Help with with hotel problem now, please!
 

Okay, I am on my trip and the hotel I am staying at "authorized" my "work" credit card for my stay but they want the actual card to swipe and I don't have it with me! (My office has recently gone to a new system and we don't carry the cards with us anymore.) At any rate, I am refinancing my house and do not wish to use my personal card. Have you ever heard of this? My question is, if the airlines can take a reservation over the phone and never see the actual card... shouldn't a hotel do the same? I have never had this happen before and I am getting irritated, just for the sake of principle. Maybe some of you can give me a rational reason they are asking for this, or you can give me a fighting reason to argue wiht them!

I don't know what the reason is but hotels have always asked to swipe my credit card. Even when I prepay they do so to cover expenxes like in room movie rentals, phone calls, room service, mini bar expenses...

Sorry you're frustrated!!!! You're on vacation. Try to be happy.

NO, I'm not on vacation, I'm working and I'm also away from my * month old for the first time so I'm cranky too! :) Thanks for the info... I am taking a deep breath and trying to think good thoughts!

I too have never heard of checking into a hotel, and NOT showing the actual card for them to "swipe".

But a couple weeks ago at a cheap Sleep Inn in Sarasota I was surprised that they also wanted my drivers licensce and then they put it in the copy machine to make a copy of it! That seemed bizarre. There was a notice posted that "we require a copy of your drivers license". I'm not used to staying in lower quality hotels (but this one was actually surprisingly nice) so thought maybe than was common in that type motel?

Oh yuck! Business, not pleasure. So sorry!

I think the reason the airlines will do it is that by the time you fly, your money is in their bank. When you are at a hotel, they want to be able to collect on any expenditures you make while at the hotel and need to make sure you aren't using a fraudulent/stolen card. But that is just a guess from a non business traveler.

Hey Patrick, I haven't had to show a driver's license but I bet that hotel must have a frequent problem that warrants it.

I bought a dress at an inexpensive store once then bought another elsewhere and returned the first. Two salesclerks turned it inside out and SMELLED it to be sure I hadn't worn it then returned it. I was soooo embarassed and felt like I was being considered a petty criminal. I'm guessing they reacted that way because that happened to them frequently enough to be a problem.

They want to swipe a card for incidentals. If you don't want them to swipe your personal card, ask if they will take a cash deposit. I would imagine your card was "authorized" for the room rate plus taxes but not for any other charges one might run up.

I've never gone a business trip without my corporate card. Maybe they want the actual card for fraud protection purposes.

Don't know. Ask them.

Patrick, I was asked for my DL in Waikiki as well as my traveling companion. Was surprised by that too. This was a condo hotel so I was guessing they had trouble in the past with partyers trashing the place.

If they don't swipe your card, how can they prove that you ever showed up? You could tell your credit card company that you never heard of nor ever stayed at the place and what backup would they have?

If you can call someone at your place of business, you might ask the hotel if they would accept a fax on company letterhead authorizing billing....speak directly with the hotel manager don't talk to the night-desk flunkies who can't authorize anything.

I also have always had to present a credit card. Since this is a new system at your office, I am guessing you will be back to the old system fairly fast - since you are not the only one who will encounter this problem.

As far as running up charges on your personal card, if the hotel was paid on your business card, that is where charges will stay. One incidental charges will go on your personal card.

with a name like moneygirl, why not just pay cash?

I'm not sure what you mean by "authorized" your CC. Was that a pre-authorization to hold the room? Airlines don't pre-authorize the charge...they actually run the charge through your account.

Most hotels do not run a charge through prior to your checking-in. For security reasons, they run the actual card upon arrival.

Also, hotels sometimes run delayed charges after you check out ( for meals, mini bar, etc). I think that they would have a hard time submitting those delayed charges without actually having "run your card"

This would seem to be an issue to be taken up with whoever changed the system at your company.

We recently stayed at a Homestead Suites in Atlanta that asked to make a copy of our DLs. The clerk said that if we lose our key, or lock ourselves out of our room and ask for another key, they can easily determine that we are, indeed, the people who rented the room.

I am always asked for a credit card, always! Even if given an option of paying in cash at check-out (Las Vegas). Sometimes asked for ID in addition to the credit card, but not often.

Can you call your work and have somebody, maybe HR or travel department, to handle the problem?

Have your firm fax over a copy of the card on letterhead. Or.... if you're staying there for the next 24-48 hours, have someone in your office FedEx a/the card to you for incidental expenses. I have ALWAYS, without fail, been asked to produce a credit card upon check-in.

What a strange situation. Is it me, or has anyone else ever heard of an employer who put a system in place where they "don't carry the cards anymore"? How on earth are you supposed to rebook an airline ticket, rent a car, buy a restaurant meal, not to mention pay for a hotel.

I hope moneygirl has phoned the nitwit in her accounting staff who put this procedure into place and made that person straighten it out with the hotel.

By the way, it's just me, but I never travel on business without a personal card that I can use in an emergency. Cards are lost and sometimes even denied in error - and I never travel without a backup or two - even on vacation.

Of course! My Amex Plat. is my back-up -- I would NEVER, EVER travel without a back-up as my Amex Corp. has given me problems before. Also, if the OP is worried about the fact that she's re-fi'ing her home, well, your firm is going to reimburse you for the expenses so what's the worry?

As amwosu said, it is to cover any unforseen expenses. I've been asked for the card at Crowne Plazas and Holiday Inns even though the rooms were comp or paid with Priority Club points.

You can't run up extra charges on a flight, that's why the airlines don't care.

You can in a hotel room (long distance, mini bar, pay movies, damage, etc.), that's why hotels always had an open credit card on file.

You've *never* had this happen before when you stayed at a hotel? I find that extremely hard to believe.

As pointed out, hotels don't charge the card at reservation time, and even by swiping the card upon arrival and doing a credit check doesn't guarantee a card hasn't been stolen or misplaced, but the cardholder has yet to discover it.

Why would a hotel NOT wish to get the ID to determine who is ACTUALLY in their rooms? Unlike taking a flight, a guest enjoys the privacy of a hotel room that cost 10's or even 100's of thousands to build, furnish & decorate. Hotels aren't fond of having their rooms trashed, and it's nice to have some idea of who the occupant is and his home address. After all, would you allow me to stay in your home by myself if I have you my credit card #.

Moneygirl, I think your company is using YOUR cash for their float. They'll let employees charge to their own cards, stall the reimbursments as long as they can, rather than being stuck with a pile of bills. I worked for a company once where reimbursements took 1-2 months, and most employees just put up with it. "Regular" creditors won't take that treatment. Good luck.