Debit card for seapass acct?

[Ashland]

If you leave a debit card you can still give cash. You sign up with debit card. Then give them whatever cash you intend to spend. It will be like a credit to your account. If you use those funds they will then charge your card.

What's the point :confused:...Still easier for the OP to set their account up as a cash one. Why should they run the risk of having any funds possibly held since it "has" happened to some.

[Rwwebber4]

Reiterating what was already said, but with more emphasis, definitely do not use a debit card unless you consider yourself a soon-to-be Donald Trump.

 

I used a debit card on my first cruise, back in 2005 (Yes folks many of you have been cruising well passed my time!) and boy did I learn a harsh lesson. Money for me at the time wasn't quite a concern, however I did have my limits in my account that was connected to the debit card.

 

Perhaps things changed since then, but I spent $A.LOT! on that cruise between all of the photos, drinks, excursions, specialty dinners, etc. Normally this wouldn't have been a problem as I knew I'd be spending a boat load on this cruise. However, I returned home to quite a shock. Here is how it broke down for me;

 

Every financial transaction was counted as (1) transaction and placed on HOLD. AKA: Money advance in the casino, photo purchase, drink purchase, etc. I must've had about 200 purchases listed, each with it's own $7-12 hold.

 

Once off the ship and in the comfort of my own home, I logged into the bank to see what I had left on this card and to my horror, every single transaction that was STILL on hold, was then all added together into a nice big total sum. That sum, was then charged as a separate charge upon disembarkation. Did I lose you? Basically the put a hold on my card for every single purchase I made, then with all of those holds still outstanding, simply put a new total charge on the card for the collection of payment, rather than 'CAPTURING' the fees already on hold.

 

As many have said, I was stuck waiting a full 2 weeks or roughly 15 days before the holds expired and the money was released to my account. That was one expensive trip for a short while.

 

Conclusion: Don't use It!

 

This also happened to me on my last cruise dec 2012. I was shocked and had a family emergency right after cruise and ended up being very short of money due to the hold by the bank I will use my debit card on sea pass acct but give cash up front in the amount I think I will spend.

[minnie00]

This also happened to me on my last cruise dec 2012. I was shocked and had a family emergency right after cruise and ended up being very short of money due to the hold by the bank I will use my debit card on sea pass acct but give cash up front in the amount I think I will spend.

 

the sad thing is that this is the bank that has these holds a lot of times and sometimes they are very slow to release them:(

[Rocketlady]

my understanding is they want the money upfront. Period. No waiting till the end to come up with the money or extra on your card. You put $200. on your fun card and you go to $201.00 they won't let the purchase go through.

I heard it was because college kids would drink like tomorrow and didn't have enough to pay their bills in the end so this rule went into effect, Am I wrong?

[UNV-IT!!!]

What's the point :confused:...Still easier for the OP to set their account up as a cash one. Why should they run the risk of having any funds possibly held since it "has" happened to some.

 

Because if they have a card on the account but give cash in advance the they don't need to come and wait in those horrible lines to settle their cash accounts. My time is worth it to me. Maybe you enjoy the line. Idk I don't. As stated with Wells Fargo I never have holds.

[Halfmoonfan]

I would just add that using a debit card for travel is a bad idea in general. It does not offer you the same protection a credit card does against fraudulent use. If someone steals your credit card you are only responsible for the first $50. However a debit card does not offer any protection against fraud, so if someone skims it they could empty out the whole account that the debit card is linked to and you will have no recourse. If you are going to travel do yourself a favor and get a credit card to use.

[steveru621]

I would just add that using a debit card for travel is a bad idea in general. It does not offer you the same protection a credit card does against fraudulent use. If someone steals your credit card you are only responsible for the first $50. However a debit card does not offer any protection against fraud, so if someone skims it they could empty out the whole account that the debit card is linked to and you will have no recourse. If you are going to travel do yourself a favor and get a credit card to use.

 

Completely wrong. Visa and Mastercard offer the same protections through your bank (zero liability). Unauthorized electronic transactions are also covered by Federal Regulation E. You cannot use a debit card on a cruise ship that does not have the Visa or MasterCard logo. Please look it up.

[ryano]

I would just add that using a debit card for travel is a bad idea in general. It does not offer you the same protection a credit card does against fraudulent use. If someone steals your credit card you are only responsible for the first $50. However a debit card does not offer any protection against fraud, so if someone skims it they could empty out the whole account that the debit card is linked to and you will have no recourse. If you are going to travel do yourself a favor and get a credit card to use.

 

My Visa DEBIT card carries the same protection against fraud that your credit card does.

[ryano]

Completely wrong. Visa and Mastercard offer the same protections through your bank (zero liability). Unauthorized electronic transactions are also covered by Federal Regulation E. You cannot use a debit card on a cruise ship that does not have the Visa or MasterCard logo. Please look it up.

 

Exactly

[Clarea]

Completely wrong. Visa and Mastercard offer the same protections through your bank (zero liability). Unauthorized electronic transactions are also covered by Federal Regulation E. You cannot use a debit card on a cruise ship that does not have the Visa or MasterCard logo. Please look it up.

 

My Visa DEBIT card carries the same protection against fraud that your credit card does.

I'm a little confused. Even though the Visa and Mastercard debit cards carry protection, if they are compromised, aren't you out the money until the bank fixes it? In other words, if your credit card is compromised, no money has left your account. Is this not a major difference between the two?

[kevinsgirl88]

I use cash.although got so worried when me and hubby went to the bar and our sea pass card got denied went to guest service and we paid down our bill and the bartender held onto our drinks :D

 

Sent from my MB886 using Forums mobile app

[yolanda1]

So glad I found this thread. I was going to use My debit card also, didn't know you could set up a cash account. Think this seems like the better option. Can someone explain it to me in more detail? is it just a matter of handing over an estimated amount of what you may spend onboard during the cruise to guest relations on embarkation? Then if you go over you hand over more cash?

Thanks all :)

ps what happens if your amount runs out & you haven't topped up? does the sea card still work? this could be embarrassing.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

 

You can do whatever works best for you. You don't have to pay anything upfront until the balance is $500, but we like to put something down in advance. We set up a cash account, and deposit an amount of, say $300 on Day 1, then check the account on the TV in the stateroom periodically in the next few days to see how we're doing. On the last night, before we retire for the night, we go to Guest Relations and pay whatever balance is outstanding. No lines, no problem ;)

[ryano]

I'm a little confused. Even though the Visa and Mastercard debit cards carry protection, if they are compromised, aren't you out the money until the bank fixes it? In other words, if your credit card is compromised, no money has left your account. Is this not a major difference between the two?

 

Technically yes BUT my debit card has been compromised twice over the past few years and my bank has immediately cancelled the card and put the money back in my account by close of the day. Generally within an hour or so. Any NSF fees, if applicable, were immediately refunded :) Lets see a credit card company work that fast. ;)

 

I bank with a great local bank though and I have been very pleased with their services. It may be a little different with a big bank but I would never give them my business anyway.

 

 

I just dont understand where people get the idea that debit cards have no protection against fraud.

[Clarea]

Technically yes BUT my debit card has been compromised twice over the past few years and my bank has immediately cancelled the card and put the money back in my account by close of the day. Generally within an hour or so. Any NSF fees, if applicable, were immediately refunded :) Lets see a credit card company work that fast. ;)

 

I bank with a great local bank though and I have been very pleased with their services. It may be a little different with a big bank but I would never give them my business anyway.

 

 

I just dont understand where people get the idea that debit cards have no protection against fraud.

A credit card company does not have to work that fast, because unlike a debit card, no money has been taken from you if the card is compromised.

[minnie00]

I'm a little confused. Even though the Visa and Mastercard debit cards carry protection, if they are compromised, aren't you out the money until the bank fixes it? In other words, if your credit card is compromised, no money has left your account. Is this not a major difference between the two?

 

we have had that happen to us...and we were our the money a couple days until they investigated. luckily it was smaller amounts. the bank caught the fraud almost immediately....most fraud starts with smaller charges before a large one to test it. the large ones flag the account instantly sometimes. So the bank catches these on the first smaller charges. that is our history with the situation. we felt protected.

 

yes a credit card might be better to some but not everyone uses credit cards. its a personal choice.

[steveru621]

[quote name='clarea']I'm a little confused. Even though the Visa and Mastercard debit cards carry protection, if they are compromised, aren't you out the money until the bank fixes it? In other words, if your credit card is compromised, no money has left your account. Is this not a major difference between the two?[/quote]

[quote name='ryano']Technically yes BUT my debit card has been compromised twice over the past few years and my bank has immediately cancelled the card and put the money back in my account by close of the day. Generally within an hour or so. Any NSF fees, if applicable, were immediately refunded :) Lets see a credit card company work that fast. ;)

I bank with a great local bank though and I have been very pleased with their services. It may be a little different with a big bank but I would never give them my business anyway.

I just dont understand where people get the idea that debit cards have no protection against fraud.[/quote]

Bob, you stated the draw back, how fast the bank gives you provisional credit. I ran a Visa debit card dispute and fraud area for 15 years. At my bank our goal was to give you provisional credit within a business day or 24 hours. We gave you credit first and did our research later. Some banks unfortunately make you wait. I hope you never experience fraud, but if you have to wait, find another bank.

The holds placed on your account are driven by the banks' sometime mis-guided policies. My bank puts NO HOLD on travel authorizations, they were not worth the aggravation of a very upset customer returning from vacation to find holds. There are differences in policy, but I would say if the hold lasts more than 48 hours find another bank. The length of the holds have nothing to do with RCI and also occur against a credit card line. The bank wants you to use the card, some banks are just stupid and put up unnecessary barriers.

For those of you who say just get a credit card... There are millions of people who hate credit cards and millions more who have spending addictions. When you travel you need plastic, debit fills that requirement. It's not perfect, but if you have just declared bankruptcy and can not get a credit card, Debit is your only option.

I'll say this again, Visa handles disputes for credit and debit the exact same way. With the same protections. The common misconception is if you use a credit card you have no liability. WRONG! If the bank decides to deny your dispute, you have to pay, or ruin your credit score. Many customers have less than $500 in their checking account, and that's all they can lose. But if you have a $20,000 credit card line and you lose the dispute, you have to pay the $20,000.

Just one example of the type of customer fraud I have seen. One customer added $25,000 to their checking account. We do look at an average checking balance for large variations. The customer then handed the Visa Debit card to their brother-in-law who charged up $25,000. The card owner reported the card stolen. They split the goods, and thought they were home free because they thought they had zero liability. Well the large balance change triggered a police investigation at the request of the bank. Faced with police questioning, they folded and were charged with defrauding a bank.:eek: I have talked with credit card people who have seen the same type of inter-party fraud with a credit line. There is a good chance you will get caught.

My two cents, enjoy your cruise.

[varoo]

[quote name='ryano']Technically yes BUT my debit card has been compromised twice over the past few years and my bank has immediately cancelled the card and[B] put the money back in my account [/B]by close of the day. Generally within an hour or so. Any NSF fees, if applicable, were immediately refunded :) [B] Lets see a credit card company work that fast.[/B] [/quote][FONT=Tahoma][SIZE=3]:confused: Huh?
If you had used a credit card that had been compromised, there would have been no need for your bank to put any money back in your account since[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Tahoma][SIZE=3]
no money would have been removed from your bank account in the first place.

[/SIZE][/FONT]

[ryano]

[quote name='varoo'][FONT=Tahoma][SIZE=3]:confused: Huh? [/SIZE][/FONT]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Tahoma]If you had used a credit card that had been compromised, there would have been no need for your bank to put any money back in your account since[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][FONT=Tahoma]no money would have been removed from your bank account in the first place. [/FONT][/SIZE]

[/quote]

You didnt understand what i said or at least was trying to say.

I said lets see your credit card company work that fast in getting a disputed or fraudulent charge credited back to your credit card. It had nothing to with money being taken from a bank account. Sorry for the ambiguity if there was any.

Last time I disputed a charge on a credit card, it took them about a week or more to credit it back. That amount stayed subtracted from my limit until the case was resolved.

[ryano]

[quote name='steveru621']Bob, you stated the draw back, how fast the bank gives you provisional credit. I ran a Visa debit card dispute and fraud area for 15 years. At my bank our goal was to give you provisional credit within a business day or 24 hours.[COLOR=red] We gave you credit first and did our research later.[/COLOR] Some banks unfortunately make you wait. I hope you never experience fraud, but if you have to wait, find another bank.

.[/quote]

Exactly, I was given provisional credit back within that day or at least within 24 hours while the case was being investigated and any NSF fees occured during that time were immediately dropped. I should have been more clear on that.

[setsail]

If one puts "debit card use" in the advanced search feature you can get 20 pages of questions and answers dating back years , covering everything that's been in this thread

[steveru621]

[quote name='varoo'][FONT=Tahoma][SIZE=3]:confused: Huh?
If you had used a credit card that had been compromised, there would have been no need for your bank to put any money back in your account since[/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Tahoma][SIZE=3]
no money would have been removed from your bank account in the first place.
[/SIZE][/FONT][/quote]

If it is a substantial dispute, you have lost that part of your credit line. When you travel a lot and use your credit card continuously that lost part of your credit line could very easily come into play. If the fraud occurs while you are on vacation, you could easily exceed your credit line (or balance) and RCI will cut off your SeaPass. Nothing is perfect

Look, I get it. You have temporarily lost part of your checking balance. How your bank handles that should determine if you stay with that bank.

At the end of the day, I use a credit card with rewards. But would not hesitate to use a debit card if it was my only choice. For millions a debit card is their (only) choice.

[andiloveu]

We have used our debit card on all our cruises with no holds and no problems. We bank with a credit union so I don't know if maybe that is why we don't incur holds. I also tell the credit union when we will be away and where we will be at port. A message is put on our account so they know it is us.

[varoo]

[quote name='ryano']You didnt understand what i said or at least was trying to say.

I said lets see your credit card company work that fast in getting a disputed or fraudulent charge credited back to your credit card. It had nothing to with money being taken from a bank account. Sorry for the ambiguity if there was any.

Last time I disputed a charge on a credit card, it took them about a week or more to credit it back. That amount stayed subtracted from my limit until the case was resolved.[/quote][FONT=Tahoma][SIZE=3]Why would you even care?
You are right that I don't understand your complaint since they were not holding any of your money and you did not need to pay even a penny.

I guess I don't understand your concern because we have disputed credit card charges a few times through the years and never had any problem at all. It went smoothly and easily each time.

If it is a credit card with a low credit limit, as long as you have a decent credit rating you can have the limit raised if needed until the dispute is resolved, or else just use another credit card.

[/SIZE][/FONT]

[steveru621]

[quote name='varoo'][FONT=Tahoma][SIZE=3]Why would you even care?
You are right that I don't understand your complaint since they were not holding any of your money and you did not need to pay even a penny.

I guess I don't understand your concern because we have disputed credit card charges a few times through the years and never had any problem at all. It went smoothly and easily each time.

If it is a credit card with a low credit limit, as long as you have a decent credit rating you can have the limit raised if needed until the dispute is resolved, or else just use another credit card.[/SIZE][/FONT][/quote]

You would care if that is the way you have chosen to handle your personal finances. You wrongly assume that everyone can use a credit card and that they have access to a second one. Most young people have one credit card that is usually close to the limit. I've learned you can't look at everyone's finances through the lens of your own financial status.

[dixiesue]

Just tell them you are going to pay cash and then give them your card at the end thats what we do.