New Credit Card Authorization Holds

[Madame]

For guests who don’t have US credit/debit cards, daily charging could result in huge exchange and admin fees. From my perspective, pulling out my debit/credit card at the parks to pay for everything is a terrible idea. Each of those transactions would have fees associated with it. We love the MB charging....and paying off the entire balance when we check out - big cost, but only a single transaction fee.

It sounds though, like as long as we have a cc on file, there shouldn’t be anything other than a hold on the card. Since we’re on a package, it’ll already paid off before we arrive. Only our incidentals, special tours, etc will be subject to a hold.

As long as you have double the limit of your projected spending on the card you’ll be fine. I’m just relieved all the holds didn’t trigger a fraud alert.

 

[Madame]

As long as you have double the limit of your projected spending on the card you’ll be fine. I’m just relieved all the holds didn’t trigger a fraud alert.

Last update: holds off as of this morning. 5 days/3 business days to clear.

 

[Mrs Grumpy]

We just returned and here was our experience: Used a Capital One credit card. Initial $100 hold was placed the morning of check-in. Used MB for most purchases but stayed under the $100 and paid off the balance each night with gift cards. There was one day we went around $6 over the $100.00 The original $100 hold was dropped and a new one put on for the new balance of $106 something. Not once was it an actual charge and only showed as a hold. For our bigger purchases where we were charging over $200 at a time, I just used our Disney Reward card or gift cards at the time vs. charging to the room. All holds have dropped after just a few days. We stayed at POP and the story I got there (I know there are many going around) was that they will only charge at the end of the stay now. Again, that is just their story and I wouldn't completely go by that. If I wouldn't have been watching the CC account while we were there we would not have known they were handling anything different from our past trips for us. We have always charged back to the room and then went and paid the balance off each night with gift cards.

 

[AngiTN]

I'm pretty sure the charge at the end of a trip is correct. We've had several trips since the change and on each of them the total, including room balance, was done on the morning of our last day
I am not sure how they'll do a very long trip though. Most of ours since the charge have been 5 days or less. The only trip that was longer I paid with gift cards along the way so that changed things.

 

[eeyoreandtink]

This is a horrible way of doing things. If they are still doing it this way next year we will be carrying a card and not charging to the room. We like to use debit cards when we can so this is a no go for us.

 

[MomOTwins]

I'm glad I read this. I just signed up for the Disney Visa and the credit limit they gave me was only $5,000. I budgeted that my costs on the trip should be about $4,000, which I thought would be fine, but now it looks like that would be put me $3,000 over the limit! I think what I will do is link a "regular" credit card to my room for room charges but then pull out the Disney Visa whenever it gives me a discount (i.e., merchandise, certain restaurants) instead of room charging. What a hassle!

 

[lanejudy]

I think what I will do is link a "regular" credit card to my room for room charges but then pull out the Disney Visa whenever it gives me a discount (i.e., merchandise, certain restaurants) instead of room charging. What a hassle!

FYI...you would have to pull out the physical Disney Visa card for discounts anyway, even if you had it on your resort account for charging. The discount won't apply automatically via MB and they require the actual card at the transaction for the discount.

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[MomOTwins]

FYI...you would have to pull out the physical Disney Visa card for discounts anyway, even if you had it on your resort account for charging. The discount won't apply automatically via MB and they require the actual card at the transaction for the discount.

Enjoy your vacation!

Thanks! Now I’m doubly glad I checked this thread. Too bad though as MBs are so convenient...

 

[Searc]

Just checked into POFQ. $100 hold was put on card.

 

[bluezy]

Thanks! Now I’m doubly glad I checked this thread. Too bad though as MBs are so convenient...

And just another FYI, I've been asked to show ID when I used my Disney Visa several times (not every time, though) on the last few trips. Fortunately, I always carry my ID and Disney Visa even though we charge everything back to the room other than souvenir purchases that are over $50 (since we can get a discount if we use the Disney Visa directly). I'm not sure what would have happened if I didn't have my ID with me when asked for it.

 

[tnolan]

We will have to use a credit card for charging, not use MBs; I do not have a card that has enough room on it for holds along with purchases. Last trip we attached a CC to the MB and our purchases were about 860 while holds were near 800. Can't do that again this trip.

 

[SpecEdismyLife]

Just checked into POFQ. $100 hold was put on card.

I'm staying at POFQ in a couple of weeks. I'd love if you'd follow up with your experience there in regards to the hold. Are you using a debit card or a regular credit card? Thank you!

 

[AngiTN]

Thanks! Now I’m doubly glad I checked this thread. Too bad though as MBs are so convenient...

They make it very clear when you put a Disney Visa down as your card for resort check in that you must bring the card for any discounts. So you would have known then.

 

[Searc]

I'm staying at POFQ in a couple of weeks. I'd love if you'd follow up with your experience there in regards to the hold. Are you using a debit card or a regular credit card? Thank you!

A credit card. I currently have three pending charges on my card...$100, $110.40 and $105.02. Our actual room charges are $308.60, which do not equal the pending charges. It is a screwed up system and I'd recommend not using it if you don't have to.

 

[AngiTN]

A credit card. I currently have three pending charges on my card...$100, $110.40 and $105.02. Our actual room charges are $308.60, which do not equal the pending charges. It is a screwed up system and I'd recommend not using it if you don't have to.

Was your room paid in full prior to arrival?
My experience in 5 stays (including one at POFQ) since the change has been the room balance +$100 was ran as an authorization the day we checked in. The only time it wasn't was a single night stay since that room was paid in full at booking. Then other authorizations were run as you see, for other $100.
Then, on day of check out, the full total was ran and all authorizations fell off. For whatever reason the total never posts to my card for 2, 3 days after we depart. This is with Chase. No idea why but it's been very consistent. By the time the charges post the authorizations fall off.

 

[Searc]

Yes, our balance at check in was zero, it was a paid in full before arrival room only.

 

[AngiTN]

Our actual room charges are $308.60, which do not equal the pending charges.

Yes, our balance at check in was zero, it was a paid in full before arrival room only.

Then that does explain why the pending charges go not equal the room charge. It wouldn't since you paid in full prior to arrival. Packages work the same. Since they are paid in full prior to arrival the initial authorization is $100

 

[Searc]

This is what my credit card app looked like this morning. The -$315 was a hold release. The $4.79 pending is for beignets bought this morning. I have no idea what the $104 hold put on this morning is for. We checked out and have left the resort.

 

[AngiTN]

This is what my credit card app looked like this morning. The -$315 was a hold release. The $4.79 pending is for beignets bought this morning. I have no idea what the $104 hold put on this morning is for. We checked out and have left the resort.

Did you compare it to your portfolio on the app? Or from the email this morning? There should have been a charge to equal that made at some point over the trip

 

[Searc]

Did you compare it to your portfolio on the app? Or from the email this morning? There should have been a charge to equal that made at some point over the trip

The most we ever charged at one time was $28. The $104.xx was another hold issued this morning. Our actual charges of $308.xx has not been posted, yet.