No means no.

[TheHats]

We take debit and credit in my hotel, though we don't treat them the same. CC cards get authorized for the amount and then not charged until CO, debit cards get charged as you checkin. This is actually because... your bank is a dick. Doesn't matter what bank you're with, they're a dick. If we put a hold on a debit card for an amount, then charge it, they do not take that charge out of that hold. And they don't release the hold right then. They are allowed to keep that hold for up to A MONTH making your money inaccessible to you. So we don't auth' debit cards.

[Syriilord]

I understand there would be a risk in that there not being enough funds, but most sensible people would ensure the funds are there.

I think you might be forgetting where we are....

*points at name of site*

[It's me]

Damn... Canada does need to get with the times. Here in Australia, our machines make no distinction whatsoever in regards to actual CC or Visa/Mastercard debit.

In Canada the debit and credit networks are separate. Visa, MasterCard, Amex are credit, while debit runs through Interac. So a credit card always runs as a credit card, regardless of whether authorized by chip & pin or by swipe & signature. And debit cards run as debit whether authorized by chip & pin or swipe & pin.

Credit: bank lets you run up a tab
Debit: money comes straight out of your bank account

I was confused as hell for a while by US terminology, where credit can actually be debit & vice versa!