Cameron D. Fowler

How to Protect your Credit Card when Doing Online Transactions

Online transactions are very common nowadays. People use the Internet to make their transactions faster and more convenient. Some people shop online – they buy shoes, bags, clothes and even gadgets. Others avail services that have something to do with computer – they hire people for web designing, marketing and even public relations. Lastly, many people also use the Internet to send money online – they send money to the Philippines, send money to Vietnam and other parts of the world. They can really do these things in just one click and the thing that makes all these transactions work is your credit card. You will just punch in your credit card information and with that you can finish the transaction. If you will look closely, this thing can be very dangerous because there are many hackers out there that can easily hack your account information and purchase things using your credit card. So you definitely have to be careful in every transaction or deals you are entering most especially with regards to your credit cards. Here are some tips on how to protect your credit card when doing online transactions:
  1. Make sure the company is reliable – first of all you have to make sure that the company you are doing transactions with is reliable before you enter any billing information. Check if they have license or they are legitimate resellers of goods or services you are availing.
  2. Remove your credit card information immediately after transaction – if the transaction does not involve recurring bills then immediately remove your credit card information from the account form. It would be dangerous to have that information stored online. You do not know if some hackers are planning to hack the website where your billing information is stored. So it would be safer if you will just remove it.
  3. Always update your account information in the bank – make it a habit to always update your bank with any changes in your account. For example, you changed your home phone number then call your bank and update the information. You should also check your account information from the records because someone might use your credit card information and call your bank pretending to be you and change your personal information. So make sure everything is accurate.
  4. Change your passwords every transaction – another safe thing to do is change your password often so that no one can enter and see your account. This is most applicable for online shopping sites, make sure you always change the password to secure your orders and of course your bills.
  5. Report lost or fraud cards immediately – in case you found a fraud transaction, immediately report it to your bank and tell them that you didn’t authorize the purchase. This is best so that your bank can immediately do something about it.

These are the things that you can do to protect your billing information and to make sure that no one can use your credit card without your knowledge. It will be a big hassle if you learned that someone stole your identity and max out your cards so be careful and cautious always.