Check a Hotel's PCI Compliance Before Swiping Your Credit Card

When your credit card is charged at a hotel, are you sure your data is secure? Consumer Reports advocates asking for an "Attestation of Compliance" certificate from the hotel to be on the safe side.

A survey found that several hotel managers were unaware that they needed to be PCI compliant—a standard of checks and measures that credit card companies require businesses to have. These include things like running an updated antivirus and firewall, not providing easy physical access to systems, and more. But several motels and hotels fail to live up to these standards, according to Consumer Reports. So what can you do?

When checking in, ask the owner or manager to show you the hotel's "Attestation of Compliance," a document that the business is required to have, which shows that it met minimum standards for data security as of the date of the report. We see no reason why any business should hide this document from paying customers who give them their personal and payment card information.

If this attestation isn't shown, Consumer Reports recommends using a credit card instead of a debit card as the potential loss is easier to trace, rectify and less damaging to your savings. Ideally, you should check for this attestation at the time of booking, not at checkout.

Despite your best efforts, the worst can happen, so here's what to do if your credit card is hacked.

Are you booked in a hacker-friendly hotel? | Consumer Reports