Handing over a credit card number just to book a table used to be unusual outside of the most exclusive restaurants. Now it is close to standard practice at the high end, and increasingly common everywhere else, a direct response to how much easier online booking has made it to reserve a table with no real intention of showing up.
Most restaurants that ask for a credit card at booking are placing what is technically called a pre-authorization hold, not actually charging the card. The card issuer temporarily earmarks the stated amount, confirming the card is valid and has sufficient available credit, but no money actually changes hands unless the guest fails to show up or cancels outside the restaurant's stated window. If the reservation is honored, the hold is simply released, typically within a few business days, and the guest pays for their actual meal normally at the table. This distinction matters enough that it trips up a fair number of diners who assume providing a card automatically means being charged something upfront.
The requirement is almost always for a credit card rather than a debit card, and there is a technical reason behind that preference. Debit cards, along with prepaid cards, generally cannot process the same kind of temporary authorization hold that credit cards support, since a hold on a debit card ties up real funds directly from a checking account rather than an available credit line. Using a debit card for a restaurant reservation hold, where accepted at all, often results in an actual charge appearing on the account immediately, refunded only after the reservation is completed, a meaningfully different experience than the credit card hold most restaurants are actually designed around.
The scale of the problem driving this shift is genuinely significant. Research into 39 Michelin starred restaurants across 18 countries found that 92 percent required a credit card deposit at the time of booking, with amounts averaging roughly 60 percent of the restaurant's most expensive tasting menu. A third of those restaurants went further, requiring guests to prepay for the entire menu in advance, leaving only drinks to be settled at the table. That level of adoption among the world's most acclaimed restaurants reflects just how costly a no-show has become, particularly for a restaurant that has already purchased specific ingredients and scheduled extra staff around a confirmed reservation.
| Type | What Happens at Booking | Most Common At |
|---|
| Card hold | No money moves, card is verified and a temporary amount is earmarked | Standard reservations, ordinary group bookings |
| Deposit | A set amount is actually charged and later applied to the final bill | Large parties, private events, high demand tables |
| Full prepayment | The entire cost of the meal is charged upfront, like buying a ticket | Tasting menus, special events, some fine dining destinations |
A decade ago, asking a guest to provide a deposit for a restaurant reservation might have been a genuinely difficult sell. That has changed considerably, and recent industry research shows most diners are now comfortable sharing card information when booking a table, with roughly three in four saying they are open to paying a reservation deposit outright. Familiarity with the same mechanism at hotels, where a card hold at check in has been standard for years, has likely made the restaurant version feel less unusual than it once did.
The data suggests yes, meaningfully. OpenTable's published figures show that guests who book with a card hold in place are up to 16 percent less likely to no-show compared to a standard, no card reservation, a large enough effect that many restaurants view the policy as one of the more reliable tools available for protecting revenue on a busy night. For restaurants still weighing whether to require a hold on every booking or only the riskiest time slots, that data has generally pushed the industry toward wider, more routine adoption rather than treating it as an unusual exception reserved only for the busiest nights.
Deposits and card holds become considerably more common, and often mandatory, once a reservation grows beyond a standard table for two or four. Large group bookings and private events typically involve a restaurant committing extra staff, blocking off entire sections, and sometimes preparing a custom menu in advance, all real costs that exist whether or not the group actually shows up. That heightened financial exposure is exactly why deposits are particularly common for these larger, more resource intensive bookings, even at restaurants that do not require anything from a standard two-top reservation.
Reading the specific cancellation policy before confirming a reservation is worth the extra minute, since the exact terms, how much notice is required to cancel without a charge, and what the fee actually is if you miss the window, vary considerably from one restaurant to the next. For more on how reservations work more broadly, see our guides on whether you should always make a reservation, how long restaurants typically hold a table, and whether a restaurant can cancel your reservation.
Frequently asked questions
Usually not. Most restaurants place a temporary pre-authorization hold, which verifies the card without actually charging it, and the hold is released once the reservation is honored.
Debit cards generally cannot process the same kind of temporary authorization hold that credit cards support, since a hold on a debit card ties up real funds directly from a checking account rather than an available credit line.
Very common. Research into 39 Michelin starred restaurants across 18 countries found that 92 percent required a credit card deposit at booking, with amounts averaging around 60 percent of the most expensive tasting menu price.
Yes, according to OpenTable data, guests who book with a card hold in place are up to 16 percent less likely to no-show compared to a standard reservation with no card required.
A hold temporarily earmarks funds without actually charging the card, while a deposit is an actual charge made at booking that is later applied to the final bill, typically used for larger parties or high demand tables.
Increasingly, yes. Recent industry research found roughly three in four diners say they are open to paying a reservation deposit, a shift driven partly by familiarity with similar holds used at hotels.
Reviewed and verified by the Restaurant Listings Editorial Team for accuracy and relevance. Our content is researched using official restaurant sources, public records, government agencies, and recognized food safety and hospitality industry resources.
Last reviewed: September 2026
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