Pat_in_Mich

About a week ago I finished booking all my hotels for my September trip to Germany. All hotels were confirmed using my Capitol One card. This morning I noticed fraudulent transactions on the card, so the account has to be closed and a new card issued. Do I need to contact the hotels to give them the new card number or can I just wait until I get there?

ira

Hi P,

You might have no difficulty at all if you waited.

OTOH, what will it cost you to inform them of your new card number, and what will it save you in the way of hassles later?

Robert2533

Typically you would let the hotels know in advance that the card account number has been changed, should there be any problems. The credit card is normally used to confirm the reservation only. You will pay when you check out using the new card, cash or whatever.

Note that Capitol One is not closing your account, only changing the credit card number on the account. It's happens quite often.

Nelson

Bummer. I'd let them know just to be on the safe side.

Nelson

OTOH, what if it was one of <i>them</i> that caused the fraudulent transactions?!
Is there a paranoia emoticon?

Just kidding really, I'd still contact them.

internetflyer

Like Robert2533 said a credit card is only used to secure your reservation but I would call the hotel(s) and let them know. It never hurts to be safe.

hpeabody

I agree, it is a smart idea to contact the hotels about the card# change. There are actually places that may ask that you present in person the card that was used to make the reservation. Contacting them in advance would prevent you from having issues at check-in. I have been "carded" before myself and it is no fun. Is this perhaps what happened to you?

Carding

Carding is a term used for a process to verify the validity of stolen card data. The thief presents the card information on a website that has real-time transaction processing. If the card is processed successfully, the thief knows that the card is still good. The specific item purchased is immaterial, and the thief does not need to purchase an actual product; a web site subscription or charitable donation would be sufficient. The purchase is usually for a small monetary amount, both to avoid using the card's credit limit, and also to avoid attracting the card issuer's attention. A website known to be susceptible to carding is known as a cardable website.

In the past, carders used computer programs called "generators" to produce a sequence of credit card numbers, and then test them to see which were valid accounts. Another variation would be to take false card numbers to a location that does not immediately process card numbers, such as a trade show or special event. However, this process is no longer viable due to widespread requirement by internet credit card processing systems for additional data such as the billing address, the 3 to 4 digit Card Security Code and/or the card's expiration date, as well as the more prevalent use of wireless card scanners that can process transactions right away.[citation needed] Nowadays, carding is more typically used to verify credit card data obtained directly from the victims by skimming or phishing.

A set of credit card details that has been verified in this way is known in fraud circles as a phish. A carder will typically sell data files of the phish to other individuals who will carry out the actual fraud. Market price for a phish ranges from US$1.00 to US$50.00 depending on the type of card, freshness of the data and credit status of the victim.[citation needed]

Dukey1

Thed problem would come if one of the hotels did one of those "minor" charges to see if the CC number you gave them is legit. If your card has been cancelled any charge using the previous card number is NOT going to go through.

But if that were going to happen it would have happened by now I would think.

I agree that you can probably wait until you arrive to give them the new card number.

KTtravel

This very thing happened to me right before we were to leave on our trip. We had no problem using our new credit card at the hotels reserved under our previous card.

Judy

We reserved a room using a credit card which was subsequently changed. We did not contact the hotel (in St Thomas) and found no reservation when we arrived. They tried to put a charge through the day before we arrived and it was declined. They cancelled the reservation. This may not be the norm, but since then, we always notify hotel if number changes.

thoiry50

Hi PAT-in MICH
Well I haid the same problem.My hotels in Germany were booked for my vacation ,my cruises for autumn.I found out that 550$ have been taken from my visa card( bought from France to LL BEAN department store in the State.I had to make opposition ,go to the police (fraud)lI was not able to obtain from the store if my name and the expiration date were written.I only know they they don't ask the three numbers behind the card?I still dont have my new card and I have to give all the hotel my new number,but I don't want to do by email?So I' quite angry and asking myself if using a credit card is safe to buy stuff from internet.I'm quite worried now!The only answer you obtain from the store is:your bank is going to pay for it!......yes ,in two months...i live in France.Is it safe for custumers to buy by internet when you see that store are caring so less when you have problems,being the victim and taking so few informations ...I learned that the name and the zip code weren't mine and that they woul get their package back from UPS.I might take more cash under my underwear like my grand ma.did......

NYCFoodSnob

I can't speak to German hotels, but I have had European hotels that require a credit card to hold a reservation refuse the credit card I offered because it expired one month prior to my arrival, even though the trip was a year away. They did not care that I happily offered to contact them as soon as the new card was delivered. In order to "secure" the reservation, I had to submit a card number with an expiration date "after" my stay with them would be completed.

As others have noted, if you wish to have a hotel room when you arrive, it makes no sense to gamble with the credit card that is "holding" the reservation. Responsible communication with your hotel can prevent a travel disaster.

ardithl

I will add my encouragement to contact the hotels and give them an active number. Two years ago, I had no problems using my Capital One card for foreign transactions.

Last year, I had nothing but trouble, even though I had a travel notification on my account. The transaction wouldn't go through to purchase French train tickets before the trip. Before we arrived in Paris (and were staying at a hotel en route with a 9-hour time difference), the hotel emailed me because my card had been declined when they tried to run a transaction the day before our check-in. Fortunately, I had booked a second room with a different card, so I could respond by email and ask them to use the second card for both rooms. Near the end of our trip, I received a call from an apartment manager who had also tried to run my card the day before our arrival and had it declined.

I still carry the Cap One card as a back-up, but I don't use it for hotel deposits anymore.

thoiry50

Hi! Everybody
I'm through with my carding (piracy) and I had to call back the hotel in Germany,but didn't want to send a mail with my new numbers....So I ask booking.com to do it?Don't worry most of german places speak fluant english.But careful now,cardind is now a game.They could buy with my bank card through internet more than 500 $ only prrating my number ,the expirration date and using another name on the card.So now every day,I take a picture of my bank account with my I pad to be able to react fast!
I'spend two weeks near Köln in September!
Have a nice vacation

Dukey1

Not unless they try to put through a small charge and SOME of them may do so. Same thing happened to me earlier this year. I did not notify any of the hotels however one of them emailed me and said they had tried to put a charge through in order to est the authenticity of the card.

I e-mailed back with an updated card number.

When I stayed in the various pre-booked places I simply used the new card to settle the bills.

thoiry50

Hi everybody,
I would call german's hotels because they almost canceled my reservation!Because of carding,I had to wait for a new card and explain them by phone in english.
Be careful,they may cancel your reservation and september is quite expensive at the last moment.
Take care

Underhill

A safe way to do Internet sales transactions is to use a virtual account number, the system available through Citibank's Visa card. It produces a unique number for each transation, and the date is good only through the end of the month. It's an excellent way to avoid those sites wanting to store your number.