Travel Tips

Hotel Keycards: License to Steal?

If you’ve ever heard that your hotel keycard could be used to steal your personal information, then read on, because here’s what you need to know.

Many travelers are concerned that hotel keycards hold personal information such as your credit card number, name and home address, but hotels say that isn’t so.

The cards usually do have the dates of your stay, but otherwise they contain a randomized number that identifies the room the key will open.

Further, your credit card information isn’t stored on the card — at most, it will contain a note saying that you have one on file at the front desk.

So even at resorts where your key works as a credit (or even cash) card, it doesn’t contain the information necessary for someone to commit identity theft.

But to be safe, you can take your card with you or cut it up.

But since your card does offer access to facilities as well as the potential for some abuse on the resort grounds, always remember to report a lost or stolen hotel key card.

Check out more Travel Tips here.