Keeping Your Credit Card Safe When Making Purchases Online

When completed in an appropriate manner, online transactions are just as safe as making a purchase at a brick and mortar store. In addition, the convenience online shopping offers is unsurpassed. So, to keep your finances and identity safe while shopping online, follow these few simple tips.

• Only shop with merchants you know. If you search around long enough on the Internet, you are bound to find some great deals. No matter how great some of those deals seem, however, you should only do business with merchants you recognize and trust. Otherwise, you don’t know if you are just sending your credit card information to a thief that is just waiting for an unsuspecting buyer to give him a credit card number.
• Shop only on secured websites. Secured websites ensure your information cannot be hacked into by thieves that are prowling the Internet. You can tell if a site is secure by looking for a picture of a padlock in the corner of your computer screen. In addition, the website address will start with https rather than just http.
• Use only one credit card online. You should reserve one credit card for online purchases only. This way, it is easier to trace down fraudulent activity and to cancel your card if a problem should arise.