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5 Essential Tips For Shopping ( Safely) Online With Your Credit Card

ByLorane

This topic came at the request of one of our readers and I’m sure there are other inquiring minds who would like a few pointers when shopping Online with their Credit Card. In Jamaica, Credit Cards are fast becoming a part of our Culture and can even be deemed as “Safe”, as it negates the need to walk around with large wads of Cash. Below are 5 tips for shopping Safely Online with your Credit Card.

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  • Only shop at sites you can trust – This might sound like a no brainer, but these days one can never be too careful. The first thing you can do is search for that website on Google or your favorite search engine and see if all the contact info correlates. Also see if you can find some reviews to see what people have said about that specific website. In essence, use Common Sense. Make sure you are able to see some form of Contact info, try calling or sending them an e-mail… see if they answer you.
  • Never Shop from a Public Computer: This is one of the first things you see when you check your account Online. Public Computers are less secure than private computers and will put you at a greater risk for Identify Theft. Most public computers will have a special software that is able to mimic your keystrokes and save all your information the way you input them word for word.
  • Make sure the Credit Card Entry Page is Secure – This is usually indicated by a small padlock at the top right of your page. A secure network usually begins with “https://” then the name of the website.
  • Make sure your computer has Anti – Virus Software – There are tons of malicious Viruses that can attach to your computer that can be detrimental. The worst one of all is Spyware and it does exactly what it sounds like. Have you ever noticed those videos that seem to pop up out of nowhere and attach to your wall on Facebook? Also, if you go on a particular website and it looks like a threat to you, your computer will automatically block you from entering that website as long as you have installed an Anti- Virus Software.
  • Use Paypal! Paypal is the worlds’ safest way to make transaction online. Once you sign up for an account, you are able to pay for items all over the world. Most websites now accept payments via Paypal. You can find this at the bottom of the webpage which will show the “Paypal” Logo.  Also, if you’ve successful signed up for Paypal, the company gives you $15 to spend on Ebay.* Signing Up is FREE*

Here is an extra tip for you: Use a Credit Card rather than a Debit Card. This is another no-brainer tip. Visa for example has a zero Liability Policy. This gives users 100% protection against Card Theft or Loss. If fraudulent activity has been reported you are not charged for these . Shopping Online can be rewarding and convenient. It is advised that you however “ Shop Wisely” and pay close attention to the sites/ merchants you make purchases to.