have had guests ask ... 'what discount will you give me if i pay cash?' i don't want to go there..
I thought of that, too. I'm only saving maybe $3-4/night if they don't use the cc, and I KNOW they mean $10-$20 off. I was thinking long range, over the year, I might save a few hundred dollars if I got enough guests to opt for cash. I only asked because we had 1 guest pay for 4 days in cash.seashanty said:have had guests ask ... 'what discount will you give me if i pay cash?' i don't want to go there.
In my experience cash paying customers cause the most problems. Trashing rooms and all that sort of thing. I have gone months without a cash payment from a guest and then all of a sudden I will get one. The ones who were problems were the people who were walk-ins with no reservations a head of time. I will take cash if they have an advance reservation with a credit card deposit on file already. Just makes me feel better that way. If they are a walk-in I will require a $20 credit card non-refundable deposit that is charged at check-in l and then take the remaing amount in cash. That way I have a valid credit card on file that works..
I will agree that walk-ins with cash may be an issue. I DO have a fairly decent number of folks who just do not want the cc debt for a 'girlfriends getaway'. No money trail for the spouse perhaps? I don't know. The couple this weekend, who knows. They were quiet and did no damage.oceans said:In my experience cash paying customers cause the most problems. Trashing rooms and all that sort of thing. I have gone months without a cash payment from a guest and then all of a sudden I will get one. The ones who were problems were the people who were walk-ins with no reservations a head of time. I will take cash if they have an advance reservation with a credit card deposit on file already. Just makes me feel better that way. If they are a walk-in I will require a $20 credit card non-refundable deposit that is charged at check-in l and then take the remaing amount in cash. That way I have a valid credit card on file that works.
Yeah the credit card machines now truncate the numbers so now you only see the last 4 digits. On my system if there is a dispute you can use the transaction ID to settle a dispute. You can also just write the credit card number down by hand on a piece of paper and hold on to it while they are there.In my experience cash paying customers cause the most problems. Trashing rooms and all that sort of thing. I have gone months without a cash payment from a guest and then all of a sudden I will get one. The ones who were problems were the people who were walk-ins with no reservations a head of time. I will take cash if they have an advance reservation with a credit card deposit on file already. Just makes me feel better that way. If they are a walk-in I will require a $20 credit card non-refundable deposit that is charged at check-in l and then take the remaing amount in cash. That way I have a valid credit card on file that works..I will agree that walk-ins with cash may be an issue. I DO have a fairly decent number of folks who just do not want the cc debt for a 'girlfriends getaway'. No money trail for the spouse perhaps? I don't know. The couple this weekend, who knows. They were quiet and did no damage.oceans said:In my experience cash paying customers cause the most problems. Trashing rooms and all that sort of thing. I have gone months without a cash payment from a guest and then all of a sudden I will get one. The ones who were problems were the people who were walk-ins with no reservations a head of time. I will take cash if they have an advance reservation with a credit card deposit on file already. Just makes me feel better that way. If they are a walk-in I will require a $20 credit card non-refundable deposit that is charged at check-in l and then take the remaing amount in cash. That way I have a valid credit card on file that works.
How do you have a cc number on file if they charge $20? My processor no longer allows me access to the cc numbers.
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I don't carry my cc with me, either. I have a debit card only. My dh has to travel 65 miles one way to get to work, so we have one cc that he carries in case he breaks down or needs something on the road. He rarely uses it.I have no credit cards. We use our debit card as "credit"... that way it stays in the checking account a few extra days. I use the card for everything so I have a record online that I can download into Quicken.
Last weekend I had a guest who wanted to pay her balance with a check. Fine by me. She said she was trying to get out of debt, and couldn't believe we have no credit cards, that eveything comes straight out of the checking. I told her if we don't have the money, we don't go. Once we finally got out of debt we've been very leery of getting back in again.
We have a line of credit if we truly get an emergency, and I've used store cards to get the discount by signing up, but then we let them go.
=)
Kk..
Yeah the credit card machines now truncate the numbers so now you only see the last 4 digits. On my system if there is a dispute you can use the transaction ID to settle a dispute. You can also just write the credit card number down by hand on a piece of paper and hold on to it while they are there.In my experience cash paying customers cause the most problems. Trashing rooms and all that sort of thing. I have gone months without a cash payment from a guest and then all of a sudden I will get one. The ones who were problems were the people who were walk-ins with no reservations a head of time. I will take cash if they have an advance reservation with a credit card deposit on file already. Just makes me feel better that way. If they are a walk-in I will require a $20 credit card non-refundable deposit that is charged at check-in l and then take the remaing amount in cash. That way I have a valid credit card on file that works..I will agree that walk-ins with cash may be an issue. I DO have a fairly decent number of folks who just do not want the cc debt for a 'girlfriends getaway'. No money trail for the spouse perhaps? I don't know. The couple this weekend, who knows. They were quiet and did no damage.oceans said:In my experience cash paying customers cause the most problems. Trashing rooms and all that sort of thing. I have gone months without a cash payment from a guest and then all of a sudden I will get one. The ones who were problems were the people who were walk-ins with no reservations a head of time. I will take cash if they have an advance reservation with a credit card deposit on file already. Just makes me feel better that way. If they are a walk-in I will require a $20 credit card non-refundable deposit that is charged at check-in l and then take the remaing amount in cash. That way I have a valid credit card on file that works.
How do you have a cc number on file if they charge $20? My processor no longer allows me access to the cc numbers.
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Not all credit card machines are set up this way. We discussed this a year or so ago, apparently they are supposed to be. Mine is not. I have called them and they argued and told me this is not true. I have called again and got the same thing. So only the guest copy shows the last 4 digits, and if I do a reprint I get all the #'s.oceans said:Yeah the credit card machines now truncate the numbers so now you only see the last 4 digits. On my system if there is a dispute you can use the transaction ID to settle a dispute. You can also just write the credit card number down by hand on a piece of paper and hold on to it while they are there.
You're kidding, right? This economy that we've got going now, people will be holding onto their cashola & pulling out the plastic!
The only folks that have paid me with cash are the few that probably didn't want a "paper trail". As JBJ calls them, the flings.
Actually, I am getting a run of Discover Cards all of a sudden. Most everyone gives me some kind of "rewards" card, too. Just the way it is...most people want their 30 day float, even if they pay off their cards every month..
Flings is short for fling-a-ding-dingSamster said:You're kidding, right? This economy that we've got going now, people will be holding onto their cashola & pulling out the plastic!
The only folks that have paid me with cash are the few that probably didn't want a "paper trail". As JBJ calls them, the flings.
Actually, I am getting a run of Discover Cards all of a sudden. Most everyone gives me some kind of "rewards" card, too. Just the way it is...most people want their 30 day float, even if they pay off their cards every month.
i have a credit card. i never use it. and i am not anxious to be in debt ... i am working on being debt free.
i use my debit card if i need a 'card' for easier travel..
I use a credit card for every single purchase, every single time. I keep track of all expenses this way. I only use a check if I have to. At the end of the year or start of the year when I do taxes I get a print out of every single purchase all in one for the entire year. It separates all grocery purchases from say petrol or dining out.seashanty said:i have a credit card. i never use it. and i am not anxious to be in debt ... i am working on being debt free.
i use my debit card if i need a 'card' for easier travel.
I don't carry my cc with me, either. I have a debit card only. My dh has to travel 65 miles one way to get to work, so we have one cc that he carries in case he breaks down or needs something on the road. He rarely uses it.I have no credit cards. We use our debit card as "credit"... that way it stays in the checking account a few extra days. I use the card for everything so I have a record online that I can download into Quicken.
Last weekend I had a guest who wanted to pay her balance with a check. Fine by me. She said she was trying to get out of debt, and couldn't believe we have no credit cards, that eveything comes straight out of the checking. I told her if we don't have the money, we don't go. Once we finally got out of debt we've been very leery of getting back in again.
We have a line of credit if we truly get an emergency, and I've used store cards to get the discount by signing up, but then we let them go.
=)
Kk..
I went to get gas the other day and my debit card wouldn't swipe. The place has a "no type in" policy. So I had to leave my drivers license at the gas station to go across town to the ATM to remove money so that I could pay for my gas. I almost wished I'd had a cc at that moment...but the debt isn't worth the trouble.
.
You are assuming someone who uses a credit card is in debt? Bad assumption.penelope said:I don't carry my cc with me, either. I have a debit card only. My dh has to travel 65 miles one way to get to work, so we have one cc that he carries in case he breaks down or needs something on the road. He rarely uses it.
I went to get gas the other day and my debit card wouldn't swipe. The place has a "no type in" policy. So I had to leave my drivers license at the gas station to go across town to the ATM to remove money so that I could pay for my gas. I almost wished I'd had a cc at that moment...but the debt isn't worth the trouble.
Bree, I stayed at a B&B once that encouraged cash payment.
We booked 5 nights, paid one night cc deposit so they had it on file. When we showed up, he took us to our room, gave us a folder with our invoice in it, and said "The remainder is due by checkout. We're small, so it really helps us if you could pay any part in cash. There's an ATM next door." The ATM next door was about a 5 minute walk, but on the way into town.
DH and I discussed as we withdrew the cash. I thought it was quite gutsy of him to ask, but DH knew more about cc fees, etc. at the time so he went along with it. I was a little ticked, because we were in Europe and got much better exchange rates on our cc than ATM, plus international withdrawal fees, but it didn't change our minds about the quality of the stay, and we'd go back.
If it had been in the U.S. and we knew about the preference in advance so we could withdraw at our bank, I probably wouldn't have minded. But once he asked, we couldn't say no.
Here's another one--I recently visited a small B&B that only takes cash. No idea if she reports it or not, but she thought it was absurd for a small biz to take cc. No checks either..
Overseas you can get back the VAT (extra tax) if you have it all on your credit card, it is a SUPER easy transaction, versus copying all the rcpts and sending them all in and the forms. You DO get a better xchange rate using your cc. But certian countries you pay up to 18% fee to use the credit card at a hotel/B&B. I have not been lately, but this is how it was a couple years ago.stephanie said:Bree, I stayed at a B&B once that encouraged cash payment.
We booked 5 nights, paid one night cc deposit so they had it on file. When we showed up, he took us to our room, gave us a folder with our invoice in it, and said "The remainder is due by checkout. We're small, so it really helps us if you could pay any part in cash. There's an ATM next door." The ATM next door was about a 5 minute walk, but on the way into town.
DH and I discussed as we withdrew the cash. I thought it was quite gutsy of him to ask, but DH knew more about cc fees, etc. at the time so he went along with it. I was a little ticked, because we were in Europe and got much better exchange rates on our cc than ATM, plus international withdrawal fees, but it didn't change our minds about the quality of the stay, and we'd go back.
If it had been in the U.S. and we knew about the preference in advance so we could withdraw at our bank, I probably wouldn't have minded. But once he asked, we couldn't say no.
Here's another one--I recently visited a small B&B that only takes cash. No idea if she reports it or not, but she thought it was absurd for a small biz to take cc. No checks either.
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