Is it possible to pay for cruise fare with Debit? Any issues?

[ashpam]

Sorry if this has been asked before. I couldn't find a thread relating to this.

 

Has anyone paid for their cruise fare with debit, and were there any issues?

 

One of the passengers I am travelling with does not have a credit card and was wanting to put some money down before final payment.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

 

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[Weetahbugdotcom]

Sorry if this has been asked before. I couldn't find a thread relating to this.

 

Has anyone paid for their cruise fare with debit, and were there any issues?

 

One of the passengers I am travelling with does not have a credit card and was wanting to put some money down before final payment.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

 

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That's fine, I do it all the time. The issue is when you use it for your on board expenses, you could have a long hold on it. The solution for that is either for them to do their on board expenses with cash, or buy (with their debit card) on board certificates ahead of time (and make sure they bring a copy of that amenity receipt.)

 

 

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[Two Wheels Only]

Your friend can make partial or full payment with debit. They should probably not use the debit card for their onboard account.

[ashpam]

Thank you so much for the quick replies!

 

 

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[garycarla]

As said above. Debit for cruises, hotels and rental cars is bad news. Okay for the actual payment,but not for a hold onboard cruise.

 

They might want to consider getting a credit card. They are free - assuming they have fair credit and can be trusted with a credit card. (some people are not-that's cool)

[gottacruisemore]

the other she might need to be mindful of is if there is a daily limit to the amount she can charge on her debit. I have a credit union debit card and I had that trip me up before. It may not apply to regular bank debit cards.

[Bellyflopchamp]

You can pretty much use a debit card for anything you can use a credit card for. You can even use it for car rentals at most places. You just need to make sure that the hold they put on it does not exceed your balance. I do not have any credit cards either and use a debit card for just about everything. We have even had it on file for our on board account for our RCCL cruises and everything worked out just fine.

[skeeter195]

We always use our debit card for everything including on board expenses. We have never had a hold on our card once we leave the ship. Twice though in our last 8 cruises with NCL we did have small(less than $10) added about 3 days after our cruise. I am not even sure what the charges were and being they were so small i never bothered to check.

[SoCA6ft5]

Might to be good for them to check with their bank regarding daily spending limits on their debit card. If needed, many banks will raise or make exceptions to these limits if requested.

[garycarla]

Yes, I know many people have used a debit card with no problems. One of the following took place:

 

a) They have a high enough balance that a hold did not matter

b) They had very low hold or expenses

c) Their bank is very quick to process and release holds

d) They just were lucky.

 

If you have any concerns, do a search here on Debit. There are lots of horror stories about extended holds, low funds impacting auto pay on electric, mortgage, etc.

 

You will find some issues with credit cards here, but way less. WAY less. I know some folks like to do everything with a debit. We never use it, and get an easy $5000 in perks via credit card. Last year we did $30,000 in business travel -FREE - via credit card use.

[littlelulu01]

I recently made a cruise fare deposit using a debit card. NCL put a hold on the checking account funds for 1.5k and then that night they put a separate charge on the checking account without First releasing the hold. so 3k was removed from available cash in checking until the hold came off-about 24 hours. It was the first time I ever used a debit card and was actually just by accident-much prefer a cc. It really freaked me out seeing 1.5k missing from my account. So basically lesson being- I'd never use a debit card again and if you had to, make sure at least double the charge available in checking until the hold is released. I've placed many charges in the past with NCL and never noticed any extra holds placed onboard or through NCL pcc but like I said this was first time using a debit card.

[OBSESSIVEWORLDTRAVELER]

DON'T DO IT! Obviously everyone doesn't have the same experiences BUT....When I ran our Visa Debit Card program at a bank I use to work at every summer there were always problems with cruise holds. When the amount of the final charge doesn't match the hold, the hold will stay on until the # of days for the hold expires or someone manually deletes the hold. The problem really is for people who don't have enough money in their accounts and checks they have written bounce. If the hold(s) were substantial amounts we needed the cruise line to fax us a letter that the bill has been settled in order to remove holds. Save yourself time and anguish and use a credit card or make sure you have thousands of dollars in your checking account. Or some of the other alternatives listed by other posters.

[df5250]

I've used my debit card to pay cruise fare and have found that works ok because the hold amount and amount charge match. Once the daily debit card limit wasn't high enough so I had to call the Bank to have it raised. The best thing to do is call the Bank and ask their hold policies and recommendations. I work for a Bank and generally if they can see a hold for a different amount than what was charged then the hold can be released when requested. Every Bank is different though. The same thing can happen with credit card too... The incremental holds do not match the final transaction amount so the available credit is reduced by both for a few days at the end of the cruise.

 

 

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[garycarla]

...I work for a Bank and generally if they can see a hold for a different amount than what was charged then the hold can be released when requested. Every Bank is different though. The same thing can happen with credit card too......

 

 

Yes, but with a credit card hold, it does not mess up your auto payments for mortgage, utilities,etc. A hold on the credit card is a non issue.

[mugtech]

One would think if one can afford a cruise then one would qualify for a credit Card. I have received over $600 in rewards for using my cc for ncl cruises, also delays payments. I only use the card for ncl cruises.

[Bellyflopchamp]

One would think if one can afford a cruise then one would qualify for a credit Card. I have received over $600 in rewards for using my cc for ncl cruises, also delays payments. I only use the card for ncl cruises.

 

One would also think if one can afford a cruise one would not need to put it on a credit card. For some people they might be able to afford a credit card, but choose not to have one as they do not want to be in debt. There are also numerous studies that show when you use a credit card for every day expenses you tend to spend more than you would if you use debit or cash. While you may be able to afford it you are still better off not using it as it sets you up for a better future and retirement.

 

Don't you think that if the credit card companies were losing money on the points and "freebies" that they give they would stop doing it. It is a way to get people to use the cards more, spending more, and carry larger balances thus making them more money in the long run.

 

Some of us choose to be weird and not be in debt.

[jinteso]

I would not use a Debit card. Every car rental counter and hotel (several dozen different ones) that I have been to over the past years has had a warning posted on the counter about debit card holds and releasing them. It can be very time consuming. Some signs warned it could take up to 30 days to release one. I imagine that a cruise would be no different.

[garycarla]

.... but choose not to have one as they do not want to be in debt. ... It is a way to get people to use the cards more, spending more, and carry larger balances thus making them more money in the long run.

 

Some of us choose to be weird and not be in debt.

 

I 100% agree with not being in debt. We put the vast majority of our spending on a credit card, but also pay it off each month. Credit card companies do not like us and prefer people that think more in terms of payment instead of what something costs.

 

(p.s. We never use a debit card. Do have 30+ credit cards)

[mugtech]

One would also think if one can afford a cruise one would not need to put it on a credit card. For some people they might be able to afford a credit card, but choose not to have one as they do not want to be in debt. There are also numerous studies that show when you use a credit card for every day expenses you tend to spend more than you would if you use debit or cash. While you may be able to afford it you are still better off not using it as it sets you up for a better future and retirement.

 

Don't you think that if the credit card companies were losing money on the points and "freebies" that they give they would stop doing it. It is a way to get people to use the cards more, spending more, and carry larger balances thus making them more money in the long run.

 

Some of us choose to be weird and not be in debt.

Have never paid any money for interest or late fees, pay them all in full every month, so I am not in debt. Cc companies are making money on someone, but not me. Surprising how many people did not pay cash for their houses but actually went in debt and paid interest on said debt. If you never had to do that, I am happy for you, saving thousands in interest payments. Not using a credit card until you have the money to pay the balance in full is no different than having enough in your checking account to write a check.

[mugtech]

I 100% agree with not being in debt. We put the vast majority of our spending on a credit card, but also pay it off each month. Credit card companies do not like us and prefer people that think more in terms of payment instead of what something costs.

 

(p.s. We never use a debit card. Do have 30+ credit cards)

This is what I mean. Some quarters I get 5% back on groceries or gas or restaurants, 1.5% on another card with no foreign transaction fees. I get back hundreds of dollars every year, even more when I cruise.

[LrgPizza]

Some of you are answering a question that was not asked. The poster is asking about paying for cruise fare. That is a set price. It is not the same as using a debit card for a car rental, hotel, or a cruise onboard account. In those situations, a hold can be placed tying up some of your funds. That is not the case when you are simply paying an outstanding bill for an exact amount, which is what the poster talked about. Yes, it's fine to pay your cruise fare with a debit card, just like any other bill.

[KeithJenner]

Sorry, I know it's off topic, but just one point on how credit card companies make their money.

 

It isn't just interest on the debt. If it was then they wouldn't go to so much effort to attract and keep customers who pay it off each month (as a large proportion of people do).

 

They also make money on the transaction fees. People who put through tens of thousands in business expenses each year will earn a reasonable amount in rewards (which cost the CC card company surprisingly little), but the CC company will make a percent or two on each transaction. With big spenders that can add up.

 

They also make money on annual charges which can be worth it for some people due to the perks they get back. I know quite a few people who happily pay Amex a few hundred a year for a credit card due to various hotel/airline status, insurance, lounge access and discount benefits they get.

 

They aren't just relying on getting loads of interest from some people. If they were then charge cards wouldn't exist.

 

I'm pretty sure that the credit card companies prefer to make $1,000 in fees off a low risk customer who pays his card off each month than the same in interest from a lower spending person who carries few thousand across each month with the risk and ethical issues that goes along with that.

Edited July 13, 2017 by KeithJenner

[jinteso]

It isn't just interest on the debt. If it was then they wouldn't go to so much effort to attract and keep customers who pay it off each month (as a large proportion of people do).

 

They also make money on annual charges which can be worth it for some people due to the perks they get back. I know quite a few people who happily pay Amex a few hundred a year for a credit card due to various hotel/airline status, insurance, lounge access and discount benefits they get.

 

Keith: Maybe in the UK most people pay off their CCs every month but not in the US. A survey last month showed that over 6 in 10 Americans had credit card debt. Like you and many others on here, I pay mine off each month too.

 

You also hit the nail on the head about AMEX. I pay an annual fee of $450 per year. However, all of the benefits, including a free domestic First Class ticket, definitely exceed what I put out ever year. This years ticket was a $1200 ticket. Carrying CCs and being debt free are NOT mutually exclusive as some people think.

[KeithJenner]

Keith: Maybe in the UK most people pay off their CCs every month but not in the US. A survey last month showed that over 6 in 10 Americans had credit card debt.

 

 

 

Just to clarify, I said a large proportion do, not most.

 

I have no specific knowledge, but my guess would have been that about 25% pay it off, so from what you say I may even have underestimated it.

 

I really shouldn't have said "a large proportion". It's quite a vague term which I never take as meaning a majority, but it seems that many people do read it that way.

[jinteso]

I really shouldn't have said "a large proportion". It's quite a vague term which I never take as meaning a majority, but it seems that many people do read it that way.

 

My apologies. I took it to mean greater than 50%. I thought that the Brits were actually that much better at being debt free than those in the US.