faxing in credit card info to a hotel

You can FAX it using the sequence Steve mentioned. Perhaps the most secure method when submitting your personal credit card details is to go through a secure site with encrypted transmission and secure servers…sounds like that’s not an option for you here. Unfortunately, most of the small hotels and B&Bs cannot afford, nor can they support, a secure e-commerce platform like Marriott has. And, many don’t even have websites at all. If they do, they’re not usually secure (look for the “s” after http in the address field). Even robust systems can be compromised (i.e. remember TJ Maxx). So, that leaves us with FAX, e-mail, or a phone call. They all have some level of vulnerability. FAX data transmission itself is actually pretty secure as it’s encrypted, but the issue is that anyone can pick it up on the other end as already mentioned. E-mail is not encrypted and goes across as plain text…completely unsecure and can be intercepted at multiple points in the process. It can also be accessed by anyone at the hotel, printed off, copied, etc. A phone call is great, but the card number is being written down somewhere, copied to a register, typed in an Outlook calendar, whatever. You’ll just have to accept some degree of risk with this...we all do. Personally, I make inquiries via e-mail but always call with my details when I’m ready to reserve…it’s just the way I do it. I’ve never had a problem. Having a brief opportunity to do my best using the local language so early in the planning process pumps me up for the upcoming trip. Others use e-mail and have never had a problem. Again, all of these can be compromised in one way or another. At least your liability is somewhat limited when fraud occurs with your credit card, and you can work with the issuer. Someone recently suggested one-use credit card numbers through your issuer…I thought it was a good idea. Just never use your debit card!

So, if you're prepared to FAX...go for it. Happy travels!

Just email the number. The odds that someone is monitoring the email of your hotel and will steal your credit card info is pretty low. The real risk is that once the number is at the other end, no matter how securely you got it there, anyone who has access to the hotel info can get it.

okay I emailed it in. thanks for the advice, I will just keep on eye on my credit card statement and make sure there are no wierd charges. Hope it all works well.

Chantielle, is it not possible to simply tell them your cc number over the phone? You don't know who has access to the fax machine on the other end or where it is located. I have never heard of someone faxing a copy of a credit card, but that's just me. I would be very, very cautious.

I often send the info through email - yes, everything they ask for. If you search here you will see that others suggest sending the number in 2 different emails but you will also see that the chances of this being "captured" in cyberspace is very low. The REAL threat comes at the other end - with the person who will print your email out, or write your number down - regardless if you send it through a secure site or not.

I have had more duplicate or unauthorized charges from handing my card to a person than from sending it to a hotel through email. So I do what I always do and monitor my card, report any unauthorized charges, and continue to send card info to hotels.

Chantielle,

In my experience, E-mail is probably a more secure method than sending via FAX. As mentioned in a previous reply, some prefer to send the number in two parts but I usually don't bother.

So far I haven't had any problems with this method (and hopefully I won't in future). Did the Hotel have any suggestions on the best method for providing a CC number?

Cheers!

I use one specific credit card for internet transactions including Europe and I only use that one card for those transactions. I monitor that account very closely when I use that card and have never had a problem. I do break down the cc #'s into different e-mails tho most folks here say that is not necessary.

thank you for asking the very same question i had! i want to book just one night at a RS suggested small hotel in london, and i was given the very same options--email, fax or phone. i don't know why, but i feel more secure submitting it in some sort of form--like on a hotel website or expedia or on an airline website--than i did about this. but, it seems, this is normal. it is also just to hold the room--i'll be paying for it in cash there. and i guess i don't really have to worry, as the fraud protection services of my card (capitol one) shut the card down after every single online transaction i made in a different currency--and i even alerted them that'd i'd be traveling out of the country (and, therefore, booking things outside of the country) very soon. it was annoying to have to continue calling to confirm that the card wasn't being misused, but reassuring all at the same time.

We use a credit card that has a feature called "ShopSafe". That lets me create a special number, with a fixed limit and short duration. Then if that number is compromised there is no exposure to the real card and its info.