Hotel Reservations - copy of credit card and Passport?
 

When making reservations for some hotels in Central America I've been asked to fax a copy of my credit card (front and back) and my passport or drivers license. Is this common practice for that region?

some hotels in some regions do have these kinds of policies
sometimes a travel agent might make a difference, not sure

some airlines have required seeing credit card used to pay, to board

Wow, that doesn't make any sense at all! What happens when I buy tickets for my kids but don't travel with them?

Please continue to follow this discussion in the FT Central America Forum.
Thanks...
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

Is this a Central America only issue? Have others been asked to fax copies of credit cards and passports in other areas of the world?

Faxing both sides of your CC reveals not only the CC number but also the security code located at the reverse thus putting you totally at their mercy.
I'd rather abstain from dealing with such "enterpreneurs".

Look at it this way: on one hand they can't afford/don't want/don't bother to have a proper secure on-line payment system to make the customer feel safe but on the other want you to trust them all the way down by disclosing the the very vulnerable data of your finances.

It is fairly common not only in Central America but in a lot of Asian countries as well. They do this to prevent fraudulent charges, and not having to deal with disputes and chargebacks after the fact.

I've had to do this for some very good independent hotels in Europe, primarily R&C properties in France and Italy. Maybe it's irrational, but I feel safer faxing an enlarged (for readability and easy to do) copy of my credit card than sending the credit card number in an email message, with other personal details, as some hotels have asked.

MSPeconomist, are they also asking for a copy of your passport or drivers license?

I've had the same experience as mspeconomist with European hotels but I honestly don't mind..they're reputable but even more so I tend to log into my account like a hawk when I'm overseas.

I think they just want to protect themselves from chargebacks and such

I've never had this experience anywhere in the world, but then I usually book international or local chain hotels over the Web. If I got a request such as this, I'd be tempted to book elsewhere.

OP, can you confirm your booking method (Web, email, or phone) and whether you are booking a B&B or some other independent hotel?

I've not had to do this when booking via a hotel's web site, or via a OTA like Expedia.

They will copy the passport upon check in and maybe make a note of the cc info or take an impression on one of those old type slips at check in as well.

Do people still use fax machines? I've only ever had to present a passport when checking in, never had anyone scan front/back of credit card in CA.

It's been reported (on travel forums) fairly often for hotels in Brazil as well.

It sends up signals to some who are asked for those details, enough to go on a forum to bring it up as an issue, but I haven't seen reports on the forums of such details being misused. Perhaps those who ask use other hotels; perhaps nothing happens if they use the hotel in question.
Mostly those who report cloning of cards or other fraud can trace it back to a certain ATM, or perhaps a restaurant.

It happened to me several times in smaller properties in Brazil and a couple of times in Europe as well. Never had a problem with misuse of the information.