Using email to reserve guest house ; they want credit card info, name etc. Is it safe?

Personally, I think the risk is minimal, given the protections credit cards have. You might send 2 emails, each with half the credit card number, and the expiry date on one and address on the other.

WhatsApp is safer than email, as it's end-to-end encrypted. However, it's safest is to call. Since WhatsApp is an option, it's free over wifi.

This is a very common request, not unusual at all.

My understanding is that providing the information by phone (voice) in a call you initiate is supposed to be safer. With a wifi calling app, the phone call would be free or very cheap. I believe that using WhatsApp for a phone call is safer then sending WhatsApp text. You can also send an end-to-end encrypted email. Some encryption services offer a free trial.

Did you decide on the Sweet Dreams B&B? They sent us to a link for a payment service, kind of like PayPal.

Thanks for asking. I tried to book but they told me that they aren't sure they will be open for my January date. They suggested I check back in a couple of months but I'd like to get my plans settled sooner. Meanwhile I found another that looks OK (though maybe not as good as Sweet Dreams) and am trying to book

You might send 2 emails, each with half the credit card number, and the expiry date on one and address on the other.

Bye, bye, ...
Do you really think the owner wants tourists like that? There are plenty of others to choose from... on to the next customer.

I would think business would want to make money and would want to make transactions as easy as possible. I'm not sure that there are going to be so many tourists to choose from in the current global economy.

Just an opinion. Once I sent my credit card in an email to a hotel and had additional charges to my credit card.

Fortunately, the person who used my credit card number did not realize that I had yet to leave the US when the charges were made at an expensive restaurant in France. Therefore, it was easier to get my disputed charges reversed. I remember the Chase security person laughing when I pointed out the fact the day the charges were made in France, I had been to the local grocery here in Florida the same day at practically the same time.

Never again will I or have I ever sent a credit card number in an email or text. Too many people at the other end of that email system or text number may have access to that email or that text. It is 2026 and anyone in the hospitality business should have a safer way to book their property. I would find another place to stay. Buyer beware.

Threadwear
Thanks. I believe you are right.

Well, the same thing happened to me, but it was when I paid a bill at a restaurant at a US ski resort. CapitalOne asked if I had bought something from Walmart.com at 1 pm at a certain time the next day and I replied that it would have been hard since I was half way down a ski run at that time. New card on the way.

From your other post, I guess this is for Civitavecchia the night of January 4, 2027?

Look on booking.com, there’s plenty of properties to choose from on that date.

"WhatsApp is safer than email, as it's end-to-end encrypted."

They disagree:

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/09/whatsapp-end-to-end-encrypted-messages-arent-that-private-after-all/

But it's close enough for most people.

RobertH. ...I guess it's a roll of the dice but having had fraud on my credit cards several times, I don't want to take a chance. The city doesn't seem to have any good hotel so one must really on smaller establishments that may want to take credit card info in insecure ways.

Marco, Yes there are properties on sites like booking.com but not the ones that seem the best as far as I can tell. Maybe in a few months they will be listed. I assume Booking.com, Expedia etc are secure. I've never used them

Oh no, I'm not saying to use it. I don't touch whatsapp/facebook/meta.

The safest way I know is a phone call to the place. But then you've got the standard "an employee/owner just sells your credit card info".

[shrug]

As you said, "a roll of the dice". You pays your money and you take your chances.