When Does Marriott Charge Your Card? And Can They Forget To?

To keep you alert and aware of hotel finances and charges work with hotels, we will go through when Marriott charges your card, and can they forget to in this guide.

When can a hotel charge your card?

Usually, if you make an online booking, you will be prompted to input your card details. This can be used for a few things. In this day and age, owning a credit card is a guarantee of your social and financial status. If you are about to provide details of a valid card, credit better than debit, hotels will know you are a credible person. This way the risks involved in you entering a contract with them by staying at the hotel are greatly reduced.

Another reason a hotel might ask for your card details at booking is to charge you for a deposit. This can be the first night’s stay on your trip. Or the tax for staying at the property. This charge is usually implemented for the benefit of the hotel. At least if you cancel your booking on the day you’re supposed to arrive, they will get some profit from the revenue missed for not letting out your room.

The most common time for hotels to charge your card is when you check out. You will settle the bill for your entire stay then. Like how you would settle the bill for a meal at a restaurant after you’ve finished eating. If you’ve been charged a deposit at booking, the hotel will deduct this amount from your final rate.

Unless it’s stated somewhere in the Terms & Conditions that there will be an additional deposit charge. Which is also unlikely for hotels to do.

When does Marriott charge your card?

It seems there’s no universal period for Marriott properties across the world to charge their guests. Some may charge a deposit at booking. Or at check-in. Some may not charge this until a few days into your stay. Some may not even charge you for a deposit. Or simply settle the payment at check out.

So, it’s difficult to say when Marriott will charge your card. If you want to know for sure, it’s best to call or email your Marriott property.

How does payment work at Marriott?

Although you cannot be sure when your Marriott property will charge you, there are several things you can expect to happen.

Booking on the Marriott website

When you book directly on the Marriott website or directly call the property to make a booking, your card is not charged until you check in. This usually applies to all card issuers and regional types of cards. This is to give guests more flexibility when it comes to their trips. You can cancel without having to lose a deposit or wait for it to be refunded.

The “advance purchase” option

If you like to control your finances and want to add your hotel booking to your monthly expenses, you can also go with the “advance purchase” option when booking. Simply select this option or let the person over the phone know. In this case, your card will be charged the whole stay plus any tax upfront. You will not be able to cancel the room with this purchase option. And you usually will not get a refund.

How does credit and debit card processing work with Marriott?

You can find Marriott’s Digital Entry Terms of Use on their website. But we’ve broken the lengthy text into digestible chunks for you to easily travel like a pro.

When you receive your room key(s)

The moment you check in and receive your room key(s) at the reception, your card will have been charged the first night’s rates. This is to protect the hotel’s financial interests.

A Check-In Hold

When you check in, a hold will be placed on your card. This is for room rates, tax, and any resort fees, which are usually listed in the Terms & Conditions when you book. This hold also covers incidentals that may occur during your stay, calculated per day of your trip, and can vary by location and by property.

Essentially this is your deposit. You will see this hold on your account for up to five working days after your departure. It is not uncommon to see this hold on your account beyond that, however. But if this hold remains in your account after a week, it’s in your best interest to call your bank and the property.

Is Marriot allowed to place this hold on your card?

Whether you like it or not, you have given permission for Marriott to place this hold on your card when you book. This is because when you made your booking, you entered a contract with the property and Marriott as a parent company. In this contract, you are obliged to authorize Marriot and the property to place this hold.

Why does Marriott place this hold on your card?

This hold is to cover all charges during your stay. This is to make sure if you don’t settle your bill after you leave the property, the hotel will still have a way to charge your card. This hold basically protects the hotel against guests who leave without paying.

Additional Charges

If you’re planning on having visitors stay in your room overnight, you should check with the hotel if you will be charged extra. Some properties may charge you nightly extra fees for each occupant above the maximum of two per room.

Liability for Charges

If you’re staying in the same room as someone else, you should be aware that you are liable for all damages they may cause to the rooms. The same goes for your visitors. If your companion or visitor smokes in the room, you will be charged an extra deep cleaning fee by the hotel as well.

You are also automatically giving them the ability to charge anything from the hotel premises to your card. If you don’t want your guests or visitors to have this much hold over your finances, simply speak to the front desk about your arrangements.

Does Marriott charge your card late?

There is a “prepaid reservation” option when booking with Marriott. It is stated that “prepaid rates will be charged the full cost of the reservation within 24 hours of making the reservation”. Meaning you will be charged the full price of your stay within 24 hours if you choose this option at booking. But many travelers on the internet have indicated otherwise.

There had been cases where Marriott doesn’t charge guests’ cards immediately upon prepaid reservations, or even within 24 hours. Some properties do charge this prepaid rate a few days prior to your arrival. But how many days varies from property to property. But most won’t charge guests until check out.

Why does Marriott do this? What is the benefit for Marriott for doing this? We will go through a few possibilities and suggestions we’ve seen on the internet.

Exchange Rates?

Some travelers have suggested that maybe the property wants to charge the guest when exchange rates between different currencies are best. But this is not the case.

When you book a hotel in another country, you enter a contract with the hotel in their local currency. When you are charged, you will be charged according to the rate when booking. So, Marriott still receives the stated amount for your room rates whether it’s in the local or your card’s currency.

Deposit, Holds, or Prepaid Charges

These payments are processed by the individual property manually. This means the rate with which your card will be charged depends on how busy the staff is at your chosen Marriott hotel, or how on top of things they may be.

If it’s a busy period for the hotel industry, your payment may be delayed for a few days before you can see it on your account. Unfortunately, there is no standard or guarantee when it comes to manual processing like this. But if there is a time limit to your payment processing, you can try flagging it up to your hotel.

Can Marriott forget to charge your card?

It is unlikely that Marriott will intentionally forget to charge your card.

As we’ve mentioned, it is common for your payment to show up on your account a few days, or even weeks, late. But it will appear eventually.

Even if the hotel doesn’t realize your stay wasn’t charged, at the end of the month, their accounting team will notice that your stay didn’t make any revenue for the property, and will flag this up with management pretty quickly. At this point, you may be charged for a stay a few weeks ago.

But sometimes transaction errors are still missed. So, if you need a record of spending to redeem an offer, then contact the hotel to ask them about the missing transaction.