I do the same.
I hate using aps unless absolutely necessary and I have no idea how to use a TV these days.
I always go to the desk to drop off the cards. There is almost always someone there and I tell them which room was vacated. I don’t need receipts. Then I usually make one last bathroom stop and maybe grab a drink from the vending machine.
I just went through this personal protocol yesterday leaving a hotel in southern Illinois. It still works fine.