Charging to your room

[Alan Mendelson]

On my last two quickie trips to Caesars Palace I ran into problems charging anything to my room.

First time it was an unplanned overnight stay. At check-in, instead of giving a credit card, I used the option of giving a $200 cash deposit towards room charges. However, when I got up to my room I discovered I could not watch a movie or open the room refrigerator to get a soda, etc. It seems that without a credit card, you have no access. The $200 deposit is to cover "incidentals" but not expenses such as movie rentals, room bar, room service, or restaurant charges. I told them I was Seven Stars and entitled to a free movie -- but still they wouldn't release the movie rentals because I might watch more than the one free movie I get with Seven Stars. So, I called my host who had them release the movie rental.

Second time it was a planned overnight stay, but I didn't give them a credit card but my debit card. The Seven Stars check-in person said nothing to me, but that evening at The Old Homestead Steak House I found out I couldn't charge to my room because a debit card was not considered to be a credit card. So I actually had to pay the check in cash and then... I had to march over to the Seven Stars check in and give them a credit card to use. However, at that point I was angry because I wanted to use my Reward Credits to pay for the dinner. So I told the Seven Stars manager to get me a CASH refund from Old Homestead Steak (which they did do and gave me cash a few minutes later) and charge the dinner to my room (which they did) to the credit card they now had.

Now... a few months ago I stayed at Bellagio, and I gave Bellagio my debit card and I had no problems charging anything to my room including some meals or watching movies which I had to pay for with either comp dollars or cash.

[Rob.Singer]

I've never heard of ran into a situation where using a debit card differs in any way from using a credit card at check-in or when charging something to a room. I always use AMEX but there's been plenty of times over the years where I forgot to bring it and used a debit card instead.

[jbjb]

The only place where I was denied because of a debit card was a car rental company. My card also had a small credit line so I had them contact the bank to verify it, and after, they accepted it.

[Dan Druff]

My friend had a similar issue when he "turned off room charges" at the Rio over the summer, then attempted to redeem a $150 food credit he got via an offer.

I was at the restaurant with him when it happened. The server basically told us "tough luck" (well, a more polite version of it) and that we would have to pay another way. All the server knew was that it rejected, not that it had to do with the room charge restriction he put on. He eventually guessed that was the cause, and told the server. The server called the Rio and asked them to put this through somehow, and they told him that they can't do it.

He returned to us and gave us the bad news. At that point I told him, "Look, this is the only way we can pay. He has a $150 food credit. It's good here. If he can't use it because your system is messed up, we can't pay. So figure it out."

He called back the Rio (we are at Harrah's), and they somehow figured it out and put it through.

[Dan Druff]

Anyway, Alan, I agree these are idiotic quirks in the system. As I'm sure you know, CET has many such annoying quirks. (How about the one where you pay tax if you charge back to the room and use RCs at checkouts, but pay no tax if you directly pay with RCs?)

But I have to ask you...

Why did you use a debit card at checkin?

You realize that the fraud/chargeback protections are MUCH stronger with credit cards, right?

It's a huge pain in the ass attempting to charge back a debit card. Also, a debit card takes the money first, while the credit card sends you a bill. This allows you to KEEP any disputed money involving a credit card charge until it's solved, whereas you have to wait to get back any reversed debit card charge.

In general I suggest avoiding debit cards if you can qualify for a credit card (which you obviously can, and apparently have them).

[Alan Mendelson]

But I have to ask you...

Why did you use a debit card at checkin?

I never had a problem with my Debit Card at Bellagio so I thought there would be no problem at Caesars. I knew I would be paying for two meals with clients because I didn't have enough comp dollars -- lunch at Mesa Grill and dinner at Old Homestead -- so it was better for me to have it come out of my debit card account.

Had the check in clerk said anything to me, I easily could have used my Amex.

Later the manager told me that the check in clerk screwed up -- and should have told me about the problem with a debit card.

[Rob.Singer]

So CET actually has a separate debit card policy as it relates to certain room charging privileges? Makes no sense. If the front desk authorizes $200 from ANY card at check-in and you try to charge something from your room that goes over that amount, responsible, normal Business 101 hotels get a quick addt'l authorization to cover the transaction. If the card gets denied then you pay another way period. It's not rocket science.

[Alan Mendelson]

Rob Singer you make sense. Please call Caesars and have them change their policy.

[Alan Mendelson]

On a related note: I recall being in the 7 Stars/Diamond check in when a guest said they didn't want to pay the $200 deposit because they would not be charging anything to the room. A manager was called and the resolution was this: the guest was limited to free TV and the refrigerator was locked and the guest nuts and waters that are left on the dresser (you know-- those things that cost $15 each to touch) were removed from the room.

[jbjb]

The room deposits aren't just for "incidents." They also help cover any possible damage to the room and such.

[Alan Mendelson]

The room deposits aren't just for "incidents." They also help cover any possible damage to the room and such.

I wonder what Caesars did during that first New Years Eve weekend when the Augustus Tower first opened? About a dozen big screen TVs checked out along with the guests who apparently smuggled them out of the hotel inside big boxes thought to be "luggage."

[pkspins]

I'm sure they're treating debit cards this way because of the complaints they get from users when the authorizations end up being unnecessary, as charges get comped off by hosts or against TR point balances, yet the holds can take days to clear depending on your bank.

I've only used credit cards there but on the one occasion I happened to be watching my account online throughout my trip, they made multiple authorizations as I charged more and more to my room throughout the trip. When I checked out, all that ended up being left to charge to the card were all the tips, and AMEX cleared all the holds when that actual charge came through.

I never use my debit card for anything but ATM cash withdrawals, for the reasons Dan mentioned.

[Alan Mendelson]

Caesars puts holds on credit cards also. How quickly the holds disappear depends on your card company. Amex is pretty good about doing it quickly. But I've had holds that stayed on Amex for three days because I checked out of Caesars on a Saturday.

[regnis]

I was surprised that when checking out on the TV in your room (Caesars Las Vegas), it doesn't offer the option to pay with your rewards. I had to go down to the Diamond check in (out) to remove the charge from my credit card and use rewards.

In AC, they automatically used my rewards first.

[Alan Mendelson]

I was surprised that when checking out on the TV in your room (Caesars Las Vegas), it doesn't offer the option to pay with your rewards. I had to go down to the Diamond check in (out) to remove the charge from my credit card and use rewards.

In AC, they automatically used my rewards first.

I always call "guest services" to check out, and I ask them to apply my reward credits first -- which they do. And you are correct -- the TV check-out system does not access our reward credits.

[regnis]

In AC, they actually stopped me from using my rewards on certain 2 for 1 items and I paid for those with my credit card. They were nice to notify me that one place there was a 2-1 redemption and made sure I knew before they put it through.

[Alan Mendelson]

In AC, they actually stopped me from using my rewards on certain 2 for 1 items and I paid for those with my credit card. They were nice to notify me that one place there was a 2-1 redemption and made sure I knew before they put it through.

Doesn't it still make sense to pay with RCs at 2 for 1 instead of using real money?

[Dan Druff]

That would never make sense.

You could pay with real money and then redeem the RCs at 1.25:1 for freeplay instead.

You'll come out way ahead, barring unusually bad luck running the freeplay. (Also, the freeplay is actually worth exactly the dollar amount printed it if you were planning to play anyway, where you just end up substituting the freeplay for real money you were going to feed into the machine!)

[regnis]

Actually, it may make sense to use rewards, even at 2-1, so as to use up your rewards and start to receive discretionary comps. But that would only apply if you were going to be in Vegas for additional days or going back in the near future, neither of which applied to me. What little rewards points that I have will get used up for lunch locally over the next 12 months, and there are little or no discretionary comps here (at least at my minimum play).

[Alan Mendelson]

The last thing I do on a trip is to check out of the room. There is no play after I check out. I don't see the point in carrying over RCs to use on a future trip over having real cash in my wallet. I can always use cash wherever I go --but I can't use RCs except at Caesars' casinos and resorts.

So yes, I am going to pay all bills with RCs first and keep my cash.

I guess I don't have a "long term view" when it comes to casinos and gambling. I view as paying with RCs and leaving with cash as part of a "quit while ahead" plan. Really... do you want to pay with dollars or RCs?