You can book a hotel room for someone else using your credit card as long as you list that person as the guest on the reservation. The person whose hotel room you book with your credit card will need to provide a photo ID when checking in, along with a credit card that has their name on it for incidentals.
The credit card used to book the room does not have to be the same credit card they put on hold for incidentals. But the name of the person checking in needs to match the guest’s name on the reservation, or else the hotel may suspect fraud and refuse to honor the reservation.
Things to Know Before Booking a Hotel Room with Your Card
- How to book a hotel room for someone else: Most hotel chains and hotel websites will allow you to input separate billing and guest information when booking a room. But most will also require you to either prepay the reservation or fill out a credit card authorization form for the guest to bring to the hotel.
If you prepay, you won’t be able to cancel the reservation. Also, your guest will need his or her own card for incidentals either way. - What is an authorization form: A credit card authorization form is a letter stating that you authorize a particular guest to stay in the room you reserved with your credit card. It typically includes applicable dates, billing information, and contact information.
Each major hotel chain has its own, some of which are online, while others are available on request. In some cases, you will need to call the front desk of your chosen hotel after booking to ask them to email you the proper credit card authorization form. - What to do if you run into any issues: If you encounter a situation where you can’t easily input guest information or locate the right authorization form, the best approach is to call the hotel in question. Customer service will be able to tell you how to proceed.
How to Book a Hotel Room for Someone Else Using a Credit Card
- Select your room and the number of nights as you normally would.
- Enter your name and card info for the booking information, but the name and information of the person who will be staying under the guest section.
- Pay the full cost of the reservation up front or fill out a credit card authorization form.
- Sign the authorization form (it won’t have any legal weight otherwise).
- Give the authorization form to the person whose room you’re paying for, to present at the front desk when they check in. Make sure they bring their own card for incidentals.
As long your guest can prove the booking is legitimate, they should have no problems staying at the hotel. But make sure the hotel can get in touch with you, anyway, in case there’s a misunderstanding and you need to confirm the charge.
Below, we’ll lay out how to go about booking a hotel room for someone else using your credit card with each of the largest hotel chains. The basics are pretty much the same, but some policies and procedures differ, depending on the hotel chain.
Policies & Procedures by Major Hotel Chain
| Hotel Chain | Can You Book for Someone Else Online? | Extra Steps | Authorization Form |
| Marriott International | Yes | Fill out a credit card authorization form OR Prepay for the reservation, and tell the guest to bring a card for incidentals | Contact the hotel’s front desk after booking. |
| Hilton Worldwide | Yes | Fill out a credit card authorization form (required) | Contact the hotel’s front desk after booking to get the form |
| Best Western | Yes | Fill out a credit card authorization form (required) | Contact the hotel’s front desk after booking to get the form |
| Hyatt Hotels | Yes | Fill out a credit card authorization form (required) | |
| InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) | Yes | Fill out a credit card authorization form (required) | Contact the hotel’s front desk after booking to get the form |
| Wyndham Hotels & Resorts | Yes | Fill out a credit card authorization form (required) | Contact the hotel’s front desk after booking to get the form |
| Choice Hotels | Yes | Fill out a credit card authorization form (required) | Contact the hotel’s front desk after booking to get the form |
| Radisson Hotels | Yes | Fill out a credit card authorization form (required) | Contact the hotel’s front desk after booking to get the form |
It is also worth noting that even though all these hotel chains allow you to book a hotel room for someone else with your credit card, certain locations may still not allow it. So, it would be best to get in touch with the hotel’s front desk team directly before making a reservation.
This answer was first published on 04/23/18 and it was last updated on 05/19/23. For the most current information about a financial product, you should always check and confirm accuracy with the offering financial institution. Editorial and user-generated content is not provided, reviewed or endorsed by any company.
