I put in a reservation to the Bacharach Youth Hostel, Burg Stahleck. I figured it can't kill us for one night (even with a possible zoo of children), and my own kids might get a kick out of it.

However, they emailed us the next day saying we need to email our credit card information to them to hold our room. We emailed them back saying we didn't feel comfortable emailing our credit card information and asked if there was another option. They suggested faxing the info. I feel fairly hesitant about emailing OR faxing the information.

I asked for advice from HI USA and they suggested we use their secure website to make the reservation, but you can't reserve family rooms from their site and the rooms available through them are completely booked for the date we'd need it.

Am I being overly cautious? I just get a horrible picture of our credit card information being passed around for the taking. We recently went through a (fairly minor) financial fraud incident and I don't care to repeat it.

A lot of people feel the way you do. I don't, I worry a lot more about other sources of people getting my CC number than an email. So I have emailed people my CC number to make hotel reservations, didn't bother me. So many strangers see it all the time, anyway (clerks, etc). And I don't know how exactly cybor crooks would target a random email flying through cyberspace that it would have a CC number in it and they would get it. It seems they mainly target people by phishing and getting you to click on something and inputting it to their website.

In any case, one does what they are comfortable with. It sounds like you worry about them having your CC number, well, they are going to have it anyway, aren't they, if you use it.

If it is the email thing that bothers you (FAXing bothers me a heck orf a lot more, that is hardcopy and who on earth knows who will get it), why not suggest emailing it in two transmissions? I have suggested that to my sister and it worked as she was nervous. SO you send the first part in one and the end in another (and the expiration date not in both).

Now that only solves the problem if you think somehow it is getting intercepted in cyberspace, but not if you don't like people at the hostel seeing it.

Can you just phone them and give this info over the phone? Does that make you feel better?

I tend to give my info out as needed and hope for the best. I have never had a problem either here in the US or overseas. I probably am lucky but I do try to choose the "right" places (or, should I say, places that "feel" right.)

I am sure you will be fine either way. Good luck and have fun!

PS: Some hostels have an upper age limit. I assume you fit this?

The thing a bout email vs Fax is that someone has to be by the Fax machine in order to be able to steal the details. Email can be hacked from anywhere in the world. Phoning would be my choice (though what does the place do with the written CC deatils when they are finished) followed by Fax

It does not have to be either/or. I use both to increase security.
In all this type of cases, the other side usually wants something in writing.

1. Ask the accommodation if you can send info in several pieces using different media. No hotel/inn refused or surprised by this proposal. I think this is pretty common.
2. I send half of the credit card numbers by fax. Wait for the hotel/inn to confirm the receipt.
3. Only then, I send the rest of the numbers by email.
4. And I finally send the expiry date alone by fax.

Even if either piece end in the wrong hand, they don't have the full info.

OK - I feel better now. I've never been asked to email or fax the info. before - we've always given it on the websites' online reservation forms. But if this isn't as unusual as I was thinking, the separate transactions method sounds like a good plan.

Thanks everyone!

Split the cc number into two e-mails. Let them know that this is what you are doing.