“Party Organizer Asked for My Credit Card to Make a Reservation”
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From a LW:
“We have been invited to a birthday party at an upscale restaurant and I already know that the bill is going to be split between all 4-5 couples. The organizer already asked us if we’d be able to make it or not.
What really shocked me was that she asked each couple to put credit card information to make the reservation without mentioning the name of the restaurant yet! Honestly, this request sounds kind of confusing and rude when you have known each other for a while and almost none of this party has financial struggles. What do you think?”
Where I live, sometimes very popular restaurants will ask for a credit card to make the reservation and will have cancellation policies outlining the circumstances under which they can charge that card (e.g., if your party no-shows or late cancels). Some will charge those fees per person, so it’s not always risk-free to be the one making the reservation. A few upscale restaurants we’ve been to with tasting menus, we’ve paid for everything but add-ons and tip while making the reservation months out. In my experience, you only need to put one card down in these situations, so yeah, I’d find it a bit odd if a friend asked me to give her my credit card info. I’d not be as affronted as you seem to be, though, and would address it directly. I’d ask what she needs it for.
Yeah, same, I know there are some restaurants that will charge you like $25 per person if you’re a no-show. But I still don’t understand why someone would ask for each guest’s credit card info in advance. Sending someone your credit card information is not without risk, so I also would ask what she needs it for. Maybe she’s trying to avoid awkwardness when the bill comes? But like, that’s what putting down one card and doing Venmo requests is for. I would just ask her for more explanation.
Ask the person for the restaurant name first – look it up and see what you’d be paying and if you can afford it first. Sometimes people have no idea what your budget is and they assume everyone can afford their plans. Also, sometimes people think you should prioritize their shit instead of paying your bills which is unreasonable.
Sharing credit card numbers is suspicious as hell though. I have no idea why you’d need multiple cards for a single dinner.
Talk to your friend. Be upfront about needing to evaluate if you have the $ for this dinner. Ask if there are penalties if you no show. If so, and you don’t want to spend the $$, say no.
I would say in general you are very careful with your CC information and only enter it at point of sale or through a secure website. You can ask her to point you to the restaurant’s website or reservation system directly and go from there.
Overall it is a weird request. Possibly a high end tasking menu with a pricey cancellation policy and a policy that requires separate credit cards to reserve up front if you are going to split the bill.
I would say in general you are very careful with your CC information and only enter it at point of sale or through a secure website. You can ask her to point you to the restaurant’s website or reservation system directly and go from there.
Overall it is a weird request. Possibly a high end tasking menu with a pricey cancellation policy and a policy that requires separate credit cards to reserve up front if you are going to split the bill.
“What really shocked me was that she asked each couple to put credit card information to make the reservation without mentioning the name of the restaurant yet! Honestly, this request sounds kind of confusing and rude when you have known each other for a while”
The meeting organizer is either incredibly naive or scamming you. If she’s not scamming you, she’s practically shouting that she doesn’t trust you to live up to your share of the cancellation fee. Tell her no, you refuse to do it that way. You can contact the restaurant directly. The “I need your credit card info but I won’t tell you the name of the restaurant” is super B.S.
Also a huge possibility that the birthday planner intends to surprise you after the fact with your share of a restaurant bill at a very high-end restaurant that they know you wouldn’t be willing to sign up for, if you knew in advance how expensive this party is going to become. I’d also be careful to have an up-front agreement on how the bill splitting is going to occur — you may learn after-the-fact that an equal split has been arranged with the restaurant and that one or more couples plans very expensive food and wine/booze.
It might be safest to give this celebration a pass.
