I had the right credit card for my hotel stay. I just didn’t have the actual card with me.
When I checked into a Fairfield by Marriott, the front desk asked for a credit card to cover the incidental deposit for the room. That’s completely normal. Hotels routinely place a temporary hold on a card in case you charge something to the room or cause damage during your stay.
I planned to use my Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card. Since I was staying at a Marriott hotel, it was the obvious card to use. Even considering I was using a free night certificate, I might decide to get a snack from the Grab and Go section during my stay. There was only one problem: I hadn’t brought the physical card.
The Brilliant Card was loaded into my Apple Wallet, so I didn’t think that would matter. I could still pull up the card on my phone and use it through Apple Pay.
Except the hotel wouldn’t accept it.
Apple Pay Wasn’t Good Enough
The front desk agent told me that the hotel required a physical credit card. I couldn’t use Apple Pay.
Whether this was a hotel policy, a limitation of the payment terminal or simply the way that particular property handles incidental holds, the result was the same. The card in my Apple Wallet was not considered an acceptable substitute for the physical card.
Fortunately, This Wasn’t A Major Problem
In my case, this was more of an inconvenience than a travel emergency.
I carry several credit cards with me, so I was able to use my Bilt Palladium card for the incidental hold and check into the hotel.
That mattered less for the incidental hold because the charge would disappear after checkout. But if I had been paying for the stay, I might have missed out on Marriott points and other rewards I would have earned with the Brilliant Card.
More importantly, the experience showed me that having a credit card in a digital wallet does not always mean you can depend on it while traveling.
Digital Wallet Acceptance Is Inconsistent
Apple Pay has become so widely accepted that it’s easy to start thinking of a digital wallet as a replacement for a physical wallet.
For everyday purchases, that may be true. I regularly use Apple Pay at stores, restaurants, gas stations and other businesses without giving it much thought.
Hotels are different. That’s because a hotel isn’t processing a purchase. They’re placing a hold, adjusting the amount later or keeping the card on file for charges that occur during the stay.
Some hotels can handle that through Apple Pay. Others apparently cannot—or choose not to.
The frustrating part is that there’s no easy way to know what will happen until you reach the front desk. One hotel may accept a digital wallet without hesitation, while another may insist that you insert a physical card into the terminal.
Hotels Aren’t The Only Place This Can Happen
This is also worth remembering when renting a car.
Rental car companies may require the physical card used for the reservation, especially when placing a deposit or verifying the renter’s identity. Even when a card is available through Apple Pay, that doesn’t guarantee the rental counter will accept it.
Bring The Card You Expect To Use
I’m not suggesting that travelers need to carry every credit card they own. But if a particular card matters for a trip, bring the physical card.
If you’re staying at a Marriott, bring the Marriott card you plan to use. When you’re renting a car, bring the card that provides your preferred rental car coverage. If a card includes lounge access or another travel benefit, don’t assume the version in your digital wallet will always be enough.
It’s also smart to carry at least one physical backup card, preferably from a different bank.
Final Thought
I’m not someone who relies on using my Apple digital wallets, but I know some people have become digital-only when it comes to payments. If you can have your Drivers License and Credit Cards on your phone, then there’s almost no reason to carry a wallet anymore.
But convenience isn’t the same as reliability.
I had my Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card with me in one sense. It was on my phone, ready to use through Apple Pay.
As far as the hotel was concerned, though, I didn’t have it at all.
From now on, if I expect to use a particular credit card during a trip, I’m also going to make sure the actual card is in my wallet.
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