Is hotel deposit deducted from available limit in credit card?
- By
- Aparna Patel
- |
- 18 Jul, 2023
- |
While the hold does come off your card’s credit limit, there are a TON of variables. In short I would consider it money spent at check in, but that has not always been the case.
A common example for me is:
- Check in places a hold, for the entire stay
- The hold is shown on my card.
- The hold is removed from my card (usually a couple of hours), and my full credit limit is available
- I enjoy my trip. I do stuff. Any orders for room service, dry cleaning, or “charge it to the room” Show as a new hold on the credit card for a couple of hours then fall off if they are large expenses, or don’t show at all.
- The Morning before checkout I get a bill under the door, with an itemized bill.
- At checkout I determine how to pay the bill, if its the same card, or cash, or different means.
- A hold is placed on the card of choice for the full amount, then finally
- 2-3 days later, the charge goes through for the amount on the bill.
I travel a lot, and I always use the same card at the same brand of hotels. So that may have a lot to do with it. 9/10 I never even have to present my card. I don’t know if customer loyalty makes a difference. I know it does when booking (they no longer ask for my card) and may services (they just charge to the room, and don’t ask), but I can’t tell you if the hold drops off because of the card, the hotel, my habits, or a mixture of all three.
I am pretty sure the hold and wait between 7 and 8 is to check the room for damages and the like.
Yes, authorization holds are deducted from your credit limit. That’s actually the whole point: it’s not there just for the minibar or laundry, but because the hotel wants to be sure they can charge your credit card for the accommodation at the end of a stay.
The alternative to credit is cold hard cash, but depending on the hotel you may need to pay quite a significant sum. Alternatively, for longer stays (like the 14 days you mention), you may be able to negotiate weekly payments instead of a single hold to cover the lot.
Another alternative is to book fully prepaid rooms online, so you pay in advance and have your full credit limit available by the time you actually arrive. You may still be asked for a small hold/deposit to cover minibar etc, but it will be a lot less.
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