annalynn

Yesterday I booked a room for my family at a hotel in Paris for July this year. This morning, they sent me an email that they tried to open a pre-authorization on the credit card guaranteeing this reservation, and the transaction was rejected by my credit card. I've never had anyone try and pre-authorize at the time of booking - when I check into a hotel, yes, but at the time of booking for a stay over six months out, no. I called Capital One, and they told me that they only allow pre-authorizations for a max of 30 days. Has anyone else encountered this before? Is it something new? How did you handle the situation?

(And if this helps you answer my questions - OH and I are traveling with our two sons, so I'm booking a suite for four people which are not the easiest to find in Paris. I made this reservation since it was cancellable without penalty while I continued my search for a possible apartment rental, plus I'm not 100% committed to my exact Paris dates, I wanted the flexibility of a booking I could cancel without penalty).

NewbE

I think pre-authorizations are pretty common--I've certainly had it happen both in the US and abroad, and more than 30 days out, too. I don't see why 6 months out would be a problem, but I don;t have a Cap One card, and maybe I'm missing something.

Christina

I've certainly encountered tons of hotels who check your credit card when you book, of course. Many charge one night, also, which is kind of a preauthorization (even if it is refundable if you cancel).

Cap One is bad about foreign charges, they really irritate me, also. They are okay on-site when you are using them in country but are a PITA about trying to get them okay in advance for online purchases like hotel reservations. 30 days is actually good, I had them tell me once that if I wanted to make sure they would approve a foreign charge in advance, I had to tell them who the vendor was, the approximate amount and that approval would only be good for 24 hrs!!!!

So I don't really understand your problem, 30 days seems like a good amount of time to me. When I plan a long-distance trip to Europe, I plan to make all my reservations usually within a couple week period.

I don't really understand your issue. A preauthorization doesn't mean you wont' be able to use a credit card when there to pay the bill, their time limit has nothing to do with that.

annalynn

Sorry if I was confusing - I honestly don't care if they pre-authorize the charge, it was just a surprise since I've never had a hotel pre-authorize the charges at the time of booking, rather than when I check in.

I always use my Capital one credit card for foreign travel since they don't charge me any foreign currency fees. But if they won't approve a pre-authorization for more than 30 days, then is there another credit card people recommend that will do so?

bilboburgler

surely it depends on the contract you agreed. Have you been back to the website where you made this booking and seen what the deal is?

Odin

The issue is that the credit card cannot be pre-authorised and therefore the reservation is not guaranteed.

The hotel should just check that the credit card is valid and then do the pre-authorisation 30 days out or the OP can provide a different credit card for the purposes of pre-auth (assuming a diff credit card might allow pre-auth 60 days out). You can pay with the Cap One card when you check out.

If a hotel charges one night, that is not a pre-auth, that is a deposit.

Andrew

Are you sure Captial One isn't blocking the foreign transaction (unless it's for an international hotel chain)? Do they require you to notify them of specific travel dates (my credit card companies always do)?

annalynn

Yes, I've been on the website and my confirmation contract for the rate says "Guarantee Policy: No deposit will be charged - the credit card number is necessary but the card will not debited - City tax : 1.65 € per person per night to be paid on arrival 48h prior to arrival at 00.00, or no show, guest agrees charge of 1 night on credit card given as guarantee."

I've also been in communication with the hotel (Hotel de Varenne) via email.

annalynn

I've talked with Capital One, as well. (that's how I found out about the no more than 30 days pore-authorization)

NewbE

Well, I'd give the hotel a different card for the pre-authorization, or try to force Cap One to allow it. I don't see another solution.

Christina

yes, Cap One requires you to notify them of foreign charges or they are blocked automatically. I suppose a preauthorization is treated the same way, why not. Unfortunately, you have to call them to get them to approve one if you are not traveling, if you are traveling, you can put a travel note through your online account, which works well.

I still don't really understand what the issue is about why one wants a preauthorization to last so long. The hotel obviously wanted to do it at booking. So you call Cap One and tell them you will be making some online foreign charges over the next week, or whatever, why wouldn't that cover it? I have never once has to make such complicated definitions about the difference in preauthorization vs. charges from hotels. When I am planning trips and booking hotels, I tell my CCs that they might get charges from foreign hotels over the next week or whatever, as I'm making reservations, and I tell them the country. It always works, even with my Cap One. I don't even talk about whether it is a preauthorization or not.

In any case, I have a SWA FF VISA card with Chase bank and they are easier to deal with than Cap One usually on this issue, if you really want to go to the trouble of getting another credit card, but that one is NOT free. If you want to book a hotel, I imagine you don't want to wait weeks to get another credit card.

Dukey1

yes, Cap One requires you to notify them of foreign charges or they are blocked automatically.

No, this is definitely not always the case. I have routinely made charges on my CapOne card in both Pounds and Euros without "telling them" anything and those charges gave routinely gone through.

annalynn

As I've mentioned, I've been in contact with Capital One and they simply won't pre-authorize for such a long period of time. To be clear, I'm not making the issue about it, its a battle between the hotel and Capital One. And yes, Capital One knows about my charges - the Paris hotel is just a part of three weeks we are spending in Europe, and this is the only problem I'm having.

NewbE, Andrew and Odin, thank you for your polite and helpful comments.

Michael

My credit card operates a little differently. This morning I received an e-mail because in one day we made charges that were billed from Copenhagen, Dublin and San Francisco. I was given the choice of either approving or rejecting each individual charge. No problem.

Of course, I will have to give them my itinerary when the trip starts so that the charges do not get rejected while we are traveling.

thursdaysd

I have made an occasional foreign purchase on my Cap One card without notifying them. None were for very large amounts. If I am booking a number of foreign hotels or buying a set of foreign railway tickets, I simply "tell" Cap One that I am traveling to the relevant country for a couple of weeks.

My main complaint with Cap One is that you cannot "travel" for more than 60 days at a time.

bilboburgler

I'd go back to the hotel and point out they are in breach of contract

WoinParis

That is a very standard procedure to me. Happens frequently in Paris and happened for my last holidays in Mexico.

Hotel checks card at time of booking then pre authorized a few days before.
Which is how a reservation was canceled when they checked my card a few days prior arrival and I had used it a lot !

Good luck with your apt and don't forget to cancel your stay at the hotel people like you make my life more complicated since you take out rooms out of the market.

Melnq8

Maybe you could ask the hotel to take a deposit for one night in lieu of the pre-auth? You could still cancel up to 48 hours prior per the hotel's policy.

annalynn

WoinParis, your comment makes it sound as if I have done something wrong by booking one of the few hotel rooms I could find that accommodate four people in one room (in this case, a suite). I'm not comfortable with my kids being in their own room in another country. An apartment would be preferred, but for a variety of reasons, we will likely stay in the hotel (air conditioning being one, and I'm nervous about booking flat rentals in Paris after having heard about many being illegal rentals). I've never not canceled a reservation, and its more than a little insulting to treat me like a child.

Finally - I've been posting on this board off and on since 1999. What happened to the civility I came to expect over the past eighteen years? There have been several less than pleasant responses to my question. Its not like I came on and asked for a two day itinerary to see all of Paris in a way that can accommodate my elderly mother-in-law in a wheelchair, my pregnant sister in law, our six kids, baby in a stroller and seeing eye dog. I asked a question, after research, about something I've never seen before. I've used this board for all our trip planning through the years, and after scrolling through many other recent posts, I see several short, abrupt and rude replies. One of the things I loved the most about Fodor's Forums was that people treated everyone with respect, even when replying with a simple statement like "If you do a search for my name, you'll see I've posted about this hotel before." I'm not sure what's happened here, but it makes me sad.

For those of you who did offer helpful, thoughtful, kind advice, thank you.

djkbooks

<< This morning, they sent me an email that they tried to open a pre-authorization on the credit card guaranteeing this reservation, and the transaction was rejected by my credit card.>>

I had an issue with a hotel I booked in Marseilles. I did use a Capital One card and I'm certain I was booking more than 30 days ahead.

I asked the hotel to try again. Rejected again. When I phoned Capital One, the pending charge appeared three times. It was "only" for 100 Euros, less that the nightly rate.

Cannot imagine how/why whoever was processing didn't recognize the approved transaction, and kept trying it over and over again.

We cancelled the hotel, thinking billing person inept. But, could just be some system issue. I considered faxing or e-mailing a copy of the three transactions to the hotel, but couldn't be bothered.

Recently I booked a room in Chambéry for mid April. They issued a pre-authorization for the entire stay. I wouldn't have known, except that, the next day, I was on the phone with Capital One to not block another transaction I was making online and the gent mentioned it. It should drop in a few days, or five, but, meanwhile, it reduces your available credit.

Situations have been reported when front desk clerk submits pre-authorization for your one, two, night stay. Then, instead of changing the pre-authorization to a charge transaction, and processing the charge as well, both are on your account, the pre-authorization remaining for another few days, reducing your available credit.