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The hotel hasn’t charged you yet, but your available balance just fell by a few hundred dollars. That’s an authorization hold, and it works differently on credit and debit cards.
Hotels want assurance that they’ll be paid for the room and anything you charge to it. So at check-in they ask your card issuer to set aside money, called an authorization hold, without actually charging it yet.
What gets held
- The room: usually the cost of your stay, including taxes and any mandatory fees.
- Incidentals: an extra amount per night or per stay for things like room service, parking or minibar charges. The amount varies widely by hotel.
When you check out, the hotel charges the actual amount and releases the rest of the hold. That release goes through your card issuer, and it’s not instant.
Credit vs. debit
| Credit card | Debit card | |
|---|---|---|
| What the hold affects | Your available credit | Your actual checking balance |
| Risk | Little, unless you’re near your limit | Can cause declined purchases or overdrafts during the trip |
| Disputing a charge | Billing error rights under the Fair Credit Billing Act | Protections exist but are generally narrower |
Heads up
If you use a debit card, keep enough cushion in your account for both the hold and the rest of your trip, and expect the extra amount to stay unavailable for several days after you check out.
Prepaid rooms and third-party bookings
If you prepaid through a booking site, the hotel may still ask for a card for incidentals. Some hotels also require the card used to book to be shown at check-in, along with ID in the same name, which matters if someone else paid for your room.
Total price rules
A Federal Trade Commission rule that took effect on May 12, 2025, requires hotels and other short-term lodging businesses to show the total price, including mandatory fees, when they advertise a price. Taxes and optional extras can still be added. If a hotel adds a mandatory fee you weren’t shown, point to the total you were quoted and keep screenshots.
After checkout
- Ask for a final folio by email.
- Check your statement against it within a few days.
- Dispute errors with the hotel first, then with your card issuer. For credit cards, billing errors generally must be reported within 60 days of the statement that shows them.
Accessible room problems at check-in are a separate issue with their own rules; see booking an accessible hotel room. Abroad, card fees and currency conversion add more surprises; see paying abroad.
Before you go
- At check-in, most hotels place an authorization hold for the room plus a deposit for incidentals.
- On a debit card, the hold takes real money out of your available balance until it’s released.
- Releasing a hold after checkout can take several business days, depending on your bank.
- Since May 2025, an FTC rule requires hotels to include mandatory fees in the total price they advertise.
Travelers also ask
Q: Can I ask the hotel to release a hold early?
A: You can ask the front desk to send a release when you check out. Even then, your bank controls when the funds become available again.
Q: Can I pay cash and avoid a hold?
A: Some hotels accept a cash deposit for incidentals, but policies vary, and many require a card at check-in. Ask before you arrive.
Q: The hotel charged me for damage I didn’t cause. What now?
A: Ask for an itemized explanation and photos. If you paid by credit card and the hotel won’t fix it, you can dispute the charge with your card issuer.
Fees, processing times and agency rules change, and airline and hotel policies vary. This guide is general information for travelers in the U.S.; confirm the current rules with the agency, airline or hotel before you travel.
