Credit Card Guarantees and Cancellation Policies
 

We usually make most of our reservations in advance and use VISA to guarantee. Only 1 in 10 reservations actually required a night in advance, the others only want the number. We are reserving 2 rooms at each.<BR>Problem - We are going in Sept for 23 nights. The card was not due to expire until end of Oct. The company (Capital One) just sent us new cards early. Normally not a problem but they CHANGED the first 8 digits of the 16 digit number.<BR>Question - Many of the reservations have the 1 week cancellation policy. Should I contact the places (everything from B &amp; Bs, small inns, 2 and 3 ***) to let them know of the change? <BR>Anyone else having this problem?

Hi MGB,<BR><BR> You needn't worry.<BR><BR> The hotels only want a credit card number in case you don't show. They will permit you to pay with a different card number (or even cash)after you get there.<BR><BR> In addition, your old card will still be valid.

I really don't want to hear about this as I just got through with this problem with my Citibank VISA -- my other card is a Capitol One MC Miles One. Citibank pulled one where they changed my card to a MC from a VISA, and changed the no. in the process. I had that card on several monthly automatic billings so it caused problems. What really made me mad was that they didn't even ask me if I wanted this other card, which I don't because I already have a MC and wanted a VISA for the variety. They did this with deceptive notification, telling me they were going to change to some other fancy-sounding account and I'd get a new card -- but nowhere on that notice did it tell me it was a Mastercard, not a VISA, and that my number would change. I called them up and told them if that's the way they were treating their longtime good customers, I'd go elsewhere, which I am, to get a AAA VISA (which doesn't have the foreign currency conversion surcharge and Citibank did, so I get something better). <BR><BR>Citibank is doing this for themselves because they have some better deal with Mastercard than VISA. <BR><BR>Anyway, what Capitol One card do you have that has changed numbers? I haven't gotten any notice from them about that on my Miles One card. I used it for deposits on an apartment for July and if they change the number, I think I will tell them because I don't want to lose out on the apartment (they aren't going to charge the deposit until next month, I think).<BR><BR>I probably wouldn't worry about a hotel room deposit for that -- even Citibank told me they'd switch charges for 60 days from the old to the new number if someone happened to charge to it. If you activate a new card, I don't think your old card is valid anymore as Ira suggests -- but if you don't activiate the new one, they told me it would work for two months.

&quot;I already have a MC and wanted a VISA for the variety.&quot;<BR><BR>Is there really any difference? Is there anyplace that takes one and not the other?

Christina My Visa with capital one IS a MilesOne Visa.<BR><BR>Anonymous - The only difference I am aware of between Visa and MC is that more places seem to take Visa overseas than do MC (at least the ones we encountered). There may also be a difference on foreign fees (see another thread regarding Visa charges.<BR>

When my suitcase was stolen from our locked Paris hotel room, it contained a photocopy of our credit cards. Useless, of course, for in person charges, but great for phone/internet purchases. So we called both, Visa &amp; MasterCard. Visa insisted that the card be cancelled &amp; new one issued -- which meant we were unable to use it again in Paris. MasterCard grasped the situation &amp; put a block on any phone/mail/web purchases only. That allowed us to use it during the remaining days in Paris. Just one reason to have 2 different card types. By the way, the suggestion to carry a photocopy of one's cards was one I picked up here. It was handy for the contact numbers, but it was also the first &amp; last time we have followed that suggestion. Now my card numbers are listed by my own code with the contact numbers. Maybe not genius-proof, but then dare I ask how many code-breaking-genius are petty thieves?

Hi MHS,<BR> Excellent report. From now on I shall make sure that my list of credit cards, etc is shifted by one, two, three,... numbers.

The bank that I have my VISA account with sent me a new card with a new account number about 4 years ago. I just called them up and explained that I'd had the old account number for X number of years, I'd become really attached to that number, and if they didn't change it back to that number, that I'd close my account right then and there. They changed back over the phone and I continued using my old card.

Anonymous,<BR><BR>Some places will take Visa and NOT Master Card. Sam's Club for instance, will only accept Visa. <BR><BR>Of course, that's here......I don't know about Europe.<BR><BR>Sue

Same in Europe--most places that take one also take the other, but there are a considerable number that will take Visa but not MC.

Ira and MHS,<BR><BR>Why not just memorize your card numbers, instead of creating a coding scheme? I have an AMEX, MC, and Visa, and I just memorized the 3 numbers and the expiration dates. I keep the telephone numbers in my Palm Pilot. <BR><BR>MGB - if you are worried, why don't you just notify the hotels with the new number? It's probably not necessary, but a few minutes of effort with take away any concerns you may have. Have a great trip!<BR><BR>Karen

Good suggestion, Karen, for those who are number oriented, but I'm not one of those-- sorry. Can quote lots of Shakespeare &amp; obsure Victorian poets, but number memory limited to my phone number (same one for 43 years)and birthdate (not telling!) &amp; doesn't even include SS# or birth year of my 2 kids, LOL. No Palm Pilot, but also a good suggestion; however what do you do if you lost it?

Hi Karen,<BR><BR> I sometimes forget my phone number.

What's up with this Capital One (miles) card switch? We too suddenly received new cards (which I haven't activated yet) with no advance notice that I'm aware of. We're so suspicious of CC companies we called and asked why the change and would there be any differences in interest rates, etc. They said no, but I'm still uncomfortable about the way it was handled. Supposedly we have &quot;tons&quot; of new advantages with the different card. I would prefer some logical explanation as to why they did this. I agree the change in card numbers is annoying!<BR><BR>Does anybody know what's going on?

I emailed my credit card numbers, exp. dates and contact telephone numbers to my free yahoo email account. <BR><BR>I also leave a photocopy of the cards with a trusted person back home (Dad) in case the cards are stolen. <BR><BR>It's hard enough to remember the account password, I don't think I could remember all the other information.

To answer the question that was ORIGINALLY POSED: you do not need to notify anybody about the card # change..even if a charge werwe put through on the old number it would automatically transfer over to the new one. The establishments simply want a number they can charge to IF you don't show up and they'll ask you for a card when you GET THERE and that's the one/number that will ultimately be charged.

Ira,<BR>Thanks for the laugh! <BR><BR>The other Karen (whose actual screen name is Karen) had a good idea - about emailing your numbers to yourself. Since there are internet cafes almost everywhere in Europe, this would be a good place to store the info. I'm going to do that next time!<BR><BR>Happy travels,<BR>Karen

From one Karen to another, is your middle name Audrey? Or is it a last name? <BR><BR>I always thought of Karen as a good, wholesome, quality name until Karen of Will and Grace came around. Of course, as a child I didn't like it, I wanted to be a Jennifer like my best friend in grade school.

Giovanna -<BR>I started this and decided today to call Capital One. Apparently they decided to discontinue the Miles One &quot;Platinum&quot; and convert everyone over to the Miles One Signature. According to the person I got, once the card is activated, and charges after that date on the old number will be denied. <BR>I think about a month before we go, I will reconfirm reservations, parking etc and give them the new number just to be safe.

Thanks MGB. We always reconfirm hotel reservations a week or so before we leave, so I will probably do the same thing you are doing and give them the new number. I don't think it will matter, but might as well &quot;wear a belt and suspenders&quot; just to be sure!