giving CC# over the phone?

I would never send a credit card number, or any other personal financial information, by email. FAX is OK, otherwise call.

Thank you. We felt the same way, They said they've never had a problem.We don't have international calling right now and they wouldn't call me. It looks like a nice place to stay but this seems wierd.

skype - pennies

With gmail, you can send an encrypted email in "confidential mode" and the recipient receives a separate email with a one time use passcode to open it. They can't forward or print it, and I can time limit how long they have it, and once it has been looked at, I can permanently delete it and they can no longer access it. I submitted my CC to a hotel in France using this method with no problems. I also figured it was at least as safe as calling and giving the information over the phone.

The other option is to fax the information, but that leaves a paper trail, you aren't sure who has access to faxes, etc.

I also have text and email alerts on my different CCs and knew instantaneously when the recipient placed a charge against it, and would notice any additional unexpected charges.

Didn't feel great at the time, but it worked out.

Thank you. Will keep that in mind.

When I first started traveling, this wasn’t that unusual. So, I’d argue that is not weird as much as it is behind the times. I would use the Gmail option mentioned.

Another option is to book it on a third party site like Booking.com.

I’ve had this experience with B&B’s, and never had any follow-up issues with fraud. I’m more comfortable with calling them with the CC number than sending via email. I don’t think it’s a scam, probably just a small hotel with limited/outdated tech. But if you’re not comfortable, maybe find another place to stay-not worth worrying about, IMO.

I had this problem at a small Inn in Montepulciano Italy. I gave the owner my CC# over the phone.No problems except he did not speak English and I don't speak Italian but somehow we managed. Had a great stay there. I don't remember the cost of the call being a problem. Good luck!

Thank you JoJo Rabbit. I usually don’t use my GMail and didn’t know about its confidential encrypted email. I will use it in the future for non-online reservations that need my CC number.
What I have done in the past is either call with my credit card information or send multiple emails each with parts of my CC info. Of course I have alerts set up to monitor CC charges and look at my accounts often.

In rare cases, I have arranged to send the number in one email, and the expiration date in another. But honestly, you need to look at the actual level of risk. I think it is much more dangerous to let a vendor keep your number on file for the next online purchase, than it is to email a number once. Europeans, quite rightly, deplore the cheapskate American restaurant practice of taking the credit card out of our hands and sight.

Sorry to use this dumb example, but some mothers leave their child in the shopping cart seat while they load the groceries, because the car might be carjacked with the baby in the back seat. But the chance of the cart being struck by a dumb SUV driver is actually much greater. Likewise, blacked-out windows protect your child from Paparazzi photos like Lindsay Lohan, but deny a carjacker a view of the child seat. He doesn't WANT a car with a child in it.

Are you aware of the many bricks and mortar national chains that have lost hundreds of thousands of numbers because their HVAC network was the same as their POS terminal network!

My wife swears by her one card that allows her to generate a temporary CC number for each transaction. And she has her Notifications set to text her every time her card is used. That's too many texts for me, but not for a Millennial!

Thank you JoJo Rabbit. I usually don’t use GMail and didn’t know about encrypted email

Gmail is 'encrypted' for regular emails, too, but that works best if both the sender and the recipient both use gmail.

What I am describing is "confidential mode". If interested just google "gmail confidential mode" for a description of how to use it. Basically, when you compose an email, there is a small "lock" icon in the lower bar, and that puts you into confidential mode. But read about it first because you are given options such as how to communicate the pass code to your recipient, and also how to time limit or "destroy" the email once it has been read...

Frankly, any time you submit your CC info on the internet, even to a "secure" booking engine, you are subject to misuse of the information, fraudulent activity like the booking engine getting hacked, etc. There is no one absolute safe method of doing this transaction. I do feel that gmail confidential mode is at least as safe, and maybe a little safer, than fax or giving the info over the phone, and it is certainly convenient.

I also had a lot of confidence in the hotel I sent the confidential gmail to - I am a repeat customer, have actually met the person on a previous visit who I was dealing with - the hotel manager. So that made me more comfortable with it, too. My booking was complex, involved 2 rooms with slightly different dates, and I negotiated a discounted price and free breakfast that the booking engine would not provide, so I had to confirm the reservation with my CC through other means.

The few times I’ve had to provide a CC# via email I have broken it up into 3 separate emails, which I number so they don’t get confused. #1 is first 2 sets of numbers, #2 is second 2 sets of numbers and #3 is the expiration date. I’ve never had a problem doing that.

Weve always simply given the cc number to hotels over the phone and have never had a problem or had one refuse to do it that way. Calling overseas really isn't that expensive compared to the total cost of the trip.

I've sent credit card numbers via email to lodging quite a few times. It is probably because we stay in smaller, locally owned properties. If they want CC in advance, they are saving it in some form regardless how you send it. We've had fraud on our cards a few times, now, and it has never been related to sending CC# by email or by phone.

You need to think about the relative risk. If the card is used fraudulently, and you and the credit card company are doing your jobs by monitoring the account, the worst thing that can happen is that your card is compromised and you will need to get a new card. You are not financially liable for any amount.

I usually send the info in a couple emails requesting that they delete them when they have the info they need. Incidentally, I would NEVER do the same with a debit card which is connected to my checking and savings accounts.

Strangely when I googled for 'Hôtel de Brunville', the only one showed up was in Bayeux, France. I couldn't find it in Google Maps for this hotel in Rouen area either.
Personally I don't like to send CC number over email even if it's encrypted and using "confidential mode"; mostly because you don't really know who you are sending it to in this case. Especially in this case a hotel that apparently couldn't be located by Google Maps in that particular town ... I won't give them over the phone either :)
If I were you I would consider booking another hotel directly on their website or on third party website. This way it's secure and you can change/cancel easily if you need to.

Mindfullness, I didn't catch the reference to a Hoitel de Brunville in Rouen. We stayed at the Hiotel de Brunville in Bayeux. Good catch!

My mistake. too much trip planning has my head spinning.We are staying at the Hotel du Brunell in Bayeux. The hotel in Rouen is the Hotel de la Cathedral. They do not have a secure website for CC# and asked me to email the CC# to them, which I was not comfortable doing. I tried to call from my land line and cell as yes I would be comfortable giving over the phone but the calls would not go through. We spent a little time last night trying to send an encrypted email but it was taking up too much time. I'm sure the hotel is fine but we ended up booking at the Hotel Mercure in Rouen. Thanks all for the advice on how to do this in the future. It may have been fine but not within our comfort zone.

FYI, in telephoning a french phone number from a US phone, you must drop the "0" at the beginning of the phone number. If phoning from a French phone number, retain the "0".
e.g. from US phone dial 011-33-2-35-71-57-95 for the Hotel de la Cathedrale, Rouen
From a French phone number, add the zero back in, before the "2". Also, you don't need the 011-33, just dial 02-35-71-57-95.
Hope this helps.