AOPA credit card --- WARNING.

Cub Driver wrote:

I don't know about hotels, but many enterprises don't accept anything
but MC and Visa. I presently carry a Delta/Amex card (12,500 free
miles for signing up, and no fee for the first 12 months) but I make
sure to carry a backup Visa card in my wallet.

I use my AMEX (one of the first cards I ever got, member since 1981)
when travelling and I carry a second AMEX which is a freebie that has
my COSTCO membership card tacked on it. It only gets used at COSTCO.

To get back on subject, I don't use my AOPA credit card except when
shopping at Sporty's.

I use my AOPA card only for airplane expenses. Get my rebate plus
it keeps the airplane stuff orgainzed seperately. This was especially
handy back when I had the plane on leaseback and I needed those expense
numbers for tax purposes. Now I probably would be better off not knowing
:-)

The one time I went to an FBO for training, where credit cards were
accepted, they didn't take MasteCard! (Chandler AZ.)

Anyhow, I don't particularly like MasterCard. It seems rather low-rent
to me.

I have a Visa from my credit union and a MasterCard from my insurance
company. Both have pretty good customer support. I chopped up my
BankOne Visa after numerous customer support problems (they called me
on the "I've got the scissors in my hand" statement, which oddly worked
for to get the Discover customer service weenie to fix my account).
I've got one of those Discover keychain thingies that I only have used
once in a long time (I keep it because it's handy when I'm out running
and only take my car key with me). The only other card I have is a
Victoria's Secret card (which gets me all sorts of interesting junk
mail like offers for free personal fittings...which Margy refuses to allow me
to follow up on, and occasionally a $10 gift card (for my birthday) or
some other VS freebie (Margy gets the benefit of these).

I use my AMEX (one of the first cards I ever got, member since 1981)
when travelling and I carry a second AMEX which is a freebie that has
my COSTCO membership card tacked on it. It only gets used at COSTCO.

AMEX used to be all the rage for some reason. They remind me of avocodo
colored stoves. Don't they still have some unavoiadable yearly fee - no
matter how long you've been a "member since"?

And they still offer no payback, right?

What reason could there possibly be to still have one of those dinosaurs,
aside from that "member since" sillyness?

Cub Driver wrote:

I don't know about hotels, but many enterprises don't accept anything
but MC and Visa.

I stopped at an FBO in Virginia once that didn't take anything but Discover.
Would've been nice if I'd found that out before filling the tanks.

George Patterson
If a man gets into a fight 3,000 miles away from home, he *had* to have
been looking for it.

Bob Noel wrote:

In article Tsdqd.405505$wV.131490@attbi_s54,
"Jay Honeck" wrote:

:-( Then I won't be able to make a reservation for business travel at
your hotel.

Or anywhere else, for that matter.

Jay: I have a Diners Club card which I've been using the early 90's
for business travel.

I don't know of a single hotel (or even small B&B in our market) that
doesn't pre-authorize guaranteed reservations on a credit card.

right. But your hotel is the only one that I've heard of that doesn't
take American Express or Diners. I don't have a Visa card
(just a debit card)

Diners Club is going to be affliliated with the Mastercard network in the very
near future, so you'll be fine at Jay's Hotel. CitiBank knows what's up these
days.

Jay Honeck wrote:
:-( Then I won't be able to make a reservation for business travel at
your hotel.


Or anywhere else, for that matter.

I don't know of a single hotel (or even small B&B in our market) that
doesn't pre-authorize guaranteed reservations on a credit card. It's the
only way a hotel has of protecting itself against bogus reservations and
no-shows.

From what you wrote earlier, it doesn't sound like the CC even gives
you protection from no-shows, so why bother?


Matt

I don't know of a single hotel (or even small B&B in our market) that
doesn't pre-authorize guaranteed reservations on a credit card. It's
the only way a hotel has of protecting itself against bogus reservations
and no-shows.

From what you wrote earlier, it doesn't sound like the CC even gives you
protection from no-shows, so why bother?

Because most people still think it does.

I've let the cat out of the bag here, though, haven't I?

;-)

Luckily, we've never been stiffed by a pilot -- ever. Unfortunately, there
aren't enough of us to go around.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck wrote:

Well in my case I don't have a 'real' credit card. I have a debit visa
(work just the same). I keep most of my spendable money in checking then
use the Visa the same as cash. If I can't afford something then I don't
buy it.

It does NOT work the same.

a) Don't try renting a car.

And don't try using to reserve a hotel suite. Most debit cards (unless it's
a "dual" debit/credit card) will not work with a preauthorization -- which
is what is required to make a guaranteed reservation.

Offline debit cards (that is when cards are used without the PIN, i.e.
transactions that use the Visa or Mastercard brand network) do support
preauthorization. That's a Visa/MC requirement. When the card is charged at the
merchant, the amount of sale is preauthorized instantly. On a regular credit
card, this just instantly lowers the current available credit amount by the same
amount. But on an offline debit card is used, it puts a hold on the funds in
the bank account. That means that this amount is unavailable to withdraw, have
checks drawn on, etc. even though the money is still in the account as long as
the hold exists. This is how Visa/MC guarantees that the money will be
available when the charge posts (usually 2-3 days out).

The hold goes away when the charge posts (e.g. actual transaction amount is
charged to the account) or else it times out (1-2 weeks) if no charge actually
posts.

Sometimes a preauthorized hold is put on the card without an actual transaction
amount known yet just to make sure there will be enough funds available.
Examples are pay-at-the-gas-pump transactions (usually $50 is preauthorized
before you start pumping), restaurants where an extra amount is pre-authorized
in expectation of a tip, hotels (where they preauthorize for guaranteed
reservations to make sure the card is valid, and also when you check in to
preauthorize some amount for the expected stay and possible incidentals), rental
car places etc. Also AOPA preauthorized $1 every six months or so if you have
auto-renewal to make sure the card is active. You'll never see that $1 on your
statement because they never post the charge.

It's important to understand that just because an amount is preauthorized does
not necessarily mean that it will post to your account. However it will tie up
that amount, either in credit line for a credit card or actual bank funds for a
debit card.

That is another big disadvantage to using debit cards, especially if it causes
you to bounce checks even though there is bank physically in the account but it
is effectively locked until the hold expires.

By the way, MBNA actually shows you preauthorized charge amounts AND who is
making the charge online. Most other credit issuers do not, although you can
usually see how much is pre-authorized (held) by taking your credit limit,
subtracting known charges and balances, and observing any discrepancy between
that difference and the current available credit. (Rounded to the nearest
dollar).

An "online debit" transaction requires a PIN and uses the ATM/POS networks.
Money is debited instantly and there is no preauthorizing then posting later.

I think cards that only suport online debit (e.g. no mastercard or visa logo)
are much better since if somebody steals it they can't do squat without the
PIN. That no-fraud guarantee on MC/Visa debits is nice, but it doesn't help you
right away while your checking account's been cleaned out, your checks are
bouncing, and your card won't work. Sorry for you if you have automatic
overdraft protection from savings too.

"Janet" wrote

snip a bunch of stuff so I can bitch about somethingg

Sometimes a preauthorized hold is put on the card without an actual
transaction
amount known yet just to make sure there will be enough funds available.
Examples are pay-at-the-gas-pump transactions (usually $50 is
preauthorized
before you start pumping),

What is that all about? $50 for gas on a card? That does not even come
close for me. My full size work van has a tank that will hold 31.6 gallons
of gas, and still be running. With gas at times up to $1.89, I have to let
the pump shut off, and then have to start up another charge to finish
filling up. Let's get real here, gas station owners of America!Thanks, I
feel better now.

Required aviation content: I drove that van up to OSH this year, and it
would have been cheaper to charter a plane, after buying the gas and a new
transmission. (well, almost) :-)
--
Jim in NC

Morgans wrote:

"Janet" wrote

snip a bunch of stuff so I can bitch about somethingg

Sometimes a preauthorized hold is put on the card without an actual
transaction
amount known yet just to make sure there will be enough funds available.
Examples are pay-at-the-gas-pump transactions (usually $50 is
preauthorized
before you start pumping),

What is that all about? $50 for gas on a card? That does not even come
close for me. My full size work van has a tank that will hold 31.6 gallons
of gas, and still be running. With gas at times up to $1.89, I have to let
the pump shut off, and then have to start up another charge to finish
filling up. Let's get real here, gas station owners of America!Thanks, I
feel better now.

Increasing that value would mean larger credit/debit preauthorized holds for
everybody, including the vast majority of people that fill up with less than
$50 at time. Why inconvenience everybody? If you need to pump more, just
restart the pump or pay with another method.

"Janet" wrote

Increasing that value would mean larger credit/debit preauthorized holds
for
everybody, including the vast majority of people that fill up with less
than
$50 at time. Why inconvenience everybody?

Inconvenience? What? You mean there are people running around filling
their tanks with a credit card, that will not have another $10 available on
their credit line? I'm not buying it, and neither would you if you thought
about it. In the meantime, it costs me, and all others with big tanks
another few extra minutes when we fill up. *That* is inconvenience, and I
will not go back to a place that has not kept up with the times and made a
higher preauthorizations.

If you need to pump more, just
restart the pump or pay with another method.

Rediculous.
--
Jim in NC