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Marriott Amex - Card authorization/billing - Help!

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wasCB14
Super Contributor

Marriott Amex - Card authorization/billing - Help!

9/16. Resolved. It posted to my card. I got the remnants of the $300 credit, as well as a $25 credit from an Amex offer for a Marriott stay. The change is off of her card, and all pending "card verification" charges have dropped off from both cards.

 

@K-in-Bostonand anyone else who might know...

 

I hadn't yet used my full $300 credit on Bonvoy Brilliant, and my mother needed a hotel, so I called Marriott to see if I could use my card to get her a room. I called the hotel's phone number and pressed "1" for reservations. I explained very carefully that I wanted to pay for her room and that I would not be physically present. I gave my card number over the phone and made the reservation and they put a pending charge of $1 on the card. The confirmation says "Rewards gift to a friend, Member Rate" but also says there would be two guests.

 

When she went to check in, the hotel staff said I would have had to fill out a credit card authorization form 48 hours ago. The person who took the reservation on the phone didn't mention anything about such a form, and she had no problem with charging my card (if only to hold the room, it seems). Since my mother isn't an AU on the Marriott card, they're charging her for it.

 

The hotel people suggested I call their accounting department tomorrow, but I don't know if that will help. Suggestions?

Personal spend: Amex Gold, Amex Schwab Plat., BofA PR+CCR(x2), Costco
Business use: Amex Bus. Plat., BBP, Lowes Amex AU, CFU AU
Perks: Delta Plat., United Explorer, IHG49, Hyatt, "Old SPG"
Mostly SD: Freedom Flex, Freedom, Arrival
Upgrade/Downgrade games: ED, BCE
SUB chasing: AA Platinum Select
Message 1 of 7
6 REPLIES 6
K-in-Boston
Credit Mentor

Re: Marriott Amex - Card authorization/billing - Help!


@wasCB14 wrote:

@K-in-Bostonand anyone else who might know...

 

I hadn't yet used my full $300 credit on Bonvoy Brilliant, and my mother needed a hotel, so I called Marriott to see if I could use my card to get her a room. I called the hotel's phone number and pressed "1" for reservations. I explained very carefully that I wanted to pay for her room and that I would not be physically present. I gave my card number over the phone and made the reservation and they put a pending charge of $1 on the card. The confirmation says "Rewards gift to a friend, Member Rate" but also says there would be two guests.

 

When she went to check in, the hotel staff said I would have had to fill out a credit card authorization form 48 hours ago. The person who took the reservation on the phone didn't mention anything about such a form, and she had no problem with charging my card (if only to hold the room, it seems). Since my mother isn't an AU on the Marriott card, they're charging her for it.

 

The hotel people suggested I call their accounting department tomorrow, but I don't know if that will help. Suggestions?


I’ve paid for family members’ rooms before with SPG, SPG Luxury, and Bonvoy Whatever Card during its progression, and also Amex Gold and Delta Reserve when there were Spend $xxx at Marriott get $40 statement credit offers.

 

Usually they will never even ask, but sometimes they ask for a card at check-in for incidental fees but will still bill to the card used on the reservation if asked.  Did that as recently as a few weeks ago where I was not present. I did book all of these online, though.

Message 2 of 7
wasCB14
Super Contributor

Re: Marriott Amex - Card authorization/billing - Help!

What would you advise as a next step...call the hotel again when the accounting staff returns tomorrow?

 

Should I not have made the reservation by calling the hotel and pressing "1"? I don't book enough hotels for relatives to do it smoothly online. I hoped calling would make the situation clear, but I should have expected Marriott would be like IHG in giving lousy customer service to their not-really-elites.

Personal spend: Amex Gold, Amex Schwab Plat., BofA PR+CCR(x2), Costco
Business use: Amex Bus. Plat., BBP, Lowes Amex AU, CFU AU
Perks: Delta Plat., United Explorer, IHG49, Hyatt, "Old SPG"
Mostly SD: Freedom Flex, Freedom, Arrival
Upgrade/Downgrade games: ED, BCE
SUB chasing: AA Platinum Select
Message 3 of 7
wasCB14
Super Contributor

Re: Marriott Amex - Card authorization/billing - Help!

I went into my Marriott account online, found the reservation, and confirmed the payment payment (which involved selecting the card by last 4 and re-entering the full number). Additional "Pending" charges then appeared on the Amex website...two for $1 and one for $5. I'm not sure if that helped or hurt, but at least if it posts to both my card and her (presumably Chase) card she can get it reversed as double billing.

Personal spend: Amex Gold, Amex Schwab Plat., BofA PR+CCR(x2), Costco
Business use: Amex Bus. Plat., BBP, Lowes Amex AU, CFU AU
Perks: Delta Plat., United Explorer, IHG49, Hyatt, "Old SPG"
Mostly SD: Freedom Flex, Freedom, Arrival
Upgrade/Downgrade games: ED, BCE
SUB chasing: AA Platinum Select
Message 4 of 7
UncleB
Credit Mentor

Re: Marriott Amex - Card authorization/billing - Help!

For what it's worth, "back in the day" my office would have to deal with the accounting department of a couple of Marriott hotels when we would send non-management employees out-of-state for training (non-management generally didn't have corporate cards). 

 

The people at the Marriott hotels we dealt with were generally empowered and easy to deal with, and we were specifically having them bill room charges to a credit card that didn't belong to the person in the room.  Back then all they needed was for the card owner to type (or even hand-write) on a piece of paper that "____ has permission to charge their room+taxes to my credit card" and fax that over along with a photocopy of the physical card. 

 

Since things are more electronic now they might have done away with the fax part, but in any case I'm sure it won't be the first time the hotel has dealt with this and it's extremely likely they have a process in place.

Message 5 of 7
K-in-Boston
Credit Mentor

Re: Marriott Amex - Card authorization/billing - Help!

Unfortunately I don't have any advice at this point since I've not encountered the situation before.  If you are seeing pending authorizations, hopefully that is a good sign.

Message 6 of 7
wasCB14
Super Contributor

Re: Marriott Amex - Card authorization/billing - Help!

I called the hotel and spoke to someone in billing (who had left work before yesterday's inconvenience). They emailed me a link to a "Sertifi" website where I submitted the data electronically. So hopefully that should get sorted out today.

 

The person I spoke with today said the same things that the hotel staff person said yesterday. I don't know if it was because I booked over the phone or if it's true for that franchisee regardless of booking method, but they definitely required a CC authorization form for cards not present.

 

Thanks K and Uncle!

Personal spend: Amex Gold, Amex Schwab Plat., BofA PR+CCR(x2), Costco
Business use: Amex Bus. Plat., BBP, Lowes Amex AU, CFU AU
Perks: Delta Plat., United Explorer, IHG49, Hyatt, "Old SPG"
Mostly SD: Freedom Flex, Freedom, Arrival
Upgrade/Downgrade games: ED, BCE
SUB chasing: AA Platinum Select
Message 7 of 7
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