It's been a long time since I've been in this situation, but would either of these options work?
1. Get a new credit card your wife doesn't know about
2. Get a reloadable visa card (e.g., a Vanilla card), always use that to book the room
If hotels take Vanilla cards, that seems like the easiest way
1)Book with hotel points.
2)Many hotels will take cash as payment, even nicer ones. You will have to leave a cash deposit at check-in for incidentals, which you get back when you check out.
Most hotels won't take cash alone for incidentals anymore. They at least want a card on file, which often involves pre-authorizing some nominal amount. This show ups temporarily on the online account, but not on the statement assuming that you ultimately pay with cash.
So if your sensitivity extends solely to the statement, then reserve with a card but pay the tab in cash. Just be sure not to book an advance purchase rate because your card could be charged before your arrival.
If your sensitivity extends to any temporary authorization whatsoever, then you may be SOL unless the place is a real dump. You may need to get a card that isn't shared with someone else and with paperwork that isn't mailed to a place you don't want it to go.
ASUS12. - Are you cheating ? Get a new card with a different address. I have one that goes to a UPS mailbox. But then again, I am a professional cheater.
^ I have to agree with Warrior. Even when you tell a hotel clerk that you want to pay in cash, they usually require a card on file. Once they have it, mistakes happen. They could charge your card even though you told them you want to pay cash. Some hotel systems are automatically wired to apply the charges to the card as part of the overnight batch process. The only safe way to do it is to have a card that doesn't get reported on the homefront.
I use a debit card from Paypal for all of my hobby funds including hotels. Not trying to hide anything from anyone but that is where I keep my funds for gambling, strip clubs and all of my other unrelated hobbies as a form of budgeting. I have 10% of my income direct deposited into that account and anytime I am going to a strip club or one of my other hobbies (namely auctions) i leave my regular debit card and credit cards behind so I am not tempted to go over budget.
Or you could let your lady friend book the room and reimburse her for the cost, if she has only a debit card you could advance her enough to put on her card.
Only thing PI required was drivers for ID. I was such a regular customer at one the guy did not bother ask for it. One comment he made “my gosh you must be a pilot in the fleets. Which carrier - Ritz?
As others have mentioned, certain notell motels will not require a card - many of them seem to be dumps as Dugan mentioned - there *are* some decent motels "for lovers" but I've never used one of those and IDK what card requirements they may have - you could maybe do a Google search for motels and start w/ the ones with the highest ratings and inquire about their card requirements - I'd assume motels would be the way to go, most hotels would probably be trickier - but I really don't have that much firsthand experience w/ this, but cash is the best way to avoid any potential paper/electronic trail.
@ASUS12
Tell your friend to create a secret/fake/alternative identity.
There are a lot of books about it;
“Steal This Book” is a book written by Abbie Hoffman.
The book exemplifies the counterculture of the sixties.
The book has good ideas about how to create a new identity.
Your friend will have to get a PO Box under a different name and use the address for the identity he wants to create.
Tell your friend to get a fake ID with his picture with the look of his new identity, like the driver licenses underage kids get for drinking and buying alcohol.
Tell him to get a credit card under his new name and look.
Tell him to just keep both identities separated, different cellphones, different looks, different clothes, different glasses or one without glasses. etc etc.
Tell your friend to watch the Simpson episode when Apu gets a new American identity from Fat Tony for reference.
Good luck to “your friend”
Okay, quick google says, reloadable credit card is do-able at some hotels, and unless you're going to do the "secret credit card I had sent to a different address" thing (which your wife will see if she looks at your credit report), then this is probably the way to go.
Some hotels take reloadable credit cards, like Best Western, Super 8, Courtyard Marriott, and Marriott
Some hotels it depends on location, so just check in advance, like Best Western, Holiday Inn Express, Days Inn, Holiday Inn
Quality Inn & Suites and Comfort Inn and Suites don't take a reusable card but both take a Choice Hotels gift card.
I have had times on the road where my credit card was shut off due to a gas station or other merchant's credit card system being hacked or compromised. While my new credit card was being sent to the house, I still needed to travel. I explained my reason for not having a credit card at check-in and all of the hotels accepted cash with a cash deposit. These were all 2.5 and 3 star places, not "hot sheets". Remember not everyone owns a credit card and businesses get raped on fees from the credit card companies. Just call hotels ahead of time and ask if they will take cash. Many hotels can be paid for with PayPal and Stripe as well. Fund the accounts through your bank account rather than credit card if it isn't a joint account.
@misterorange. Lmao. I just fell off the couch laughing at that shit . This is why I like cascadas. They take cash for everything!! The room and incidentals. I walk around with 400-$500 when I cross the border
Papi - you're showing your age. Most young strippers would have no clue about your Eagles song reference. And you must have a serious case of insomnia for posting so early on a Sunday. Yes, I am the pot calling the kettle black.
&ASUS12
Tell your friend that Google says:
“Most hotels require a valid credit card number to hold a reservation. The hotel generally does not charge the room costs to the credit card until your stay is complete. This is not true for reservations made through third parties such as travel agents or online travel clearinghouses.”
I just remember this to be true, when I was doing OTC every weekend with my beautiful All Time Favorite.
Sometimes I would get the hotel reservation some time to an app “Hoteltonight” because it was supposed to be cheaper, the app will send the credit card information to the hotel and they will charge the money for the room immediately.
Most times I would go to the hotel first, the same day, and will get the room and check in using my credit card, and request two keys so they are aware I am with someone.
I will go pickup my ATF and walk together into the hotel lobby like we owned the place, she always dressed appropriately, classy and discreet, she is a beautiful blonde.
I would check out the next morning at the hotel desk and they will ask me if I wanted to leave everything in that credit card, so I had the opportunity to use a different credit or debit card, a check or cash.
So tell your friend to get the room first at the hotel desk. Only a couple of times the hotel I went to was fully booked with no rooms and I just called around until I found one with an available room.
So he should call ahead to make sure they have rooms and perhaps negotiate a better rate because most times they have many empty rooms then go there a few minutes later.
Tell your friend to let you know about his experience and report back so we all can benefit from it.
And tell him “Pics or it didn’t happen”
:)
"I would check out the next morning at the hotel desk and they will ask me if I wanted to leave everything in that credit card, so I had the opportunity to use a different credit or debit card, a check or cash."
The risk here is that you are trusting the underpaid, undertrained, and overworked front desk person not to make a mistake and charge your card by accident at some point. Don't leave your future in the hands of a hotel front desk clerk. Just get a pre-paid card and use that, if for some reason you can't apply for an actual credit card with the bill sent to a PO box or something.
@Subraman
You are right that’s is a risk, but that never happened to me in the two and a half years a had OTC with my ATF.
If it happens to @ASUS12’s friend he can always say; “it is probably a case of stolen credit card information” and play it that way.
Some hotel accept “gift prepaid credit cards” too..
Agree, I don't think it's common, but it's a risk that would weigh on my mind. And you can play it off exactly as you say, but for a suspicious wife, expect her to now be on high alert. It's just some worries that are so easy to skirt around with a prepaid Visa.
Agree on gift cards. Every major hotel chain, in fact, has prepaid gift cards that they take. I can't say for sure they'll take those cards for reservations (vs final payment), but I think they do
"Just get a pre-paid card and use that, if for some reason you can't apply for an actual credit card with the bill sent to a PO box or something." An issue with prepaid cards is when you use one at a hotel they will immediately run a "pending" charge for the cost of the room plus "incidentals," so this pending charge could be double the room rate. If it's a prepaid card with a small limit, it could get rejected. Same with rental cars.
doc: yep, you'll want to pre-pay at least double what the room costs. But most of these reloadable cards have tons of headroom -- Vanilla card's limit, for example, is $9999.99
If you go with a gift card rather than a reloadable visa/mastercard, yes, mind the limits
Hey ASUS, what CJkent is really getting at when he says, pics or it didn't happen, is he wants your friend to send him some dick pics with a ruler next to them so he can compare them to the other dick pics in his collection... [view link]
1. get a different CC.
2. Reserve the room with CC. Pay cash. Unless she is OCD checking your CC activity online, she'll never see the charge hold. As long as your cash payment covers your bill, there shouldn't be a hard charge on your CC statement.
cashapp card seems like a brilliant solution. Trying to remember how cashapp works -- it gets linked to a credit card and/or bank account? So the initial transfer of cash to the cashapp account will show up as a credit card or bank account transfer, right? But once there's a balance in the cashapp account, only the cashapp owner can see the actual transactions.
Or is there some way to get cash in your cashapp account that isn't traceable? I imagine if you have a buddy you trust, you can give him $1000 and ask him to cashapp it to you, and now you have $1k in your cashapp account
@Subraman
You load your Cash App Card at Walmart or any Cheque cashing place.
Alternatively he can get a chime debit card.
You can load your chime debit card at most Walmarts.
So you're saying I'd have to go to a Walmart? Hard pass
Bwahaha I keed! I keed! Seems like a great solution, accepted everywhere Visa is, and not traceable
@Subraman
It doesn’t have to be Walmart
Any Cheque cashing place.
Example are PLS checking cashing store & Amscot - The Money Superstore.
These place are open 24/7
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