How To Book a Hotel Without a Credit Card

You will probably stay in a hotel once or twice in your life. Whether you're going on vacation or reuniting with family, hotel stays are incredibly common these days.

However, if you tend to avoid credit cards and live on cash, it can be difficult to find a hotel room. While it is not impossible to book a hotel without a credit card, it is not a simple process either.

In this article, we'll explore why it's difficult, which hotels still allow you to make reservations this way, and give you some tips for finding hotels that allow you to make reservations without a credit card.

Why is it difficult to book a hotel without a card

Before credit cards became common, the world revolved around money. However, when the first universal credit card was made available, launched in 1950 by Diner's Club, the concept of personal credit was quickly adopted.

Today, almost all hotels require a credit card at the time of purchase. reservation; you will need one upon check-in. The hotel charges a damage deposit upon check-in to cover any damage that may occur during your stay in the room.

If you accept payment for the room in cash when a guest makes the reservation, you will be unprotected if something goes wrong.

Which hotels will make reservations without a credit card?

While it is not impossible to book a hotel without a credit card, it can be difficult to find one that allows you to do so. In general, you will need at least a credit, debit or prepaid card to reserve your room.

You can often change your payment method, either at check-in or after completing your stay. There are still hotels that accept cash from major chains, such as Hilton, IHG, Choice, and Wyndham, although the policy varies between properties.

Check with the hotel you plan to stay at to make sure cash is accepted to reserve a room there.

If you prefer to book online without a credit card, you can call the hotel directly and make a deal. Otherwise, using an online travel agency (OTA) can help you find a hotel that can be booked without a credit card.

Booking.com is an excellent option to book without using a credit card, as it includes a filter that specifically searches for hotels that allow you to make a reservation this way. This is by far the simplest option.

Other hotels will allow you to change your payment method to cash upon arrival, including a cash deposit. You will still need some type of card to book online, but you can choose to reserve a room that is not prepaid. This means that your card will never be charged whenever you change your payment method at the hotel.

Here are some examples of hotels that allow you to use cash at check-in or check-out.

Tips for booking a hotel without a credit card

If you are determined not to use a credit card, there are other options to consider. This includes using a debit card, buying a prepaid card, or using an online travel agency that allows payment through PayPal.

While having a credit card may be something you want to avoid, you can reap significant rewards with the right card. Just make sure you pay your bill on time.

Debit

If you have a bank account, you likely have a debit card as well. Otherwise, you can call your bank to find out if you qualify. A debit card is linked directly to your bank account, so you won't be able to collect more money than you have in your account.

When booking a hotel with a debit card, keep in mind that the escrow counts as a hold on your total balance. This means that you will not have access to your money until the hold is released.

Online travel agencies

OTAs act as intermediaries between clients and hotels. They collect pricing information from various hotels and present it in aggregate form for you.

Some OTAs allow you to book and pay for your hotel using PayPal, which in turn allows you to link your bank account as a payment method; then you can use PayPal to pay for your hotel.

Hotwire, Orbitz, Hotels.com, and Expedia are OTAs that allow you to book and pay with PayPal.

Prepaid card

You may not have a credit card and don't want to get a debit card, so a prepaid card might be an option. Depending on where you are staying, you can choose to buy a reloadable card and use it to make your reservation. Not all chains support this, however, you will need to check with each hotel before doing so.

 

We hope you enjoy watching this video about How To Book a Hotel Without a Credit Card

Source: WalletHub

 

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