There must be a better way of booking a hotel room

[timwilky]

So I have just booked a couple of nights at a hotel I use when I have to be at the office. As usual I have to give them a card number to reserve it against. But also the expiry and security number.

So in theory the receptionist now has the details to spend my money and I will know nothing until my statement arrives or I get a transaction declined for lack of funds etc.

I can understand the hotel wants to ensure they get money for the room if I no show, but there must be a better way that does not leave my account compromised.

I am thinking perhaps a pre paid charge card, use that to book, but then pay with a real card in the machine when I check out.

How do others pay for telephone booking/purchases etc?

[phi-dan]

This is the risk with all "cardholder not present" transactions - my current account was hit for £3000 at the weekend off a cloned card / kept details (bank fraud team sorted a refund)
Maybe a system where the vendor forwards your call to an automated system and you key the details in on the phone numberpad. Several banks / credit card provides use systems like this to authenticate phone banking so it could conceivably be extended to transactions. Either that or refer you to a secure website with a booking ref. Either way the payment details would be held in a "secure" system and not available to the bod on the end of the phone.

Get a credit card where you can check your statment on line?

I think with mine I might even be able to get txt messages whenever there is a transaction.

[Sir Trev]

My credit card (NatWest) has a warning text system you can set to your own value. Also reminds you by text when payment is due.

Otherwise you could get a card that you only use for authorisations and at bars that require you to leave ID at the till. That way all transactions that pass through it are fraud. Of course the issuing company may not be pleased at making zero commission on zero purchases but most of them will not notice for quite a while.

Does your company not provide a corporate credit card? Or are these nights for your own benefit and not actually classed as business travel??

[timwilky]

I had a nasty experience years ago with a corporate card. I was working for 4 months in China so applied for and was granted a corporate AMEX. I paid my hotel/restaurants etc on the card. Suddenly it was refused as of course I had not seen any invoices. I had posted my expenses back to the UK, but the bean counters had a query as they could not understand a Chinese invoice and were waiting for my return to ask me about it.

When I blasted Amex they said I should set up a direct debit so that the bill would be automatically paid. I argued that they should be invoicing the company not me personally. So I refused to have anything to do with Amex after that. Cancelled the card.

[Sir Trev]

Hmm.. Depends on the corporate setup and Amex. EDS forced us to pay them directly and claim expenses as normal = no benefit to us so why bother. Dell have direct payment so as long as I scan and attach invoices in good time I don't have to do anything further so it's worth having.

Shame on your bean counters for not being proactive in your China case of course!

[TEC]

Originally Posted by timwilky

How do others pay for telephone booking/purchases etc?

Am trying to use online booking more now for places I stay at when running about the country, so far so good as few places don't have some sort of online facility, its the way forward after all. But places that don't are places I stay at often so trust them not to do anything daft, if they did its the fraud squad and their reputation