[calbear81]

Booking.com uses an agency model with hotels and doesn't handle any payment from the user. They basically get a commission once your stay is completed. What this means is that they pass on your information to the hotel so that they handle billing/charging, etc.

This is in contrast to most OTAs in the US that are on a merchant model where they charge your credit card and have a pre-agreed upon net rate they pay for rooms to the hotel. This means the hotel has no idea what your credit card is or how you paid, just that a paid reservation with their partner was made.

This isn't very different than calling up a hotel and providing your credit card number and CVV / Expiration date on the phone to make a reservation. Only difference is that they sent it electronically.

[vladfr]

Thanks for the details, indeed I'm finding out that it makes some sense from their perspective.

Still, there's no notice of Booking.com sharing your data. The fact that hotels print it out and leave it at the reception is again another problem, though not entirely Booking's fault.

I still wonder why they chose to work like this, seeing as it's so easy to implement an authorization process without sharing card data.

I see that they're starting to shy away from requiring card details, which is a good thing.

[vladfr]

One more thing: they are sharing my personal data without my consent - in this regard, it is very different than me providing my card data over the phone.

[calbear81]

They do have to share your personal data to the fulfilling agent just like you have to share your personal data to book a flight. The hotel has to have your information to complete the reservation and I'm sure it's buried somewhere in the terms and conditions.

[vladfr]

Hotels will still ask you for your credit card, most (if not all) payments on Booking.com reservations are done upon arrival, and not online. So, honestly, Booking asking for your card details is completely useless.

Hotels might as well shoot you an email or call you to confirm - in fact, I think that would make for a better experience.