Traveling without a credit card may be a little more difficult than traveling with one. Many hotels and motels require credit card information from you to reserve or pay for a room. This information serves as a security deposit to cover the hotel against loss from your reservation or stay. But, with a little creativity, you can find a way around booking a motel room with a credit card.
Ask for Details
During the planning stage of your trip, call different motels at your destination and ask about policies regarding reservations and payments. Many motels require credit card information from customers, but some do not have these requirements. You might succeed in getting around a credit card requirement by offering a cash security deposit. When you find a motel that doesn’t demand a credit card number to make a reservation or pay for your room, book there.
Using a Debit Card
Use a debit card to reserve or pay for your motel room instead of a credit card. If you call ahead for a reservation, provide your debit card number to book the room. It’s possible that the motel will add a temporary hold to your debit card balance as a security deposit to cover potential loss. Find out this amount to make sure you have enough money in your account to cover it.
Consider Prepaid Cards
A prepaid card with a balance high enough to cover the cost of the motel room, and any temporary hold or security deposit, is another option for paying for a motel room. These cards operate essentially the same as a credit card, so as long as your account balance will cover any charges made by the motel, you should not have any payment problems.
Ask for Help
If you have trouble finding a motel that will allow you to make a reservation without a credit card, ask for help from a family member. Perhaps your parents or a close friend will let you use their credit card to make the reservation – or even to pay for the room if you pay them back from your savings or checking account. Motels often will let you use a credit card to make the reservation, but they'll let you pay in cash or with another form of payment when you check in. Ask questions, though, because sometimes a motel will place a temporary hold on the credit card to hold a room for you.
