How do you send credit card info?
 

Do you think it is safe to send credit card information by email to make reservations in Europe? If not, how do you do that?

We solved this problem by using old fashioned fax technology.

This is a long-standing question around here and I will reply to the "fax" solution: you do so assuming that the person, or persons, who actually GET that fax are totally honest. I am not convinced that this is anymore "foolproof" than using email.

There's always the telephone unless you think somebody has tapped your line. How about using a text message?

No it is not safe to send credit card details by email or by fax, however sometimes there is not an option, especially if you are booking direct.

It is safer to book and guarantee the reservation online, either on the hotel's own website or via a site like hotels.com, booking.com etc.

I only use hotels.com or booking.com when I give my CC details.
Yet I was hacked. Amex called me 2 weeks ago asking if it was really me ordering online for 1500 €.
So ... either this or somebody took note of my cc details in a restaurant - which is also possible.
So mail, yes - but send 2 mails at least so that you split the info.

When they do not have a booking engine I try to call or send email with part of the number..later the rest...but a quick call is the best

Either on the on-line booking form or by phone.

PayPal is great for this. Sometimes it has not been offered but if asked it is available. But otherwise I like the online form either from the hotel itself or for me preferably booking.com.

http or https?

I still trust secure servers, keeping in mind that nothing is 100% but also keeping in mind that I am not liable for charges hacked anywhere if I did not sign or use my PIN.

The only time I was ever hacked, my bank called me immediately and cancelled the charges.

In any case, I check my accounts online every day.

Oh, I just realised that you wrote "email." Well, yes, I have done it a number of times without incident. You need to have really determined criminals to go reading thousands of emails to find credit card numbers. Talented criminals would never do anything so primitive.

I've sent CC number by email, too. I usually add symbols and break it up onto individual lines. I find it hard to believe it's a likely way for thieves to gain info.

I personally don't avoid e-mail -- but it actually isn't necessary very often. Even basic B&Bs often have on-line booking engines. If arrangements are strictly by e-mail -- I just usually end up phoning because there may be other questions I have at the time of booking.

There aren't too many places where I stay any more that don't have a secure website for booking. However, in the past, I have sent my CC number by email a couple times for some small places that didn't. I have broken it up into two emails (the number and expiration date), but I personally think the chance of someone reading that one email of mine and finding a CC number is about zero for fraudsters trying to mis-use credit cards.

I have never heard of such an incident happening ever, and I have read a lot of cybersecurity articles and keep up with that news fairly well, as I have to work with data for the govt and have security/privacy training and certification (for the data I have to use, which is health data). Security data breaches are usually hackers breaking into company's servers. I have never heard of one randomly accessing everyone's emails to find CC numbers. If someone has, I'd be very interested in hearing about it.

I don't like to call and haven't done that in years, as I want something in writing, in print, about my reservation, to make sure the reservation is made and there is no misunderstanding about the facts.

I have done it occasionally, but always by sending two emails. Half the number and the expiration date in one, and the other half with the security code in the second. Hasn't been necessary lately - either booking.com or secure hotel website.

Calling does not preclude getting a confirmation email.

Dukey: We were dealing with small B&Bs where I e-mailed the owner and he was the one who had access to the fax machine. Maybe I'm naive?

Of course you ask in your email that upon receipt of the complete email they send a confirmation. No problem.

and in addition to above if you call just ask them to confirm that all is set via email together with cancel/change policy. Always have everything in writing.

kerouac: <i>Oh, I just realised that you wrote "email." Well, yes, I have done it a number of times without incident. You need to have really determined criminals to go reading thousands of emails to find credit card numbers. Talented criminals would never do anything so primitive.</i>

Ever had your email account hacked? It happens all the time. Imagine a criminal hacking into the email account of a B&B that has received dozens of credit card details by email over the last year or two. That would be a pretty rich way to steal a bunch of credit card info at one shot. Someone could have their email account hacked without even knowing it, over a long period, and a criminal could monitor it regularly to mine new numbers. Done smartly (that is, don't start using the CC number immediately after it is sent to the B&B - wait a week or two) it might be hard to trace the source of such a theft to the B&B's email, when people use their credit cards all over the place.

Of course, if the B&B owner was smart, he or she would delete the credit card info from their email immediately - but who knows?

You might not be liable for any unauthorized charges to your credit card in the event of a hack, but your card might be stolen and disabled at an inconvenient time for you e.g. in the middle of your vacation. Yes, we all bring more than one credit card these days - at least, I do - but it's still a big inconvenience to deal with that while traveling.

IME, faxes are a waste of time. Hardly any establishment in Europe, whether a hotel or anything else, has ever acknowledged receiving a fax or answered a fax request. Besides, by now it's ancient technology.

I pick up the phone and call.