Discrimination - Paying for a hotel room by credit card!

JakeGreen

fiestafolie wrote: »

Looks like I will have to apply for a card that I really don't want, just to get the perks in life!

You may aswell get a cashback or rewards card while you're at it

Owain_Moneysaver

lawstudent wrote: »

For example if you eat in my restaurant I must accept your £50 note to settle the bill

Actually not, because banknotes aren't legal tender. Pound coins are in unlimited amount. Smaller coin is in limited amounts.

Bob_the_Saver

It's their business so it's their rules - full stop.

The_Boss

Given the protection of buying certain items on a credit card , I'm shocked that someone who seems very aware of debt issues and therefore would likely avoid them does not think a credit card would be useful.

Torry_Quine

JakeGreen wrote: »

Every hotel that I've stayed at required a credit card (rather than a debit card). Even rooms which had been fully pre-paid. It's standard practice.

Many of us here on the credit cards board use cards to our advantage. Rather than leading us into debt, we use them to reduce our living costs and get rewards.

I don't have a credit card and have never had a problem booking a hotel room with my debit card.

That said it's entirely up to them what they accept for payment.

lawstudent

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

Actually not, because banknotes aren't legal tender. Pound coins are in unlimited amount. Smaller coin is in limited amounts.

I beg to differ...

http://www.royalmint.com/aboutus/policies-and-guidelines/legal-tender-guidelines

CKhalvashi

JakeGreen wrote: »

Every hotel that I've stayed at required a credit card (rather than a debit card). Even rooms which had been fully pre-paid. It's standard practice.

Many of us here on the credit cards board use cards to our advantage. Rather than leading us into debt, we use them to reduce our living costs and get rewards.

I'm with this one.

We use CC's to get discounts on hotels, which when booking for anything up to 70 rooms at a time, for same hotel, same nights etc, can work to the advantage.

I assume from your post that you've gone through a separate site, which has most probably done the same form of deal. We don't sell our rooms on, but we know that some sites do.

I rack up about £500k a year on my CC, paid in full each month, and haven't paid a penny in interest yet. We do, however, generally get at least one 5*, all inclusive holiday somewhere nice each year (paying just tax), each year. This is taking Airmiles to the extreme, I know, but that's life.

CK

Gordon_Hose

Get a pre-paid Mastercard. Load it up with the correct amount. Pay. Enjoy your hotel room.

chattychappy

Owain_Moneysaver wrote: »

Actually not, because banknotes aren't legal tender. Pound coins are in unlimited amount. Smaller coin is in limited amounts.

lawstudent is correct:

lawstudent wrote: »

I beg to differ...

http://www.royalmint.com/aboutus/policies-and-guidelines/legal-tender-guidelines

Also here:

http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/Pages/about/faqs.aspx#16

fiestafolie wrote: »

However, my issue is more to do with the fact that I do still feel that I am being discriminated against for not having a credit card and that the hotel's policy is completely unfair.

Perhaps you do feel discriminated against. But in general there is no law against that. People/organisations are free to discriminate on whatever basis they like - subject to well known exceptions (race, sex etc). I don't think the hotel's policy is completely unfair - it's just a commercial decision they have made for their own reasons. This kind of thing happens all the time. You buy something in a shop only to find next day it has gone down in price. Is that fair? An Easyjet customer might sit next to someone who paid half the price for the same flight. Is that fair?

You can call it a free society if you like. But bear in mind, that the law intervenes in specific areas. Human rights law and discrimination law have very specific applications.

prowla

I don't think that a credit or debit card are "legal tender", as per the definition of the term.

It is often the case that small retailers will accept debit cards rather than credit cards, due to card charges.

Curiously in this case, the hotel has flipped that on its head.