Hotwire Hotel: CC vs Debit Card

[Fergy44]

I found a great price on hotel in Daytona area and was ready to pull the trigger until reading the fine print. It stated that upon arrival customer will have to have enough funds on card to be 'held' until checkout. No problem, except it also stated that it must be a credit card as most hotels will not except a debit card for this purpose. It has been less than a year since we last traveled and was not an issue at that time. Is this new? More importantly, Using Priceline or Hotmail doesn't afford me the opportunity to know the exact hotel I'm buying until after the fact. What options do I have here? I haven't used a credit card in over 5 years and prefer not to start again.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

Fergy

[thereuare]

Welcome to BetterBidding!

It's not new... hotels have always wanted to ensure that they have enough leverage to cover any damage you may cause to their rooms (or pay for the snacks you take from the minibar or meals you charge to your room) ;)

The amount 'held' varies by hotel and some will accept a debit card, but keep in mind that whatever funds they place on hold will be unavailable to you during the course of your trip. After you win a hotel you can call them to find out their policy regarding debit cards, and you could always provide a cash deposit as an alternative.

If you'd like help trying to guess the HOTWIRE hotel offered let us know the details (dates, star rating, amenities, city, zone, price, etc) and we'll try to offer some insight, as you may then also be able to research the hotel guessed to find out their security deposit policy before you make your purchase.

Please use the PRICELINE and HOTWIRE links on the board to begin your travel purchases.