Is the card required for the resort just to have something on file or will it be charged for the room? I’m asking because we are using to different cards between all of us going.
Nothing will be charged to a card until you reach the resort limit, which varies from value to mod to deluxe.
If you want to link different cards to different magic bands, then I believe the consensus seems to be NOT to link a card during online check-in. Once you arrive, ask at the front desk and they will be able to set you up the way you want. For example, Dad and Mom use card a, DS can charge but only to a limit of $30, DD cannot charge at all and Grandma charges to card b.
You can then visit the front desk each night and pay off the balance with gift cards, and nothing will get charged to the cards.
Be aware that if you use a debit card and it is still the primary card on file after arrival (meaning it’s still the card associated with the booking guest’s Magic Band) then they will place a hold on your account… the held amount differs depending on resort, I believe. If you room charge nothing and there’s no balance owed then the hold will go away a few days after you leave… those held funds will not be available to use until the hold is gone.
If you make charges then they will do one of two things (and I’ve had both happen, so I don’t think there’s a standard way)… either they will wait until you spend the held amount and will make one batch actual charge for that amount and release the hold (but those funds may still not be immediately available to you for a few days, depending on your bank) and place a new hold for more purchases, or they will make daily charges in the amount of the days’s total spending and the same hold will remain. Either way, and held funds will not be available for use until the hold disappears… this is specific to debit cards, as credit card holds work differently.
In the first situation you can wind up with a TON of funds held up in various holds… that can put you in a bit of a predicament if you don’t keep a large balance in your account. IAfter a few experiences with that I’ve learned, and now if I don’t want to use a credit card then I will place a cash deposit instead, just to prevent them tying up a bunch of money in held funds. If you do that (and you can use travelers cheques if you don’t want to carry the cash) then they will allow room charges until the cash fund is depleted, at which point you would have to add more if you want to keep room charging.
A credit card will probably give you more fraud protection than a debit card.
Ah, didn’t realise this with a debit card. We have only used a credit card and I didn’t think about how it would be different. Good to know, thanks.
A debit card has the exact same fraud protection as a credit card, actually. If the debit card is backed by Visa or MC, you have the SAME protection.
The problem with a debit card is the money comes out of your account when you are hit by fraud and then you need to report it, file paperwork and wait for them to put the money back into your account . My debit account was hit when I used it in Disney in February .
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I would always use a credit card for the reason PrincipalTinker mentions. If there is a problem on the credit card, you report it while they investigate and you are not out of any money. If it is on your debit card, you get your money back after the investigation is over. So you will be out of the money. Also the hold they will put on your account can cause checks to bounce because the money will be consider spent, until the hold is lifted.
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