A “Daystop” charge on your credit card is almost always a Days Inn hotel charge. Days Inn and Daystop share a single merchant category code in the payment processing system, and some banks pull the “Daystop” portion of that code when they print the descriptor on your statement. If you stayed at a Days Inn recently, this is that stay, or a post-checkout charge tied to it. If you didn’t, it’s worth investigating and, if needed, disputing.
Why Your Statement Says Daystop
Statement descriptors don’t always match the brand name a customer expects. Payment processors pass along one descriptor, but your bank can override it with a different name pulled from its own database, so two cardholders of different banks can see different names for the same transaction.1Stripe. Why Do Customers See Statement Descriptors That Don’t Match
With Days Inn, the reason is specific. Merchants are classified using Merchant Category Codes, and Days Inn and Daystop sit together under a single code: MCC 3510, listed as “DAYS INN, DAYSTOP.”2Fiserv Developer. Merchant Category Codes When a Days Inn property runs a charge, some banks pick up “Daystop” from that pairing instead of the familiar brand name.
Daystop itself comes from inside the Days Inn family. Travel forum discussions have identified it as a budget sub-brand grouped with other Days-branded properties.3FlyerTalk. Sub-Brands Do We Need Them Days Inn, in turn, is owned by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.
If You Did Stay at a Days Inn Recently
Even when the charge is legitimate, the amount or timing can throw you off. A few patterns explain most surprises.
Pre-authorization holds. Days Inn properties typically pre-authorize the room total plus an incidentals buffer at check-in. One property’s posted policy sets that buffer at $200 above the room cost.4Days Inn by Wyndham Nanaimo. Hotel Policies The hold is supposed to drop off after final payment is processed, but timing depends on your bank. If both the hold and the final charge show up on the same statement, it can look like you were billed twice.
Post-checkout incidentals. Hotels often bill the card on file for things noticed after you leave: minibar items, parking, or property the hotel says was damaged or missing. These charges can appear days or weeks later, sometimes without a heads-up, which makes them harder to connect to the trip.5View from the Wing. Always Check Credit Card Statement Unauthorized Hotel Charges
Damage or cleaning fees. Days Inn properties reserve the right to charge for damage or excessive cleaning after departure. Consumer advocates have noted that a hotel imposing such a fee should contact the guest, explain the charge, and produce evidence like timestamped photos of the specific room. A fee imposed without that kind of substantiation is much weaker if you push back.6Chicago Tribune. Do I Have to Pay This Days Inn Cleaning Fee
How to Dispute a Charge You Believe Is Wrong
Start with the property. Call the Days Inn where you stayed and ask for an itemized explanation. If the front desk can’t resolve it, ask for a manager. For a damage or cleaning fee, ask for the specific evidence: timestamped photos tied to your room number, an incident report, or written documentation. If the photos lack those details, or no evidence exists, you’re on firmer ground to refuse the charge.6Chicago Tribune. Do I Have to Pay This Days Inn Cleaning Fee
If the property won’t move, escalate to Wyndham’s corporate customer service. Days Inn is a Wyndham franchise brand, and corporate sometimes has more authority or motivation to resolve a billing complaint than an individual franchisee.7Bankrate. Can Hotels Charge for Uncaused Damages
If neither the hotel nor corporate resolves it, dispute the charge with your credit card issuer. Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, you can dispute a billing error by sending a written notice to the issuer’s billing inquiries address within 60 days of the statement date. The issuer must acknowledge the dispute within 30 days and resolve it within 90 days. While the dispute is open, you can withhold payment on the disputed amount, and the issuer cannot report you as delinquent on it or send it to collections. Federal law also caps your liability for unauthorized charges at $50.8Federal Trade Commission. Using Credit Cards and Disputing Charges
A few practical points on how to run the dispute:
- Send the written dispute letter by certified mail with a return receipt, so you have proof of the date it was received.
- Gather your documentation early: booking confirmation, the hotel folio from checkout, any receipts, and any photos you took of the room on arrival or departure.
- Credit cards offer stronger protection than debit cards. The Fair Credit Billing Act chargeback rights apply to credit card transactions; debit disputes exist but run under different rules with weaker protections.
If your card issuer’s process doesn’t settle it, you can file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau or your state attorney general’s office.8Federal Trade Commission. Using Credit Cards and Disputing Charges
What the New Fee Rules Do and Don’t Cover
The FTC’s Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees took effect on May 12, 2025. It requires short-term lodging businesses to disclose the total price, including mandatory fees like resort or destination charges, prominently and up front whenever pricing is advertised or displayed.9Hotel Dive. FTC Junk Fees Rule Takes Effect Hotels The rule targets bait-and-switch pricing across the industry rather than any one chain.10Federal Trade Commission. Federal Trade Commission Announces Rule Banning Junk Ticket Hotel Fees It governs how prices are advertised; it isn’t a shortcut for reversing a post-stay damage or incidentals charge, which still goes through the dispute process above.