Credit Card Security Tips for Online Shopping
With holidays around the corner and most ecommerce sites throwing away huge offers and discounts, we have to be extra careful against online scams and frauds. In this post today, we have listed down some helpful tips that you can use for safe credit card usage on the Internet.
A few days back Flipkart announced its “Big App Shopping Days” offer for users who use the Flipkart App. Amazon is another site that has been hosting ”Deals of the Day” offers. Now, while all such offers are popular amongst online shoppers, their fame is misused by scammers to trick users. For instance, a fake email might lure you with an unbelievable discount to visit a fake website that looks like Flipkart and steal all your information.
So, if you usually shop online with your credit card, here are some safety tips you must consider.
Choose Credit Cards Over Debit Cards
If you use your credit card most of the time for online shopping, then you are already following an important security tip. If any fraudulent charges occur on your credit card, you will still have time to report it to your bank and avoid paying for the transaction made on the card. On the other hand, for a debit card, ‘real money’ gets debited instantly, and it may take days before you can reclaim the money. Also, most banks offer zero liability on lost credit cards. If we take HDFC bank into consideration, it states, “If you lose your card, report it immediately to our 24-hour call centre. After reporting the loss, you have a zero liability on any fraudulent transactions made on your card.”
Go a step further – Use a Virtual Credit Card
Another credit card security tip that works effectively, is using a virtual credit card. As the name suggests, this is not a ‘physical card’ and not issued physically. The following are the benefits of using a virtual credit card:
- A virtual credit card is mostly valid for 21 – 48 hours only, depending on the bank that has issued it.
- The card can be used for making one payment only.
- Any unused amount left in the card gets credited back to the customer’s account.
- A virtual credit card cannot be stolen or cloned, as it is an intangible property.
Know your Online Shoppe
Always go for trusted, well-known, reputable, online shopping sites. This is more important when you are purchasing expensive items. It is also wise to go through the privacy and security policy of the site that you are shopping from. You might come across a site that offers unbelievable deals; but odds are, the deals are fake or not what they appear to be.
Understand What Information Your Online Shoppe Needs
A standard checkout/payment page of most online shopping sites require you to give the following details:
- Full name as printed on the card
- Credit card number
- Expiration date
- CVV number
- Shipping/Billing address
But, if the payment page asks for your ATM pin, net banking login ID and password, mother’s maiden name, etc., then you have enough reasons to treat this as a phishing attack. Immediately close the browser, and report the website to the right authority such as Google.
Avoid Public and Free Wi-Fi Networks
This credit card security tip also applies to all kinds of financial transactions that you do online. Avoid using your credit card over public computer network such as cyber cafes and free Wi-Fi. These networks are less secured or have no security against hackers who can spy on your information and misuses it for illegal purpose.
Look for “HTTPS” and pad lock symbol
Before giving away your credit/debit information on the checkout page of any site, always ensure that the URL in browser’s address bar begins with “https://” and is accompanied by a “locked padlock” symbol. If it is otherwise, then do not proceed with the purchase. Go for a safer option such as cash-on-delivery.
Quick Heal Safe Banking feature protects your online financial transactions. It lets you shop, bank, pay bills online, etc., in a virtual environment that blocks fraud and phishing websites from stealing your information.
Don’t Follow Links in Emails
If you receive an email from your online shopping site about a great offer, and asks you to follow a link to view it, then here’s what you should do. Go to the website by typing its URL in the browser or Google, and verify if it is really hosting any such offers. Never click such links in emails even if they seem to have come from your favorite or a popular retailer.
Have Anti-phishing Protection on Your Computer
Nowadays, it is impossible for normal users to differentiate a fake, phishing website from a real one. Even a professional, neatly done website that seems innocuous, can be a compromised site waiting for you to fall into its trap. Hence, having an anti-phishing protection on your computer can be extremely beneficial. This feature, as the name suggests, automatically restricts user from landing on a fraudulent or phishing website.
If you think you have some more credit card security tips to add to this post, please feel free to leave them in the comment box below. Stay safe!
48 Comments
Hi Nice info. Where and how can i get a virtual credit card?
Hi Kiran,
Thanks! If you have a credit card, you can contact your bank to issue you a virtual credit card.
Regards,
You can issue virtual credit card on your internet banking website on concerned bank for eg. SBI provides in on Internet banking
i will start now
mughe antivires prouduct chahiye
Hi Amir,
You have come to the right place. Please visit our website to learn about the products you need for your computer: https://www.quickheal.co.in/home-users
Regards,
Thanks For the valuable information
Some of sites like a bank website give you a choice of virtual keypad. If you are working at a public place, prefer that keypan. It is more safe than the physical keyboard. This will make sure that nothing that capture your key strokes can work on the work you are doing.
Great advice Avinash!
Regards,
THANKS FOR THE INFO.
Thanks for advise
Virtual keyboard secure online banking against keyloggers.
But some spywares may record screenshots.
So is it safe to use online banking with virtual keyboard in public use computers like cyber cafe?
Hi Pankaj,
We always recommend users never to conduct any kind of financial transaction in public network such as cyber cafes and free Wi-Fi hotspots.
Regards.
i tried to update my quick heal total protraction 14.0 since 2 days but it cant comleate i also tried in 3G network but it cant done my total net pack is over but it is not done why?
Hi John,
We are sorry to learn about the trouble you faced while updating our product. Please give us an opportunity to help you resolve this issue. You can chat with our engineers at https://bit.ly/QHSupport, and they will be glad to help you out.
Regards,
Excellent piece of information, that too, for an occasional user or for that matter, any credit card user.
Thanks
keep it up. keep us imformed.
Allways type the URL on address bar for any https://***URL*** for purchasing or internet banking.
Regard
HK Chaudhuri
Ranchi
What about PayPal?? Wouldn’t that rank on the same safety level as those methods mentioned?
Hi Chez,
You are correct. Any online financial transaction should be treated with utmost care. Here is a post that you might find helpful >> https://bit.ly/13eyYdu
Regards,
Thanks for the link reference for Paypal. I always use PayPal when paying for anything online. Furthermore, I only ever use a debit card specifically for online use i.e. this a/c only ever holds a low amount of money. I never, ever use my main a/c when paying online.
Thank u so much
Pls share information to all
Suggest to all bank customers, dont give any bank related information to any one through phone call, fraudsters are calling to customers and they are telling we are calling from …..bank customer care/atm customer centres and they collect all information. So becarefull……..
THANKS FOR THIS VERY VALUABLE INSIGHT; WE NEED TO FOLLOW THE PRECAUTIONS; PREVENTION IS THE BEST MEDICINE. THANKS FOR YOUR ADVICE.
thanks to q
thanks sir, for this kind of information
Hi,
It happens for me to notice the term “Malwares or attackers steals confidential and personal data from the infected machine” in many of the places while discussing on online shopping and virus issues.
What exactly does confidential/personal data represents. Is that my personal files in my machine?
Thank you for your valuable information.
cool……….
Thank you for the info.
Good information for online purchaing or trading.
When I open for Quick Heal Secure Browsing, I get a message “Please restart your system in order to use Quick Heal Secure Browse for the first time.” I have restarted repeatedly but the message always appear. Kindly suggest how to fix it.
Hello Mr. Nair,
We request you to give us an opportunity to analyze the problem and provide you with a solution. Please contact our Support Team at 0-927-22-33-000. Alternatively, you can chat with our engineers by visiting https://bit.ly/QHSupport
Regards,
one more thing emails are coming saying your card is compromised plz contact bank on following link , it even has a logo of paypal on the email , be careful
wonderfully good debit card users beware
a month back some fraudlent delhi based company introducing themselves as credit cards rewards related company told they are giving holiday packages, free gifts etc and I have to pay 6000 only as services charges. later they prompted me to do payment by telephone IVRS . at some point I felt is is fraud and in right time I declined the offer. I hope others reading this will be cautious
Thanks for such a valuable information.
good news
GOOD NEWS
Thanks for such important info.
Sir, does Quick Heal antivirus pro provides Anti-phishing protection ?
Hi Kamal,
Quick Heal AntiVirus Pro includes Web Security that blocks infected websites, but not phishing websites. However, Quick Heal Internet Security and Quick Heal Total Security does provide Anti-phishing protection.
Regards,
I have quick heal antivirus v26….
Whenever I open any site many ads open up vvvv fast.. I tried to fix it thru your antimalware but the problem continues.. Please advise.
Hi Sreenath,
There could be multiple reasons behind this issue. We request you to give us an opportunity to analyze the problem and provide you with a solution. Please contact our Support Team at 0-927-22-33-000. Alternatively, you can chat with our engineers by visiting https://bit.ly/QHSupport
Regards,
Thank you for information keep posting
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