Can I do this? Can I check in with a debit card instead. And, if I check in with a debit card, do I have to pay for it with a debit card? Can I just pay for it with cash? I heard if you pay for a hotel room with a debit card they’ll put a hold on it, and they’ll charge you with hidden fees.
What is the best way I can work this out?
Most hotels will allow you to use a debit card for the security fee (where they put a hold on anywhere from 50-500 dollars) and when your stay is over accept cash for room payment…
Upon checking out, ask for them to release the debit hold as soon as you have settled your bill; it can still sometimes take up to 72 hours, which is why most people tend to use credit cards instead.
Good luck, Matthew
I can’t remember the last time I had to show a credit card to check into a hotel. Maybe I don’t travel enough in the First World, but I often pay for the room with a credit card when I check out. I am only ever asked for a passport. Is this a thing with chain motels or something?
I’ve paid a security deposit with cash before - you just hand them the bills, and they give 'em back to you when you check out. Nothing to it, but call first to make sure.
How much was it?
The last time I put down a cash deposit it was under $100… It’ll really depend on the hotel you plan to stay at. Your best bet is to pick a potential spot and give them a call… If you’re not satisfied check with another spot.
Have considered calling the hotel to ask? Even if they require reservations online or you’re going through a 3rd party site, they still should have a desk person that would be happy to answer your question.
I’ve only ever paid for a hotel room when it was a Motel 6…weekend at the coast with my girlfriends…and I paid cash up front for the room, no deposit, no credit card required.
The only thing they wanted was a valid ID, which they made a copy of…presumably if I made off with the luxury laminate furniture and they needed to chase me back to San Antonio to get it.
I have no idea about the policies of nicer hotels, though. No harm in calling and asking!
I’ve made a deposit on a hotel room for our trip to Key West, but we’re planning to pay cash for everything.
They don’t always give the cash back right back. Pretty much every hotel I’ve stayed in wants either a credit card or a cash deposit on check-in for “incidentals” - movies, games, mini-bar etc. A friend once didn’t have a credit card and instead left a couple of hundred dollars as a deposit, and had to wait for the deposit to be mailed back to him. The hotel staff said it was because they didn’t keep that much cash on hand but I suspect it was at least partially to avoid returning the money before being able to check the room for missing items or damage.
I don’t get the problem. I travel all over the US with just a debit card. I use it just like a CC for hotel reservations and payment. Never had any “hidden fees”.
If your debit card has a credit card logo like visa or mastercard, it shouldn’t be a problem. When you check out, they will likely ask you if you want to pay the bill using the same card and you can say, no I’d like to pay cash. They’ll give you a bill there and you can review it to see if there are any fees you were not made aware of at check in.
I’ve never had a hotel treat a debit card differently than a credit card, but I have heard stories. If paying by cash, most hotels either won’t let you use incidentals, or want a cash deposit for them which will be cut off after that amount is used (incidentals=long distance phone calls, in room movies, room service, etc.)
In the US, pretty much every hotel, from luxury to not so luxury, requires some sort of deposit, be it credit card or something else. I’ve rarely been asked for ID, and no one here travels with a passport, internally of course. This is true even when the hotel has been charged to a group account. I’m not aware of any problem paying cash on checkout even if you have shown a credit or debit card. Lots of hotels here have automated checkout, which lets you either call or do it interactively using the TV in the room, which saves a lot of time. I haven’t seen long checkout lines, which used to be common, in a long time.