Quick answer
How much does a hotel hold on your card for incidentals?
It depends on each hotel. As of October 13, 2026, none of the 10 hotel groups in our check-in table sets one amount for all its hotels. The hold covers the room if unpaid, taxes and extras such as minibar or parking. Hotels release it at check-out, and banks take from 1 to 30 days to free the money.
The incidental hold in short
| One amount for every hotel of a group | None of 10 groups (as of October 13, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Smallest figure a group prints | $1, Minor Hotels, in Australia and New Zealand only |
| Nightly amounts printed by single hotels | $75 to $150 a night at the 4 example hotels below; suites can cost more |
| Is the hold a charge? | No: an authorization; you pay the final bill, not the hold |
| Credit card only for the hold | Radisson; Choice asks for a credit card at check-in |
| Fastest release a group names | Accor: usually 24 to 48 hours after the hotel asks the bank |
| Slowest release a group names | 30 days: Wyndham deposit refunds, Marriott holds on foreign cards |
What are hotel incidentals?
Incidentals are the extras you put on your room bill, on top of the room rate. Each group lists its own examples:
- Marriott: room service, parking and minibar purchases.
- Hilton: gratuities, food and drink, parking, room service and the minibar.
- Accor: breakfast when the rate leaves it out, the restaurant, the bar and the local tourist tax.
- Minor Hotels: incidental charges and any damage you cause during the stay.
Single hotels can add more. Arlo Hotels, with hotels in New York, Chicago, Washington DC and Miami, names late check-out and smoking in the room.
The incidental hold is the money the hotel sets aside for these extras. Marriott says you are not billed for it unless the incidentals become an actual charge.
How does a hotel security deposit work?
It is an authorization, not a payment. Nebraska's Department of Banking and Finance calls a hold "a temporary authorization", not the final payment. Your balance does not move, but the amount you can spend drops.
- At check-in, the hotel asks your bank to reserve the room total if unpaid, the taxes and a sum for extras.
- During the stay, extras are counted against that sum. Arlo Hotels, for one, adds a fresh hold when you spend more.
- At check-out, the hotel charges the final bill. That charge replaces the hold, and the rest is let go.
- After you leave, your bank, not the hotel, decides when the money is free again.
Accor's terms of sale show the math with an example. Two nights at €130 plus €40 of estimated extras make a €300 authorization request. The sum for extras is set by each hotel, from the number of guests and nights.
What each hotel group says about the hold
Six groups that publish a rule on the amount, the extras or the release, read on their own pages on October 13, 2026. Our check-in table has all 10 groups, with debit and cash columns.
| Hotel group | Who sets the amount | What the hold covers | Card for the hold | When the money comes back |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marriott | Each hotel picks a daily sum | Room rate, taxes, room service, parking, minibar | Credit or debit | Most banks: 3–7 business days after check-out; banks abroad: up to 30 days |
| Hilton | The hotel, from the bill it expects | Tips, food and drink, parking; prepaid stays included | Bookings: major credit and debit cards | Within 72 hours after check-out; some card providers take longer |
| Accor | Each hotel: up to the stay plus a sum set by guests and nights | Breakfast if not in the rate, restaurant, bar, tourist tax | The credit or debit card used to book | Usually 24–48 hours; 7 business days or more at some banks |
| Radisson | Each hotel, from the length of stay | Enough to settle the final bill | Credit cards only | Up to five days after you leave |
| Minor Hotels | Shown while you book; $1 in Australia and New Zealand | Extras and any damage, plus excessive cleaning | Credit card | Your bank's call; up to 10 working days in Australia and New Zealand |
| Wyndham | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | A deposit refund: up to 30 days |
As of October 13, 2026, our check-in table lists IHG, Hyatt and Best Western as leaving the deposit to each hotel, with no release time. Choice asks for a credit card at check-in. Accor's release time comes from section 4.3.4 of its terms.
How much do hotels hold per night? Four example hotels
Some single hotels print their figure. These are examples, not group rules: Marriott, for one, leaves the daily sum to each hotel.
Example hotels with a published incidental hold (checked October 13, 2026)
| Hotel | City | Hold for incidentals | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| MGM Grand Hotel & Casino | Las Vegas | $100 per room per night; $400 for Prime Suites, $500 for Skylofts | Hotel page on marriott.com |
| New York-New York Hotel & Casino | Las Vegas | $75 per room per night; $500 for the Penthouse Suite | Hotel page on marriott.com |
| Arlo Washington DC | Washington, DC | $75 per night, capped at $500 | Arlo Hotels policy |
| Arlo Williamsburg | New York | $150 per night, capped at $500 | Arlo Hotels policy |
Arlo blocks a per-night hold for the whole stay at check-in: four nights at Arlo Washington DC mean $300. Its New York hotels in Midtown, NoMad and SoHo hold $100 for the entire stay.
Can I use a debit card for the hotel deposit?
Often yes, but the hold then blocks your own money. Nebraska's banking regulator explains why. A debit hold lowers your available balance, because the money sits in your checking account. A credit hold only lowers your available credit.
Its example: with $200 in your account and a $100 hotel hold, you can spend $100 until the hold ends. What the groups say:
- Marriott: the hold goes on a credit or debit card.
- Accor: bring the credit or debit card used to book or prepay.
- Hilton: major credit and debit cards for bookings; each hotel lists what it takes.
- Radisson: its participating hotels take only credit cards for the pre-authorization.
- Choice: a credit card at check-in, with a government-issued ID.
Arlo Hotels adds two warnings. Debit holds usually take longer to clear than credit ones. Gift cards and reloadable debit cards do not work for its hold.
How long does a hotel hold take to come back?
Usually a few days after check-out, sometimes a month. The hotel ends the hold when you leave, but your bank sets the pace. Marriott says the timing depends entirely on your bank. Nebraska's regulator puts hotel holds at check-out plus a few days, often 3 to 7.
Three things slow it down:
- A card from a foreign bank. Marriott says up to 30 days.
- A debit card. Arlo Hotels says debit holds usually clear more slowly than credit card holds.
- Paying with another card. Radisson lets you settle the final bill with a different card. Ask the desk to release the first hold too.
Is the money still blocked after a week? Nebraska's regulator suggests asking the hotel whether it completed or cancelled the charge. Then call your bank: some banks need a release from the merchant. Each group's own times are in the table above.
Does a prepaid room remove the incidental hold?
No. Hilton states it for stays paid in advance: at check-in, the hotel may still put a hold on your card for incidentals. Paying ahead with StaySats does not remove the hotel's incidental deposit at check-in.
What prepaying changes is the room part. With StaySats, you pay the stay in crypto before you travel, so the hold at the desk should only cover extras. Bookings are made on request: we book the room once you order, then confirm the final total with the hotel. If that total is higher, you accept it or the amount is released. Your balance is held, not charged, until the hotel confirmation number is issued.
At the desk, the hotel may ask for a card or a cash deposit for extras, and it checks your ID. See how it works for each step, and hotel ID rules for the documents.
Hotel incidental hold: questions
Do hotels take credit cards?
Yes, and many ask for one. Hilton accepts major credit and debit cards for bookings. Wyndham needs a credit card for every online reservation. IHG says a credit card secures your booking, and Choice asks for one at check-in. Radisson takes only credit cards for its check-in hold, so carry one if you can.
Is the incidental hold charged to my card?
No, not unless you spend it. Marriott says you are not billed for the hold unless incidentals become an actual charge. Radisson's FAQ adds that no money is taken: the hold shows as a pending transaction. At check-out, the hotel charges your final bill, and the unused part of the hold is let go.
Why is the hold bigger than my bill?
Because the hotel estimates extras before you use them. Hilton says the hotel may authorize the amount it expects you to owe, estimated incidentals included. A per-night hold is often taken for the whole stay at once. Arlo Hotels says four nights at its Washington DC hotel mean a $300 hold at check-in.
Can the hotel take money from the hold for damage?
Yes, where its terms say so. Minor Hotels' terms say the deposit covers incidental charges and any damage you cause. Guests also pay for excessive cleaning, taken from the card pre-authorization. Arlo Hotels lists room damage, smoking included. Ask for an itemized bill at check-out and compare it with your card statement.
Can I pay the final bill with a different card?
Often yes. Radisson's FAQ says you can use a different card to pay your final bill. Arlo Hotels says the card for its hold does not need to be the card that paid the stay. Ask the desk to cancel the first hold, so two cards are not blocked at the same time.
Can I use a prepaid or gift card for the incidental hold?
Do not count on it. Arlo Hotels refuses gift cards for its hold, reloadable gift cards and reloadable debit cards included. The large hotel groups we checked say nothing about prepaid cards either way. Ask the hotel in writing before you travel, and carry a credit card as a backup.
How to cite the hold data
The group columns shared with our check-in table come from its open dataset, published under CC BY 4.0. Cite it with the date of our check:
Source: StaySats (TravelGoat LLC), Hotel Check-in Without a Credit Card (checked October 13, 2026), CC BY 4.0, https://staysats.com/check-in-without-credit-card/.
The files are JSON and CSV. For other facts, including the example hotels, cite the source pages listed below.
Sources (checked October 13, 2026) (13)
- What Is an Incidental Hold? — Marriott Help (checked 2026-10-13)
- Hilton Payment FAQs — Hilton (checked 2026-10-13)
- General terms and conditions of services (section 4.3.4, Pre-authorisation) — Accor (checked 2026-10-13)
- Why is a debit/credit card requested when I book? — Accor Help (checked 2026-10-13)
- Frequently Asked Questions (Why does Radisson Hotels pre-authorize my credit card?) — Radisson Hotels (checked 2026-10-13)
- Terms and conditions (Deposit; Deposit Policy) — Minor Hotels (checked 2026-10-13)
- Frequently Asked Questions — Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (checked 2026-10-13)
- FAQ's and Help — Choice Hotels (checked 2026-10-13)
- Frequently Asked Questions — IHG Customer Care (checked 2026-10-13)
- Why Do Businesses Place Holds on Debit Cards? — Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance (checked 2026-10-13)
- MGM Grand Hotel & Casino: Rooms & Suites — Marriott Bonvoy (checked 2026-10-13)
- New York-New York Hotel & Casino, MGM Collection: Rooms & Suites — Marriott Bonvoy (checked 2026-10-13)
- Incidentals and Holds Policy — Arlo Hotels (checked 2026-10-13)
Pay the room in crypto, keep a card for the extras
Prepay your stay from a crypto balance, booked on request. Your balance is charged only once the hotel confirms.