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Fee to pay by Credit Card

Fasttr

Fasttr

TUG Review Crew
TUG Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2013
Messages
6,885
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Location
Connecticut
Resorts Owned
Marriott's Grande Ocean (Enrolled)
MVC Trust Points
I assume this will be implemented to weeks MFs as well.....but just got this email for Trust points MFs and Dues.

Dear Marriott Vacation Club Trust Owner,

Thank you for being part of The Marriott Vacation Clubs® family. As we prepare the 2027 draft budget for Board review and approval, the management company continues working with your Board to identify opportunities to help reduce Association costs while providing convenient payment options for Owners.

Credit card processing expenses are a significant cost for many Associations. Currently, these costs are funded through the Association’s annual budget, which means they are shared by all Owners regardless of the payment method used.

At the direction of the MVC Trust Owners Association, Inc. Board, the management company pursued an alternate payment solution, beginning with the 2027 billing cycle in an effort to reduce Association expense. For 2027 and future years, Owners who choose to pay maintenance fees and/or club dues by credit card will be assessed a convenience fee surcharge of up to 3%, except where legally prohibited.

Some jurisdictions, including certain locations outside the United States, may limit or prohibit the use of a surcharge. As a result, the credit card processing expense line item cannot be eliminated entirely, but is expected to be significantly reduced for the Association.

This change better aligns credit card processing expenses with the Owners who choose to use that payment method, while helping reduce the total amount paid through the Association budget. Owners will continue to have flexible payment options. Those who choose to pay by credit card will be redirected to a third-party provider’s secure website to complete their transaction. All other currently accepted payment methods, including electronic check through ACH, debit card, and prepaid card, will remain available without a surcharge.

More information about this change, available payment options, and how the surcharge may apply will be included with the 2027 annual maintenance fee billing materials.

Thank you for your support as we continue to work together to efficiently manage costs for your Association.

Sincerely,
The Marriott Vacation Clubs
 
Let’s see, for every dollar paid on my Marriott CC, I get 6 Bonvoy points. And $1 payment costs me 3 cents. So 3 cents cost to get 6 Bonvoy = 1/2 cents/Bonvoy point cost. I believe The Points Guy says they are worth like 3/4 of a cent per point. Hmmmm
 
Just did the math myself. I guess I'm not using my Marriott Credit Card this year to pay my maintenance fees! :mad:
 
Good, and the added benefit is that MVC won't be adding their 10/15% management charge to the processing fee, like they do now when its part of maint fees.
 
Excellent! The Trust is saving pennies and losing dimes to cover the non-payment of delinquent accounts. Trust owners MFs will skyrocket as it has at resorts that have serious delinquent account issues (e.g. Harborside Atlantis). Giving owners an additional reason to not pay their MFs is a *really* bad idea.
 
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Fasttr said:
Seems like a way to increase MFs by 3%, shift this cost outside the MF calc, and claim MFs were flat.
Click to expand...
Or you could just not pay with a credit card if you want to avoid the 3% fee.
 
Wonder why all of us haven't received the same email?
 
Vistana sent emails out to owners of Westin and Sheraton Flex about this same thing earlier this month. I feared it would spread to more products.
tugbbs.com

"Important News About Your Payment Options"

Email received yesterday regarding availability of the "Maintenance Billing Statement". Statement was accessible from the Vistana Dashboard. The included BOD letter confirms the 1.5% fee reduction is due in part to implementation of the 3% credit card fee. Letter and budget are attached...
tugbbs.com tugbbs.com
 
It might be worth prepaying now to avoid the fee. At least this year.

Fasttr said:
Seems like a way to increase MFs by 3%, shift this cost outside the MF calc, and claim MFs were flat.
Click to expand...
Sheraton Flex saw a decrease in fees because they lowered the Credit Card Fee charged to the association when they broke it out as a new charge to be paid by owners using credit card.
 
Not surprised but I'm going to miss the Bonvoy pts when we pay our $12k maintenance fees. It seems to be happening everywhere, some of the restaurants we visit have started the same thing so we now have plenty of cash with us.
 
Always found it to be strange the association encourages discourages people to pay with cc. However the advantage is Bonvoy points. Weeks owner anyway. Let's see what all of the individual associations do? I sure they will all fall in line. However I live in one of those states where I am not supposed to get the extra fee.

However when paying the US treasury the processing fee is imposed? Even for the state treasury. So somehow the have found a way around the law? Will the on site change now include the extra fee?
 
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billymach4 said:
Always found it to be strange the association encourages people to pay with cc. However the advantage was Bonvoy points. Weeks owner anyway. Let's see what all of the individual associations do? I sure they will all fall in line. However I live in one of those states where I am not supposed to get the extra fee.

However when paying the US treasury the processing fee is imposed? Even for the state treasury. So somehow the have found a way around the law? Will the on site change now include the extra fee?
Click to expand...
That's rather ironic! I can see where Uncle Sam is entitled to collect the fee, but your own state which does not allow any other entity? Am I understanding this correctly?
 
It seems they are sending these emails out ahead of the 2027 assessments going out. They sent the emails to Sheraton and Westin Flex and then a few days later one of them sent out the 2027 maintenance fee bills. I don't think we are very close yet to any 2027 deeded week bills being distributed yet, but I wonder if deeded week owners will get similar emails shortly before those bills get sent?

They might as well take those marketing placards off the desks in the sales offices that promote applying for the credit cards. I wonder if Chase or Amex had any say in this. Though this is just a drop in the bucket for them.
 
dioxide45 said:
It seems they are sending these emails out ahead of the 2027 assessments going out. They sent the emails to Sheraton and Westin Flex and then a few days later one of them sent out the 2027 maintenance fee bills. I don't think we are very close yet to any 2027 deeded week bills being distributed yet, but I wonder if deeded week owners will get similar emails shortly before those bills get sent?

They might as well take those marketing placards off the desks in the sales offices that promote applying for the credit cards. I wonder if Chase or Amex had any say in this. Though this is just a drop in the bucket for them.
Click to expand...
I don't see where the cc issuer would have any say when it's the decision of the HOA? It's becoming more and more common to charge the customer for the fee - a practice I neither like nor support.
 
So, after the math, some will continue to use their cc's. What about everyone else? Will you mail a check?
 
This is fantastic!! I'm quite sure that the trust will be "sharing" the savings in our 2027 year MF's. What a great company!!!
 
Snazzylass said:
So, after the math, some will continue to use their cc's. What about everyone else? Will you mail a check?
Click to expand...
I am unsure but I sure think it's unfair that a few states don't have to pay. I feel like writing the powers that be in Colorado to complain that we have to pay 3%. If only Marriott took gift cards as payment...

This could be unlawful (queue the lawyers) because some don't pay by laws enacted in those few states. That's unfair and poses fees on some and not others. Oh, well, I beat the drum and now will just pay the fee. Nothing I can do about any of it.
 
Snazzylass said:
I don't see where the cc issuer would have any say when it's the decision of the HOA? It's becoming more and more common to charge the customer for the fee - a practice I neither like nor support.
Click to expand...
I guess asking if they had a say wasn't the best use of words there. My bigger question is, would the card issuer be concerned that one of their vendors is actively driving credit card payment volume to other payment methods. Especially one that has a license agreement with a company that has an affiliation to offer branded credit cards. What would happen if Marriott hotels started charging a 3% credit card surcharge for hotel stays?
 
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goodbadugly said:
This is fantastic!! I'm quite sure that the trust will be "sharing" the savings in our 2027 year MF's. What a great company!!!
Click to expand...
Sheraton Flex maintenance fees went down by about 1.5%. The association letter indicated it was primarily due to shifting the credit card fees. The problem is the credit card fee can be up to 3%. So owners who pay by credit card will certainly be paying more. Those that don't pay by credit card will pay less.
 
dioxide45 said:
I guess asking if they had a say wasn't the best use of words there. My bigger question is, would the card issuer be concerned that one of their vendors is actively driving credit card payment volume to other payment methods. Especially one that has a license agreement with a company that has an affiliation to offer branded credit cards. What would happen if Marriott hotels started charging a 3% credit card surcharge?
Click to expand...
Both Visa and MC settled a lawsuit this year over interchange fees that allowed more companies to assess a CC surcharge. So expect to see even more of this.

Even though I play the miles and points game, I'm starting to believe the US should follow almost all other jurisdictions and adopt a low limit on what processors can charge for interchange fees.
 
The only territory or states that currently prohibit charging the 3% fee are CO, MA, ME, and Puerto Rico.

A few other states may have some lessor restrictions.

















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