Marriott gift card sale (targeted offer)

[Dean]

Checked out of Kaua'i Beach Club. The evening before check out I stopped at front desk and asked about applying the card.
Got the same response as at Westin Ka'anapoli - that if they applied the card ahead of check out time, I would not get a refund of the balance.

So waited until check out, applied card and have a balance of $29.

I'm pretty certain you can specify the amount you want to apply to rather than just putting the card down you could have them charge X amount to the card and if there was a remaining balance, have that go on a CC or return the last morning to do the additional amount.

 

[GrayFal]

I'm pretty certain you can specify the amount you want to apply to rather than just putting the card down you could have them charge X amount to the card and if there was a remaining balance, have that go on a CC or return the last morning to do the additional amount.

I will be the guinea pig and give it a try.

 

[BigDawgTUG]

I'm pretty certain you can specify the amount you want to apply to rather than just putting the card down you could have them charge X amount to the card and if there was a remaining balance, have that go on a CC or return the last morning to do the additional amount.

Correct. I've done it this way many times both the night before or the morning of check-out. As Dean correctly notes, they just need to specify the amount that is to be charged to the gift card and, in that case, only that amount will be charged to the gift card. If any front desk person tells you otherwise, just ask to speak to somebody who knows how to correctly process the gift card.

 

[Dean]

Correct. I've done it this way many times both the night before or the morning of check-out. As Dean correctly notes, they just need to specify the amount that is to be charged to the gift card and, in that case, only that amount will be charged to the gift card. If any front desk person tells you otherwise, just ask to speak to somebody who knows how to correctly process the gift card.

Let me add. If there is not enough on the card to cover the entire amount I'm pretty sure this is the only way it'll work anyway as is the case for many prepaid cards.

 

[dioxide45]

Let me add. If there is not enough on the card to cover the entire amount I'm pretty sure this is the only way it'll work anyway as is the case for many prepaid cards.

So, if I have a $200 card and the room folio balance is $250, I should be sure to tell them that the card only has a balance of $200? I will have this very situation as we bought five cards at $200 each vs. one big fat card at $1,000.

It doesn't seem like these gift cards are as easy to use a retail store gift cards where the system is smart enough that it just applies the balance of the card then their registers show the remaining balance to be paid by another method.

 

[Dean]

So, if I have a $200 card and the room folio balance is $250, I should be sure to tell them that the card only has a balance of $200? I will have this very situation as we bought five cards at $200 each vs. one big fat card at $1,000.

It doesn't seem like these gift cards are as easy to use a retail store gift cards where the system is smart enough that it just applies the balance of the card then their registers show the remaining balance to be paid by another method.

That is my understanding and my recollection of how it worked the last time I bit the bullet. There were multiple aggravations in using them as well as keeping up with the emailed ones along with the restrictions of what one could and could not use them for. 20% is not enough for me to fool with them. I did $4K the one time I braved doing this and it wasn't worth it and I'm pretty cheap, good at keeping up with gift cards and don't mind sweating a few details. For me I'd want at least 25% off AND enough volume. I'm not certain but I seem to recall that to get physical gift cards there was a shipping fee the one time I did this. It took me like 5 or 6 years to be able to use them.

 

[BigDawgTUG]

So, if I have a $200 card and the room folio balance is $250, I should be sure to tell them that the card only has a balance of $200? I will have this very situation as we bought five cards at $200 each vs. one big fat card at $1,000.

It doesn't seem like these gift cards are as easy to use a retail store gift cards where the system is smart enough that it just applies the balance of the card then their registers show the remaining balance to be paid by another method.

Last February, had similar situation. Folio balance was more than initial gift card. Just told clerk to charge the gift card for the balance (I told him in advance what the remaining balance was on that card). Then, gave him the next card, and told him to only charge it for the remaining balance of the folio. No issue. Just need to make sure you have a front desk person who knows how to do this. Many don't, and they'll typically ask a co-worker to help if they don't know how to do it. In my experience, most are not trained to apply gift cards, but there is always one or two there who do know how to do it.