I collect hotel card keys. It has become some sort of a hobby and it started when I received the following advise from a friend via email. It is something to think about.
Ever wonder what is on your magnetic key card?
Answer:
a. Customer's name
b. Customer's partial home address
c. Hotel room number
d. Check-in date and out dates
e. Customer's credit card number and expiration date!
When you turn them in to the front desk your personal information is here for anybody to access by simply scanning the card in the hotel scanner. Somebody can take a hand full of cards home and using a scanning device, access the information onto a laptop computer and go shopping at your expenses. Simply put, hotels do not erase the information on these cards until it is reissued the card to the next hotel guest. At that time, the new guest's information is electronically 'overwritten' on the card and the previous guest's information is erased in the overwriting process. But until the card is rewritten for the next guest, it usually is kept in a drawer at the front desk with YOUR INFORMATION ON IT!
The bottom line is: Keep the cards, take them home with you, or destroy them.
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