Why do web hosts demand to see copies of your ID and credit card?

If you have ordered a dedicated server then there is a good chance your new web hosting provider has sent you an email requesting you to send to them the front and back copies of your government issued ID and credit card. This is a common occurrence when you first order a dedicated server with most web hosting providers. Most web hosting providers do this to prevent fraud and to protect themselves and you.

The cost of web servers per month may be in the $$ range to all the way to $$$$ per month. To prevent scammers, criminals, spammers, and other activities that may not be legal from happening. Web hosting providers typically request new customers to provide ID and copies of the credit card they are using to pay for the service. This prevents the new customer from calling up a few weeks later and saying that it wasn’t them that ordered the servers.

The request for copies of your identification and credit card is also used to make you are who you say you are. You don’t want to receive your credit card statement and see multiple $499 dollars charges from some random web hosting company do you? Web hosting providers do this also to prevent fraud from happening and to prevent stolen credit cards from being used to order servers from them.

When sending copies of your ID and credit card to your new web hosting provider. Please make sure they are a legitimate web hosting service provider and not a fly by night operation. You do not want to send your ID and credit card details to an known business that may disappear overnight!