CreditCard Number by Reservation

[arambigua]

Hi there,

we want to make a reservation for the week around "Nochebuena", we find a hotel (barca de oro), they wrote (per e-mail) and now they want to do the reservation if I tell them my CreditCard number, validity and of course my full name per e-mail.
Can I do so or is it dangerous to tell this things per e-mail - perhaps hay there despues a party at Nica with my money ;-) ....?

saludos, arambigua

[Joshua Berman]

You're right to be careful about sending such info in an email -- I would ask if there was some other way to get them the information -- some secure web application...? An old fashioned telephone? If there are no other options, you may have to take the chance.

[arambigua]

hi Joshua,

thanks for the tipp with the "old fashioned telephone" - it works!
I have had hesitation whether my spanisch is good enough - but it is like bicycle ride, once you've learned - you will know forever (only the practice made the difference)!
saludos, arambigua

[Randall Wood]

Arambigua - Word of advice: email is like a conversation in a public place.  Unless it's encrypted, anyone and everyone with access to simple software and equipment can read every word of it.  I second Joshua's recommendation about the phone.

[ayeeyo]

May or may not be safe, but we sent the info in two separate emails, splitting our info and each hotel was fine with that.

[Randall Wood]

I think that's a smart move, and I've done it myself.  The changes happening in the financial sector in Nicaragua are really fantastic for travelers, though.  Only about 5 years ago the number of hotels that even accepted a credit card was small.  And 10 years ago using a credit card was out of the question.  I predict in a couple more years many hotels will have online reservation systems of one sort or another, or at least allow you to pay directly online via their website or equivalent.  We're not quite there yet, but there's hope.