Credit card verification--am I paranoid??
 

I am planning and paying for my step daughters honeymoon.

Two upscale resorts have emailed me a form that I must fill out to state what I am paying for with my credit card--no problem.

However, they both want me to fax them the front and back of my credit card and my drivers license.

Now I do give my credit card number on the net all the time to book and order things.

But asking me to fax the front and back of my credit card and my drivers license kind of scares me.

Is this common practice? Again these are upscale resorts.

Is there anything on your license that wouldn't be public knowledge? Illinois licenses used to have social security numbers on them, but they've been removed over the past several years. I wouldn't worry about it.

I think you are at less risk than when you hand a server your card after a meal and they disappear a few minutes, returning with your card and the charge slip.

But I do think it might be prudent to ask them exactly how the info will be filed? Will it be locked up? Who will have access? Will a janitor be able to snoop?

A little paranoia is a good thing.

Actually, that's a pretty common request. SiestaLinda is booking someone else's upscale accomodations and paying for it by a credit card not belonging to the person who will be staying at the resort. Since she is doing this over the phone and the resort cannot "swipe" the card she has to give written authorization to the resort, hence the form. The request for a copy of both the front and back of the card is so the resort can verify they have correct CC number and the "3 digit" code on the back (which is generally required when the actual card is not presented to the vendor). The copy of the Driver's Lisence is a bit of "overkill" but a lot of vendors have a policy of asking for a second form of ID when a customer makes a credit card purchase (this is a vendor policy and not required by the CC company). I suspect if SiestaLinda were doing this transaction in person at the resort all she'd need present is her credit card but in this case the resort is only trying to verify she is who she says she is and that she is using her own valid credit card.

Since SiestaLinda did not mention the name of the resorts shis dealing with it's difficult to say how honest they are but if they are "upscale" and she initiated the call I suspect everything is on the up & Up. Personally, I've given that same information out when I've paid for accomodations and/or resort fees on behalf of family members many times without ever encountering a problem. You just have to know who you are dealing with.

Thanks for the assurance. I guess what bugged me is that I did tours and the airline tickets with no problem whatsoever. Just gave the info on the net--secure channel. Which included giving that ole 3 digit # on the back of the card.

By the way the resorts are the Don Cesar in St. Pete Beach Fl and the Enchantment Resort in Sedona.

I guess what bugged me the most is that anyone at any time can just go by the fax machine and pick up whatever is there--unless in a very secure location.

The reason one uses a credit card is that if there is fraud, the credit card company eats it, not you. So while unauthorized use of your credit card would be annoying and possibly difficult to straighten out, you will not be risking your money.

I don't think this should be aproblem, but I would white out my birthdate before I sent the driver's license. Just a bit too much info for my comfort, and there's no way they need it.

It's a very routine procedure for a "third party payment" authorization. If they don't have that, you could disput the charge with the c.c. company & win.

"I guess what bugged me the most is that anyone at any time can just go by the fax machine and pick up whatever is there--unless in a very secure location."

While I can't say how those operations handle such info, as a manager at a medium sized retail organization, I can assure you that we are constantly watching for how secure such info is.

If caught not being secure, the fine is $10,000 per instance.

Keith

If you dont feel comfortable with their requirements (and I confess I would not), let your step daughter put it on her card and you pay the bill when it comes in.

Just be careful to destroy the photocopies on your end, once you send the fax! We rented a house on Sullivan's Island, SC last week. In the kitchen was a binder with menus from various restaurants in the area. One afternoon I was flipping through the menu pages and a stack of loose papers slid out. When I stooped to gather them up, I saw that one of them was a photocopy of the front and back of a credit card. Apparently, a family had used the house as home base for a wedding back in the spring. The stack of papers was mostly correspondence with local hotels. One had required a faxed photocopy of a credit card. Fortunately, I am an honest person! I ripped the credit card copy into bits too small to read and threw it away. Anyway, be sure to destroy your photocopy, or you may wind up on one of those Visa identity theft commercial!

I suppose the resort would not request the photocopies if you were reserving in your own name. They apparently want concrete proof that you are earest about paying your step-daughter's bills.

I have had to do this on several occasions. If it is really going to make you uncomfortable, get your step daughter a card on your account with her name on it to charge the portions of this trip you are paying for and she can return it to you when they return.

My college age son has an amex card on my account which i give him only when he is traveling out of country and might need for emergencies (make it easier for him if plane delayed and he needed to get hotel, food, whatever) and when he returns, he gives it back to me and I hold onto it until I need to give it to him again.

Thanks everyone--I decided to take escargot's advice--ordered a credit card for my step daughter.

I will have it Monday--even the CC company said a copy of the drivers license was a "little over the top"

So now I feel much better and thank you to all that replied.

SiestaLinda: glad it worked out for you ! I hope she has a wonderful honeymoon :)