Either way, I need a Credit Card

[Evil Queen]

I dunno, I've never taken an Interac card (I know it's a Canadian debit card and that they don't expire). The machine doesn't seem to be that finicky when it comes to expiration dates (I know, wtf, right?). I would try putting in something like 10/10 as an expiration date to see if it works.

I'm told it does but I've not done it myself.

[smileyeagle1021]

If you don't have a credit card (cc), then pay cash upfront. I can also hold rooms with debit cards -- for some reason people seem to think hotels can't. *shrugs*

If you're making a reservation directly with the house (And not Central Reservations) we can usually hold the room under a courtesy hold agreement, but you would still have to show up before 6pm if you wanted your room. Otherwise, the reservation is canceled.

I dunno, I've never taken an Interac card (I know it's a Canadian debit card and that they don't expire). The machine doesn't seem to be that finicky when it comes to expiration dates (I know, wtf, right?). I would try putting in something like 10/10 as an expiration date to see if it works.

I'm told it does but I've not done it myself.

first, people think hotels can't because car rental places can't... to be honest, after working for National Car Rental I was kinda surprised to find out debit cards worked at hotels...

and if your hotel uses anything similar to holidex expiration dates don't matter as long as it is in the future.

[Evil Queen]

Hm. Is Imaginn similar to Holidex? I think I remember seeing (hering?) somewhere that it was but I'm not sure.

[greensinestro]

I think probably the first as well, although you can't always judge. Nowadays, hotels are requiring a credit card or a cash deposit up front due to the theft and destruction of the rooms. People stealing towels, washcloths, the bathrobes, the Holy Bible, or those who trash the room before leaving.

I did use cash one time, and it was when I was supposed to stay at a friend's apartment the night before this big concert we went to. He was pinching pennies by not running his air conditioning, in the middle of June, in Florida. So, I went and plunked down $40 for a Days Inn room (cheap back then!) and it was better than roasting to death.

[Andara Bledin]

first, people think hotels can't because car rental places can't... to be honest, after working for National Car Rental I was kinda surprised to find out debit cards worked at hotels...

and if your hotel uses anything similar to holidex expiration dates don't matter as long as it is in the future.

It's not that hotels and car rental agencies can't, it's just that many (hotels) or most (car rentals) won't.

As far as I can tell, Thrifty (and possibly Dollar) are one of the last car rental agencies that will do a deposit on a debit card. Fox stopped taking them a couple years back.

^-.-^

[smileyeagle1021]

Hm. Is Imaginn similar to Holidex? I think I remember seeing (hering?) somewhere that it was but I'm not sure.

i'm not familiar with Imaginn... so not entirely sure, but Holidex is the system that handles all out of house reservations, be it online, through a travel agent GDS, or through central reservations... basically it's a go between between the different reservation softwares that are used by out of house and the different softwares used in house. I have been shown how to use holidex as a stand alone but most of the time I use a program called Herman that uses the holidex interface... so much easier. Is it similar to Imaginn?

[Evil Queen]

It sounds like it's similar to me.

I just took a couple cc from the nederlands and they ran through just fine. *shrugs* I don't see why it can't take canadian debits.

[Andara Bledin]

Probably because Canadian debits are pure debit cards. They can't be used as credit-style POS like American debit cards often can. You'd have to have (at the very least) the ability to call for and input PINs.

^-.-^

[draftermatt]

This brought up an interesting question for me that has little to nothing to do with the original post (I go with option 1 by the way) but is relevant.

In July 2006 my wife & I stayed at a camp ground. I had a membership to said campground that gave me a nice discount. My mother-in-law booked the place for us since she stayed there before, and since it was four our honeymoon.

Anyway, I paid for the place in cash (my MIL used her card to hold the spot). When we get home and were going over our receipts I notice that I wasn't given the discount. So I call up and get a very snotty woman who asked "Why we didn't say we were members"

Well, 1. I did 2. The woman looked at the member card in my hand that my wife & I were talking about 3. My MIL booked it saying we were members.

So, it comes time to give me a refund and she tells me that she'll put it on my credit card. Bwah? I paid cash, why credit card refund. It's the only way she can do it she says. She then attempts to refund my MIL's card, until I stopped her and gave her my card info.

But what if I had no CC? How would I have gotten my refund?

[depechemodefan]

The only thing I can think is this;
1 He wanted to check in and "gee, pay cash at check out" without giving us a card number to hold over night and risk him leaving without paying? Free room. Hell no.

2 Either he's stupid or I am and I highly doubt it's the latter.

What do you think?

Personally, I think the guy does what a bunch of customers do when they come here: Never ask what they want. I think he wanted you to give him a reduced rate because it's after 6pm, or you give him some free stuff. But he didn't ask you that, no, because you either have to be a mind reader or it's just how most customers made up, they never ask what they want.

[Evil Queen]

But what if I had no CC? How would I have gotten my refund?

Oddly enough I know the answer to this question! (I lived in campgrounds for a year while traveling the south east).

Normally, the campground would have their accounting department (even the small no-name ones have a "department" for this) issue a cheque and send it to you via snail mail. (this happened once in GA to my parents.) I have never heard of a refund being issued back to a credit card. This way there's a definite paper trail.

[Andara Bledin]

So, it comes time to give me a refund and she tells me that she'll put it on my credit card. Bwah? I paid cash, why credit card refund. It's the only way she can do it she says. She then attempts to refund my MIL's card, until I stopped her and gave her my card info.

But what if I had no CC? How would I have gotten my refund?

You know, I'm not even sure that's legal.

Regardless, it's not up to you to make it easy for them to give you your refund. If you paid cash, they shoudn't demand you accept the refund on a credit card. At the least, they can buy a money order for that purpose.

^-.-^

[Sliceanddice]

i reserved, paid for and put the deposit for my hotel in anhiem with my debit card... so i didnt know people didnt know you could use it for that