charge it on the day you check out? I've heard a lot of people say don't use it bc they actually block out more $ then you say on yoru card if using debit?

Any thoughts?>? Thanks!!

 

[Master Yoda]

I use the room charging all the time and while I am not positive exactly when charges are actually applied to my debit card, (it would appear to be daily) they have never blocked out a particular amount on my card. They will limit how much can be charged to your room per day but I have never seen record of any kind of pre-charge for a Disney resort.

 

[Monty]

I've never used a debit card for room charges, but using a credit card they will charge your card when you reach the limit they apply. For Value resorts, it's $500, for Moderates $1,000 and Deluxe $1,500.

If you reach your limit while out in the parks, you can call [or have the clerk call] your resort to process the current room balance against your credit card to free up the limit again.

 

[Rob562]

And if you don't like the default limits of your resort category, you can always ask for it to be set lower than the 500/1000/1500 defaults. (Though they can't set them higher) Though it might take a couple extra minutes at check-in to do that, as it's not a common request.

-Rob

 

[bullsforthewin]

I've never used a debit card for room charges, but using a credit card they will charge your card when you reach the limit they apply. For Value resorts, it's $500, for Moderates $1,000 and Deluxe $1,500.

If you reach your limit while out in the parks, you can call [or have the clerk call] your resort to process the current room balance against your credit card to free up the limit again.

Its the same for debit cards....if you dont hit your limit your card is charged the night before checkout

 

[ml123_9]

I believe it's done as one transaction when you checkout. At least it was for us. You can go to the front desk and see how much you've spent, then when you get your credit card statement, it just shows one charge for the amount you spent with your KTTW card.

 

[tribals]

I believe it's done as one transaction when you checkout. At least it was for us. You can go to the front desk and see how much you've spent, then when you get your credit card statement, it just shows one charge for the amount you spent with your KTTW card.

This is how they did it for us at AKL last year. We are going in May and we are just going to use our Credit Card this time around instead of our room card.

 

[Zummi Gummi]

They never place any sort of hold on either a credit or a debit card (I've had both linked to my room key before). When you reach your limit (be it 500/1000/1500 depending on where you are staying), they'll charge your card that amount at the end of that day.

 

[wdwmom2+1]

Thanks! I just wanted to make sure that if I agree to do the Key thing that when they intially set it up for lets say 500, they dont take that all out of my bank account because if I end up only using the key for 200 I still want the other 300 in my accoutn KwIM?

Thats awesome if it doesnt do that bc I went all these years Not doing that option because I was under the impression that it held all that money out of your account on like a pending/hold charge.

Thanks!

 

[CleveRocks]

All the info you got above is correct. :sohappy:

Disney doesn't pre-charge your bank/credit card account, they don't place any sort of hold on the account, and they don't even check if you have sufficient available balance/available credit. When you check-in and present a debit or credit card to set up a room charge, they swipe the card and "ping" the card for 1 cent or 1 dollar or something like that, to make sure it's an active card on a valid account.

So if you have $1,000 in your checking account, and then you authorize your debit card to back up your room charge, you can call your bank at any time and you'll find out that you still have $1,000 available in your checking account. As mentioned earlier, your card isn't charged until: a) you've reached your room charge spending limit; or b) it's the wee hours of the morning on your check-out day.

 

[RonAnnArbor]

Personally -- I never put anything on my room key...

Lose your room key and anyone can use it as a charge card...

In my experience, I haven't seen a single Disney CM ask for ID when using a room key to charge something.

Not safe.

 

[Rob562]

Personally -- I never put anything on my room key...

Lose your room key and anyone can use it as a charge card...

In my experience, I haven't seen a single Disney CM ask for ID when using a room key to charge something.

Not safe.

True, but a lost room key is also much more easily deactivated and replaced than a credit card. And I'm sure that they'd work with Guests to mitigate any unauthorized charges to the room key account.

-Rob

 

[bullsforthewin]

True, but a lost room key is also much more easily deactivated and replaced than a credit card. And I'm sure that they'd work with Guests to mitigate any unauthorized charges to the room key account.

-Rob

Yes we do...we very easily get rid of charges if you did not charge it yourself

 

[cabihler]

another good thing about using the room key

another good thing about using the room key..... budget ..... you can set your budget for your stay, let's say you do not want to spend over $400 on soveniers(sic) during your trip you can set your limit on your card so you stay within that amount, well you can as long as you only use your room key for ONLY those type of purchases.

he is another thought too. pre-pay debit cards. they are great to give to your kids, hopefully they are responsible, as a means to have them stay within their individual budgets for things.

 

[CaptainShortty]

Personally -- I never put anything on my room key...

Lose your room key and anyone can use it as a charge card...

In my experience, I haven't seen a single Disney CM ask for ID when using a room key to charge something.

Not safe.

A persons room key is deactivated the second a duplicate room key is made for that person. If a card is lost all the person must do is call their hotel and alert them. A duplicate card would be made and then that active card discarded by the hotel CM. When the guest came back to the hotel we would reprint a new card making that the only active card in the guests name. We could also look to see what the last purchase was made on any particular card to ensure no one had used the card in between the time it was lost and the time it was discovered missing.

 

[Hakunamatata]

A persons room key is deactivated the second a duplicate room key is made for that person. If a card is lost all the person must do is call their hotel and alert them. A duplicate card would be made and then that active card discarded by the hotel CM. When the guest came back to the hotel we would reprint a new card making that the only active card in the guests name. We could also look to see what the last purchase was made on any particular card to ensure no one had used the card in between the time it was lost and the time it was discovered missing.

I feel much safer charging to my room key than I do carrying a credit card around with me in a park. At minimum, if I lose my key, the person taking it is going to be limited to the amount I can charge and only at the resorts/parks. I lose a credit card, its open season.

 

[gjpjtj]

I put a credit card on file for room charges, then charge with my room key during our stay.
However the day before check out I go to the front desk and pay off my charges with Cash/Disney Visa Rewards/Disney Gift cards, whatever I have, and avoid having charges placed on my credit card.
Just another option.