Advance Payment to Hotel

[Cookie Monster 0]

Gents,

 

I've got a hotel on Koh Samet that I'm trying to make a booking for. I've filled out the online reservation form, but online it says they will confirm the booking once my payment for the first night has cleared. They don't provide any facility to actually put in your credit card details. Any of you ever dealt with this kind of scenario.........and if so, please let me know.

 

Much appreciated,

CM

[Regyai 414]

Probably better to go through one of the agencies. Definitely have on line merchant facilities and likely as not cheaper rates too! Give Agoda a try.

 

 

.

[GlynRhedyn 32]

Do they have PayPal? Failing that telephone your card details to them.

Glyn.

[alias 111]

Gents,

 

I've got a hotel on Koh Samet that I'm trying to make a booking for. I've filled out the online reservation form, but online it says they will confirm the booking once my payment for the first night has cleared. They don't provide any facility to actually put in your credit card details. Any of you ever dealt with this kind of scenario.........and if so, please let me know.

 

Much appreciated,

CM

 

What hotel?

[BigDUSA 71]

If you use a credit card. I'd recommend the following. Once the hotel charge has cleared. Have the credit card company put a stop on all further charges on this card and have them issue you another one.

[Cookie Monster 0]

Sorry guys, I should have explained in more detail.

 

The hotel is not available on any agency listing, such as Agoda, and only takes bookings directly with them. There is no option for Paypal, that would have been my preference. They only show International bank transfer, which would mean £25 bank charge in my case, or the option of Credit Card prepayment. I chose the Credit Card option fully expecting that they would then prompt me for my card details. But that was not the case.

 

The hotel, by the way, is the Samed Villa Resort www.samedvilla.com , which has been recommended by several BMs here and on other forums. I like the looks of the place and would really like to book it.

 

Other option is to give them a call and give them my card details.........but I'm not a big fan of doing that usually.

 

Thanks for you input so far. Much appreciated,

CM

[lovedog100 1,372]

Gents,

 

I've got a hotel on Koh Samet that I'm trying to make a booking for. I've filled out the online reservation form, but online it says they will confirm the booking once my payment for the first night has cleared. They don't provide any facility to actually put in your credit card details. Any of you ever dealt with this kind of scenario.........and if so, please let me know.

 

Much appreciated,

CM

Try a different hotel. I have had a hotel do this, and then want me to send them an e-mail with all my credit card information on it. I passed and went to a different hotel. Unless you are going on a weekend, there probably wouldn't be any problem just showing up on the island and finding a hotel. If you are going on a weekend, re think that decision. The Island fills up with sudo high so Thai's from BKK

[Sailfast 503]

If you use a credit card. I'd recommend the following. Once the hotel charge has cleared. Have the credit card company put a stop on all further charges on this card and have them issue you another one.

Make sure it's not the one you put your airline tickets on. You could be fucked if it is. Some airlines require that you have your card (valid) in order to board.

 

Bangkok Air required me to repurchase my tickets when I cancelled a card and showed them a replacement at the airport.

 

Most international flights require that you show them the credit card at check in.

[BigDUSA 71]

Make sure it's not the one you put your airline tickets on. You could be fucked if it is. Some airlines require that you have your card (valid) in order to board.

 

Bangkok Air required me to repurchase my tickets when I cancelled a card and showed them a replacement at the airport.

 

Most international flights require that you show them the credit card at check in.

 

Good point. FWIW United doesn't require you to show the credit card.

[Grandpollo 366]

Good point. FWIW United doesn't require you to show the credit card.

In perhaps 120 international flights over the last 5 years I have never had any airline ask for the credit card I used for a ticket. And neither for domestic flights.

[jacko 8,766]

In perhaps 120 international flights over the last 5 years I have never had any airline ask for the credit card I used for a ticket. And neither for domestic flights.

And with fewer flights under my belt than that in the last 5 years I say I have been asked for the card I booked with.

Not every time, just some.

[Regyai 414]

Another instance of the inherent value of a Thai bank account. This could all be done instantly, securely, and on line.

 

Maybe a member with one and PayPal will help you out.

 

 

 

.

[Sailfast 503]

In perhaps 120 international flights over the last 5 years I have never had any airline ask for the credit card I used for a ticket. And neither for domestic flights.

 

You got lots more miles in than me, but as I said earlier, I have been asked, and denied boarding at U-Tapao. ANA and Thai Air have both asked for the card at JFK so.

 

@BigD, I would be careful about getting a United ticket and ending up traveling on another Star Alliance partner. Might be a long shot, but you never know.

[BigDUSA 71]

You got lots more miles in than me, but as I said earlier, I have been asked, and denied boarding at U-Tapao. ANA and Thai Air have both asked for the card at JFK so.

 

@BigD, I would be careful about getting a United ticket and ending up traveling on another Star Alliance partner. Might be a long shot, but you never know.

 

Good advice as I'm traveling US Air, Thai, Lufthansa next month. I'll make sure I bring the credit card I used to book these flights.

[Cookie Monster 0]

Guys,

 

The problem has been sorted out. I can only put it down to a poorly designed website which doesn't provide all the info it needs to. When I went through the intial booking process they gave me the credit card choice, but then never followed through with prompting for the card details. I was puzzled by this, to say the least, but what I wasn't aware of is the fact that they will then send you an email with a link to pay by PayPal. If they had done this straight away there wouldn't have been an issue, but I forgot TIT, so the follow up email came in this morning......only 3 days later. I should know better!!

 

So thanks for all your input and suggestions. Much appreciated,

CM

[Grandpollo 366]

You got lots more miles in than me, but as I said earlier, I have been asked, and denied boarding at U-Tapao. ANA and Thai Air have both asked for the card at JFK so.

 

@BigD, I would be careful about getting a United ticket and ending up traveling on another Star Alliance partner. Might be a long shot, but you never know.

 

This is interesting since they ID you up the hoop at the checkin and security and again before boarding there is little doubt the person and the ticket are the same thing, makes you wonder what value added you achieve with looking at a credit card (also in the same name).

[MM 6,562]

You got lots more miles in than me, but as I said earlier, I have been asked, and denied boarding at U-Tapao. ANA and Thai Air have both asked for the card at JFK so.

 

@BigD, I would be careful about getting a United ticket and ending up traveling on another Star Alliance partner. Might be a long shot, but you never know.

 

I had a similar problem flying with Thai Airways from BKK to Udon Thani.

 

I had purchased the tickets on the Thai Air web site using a "virtual internet VISA card" (meaning there was no actual physical card, but it was a valid VISA card number, expiration date, and CVV) from Kasikorn Bank.

 

At the very end of the transaction it told me to bring the card I used to the airport for check-in. I thought (er, hoped) they might be kidding.

 

In fact, they weren't kidding, and my ticket was unusable without the card.

 

I had to repurchase tickets at the airport and request a refund for my tickets booked with that card.

 

Incidentally, that's the only time I can recall having to produce my credit card, except at an automated check-in station, where the credit card used to purchase the ticket is needed to locate your flight information.

[Kev 173]

Last time we brought the missus's son back over for a 3 months holiday, and at BKK even though all three of us were there checking in for the flight to Perth they asked to see the credit card that we bought his ticket with?

[jacko 8,766]

This is interesting since they ID you up the hoop at the checkin and security and again before boarding there is little doubt the person and the ticket are the same thing, makes you wonder what value added you achieve with looking at a credit card (also in the same name).

Protection against credit card fraud perhaps.... it is very much a policy of the airline and explains why sometimes it is required, sometimes not.

 

It can be quite stringent, such that if you buy a ticket for another person, you may be required to give that person a signed declaration.

 

So it's to ensure that the credit card is yours and is valid. Many airlines reserve the right to do such checks. Keeps the airline a bit safe from chargebacks from stolen cards and the potential real owners of the cards.

[teelack 9,297]

Thanks for the thread. There are things happening here I would have never expected. This might just save me some embarrassment one day. There is a scenario that I have thought about but I am not sure now. This is that I would buy my airline tickets at home using the credit card with the normal 40 days or whatever free credit. For the trip I would only take a pre charged debit card and cash. This would be a disaster if I had to do what Martin went through.

Edited February 7, 2011 by teelack

[Discoman 0]

Gents,

 

I've got a hotel on Koh Samet that I'm trying to make a booking for. I've filled out the online reservation form, but online it says they will confirm the booking once my payment for the first night has cleared. They don't provide any facility to actually put in your credit card details. Any of you ever dealt with this kind of scenario.........and if so, please let me know.

 

Much appreciated,

CM

The hotel should be able to tell you how they want their money. I have stayed places that accept Paypal.

[exwannabe 1]

To the OP:

 

This is what a pre-paid debit card is useful for. For the slight service charge you might pay on it, you get peace of mind on these type transactions. Regardless of the transaction security though, I would only prepay at a hotel I "know".

 

To the airline ticket subthread:

 

I have been "carded" about 3 or 4 times on t-pac flights. They did not verify the card was still valid, just matched it against the booking info.,; so you can likely bring an expired/replaced card and skate on by.

 

The one time I screwed up, it took about 15 minutes of phone tag between the EVA GAs and Amex to get the OK.

[Sailfast 503]

FWIW, I think it's a security issue. They want to make sure the person traveling is the person who booked the tickets.

 

As an added confusing bit of information, I once booked a flight for a friend on Thai Air: JFK - BKK, we where leaving on different dates but returning together so I booked his ticket to be sure we where no the same return flight. I actually had a form emailed to me that I printed up and had to fill out and GET WITNESSED BY A NOTARY PUBLIC in order for my friend to fly on the ticket I purchased for him with my credit card on Thai Air's website.

 

Also FWIW, when it happened to me at U-Tapao, we would have missed my flight if they hadn't held the plane for us. All over losing a credit card and getting a replacement with a different number (

[jacko 8,766]

FWIW, I think it's a security issue. They want to make sure the person traveling is the person who booked the tickets.

So every airline that does not require this has lesser security?

I thought the security was the responsibility of the airport. (El Al excluded).

 

It might well be to stop little Tommy flying from Toronto to Tokyo after getting his hands on daddy's credit card.

The airline protecting themselves from Credit Card fraud is the reason, as the money could be claimed back after the flight.

 

What happens in the case of a corporation purchasing flights for their employees heaven knows.