Credit Card Guarantee
A valid credit card is required to secure and book your reservation but is not charged at the time of booking. Hotels will charge an advance deposit to the credit card on file when they receive SXSW Housing & Travel reservations in the month leading up to SXSW. If you need to update the credit card number on file you must provide the new card information to SXSW no later than Friday, February 18. After February 18, we cannot guarantee that the deposit will be charged to the updated card.
If a card is no longer valid and the hotel is unable to charge your deposit, they may cancel your reservation. It is your responsibility to maintain a valid credit card number on your reservation from booking to arrival.
Payment
Guests are required to present a physical credit card at check-in for payment of room, tax and incidental charges. It is your responsibility to know your method of payment upon check-in.
If you will be traveling without the credit card to be charged or the credit card is not in your own name (e.g. a company card that does not belong to the employee). You must supply a credit card pre-authorization form directly with the hotel before arrival. Hotels will not accept these forms until the month prior to arrival.
Credit Card Pre-Authorization
It is your responsibility to know your method of payment upon check-in. If you don’t intend to travel with the credit card you plan to use to pay for the reservation, you must submit a credit card authorization form to the hotel before you arrive to charge your reservation, tax, or incidentals to a card that isn’t in your name (e.g. a company card that does not belong to the employee).
How to Submit Your Credit Card Authorization Form
You are able to pre-authorize your credit card directly with your hotel in late February or early March when you receive your reservation confirmation number.
You must have already received your confirmation number from the hotel in order to be able to process your credit card authorization.
Use the PDF below to either contact the hotel directly or fill out their online form or PDF.
Credit Card Authorization Details by Hotel
Pre-Payment
Credit card pre-authorization is the best method to pay for your stay without a physical credit card. If you need to pay for your room & tax in advance you can do so when the hotel charges a deposit. Please note that the hotel will still require a card to guarantee incidentals at check-in.
If you still have questions, please contact housing@sxsw.com for further instruction.
Deposits
Most hotels charge a deposit to the card on file when they receive the SXSW reservations from us in late February or early March. This information is outlined in the ‘Reservation Agreement’ section of your reservation confirmation email.
If you’d like to update the credit card number on file you must provide the new card information to SXSW no later than Friday, February 18. After February 18, we cannot guarantee that the deposit will be charged to the updated card. If a card is no longer valid and the hotel is unable to charge your deposit, they may cancel your reservation.
You can update your credit card via the link to make changes in your reservation confirmation, your SXSW Social Account, or the same Shopping Cart used to purchase your registration.
How to Change or Cancel Reservations & Waitlist Requests
Changes and cancellations must be made through SXSW Housing & Travel (not the hotel). This can be done in one of 3 ways:
- To change or cancel use the ‘Request for Change’ link in your reservation confirmation email.cc
- Choose your reservation from the drop-down (only your reservation should be listed).
- Make the changes you need to the reservation or choose ‘Cancel.’
- Choose ‘submit’ at the bottom of the page.
Questions? Check out our .
Please review all change requests carefully before submitting. Cancelled nights will likely not be reinstated.