Incidental Charges
We ask for a credit card to be on file for incidentals for the convenience of the guest and the protection of our property. That is because at check-in you only pay for site. Anything else that you spend at our site is considered an incidental charge.
Examples of incidental charges:
- Pitching a tent
- Purchasing firewood
- Additional guests
Pro-tip: if you have a credit card, it’s always easier to use the credit card instead of any other form of payment to avoid having any hard charges to your account.
How is the “charge” processed?
That is going to depend on the form of payment you provide. At 16 Springs, we accept credit and debit cards for the incidental guarantee. The reason why we ask for a credit card is to make the guest’s life easier. Here’s why: When you use a credit card, we place an authorization on your card instead of processing an actual charge. That authorization will hold funds from your credit card limit, but it will not actually charge the credit card. That way, when you check out, if you have not had any incidental charges, the hold will just come off of the credit card. It’s that’s simple.
Now, if you use a debit card, we have to actually charge you and then refund you at check out. We also issue the refund at check out, but depending on your bank, it can take up to 10 days to see your money back in your account.
Is it a refundable “charge?”
Yes, because if you don’t use any extra services, that money will go back to your card.
I checked out 10 days ago and still don’t see my refund. What Should I do?
First, think of what form of payment you used. If you used a credit card, you will NOT see a refund. The original hold will just disappear from your statement. So you will not see an actual extra line on your statement with the $50 being refunded to you. You just won’t be able to find the original line that looked like a charge anymore. If you don’t see the initial hold anymore, that means you were not charged. Keep in mind this process also depends on how speedy your bank is with updating online statements, so wait a few days after check-out to make sure. But again, it was never a charge in the first place if you used a credit card.
If you paid with a debit card, you should see a refund, so if it has been more than 10 business days and you still haven’t seen it, give us a call.