Can You Book A Hotel With One Card And Pay With Another. You might want to reserve a room at a hotel before reaching your trip destination. This means you would have to use a card for an online transaction. Similarly, what would you do if you wanted to book the hotel with one card and then pay for it using a different card.
This is where many find themselves confused but trust me this is not as difficult of a task as it appears to be.
A scenario can very well be you have a booking card but would rather use a personal card for payment, or you may have a desire to use a business credit card for booking but wish to use your personal credit card at a later stage. This may seem a little far out there, but is this possible?
So in this post I will guide you to all the different things you want to know with regards to booking a hotel room with one card and paying with another.
We will discuss how hotel payment systems work, what if two cards have to be used for one room and what things you need to be mindful about when broaching this strategy.
Key Takeaways
- Usually, a booking for a hotel would go through with one card being used to book_and another to pay but that is again dependent on the hotel policy.
- Holds are usually placed by the hotel on the card you are booking a room with contrary to the last payment made.
- Before using two credit cards with the hotel with one for choosing a room and the other for holding one, make sure to reach out the hotel and confirm it.
- Hotel bookings can be done using credit, debit, prepaid or even gift cards, but the acceptance goes on to differ from place to place.
- To avoid confusion during the check in process always make sure to call and communicate with the hotel prior to reaching there.
- In case the payment method goes through a decline, always keep backup cards set up ready.
How Hotel Payment Systems Work
To begin with, let’s take a closer look at how the different types of hotel payment systems work. It’s commonplace for a hotel to ask for a card to guarantee a booking.
While making an online payment, guests can reserve the entire stay with a different (even though they’ll be asked to present any one of the cards at the front desk). In most cases, hotels place a substantial charge to the prospective guest’s credit card to hold the room during his or her stay.
During the course of your stay you will often find yourself charged a couple of items:
- The Authorization Hold: This is a charge not made for the amount on your card but it basically hopes to look at whether you have enough balance to cover the amount for the stay.
- The Final Payment: At the time of settling the bill this amount for the room is charged and can be done at the time when the check out has taken place.
Keeping the above in mind, what could potentially make sense is moving on from inquiring about one credit card for booking purposes and then continuing on without switching to a new practice of moving forward to use a different credit card to pay for the room. Let’s take this to the next level and see how real this is.
Can You Use One Card to Book and Another to Pay?
You might be asking this question: “Is it possible to use one card for a hotel’s booking and then a different one at the point of paying?” Well, the answer is yes for the most part and yes for the the larger portion of the time. It is important, however, to elucidate how different hotels, payment modes or policies function.
Booking vs. Payment: What’s the Difference?
While booking a room in the hotel, it is always safe to call it just a room reservation because most of the times a nominal hold is placed on the card. This alone explains why using one card to book and making a separate card payment later on while checking in or checking out is often a handy feature.
Hotel Policies Vary: What You Need to Know
The language, not all hotels share the same rules and regulations for their clientele, and some places have policies that both the booking and payment require the use of the same card. This is true of some smaller establishments like b n’ b’s where the protocol for booking might be a little rigid.
Large chains of hotels or booking sites tend to be more accommodating with their card requirements insisting you to use different ones for booking and payment.
Different Types of Cards You Can Use for Booking and Paying
Let’s examine the types of various cards that you can utilize for making the booking or otherwise paying. Here are the principal choices:
Credit vs. Debit Cards
When booking a hotel, it is usually possible to use either a credit or a debit card, although there may be differences in the way the payments are handled. If you use a credit card, the payment will not be charged upon check in, but rather the hotel will charge your card for the charge along with some other additional estimated fee for the stay.
In some cases when a debit card is used, hotels may place an even greater hold on funds as they are taking money directly from the client’s account.
Prepaid Cards
Prepaids will function in much the same way as other debit cards, and however, there are a few things suited to their use. Booking any hotel with a prepaid card may not always be possible and even when there charge for use it is likely to be limited. Almost all hotels and places that offer an overnight stay accept payments which a prepaid card might not be able to make.
Gift Cards
There are hotels that accept gift cards as mode of payment but this is not standard. Mostly, it is more common in the case with chains of hotels or resorts which issue their own gift cards. In this case, just like with prepaid cards, you need to check if a hotel is willing to accept them for making reservations and payment of the accommodation.
Business Cards vs. Personal Cards
It is very common for business executive travelers to make hotel reservations for business meetings and pay using their personal cards. Generally this is permissible although it is always best to ascertain the hotels policy in advance especially if you are using a business assigned card for a private period in the hotel.
Best Practices for Booking Hotels with One Card and Paying with Another
There is nothing wrong in carrying two or more different cards for booking and later for settling the bill but it is always good to adhere to the following best practices to avoid any inconveniences:
Clear Communication Is Key
Always pick your phone and call the hotel in advance informing them how you plan to use two different cards. There are some hotels who will expect you to provide both card details at the start while others only require them during the check in period.
Verify Policies in Advance
As mentioned before policies tend to differ from one hotel to another and so make sure to look up and check how the particular hotel you wish to stay at processes payments and makes use of credit cards. Normally, this information can be acquired over the phone with the hotel or is easily available on their website.
Check-In Time and Payment Processing
When you inform the hotel staff to make a use of a different card during the payment process, this will ensure clarity and the payment is charged on the correct card.
Potential Problems and Solutions
There are still some factors that can go wrong while using different cards. The most important one to keep in mind is what to avoid.
Declined Payment
If during your check in process, your second card is not accepted, this can cause a series of problems so the best solution is to always keep a backup card ready or ensure that your first card has enough balance to cover the entire stay.
Miscommunication at Check-In
There are occasions when the front desk is oblivious to the fact that you want to pay with two cards and this results in a mix-up and even delays. To avert such situations, explain your method of payment at the time of booking as well as at check in.
Pre-Authorization Issues
Some hotels can pre authorize with one card and charge the payment with another card of your choice, if this happens explain the procedure so that there are no unpleasant surprises later on.
Hotels That Allow Booking With One Card and Paying With Another
Even though policies are not set in stone, large hotel chains don’t mind being flexible about payments. , Here are some examples of hotel chains known for their more lenient payment options:
- Marriott Hotels
- Hilton Hotels
- Hyatt Hotels
- InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)
Hotel payment policies vary, therefore it is prudent to check and clarify with the hotel you are booking into.
Alternative Payment Methods for Hotel Bookings
Besides credit and debit cards, there is a very significant number of travelers that use digital wallets or even cryptocurrency to book and pay for hotel accommodations.
Digital Wallets
Hotels continue to accept more and more payment services such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay which in the past few years have become popular. These services can be more efficient, as well as more secure when making payments.
Cryptocurrency
It is still too early for cryptocurrency to be accepted by the majority of hotels, but some are starting to consider it especially in Las Vegas or other large tourist places. If you are a fan of anything related to digital currency, it is still a niche option to keep an eye on.
My Opinion
Making a hotel reservation with one credit card and making the payment with another might seem impossible. However, it is greatly possible! It is of extreme importance that you communicate openly with the destination and make sure you are informed of what cards are accepted and their payment policies, this will make life easier. If you wish, make sure you resolve everything before your departure in order for there to be no hitch while you are checking in.
Tell me if you have, how did it go? Try accommodating with one card and paying with a different one. Leave a comment below.
