Dec

6

Guide to Using Your Credit Card for Online Shopping

Posted In: Personal Finance

Credit cards have become indispensable, especially with the increasing popularity of online shopping. Gone are the days when you have no choice but to wire money or send a check in the mail. These payment options are still available, but if you want a fast and convenient time shopping online, then you’d better have a credit card.

When shopping online using your credit card, you should always be very particular about safety or security. One of the major problems facing valid online sellers is the proliferation of identity thieves. These online criminals do everything in their power to get the personal details of people who engage in online transactions and use these details for everything, from spamming to stealing your money. To ensure that your credit card details do not fall in the wrong hands whenever you shop online, just follow the tips below:

First of all, make sure that your credit card has good security measures. The best credit card companies offer additional security features and liability insurance that are especially helpful for online shopping.

Second, shop only at secure sites of legitimate businesses. To know if a website is secure look for the “s” after “http” at the address bar on your browser. Shop only at “https” sites, because it means that it is using a more secure protocol. Another way to see if the site is secure is by looking at the bottom of your browser, sometimes you will see a padlock there. If it is unlocked, then assume that the site is not secure. Even if a site is secure but the business is not legitimate, then you’ll end up with products you don’t want or fall below your expectations. Find out the reputation of the online seller before paying for anything. Do not forget to read their privacy policy as well, because you want it to explicitly indicate that they will not divulge any of your personal details nor your that of your credit cards. Ireland has data protection laws that address this issue. Make sure the site explicitly states that they obey those laws.

Last, remember is to never give out any of your credit card details via email. Legitimate businesses will never ask you for sensitive information via email. If you also wish to shop online, instead of clicking on the link in your email, type the URL on your address bar to make sure that it is not a bogus link that will reroute you to a similar looking site, with the intent of getting your details.

Alex Foreman is a freelance article writer who writes for Financial Facts about the current financial news and the credit crunch.

Article Source: Guide to Using Your Credit Card for Online Shopping