To register in the Booking online booking system, it is required to indicate not only personal information about the client, but also the details of his payment card. This fact confuses many users who do not want to leave such data on the network. Read more about why Booking asks for the user's payment card data, and whether it is safe, read on.

How Booking works

Booking.com is essentially an exchange. Here, numerous hotels publish their offers, and users choose and make a reservation for the options that suit them. Booking transfers the commission from the hotel, which attracted customers using the online system.

Almost all actions related to booking a room or apartment are carried out on Booking.com. For this reason, some users think that they transfer payment to this service. This opinion is wrong. Booking is just an intermediary between the hotel and its future guests.

The first determines the price, accommodation conditions, controls the correctness and relevance of the published information, and also receives notifications from Booking about completed bookings. Booking confirmation is also produced by the hotel. Its representatives communicate with the client about the living conditions, transfer or cancel the reservation, accept payment.

Booking is just a platform and tools that allow both parties to the transaction to interact with each other.

Why does Booking ask for card details?

When, when making a reservation, the user agreed to make an advance payment, the card number and other details must be entered in order for the hotel to debit this amount.

Important! For those who do not want to pay for accommodation immediately and give a bank card number, the “Booking Guarantee” option applies. The hotel guarantees future guests the provision of a room in exchange for a promise to pay for it. This promise is supported by the business reputation of the hotel itself and the Booking online booking system.

When a user decides not to book a place and then forgets to notify the cancellation, the room will be idle and the hotel will lose revenue. It is for such situations that Booking asks for the number, the name of the owner and the CVC code of the card: if the guest cancels the booking later than the date that he indicated in the system, he will have to pay a fine. The hotel will write off this money from the card, the data on which was given to the representatives of Booking immediately after booking.

About the security of providing data

Is it safe to book rooms on Booking and leave payment details there? When card details are entered into the system, they are transmitted using an encrypted protocol - even a fraudster who has already intercepted the channel will not be able to see them. The data becomes vulnerable when it reaches the hotel.

Booking has two-factor authentication, which gives secure access to the hotel system: only an authorized employee has the right to request the payer's details. He must write off or freeze the money without using the bank card data for any other purpose.

In the agreement drawn up between Booking and the hotel, the latter undertakes to process payment details in accordance with established security standards. At the same time, the document does not indicate any verification methods or options for punishment for violating the order.

If printouts with information (card number, CVC) are carelessly stored in the hotel, there is a risk that they can fall into the hands of not only employees, but also guests.

When the hotel representative saves all the data about the future guest to the computer, the Booking system disclaims any responsibility. If in the future any problems arise in connection with this, they need to be solved with the hotel.

Criticism fell upon me, saying that it was necessary to call the call center, where they solve all problems.

And just a few days later I had a problem again.

I tried to book a hotel in Warsaw, when booking I noticed that this was the last free room of this category.

I press "Book" and an inscription pops up on the screen informing me that someone is ahead of me and there are no more available rooms of this category and I am offered to start a new search.

After some time, I decided to fill in the address in the navigator and go back to Booking and see there that I have two reservations. It turns out the first hotel is also booked. And so I have two active bookings for the same date.

Hotel Rialto, which I was denied booking due to lack of available rooms, and Hotel Bristol, which I booked next.

Without delay, I call the Booking support service and ask to solve this problem. I tell you how it was, they recommend me to cancel the reservation at the Bristol Hotel, as it was the second reservation. I am trying to explain that I did not make the first reservation, or rather I tried to make it, but was refused by the system and it would be more logical to cancel what was booked by mistake, without my knowledge.

To this, the operator Dmitry assures me that there were no failures in the system. Then I realize that I got into a stupid situation, and later I find out that the Rialto Hotel (which I booked by mistake) has already deducted the entire amount from me and I call the support service again.

Dmitry tells me that if the money has already been debited, then the chances of returning it are 0 and recommends blocking the card in order to avoid debiting from the Bristol Hotel. After Dmitry asks for time to contact the Bristol Hotel and ask them to do a free cancellation. After a while, I find out that I succeeded in canceling, but the cancellation penalty will be 100%, and if I do not reset the card, then 35,000 rubles will be written off from me.

Of course, I reset the card and ask that they try to solve my problem in a not so radical way, since logically I just throw the hotel with money and exactly the hotel that I booked myself.

Upon arrival at the Rialto Hotel, we are informed that the rooms of the booked category are over, but they are ready to upgrade to a premium suite. This once again confirms the fact that the reservation was made by a system error.

Upon arrival in Moscow, attempts are made to debit money from my empty card, the amount of 35,000 rubles, a fine for canceling a reservation at the Bristol Hotel, which I have not been to.

I call Booking again and ask to solve this problem, because I am waiting for a transfer on the card and which is more than the amount of the fine. Booking promises to call me back and disappear. I didn't hear them again.

I go to Sberbank and reissue the card.

I don't know yet if the Bristol Hotel will continue to pursue me to write off the fine. But now I know for sure that Booking is completely unprepared to solve customer problems, especially those that occurred due to a failure in the application.

It's good that the card is debit and without an overdraft, otherwise I would not have been able to avoid being charged. So think before you link credit cards. And when you link debit cards, try not to keep large amounts of money on them, as there are failures. And then it will be difficult for you to prove something.

And how would you solve this problem, faced with something similar?

As a result, I unlinked all the cards from the booking and I’m not sure that by linking a new one, they won’t try to write off the fine for canceling the reservation from me again. I will use the Agoda application for now, although it also belongs to Booking.

Now all the insides are on my Telegram channel

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The question is how book a hotel without a credit card online, very relevant. Indeed, in most cases, this requires the presence of a bank card. What if there is no valid card, or it is not suitable for payments on the Internet, or you don’t want to “shine” its data, and you urgently need to book a hotel here and now?

Access to card data for hotel booking: yes or no?

Lately we've been diligently avoid entering card details when booking hotels even on well-known and respected online booking systems. The reason for this is one incident related to Booking.com, a popular service for self-searching and booking hotels.

The site is very user friendly. Just select the desired city, dates and number of residents in the search form, click "Find hotels" and on the search results page on the left you will see the option - "no credit card". This allows you to sort only those hotels that can be booked without a card.

By the way, in the window on the right you can see their location on the map and choose the right one.

The principle of operation is the same as for. When searching, select “without a bank card” on the left and get a list of hotels. The base of hotels that allow you to book a room without a card is a little smaller, but the prices are quite reasonable.

What is the best way to book a hotel without a card?

In our experience, the easiest way to find a suitable hotel is on booking.com. Simply because it is unlikely to find hotels on other booking platforms that are not on Booking. By the way, if you have never booked a hotel on Booking, this is a surprise for you! Follow our link, book and get 1000 rubles per card! Especially when it comes to Europe or America. In Asia, for example, an impressive database of hotels and guesthouses is presented on Agoda.com. To be honest, we don't like this service - opaque booking conditions, the price often does not include tax, and the interface let us down - but all this is not for everyone.

Found a suitable option? Check it out on, suddenly somewhere for it there will be a lower price or better booking conditions!

That's all. If there is a need to issue hotel booking without credit card, look for suitable hotels and feel free to book. So you will secure the money on the card, and avoid unnecessary expenses if your travel plans suddenly change.

Can I make a booking without a credit card? A valid credit card is required to guarantee the booking. We also offer a small but growing number of hotels that do not require a credit card to guarantee your stay. You can also place an order using someone else's card if you have the permission of its owner. In this case, please enter the owner's name in the "Special Requests" field and make a note that you have been given permission to use the card.? In most cases, Booking.com will ask for credit card information to confirm hotel reservations on your behalf. Your credit card may be checked (pre-authorized) to ensure it is valid and has sufficient funds. After verification, the entire balance of your card will be at your disposal again. In some cases, your credit card details will be used to pay for the booking during the booking process. Your credit card will only be charged if you have booked a prepaid room or if the cancellation policy set out in the Hotel Policies section or in the Conditions column of the room description has not been followed. Does the hotel charge a deposit or prepayment? Most hotels do not require prepayment or deposit payment. If the hotel requires a prepayment or deposit, you will find more information about this in the "Hotel Policies" section of the hotel page on Booking.com and on the Booking Confirmation email. What types of credit cards can be used to make a booking? When booking on our website, the following types of credit cards can be used: MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Diners Club. However, the hotel may not accept all of the above credit cards. Therefore, before booking, please check the "Credit Cards Accepted" box located at the bottom of the page in the "Hotel Policies" section. Is it possible to pay for the hotel stay in advance? It depends on the hotel. Please contact the hotel after booking to arrange prepayment. Contact details can be found on your booking confirmation email and in My Booking.com. Can I pay for my hotel stay with a credit card that was not used to make the booking? In most cases, you will be able to pay for your hotel stay with another credit card or in cash. Please make sure the hotel accepts the new type of credit card or cash in advance. Can I use a debit card when making a booking? In most cases, the hotel does not accept debit cards as a guarantee for bookings. However, please check the details of each hotel you are interested in in the "Accepted Credit Cards" section, which you will find on the hotel's page. How is my credit card information secure? Your credit card information is sent through a secure server. We use the latest, most secure technologies currently available to encrypt all personal and credit card information. The encryption method we use is the "Secure Socket Layer" (SSL) encrypted data transfer protocol between the client and the server. Our SSL certificate is issued by Thawte.