Credit cards

When we buy something with our US credit cards we sometimes are called days or weeks later by the shop who says that the card company is refusing to pay them unless we provide several forms of identification- like a copy of our passport. The first few time this happened we thought it odd, but thought they are just making sure it is not a stolen card. However, we learned that the credit card company had actually released the money to the shopowner's bank and there was nothing more they required. it was the Indian bank which was delaying payment to the shop owner. While it is possible that this really is some sort of security concern to protect us, it seems more likely that it is a way that the banks are using to hold the money longer so they can gain interest on it before they pay the shop owners. It seems very dubious at least. For us it is a real annoyance to have to make copies of documents that should not be in circulation and then provide them to the shop who then gives them to their bank (we presume). In addition it makes us look suspicious to the shop ownwers. The shop owners don't get paid as soon as they should either.