travelbug821

I'm booking a hotel for the Monteverde area and the hotel's credit card form is asking me to provide to them a copy of my credit card, front and back. They are also asking me to provide my passport# and also a fax copy of my passport. I find this to be very unnecessary and dangerous with identify theft on the rise. Should I insist that I will not provide the information, or do you think it's safe to do so?

Ryberg

Well on the contrary, while I cannot speak to the passport issue, that hotel is otherwise following the strictest guidelines for what are called "card not present" charges. You providing them that copy does a couple of important things: (1) it shows them that you actually have the card in your possession (rather than just having the number that you grabbed off a voucher you found or from somebody who hacked into files or whatever), and (2) it gives them not only the CVV2/CVC2 code on the signature panel (which does not appear on any vouchers) but also your authorized signature (assuming you have signed your card properly, as you still should) and confirmation of whatever other security features are in place as part of the design of the card itself.

Steve

travelbug821

Thanks Steve. I guess I'll go ahead and provide them with a copy of my credit card. I guess if there are any invalid charges, I can always dispute them with the credit card company. I will NOT provide them, however, with a copy of my passport or social security card (they asked either for passport or social security card-NO)

surfexec

travelbug,
The hotel is actually protecting you by asking for this information.They want to be sure that you are the card holder. Many hotels do not even accept credit cards because they are not protected if someone uses a bogus card. They are required to provide more than just the credit card number for the card to be valid. Costa Rica is not te states. They operate by different rules. Cashing travelers checks is difficult as well there, as they require several pieces of ID to prove they are your checks. This is the banks only protection to be sure the checks were not stolen. If you look at it from this perspective you will realize that this protects you more than harms you because unless you were completely robbed only you would have all of this documentation.

surfexec

One more thing, if you are uncomfortable sending all of this personal info just wire the money to the hotel. This way your trip is paid for and they have no personal info on you to worry about.

Ryberg

Ditto everything surfexec just said, for what that's worth.

Also thought I'd provide the link to a thread I started here in March

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34582745

which provides information via another link that shows that traveller's in Mexico (if not all of Latin America) are much LESS likely to encounter problems with credit card fraud than they are in the States, and even (if I remember correctly) in Canada. Perhaps these stricter measures here are one reason for that!

Steve

travelbug821

Thanks again everyone. I went ahead and sent them a copy of my credit card that I'm using to pay for the room.

However, I am NOT going to provide them with a copy of my passport or my social security card. It still sounds weird to me.

Melissa5

travelbug821, I agree with you that you should NOT give them your social security number. I have never had any hotel ask me for this anytime anywhere in any country. Upon arrival at a hotel, they ask for passports.

Most hotels that I have booked for Costa Rica, and Italy, and Ireland, wanted me to fax my credit card information. They didn't want an actual copy of the card, they just wanted the information.

I don't recall if any of them have ever wanted my passport number. I don't think so, not before arrival. But you are right with idetity theft on the rise, I certainly wouldn't give somebody I CAN'T EVEN SEE a copy of my credit card, my passport, and my social security number as well! I would book at a different hotel.