How to give European hotels CC information?

[Lsbcal]

When making reservations via email, is there a fairly secure way to protect CC information?

Some ways I've considered:
1) Send it in 2 separate emails with half the numbers in each. If doing non-refundable deposits to get a better rate, then one would have to also send in the security code.
2) Get international calling ($15/mo from Tmobile) and call it in
3) Put the CC info in a PDF attachement. Perhaps less readable by automated hacking.

I'm leaning to #2.

Thoughts?

 

[audreyh1]

When making reservations via email, is there a fairly secure way to protect CC information?

Some ways I've considered:
1) Send it in 2 separate emails with half the numbers in each. If doing non-refundable deposits to get a better rate, then one would have to also send in the security code.
2) Get international calling ($15/mo from Tmobile) and call it in

I'm leaning to #2.

Thoughts?

Hmmm - I have always been able to do this via a hotel website using https. If the hotel/inn/B&B did not have a website, or deal with online reservations on their website, they would invoice through PayPal or send you to booking.com. I have booked numerous European hotels/inns/B&Bs over the past six years.

Once years ago at a small German tour outfit I dealt with this and they offered using separate emails, or calling and leaving numbers on their owner’s answering machine. I think I did the latter. It was less than a minute - must have been a small charge I don’t remember, I was with Verizon at the time.

I don’t think it’s worth getting international calling for the occasional one off need. Look up the per minute charge. I doubt it’s more than $2 a minute.

For folks who don’t realize: T-Mobile regular plans calling international from the US is not included, unlike the calling when you are overseas which is.

 

[Lsbcal]

Hmmm - I have always been able to do this via a hotel website using https. If the hotel/inn/B&B did not have a website, or deal with online reservations on their website, they would invoice through PayPal or send you to booking.com. I have booked numerous European hotels/inns/B&Bs over the past six years.
...

One hotel wanted me to fill out a form they sent and for me to sign it. So I attached this to the email as a PDF. Another hotel seems to not have an online way to exchange this information. It's a somewhat remote alpine location catering to hikers in the summer (Castlerotto Italy). Neither hotel is available through booking sites and I like to book directly anyway.

I'm inclined to agree with you that getting temporary international calling from the US is unnecessary.

 

[YVRRocketSurgery]

Not sure how practical if you need to book now but one strategy we use to limit potential "damage" is that we maintain secondary credit cards with lower limits for certain (online) purchases that might be potentially sketchy/riskier. If it does get compromised, you don't have to go through the hassle of modifying automatic bill payments, etc and they won't be able to ring up that large of a bill in case that becomes an issue with the cc company. It is also hopefully easier to identify mis-use as there would typically be no or limited charges on the card versus our main card where charges could get buried with our regular purchases.

 

[Alan]

One hotel wanted me to fill out a form they sent and for me to sign it. So I attached this to the email as a PDF. Another hotel seems to not have an online way to exchange this information. It's a somewhat remote alpine location catering to hikers in the summer (Castlerotto Italy). Neither hotel is available through booking sites and I like to book directly anyway.

I'm inclined to agree with you that getting temporary international calling from the US is unnecessary.

Have you considered calling them using Skype? It only costs about 2.3c/minute. You simply create an account with Skype and put $5 or something on your credit card. Before the $5 is used up you can add more money if needed. When we used to travel in Europe and the UK (before we moved to England) I also had the Skype app on my smart phone and tablet so could make calls from anywhere I was connected to wifi.

 

[audreyh1]

Have you considered calling them using Skype? It only costs about 2.3c/minute. You simply create an account with Skype and put $5 or something on your credit card. Before the $5 is used up you can add more money if needed. When we used to travel in Europe and the UK (before we moved to England) I also had the Skype app on my smart phone and tablet so could make calls from anywhere I was connected to wifi.

Oh great suggestion!

 

[bmcgonig]

Lots of these places have a WhatsApp account. Ask them. WhatsApp calling is free if they have it.

 

[Lsbcal]

Some good suggestions using Skype or Whatsapp. Thanks. I've never really used these.

Another thought is to use a text message since SMS is encrypted.

 

[Chuckanut]

I am going to nix this idea for the moment. The more I think about it, the more possible problems there are with the way hotels operate. For most online purchases it works great. Hotels have some peculiarities such as wanting to see the CC one made the reservation with.

[-]If you have a Capital One card use their ENO feature to generate a single purpose CC number that can only be used by that hotel.[/-]

 

[audreyh1]

If you have a Capital One card use their ENO feature to generate a single purpose CC number that can only be used by that hotel. .

The only thing is - if this is a one off number, would there be an issue for using it as a pre-pay hold versus paying upfront?

 

[Chuckanut]

The only thing is - if this is a one off number, would there be an issue for using it as a pre-pay hold versus paying upfront?

The other issue is that some hotels want to see the actual CC one used when one prepaid.

Maybe it's not such a great idea after all.

 

[MissMolly]

You could put it in a pdf document then password protect the pdf and send a separate email with the password. I do that sometimes.

 

[brett]

We use an international long distance credit card. We buy in increments of 5, 10, 20 dollars depending on our needs. Usually $10 or less. Phone from home or from our cell phones. Usually about 2 cents-8 cents a minute. We get the globetrotter card from speedypin.com

Last year we used it to make reservation on an Argentine airline. Phoning their call center in Buenos Aires instead of booking on line in North America saved us about $150. on our air fares. We spent $5. on the long distance card.

 

[imp4]

Call today.
Provide 16 digit CC number to create reservation.
Bring card at check-in for confirmation.
Enjoy your holiday.

 

[grasshopper]

We had to send a deposit to Zambia on a trip in the fall the hotel used Exchange4free, and they ate the extra charge/conversion. So of course the CC charge came through as originating in Nigeria.

 

[Sunset]

Have you considered calling them using Skype? It only costs about 2.3c/minute. You simply create an account with Skype and put $5 or something on your credit card. Before the $5 is used up you can add more money if needed. When we used to travel in Europe and the UK (before we moved to England) I also had the Skype app on my smart phone and tablet so could make calls from anywhere I was connected to wifi.

+1
I have used it for years from my computer, then later got a subscription to be able to phone via my phones without the computer.
Lately I've gone back to simply add a few dollars so I have a credit, then call using wifi and my cell phone app.