When Hotels Actually Charge Your Card
Hotel billing is confusing – I’ve talked to enough people who’ve been surprised by charges to know this is worth explaining. Here’s how it actually works so you don’t get caught off guard.
At Booking
Prepaid/Non-refundable rates: Charged immediately. You pay less but can’t cancel without losing your money. Common on discount sites and direct bookings when you choose the cheaper option deliberately.
Flexible rates: Usually just hold your card info. No actual charge until check-in or check-out, depending on the hotel’s policy.
At Check-in
Even if you already paid in full, most hotels put an authorization hold on your card. This isn’t a charge – it’s a temporary freeze on funds to cover potential incidentals (minibar, room service, damages, that kind of thing).
Hold amounts vary widely. $50-150 per night is common. Luxury hotels might hold significantly more.
The hold ties up your available credit until it’s released. If you’re near your credit limit, this can create annoying problems.
At Check-out
Final bill gets charged for real. The authorization hold either converts to the final charge or gets released (takes 3-7 days to actually disappear from your statement, depends on your bank).
If you prepaid everything, you’ll just see incidentals charged at check-out.
Third-Party Booking Sites
Expedia, Booking.com, and similar sites add complexity to the equation. Some charge you directly at booking. Some let the hotel charge you. Some do weird split billing that’s hard to track.
Read the payment terms carefully before confirming. “Pay at property” means the hotel charges you. “Pay now” means the OTA charges you.
Avoiding Billing Surprises
Use a credit card, not debit. Authorization holds on debit cards freeze your actual cash in your checking account. Credit cards just reduce your available credit temporarily.
Ask about the hold amount at check-in so you know what to expect on your statement.
Check your statement a week after check-out. Holds should be gone by then. If not, call the hotel directly.
Book directly with hotels when possible. Fewer layers of billing confusion to sort through if something goes wrong.
