If you use a debit card to secure say, a hotel room reservation, is that money still available to spend?

Question

I was told by someone that with a debit card, the money that is used to reserve something, like a hotel room, will not be available to use until the transaction is cancelled. So say I had $500 on my debit card and the reservation (for a month away) was $300. Would that $300 still be available to use?

Answer 1

You give your card number to the hotel when you make the reservation in order to secure the room. What that means is if you don't show up on the date you specified and by a certain time, they will charge your card for the room. So yes your money is still available to spend unless you don't show up for the hotel reservation.

Answer 2

If you've put it down, unless you cancel the reservation the money is charged for that purpose to your card. If you cancel the transaction, you must wait for a credit on your statement for THAT 300 to be available. If you have additional money available on the card, you can use 300 of that in the meantime. Respectfully, please think about it. 300 on the card is 300 on the card whether you wait for a credit due to a cancellation of your reservation or use 300 from the money available on your credit line.

Answer 3

In my experience, no. That money is put on hold. Depends on where you go to. My brother and I went to Cancun last year and he made the mistake of reserving the room with his visa/debit card. He then was in a position where he needed cash, and could not get it because the hotel had put a hold on his checking account for the amount of the stay. Better double check on this with the hotel. To play it safe, use a straight up credit card, DO NOT USE DEBIT.

Answer 4

It may show as a "hold" item...you'll probably want to check with your bank. I know some hotels (particularly Days Inn) charged me a set amount when I checked in and then when I checked out, they charged me the total amount of the room & any other stuff such as the mini bar and phone calls. Both items showed up on my statement (online) but within 24 hours, the first one was removed from the statement and the money was never taken out to begin with. It didn't show up at all on my printed bank statement. Check w/ the hotel and w/ your bank if you're really worried about it.

Answer 5

Typically when you make a hotel reservation, your card isn't charged at the time the reservation is made, only when you check in and out.

I would double check with the hotel.

Answer 6

no, once the reservation is booked, it stayes on there. they also have a practice of putting a hold on your card once you book in for the hotel room charges (what they think it will amount to) and then once you check out, they acually take out the amount that you owe. they just put the hold on it to make sure they get paid.

Answer 7

your card does not get charged till afteru check in the card is just to hold the room just can. at least 24 hours before if your plans change other wise u mite get charged