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#327220 03/08/09 09:49 AM
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kmahany Offline OP
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Is it common here for a hotel to swipe your credit card for potential charges you may incur during your stay ie phone calls, bar charges, etc. ? The hotel we are staying at charged my card $500 at check in, which is now in a pending status and has reduced my available credit by $500, at no time did they tell me they were going to swipe the card. We have visited the island 3 other times and the hotel we usually stay in only takes an imprint of the card and charges you upon checkout. We would just like to know if this is common for hotels on the island. Thanks!!

kmahany #327221 03/08/09 09:56 AM
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I doubt they "charged" $500. They likely obtained an authorization to ensure proper credit available on the card. It will fall off in about 3-days time. It does hold your credit available during that time, so they should have told you that. Not fair to be surprised like that.

$500 seems a little steep. I'm not aware of anything that big in my travels. Though I may have had one that big and not known it since it does fall off and is eventually replaced by the actual charges upon checkout.


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Otteralum #327227 03/08/09 10:13 AM
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$500us or $500bze?

Are you in a full service resort, where you will use the restaurant and bar extensively along with dive or snorkel trips booked through the hotel?

And don't forget the biggie...do you have direct dial phones where you can call the US or UK without being aware of the horrendous charges laugh

The amount of authorization a hotel obtains will usually be in proportion to the average bill of its guests....would Ramons for instance be justified in authorizing more than say Ruby's? I would say so on first impression, but then again don't have all the facts!

The less concise information you give when asking this sort of question, the greater the likely hood of impassioned responses that are inaccurate smile


It's rarely rocket science, it's usually just math: then again if you can't do the math.......
pugwash #327228 03/08/09 10:20 AM
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What hotel/resort are you at? Just curious, I have never heard of this before either.


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pugwash #327231 03/08/09 10:23 AM
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Originally Posted by pugwash
The less concise information you give when asking this sort of question, the greater the likely hood of impassioned responses that are inaccurate smile


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6string #327232 03/08/09 10:25 AM
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A hotel in Chicago did that to me once, screwed up the rest of my vacation as the hold didn't come off until I reached Belize.

SimonB #327233 03/08/09 10:36 AM
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Quite improper to do that without your specific authorisation.

kmahany #327248 03/08/09 11:21 AM
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Originally Posted by kmahany
The hotel we are staying at charged my card $500 at check in, which is now in a pending status and has reduced my available credit by $500


This practice isn't common, but not unheard of. I guess this puts the resort ahead of your other charges, at least for $500, in case you exceed your credit limit. Smart business.


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I have not experienced this in Belize but did in St. Thomas and even San Francisco. In St. Thomas, the "hold" was released 3 days after I checked out (which I was told upon check in/out). It's a good thing to ask when you are making your reservation so you can plan accordingly.


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Gela #327273 03/08/09 03:29 PM
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kmahany Offline OP
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We are staying at Sunbreeze Suites. I do understand why they would want to hold that money for incidental charges, but is $500 for 10 days necessary? And yes that is $500 US, $1000 BZ. They told me when I checked in that they need an imprint of the card for incidental charges, they did not say how much they would hold. We usually stay at Banana Beach, they take an imprint and charge you at the end of your stay. they dont swipe your card. I read in the book in the room that they will take an imprint of your card or $100 cash. they didnt even give us the option to pay the cash. Its not like we are depending on that money for our vacation, we brought cash and other cards. I just want to make everyone else aware that this does happen. It would be terrible if someone staying here only brought one credit card and was depending on that money for their vacation.

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