I have been asked for a deposit from the hotel we have chosen in Castellina but they do not have a secured website and I am concerned about sending credit card info. I realize fax is an option, but again security concerns me. How is this routinely handled? Thank you.

>>How is this routinely handled<<

Credit card numbers are flying around the internet like crazy....if you are concerned about security, you should call the hotel directly and give the credit card number. Fax seems to be the second safest method.

But there are so many ways for people to pick up credit card numbers these days--remember the carbon slips on credit card receipts--that even e-mail doesn't constitute a significantly greater risk than other methods.

I don't think we want to go back to the old days when we had to mail checks and wait for them to clear before getting confirmations.

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Originally posted by Jim Zurer:

>>How is this routinely handled<<

Credit card numbers are flying around the internet like crazy....if you are concerned about security, you should call the hotel directly and give the credit card number. Fax seems to be the second safest method.

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Jim,
One of the small hotels I stayed at in Rome wouldn't take my credit card number over the phone - I had to either email or fax it to them.

Jaisy, I agree that faxing is a fairly safe method, and hotels have used fax confirmations for years.

I'm probably not paranoid enough, but I send my credit card number by e-mail, without the expiration date. Then the hotel e-mails me back and asks for the exp date. I send it in another e-mail - naively thinking that someone might get one or the other, but not both. So far, so good...

Either fax your cc info, or send it in two emails to the hotel and you should be fine.