Internet payments
Internet payments are very popular nowadays. More and more people prefer to shop online because it is quick, easy and very convenient. However, it is important to be cautious and ensure the proper use of your credit and/or debit cards. You will avoid unnecessary complications and inconveniences arising from incorrect, careless and insufficiently conscious use. The number of suspected cases of abuse and theft of credit cards is constantly increasing.
Whenever you use your card online, you have to be very careful. If an intruder finds your credit card number, name and expiry date, he can very easily abuse it. It is therefore important that you are careful and follow some basic rules to avoid unnecessary complications and inconveniences.
Provide your card number only to trusted merchants
It is recommended to pay by card only at trusted internet servers. You should prefer payments at merchants that support the safety standard card companies, such as MasterCard and VISA. If you are not absolutely sure that the merchant is really serious and the site provide a sufficient level of security, do not use your credit card.
Ensure that communication between you and an online store is secure
It means that the dealer has a coded transmission of your credit card – he uses protocol SSL (graphical representation in form of gold lock) or 3D-Secure protocol, which is on the trader’s website displayed as “Verified by Visa”, (if the card company is Visa), or “MasterCard Secure Code” (if the card company is MasterCard). These security data should be published on the website of the store.
If the website starts with http:// do not enter your card information
HTTP protocol is not safe; information is transmitted over an unencrypted connection, which means information can be revealed and easily exploited. To transmit confidential information, always use the HTTPS protocol, which encrypts information and then sends them to the merchant.
Use only your own computer
It is not recommended to shop online from public coffee shop, libraries, or any computers available for public. Computers could contain viruses that capture card data and send them elsewhere s you planned. Pay attention to open Wi-Fi networks. If you are connected through Wi-Fi, be careful and ensure that you do not share files from your computer. All shared files are visible to other people connected to the same network.