Business

Tips For Keeping Your Credit Card Information Secure

Businesses do a lot to keep your credit card information secure. They use PCI compliance software, not only to provide better customer service but because it’s the law. If not followed, merchants can pay as much as $100,000 a month in fines.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean your information is guaranteed to be safe. In many cases, it isn’t the companies you shop with that are to blame for compromising your credit card information—you are.

Here are a few tips you must follow if you want to keep your credit card information as safe as possible.

IMAGE: PIXABAY

Only Make Purchase On Secure Websites

Most of us don’t spend a lot of time looking at the URL on a website, but if you want to keep your credit card safe, that’s exactly what you need to do.

Only shop on websites that have a security certificate. You can tell if this is the case by looking for HTTPS in the web browser. Unsecured websites use HTTP and should be avoided if you want to make an online purchase.

Secure sites also have a green lock that appears in the search bar. Look for these details before you enter your credit card information.

Only Make Online Purchases At Home

The internet is everywhere, which means you can make purchases while you’re on the go. This is a bad idea. Just because you have access to the internet doesn’t mean that connection is safe.

Free Wi-Fi should definitely be avoided, but it’s a good idea to avoid any public Wi-Fi spots and instead make your purchases at home. Just make sure you secure your network by:

Using your own admin username and password
Changing the name of the network
Encrypting your connection
Making sure your firewall is active
Consider using a VPN

Be Mindful Of Your Social Media Accounts

Identity theft is a serious problem, and it includes the use of credit card information to make purchases. Social media makes identity theft easier than ever which is why you should be very careful about what information you share with whom on websites like Facebook and Twitter.

But of course, you don’t put your credit card information on your social media accounts, so why does this matter? Clever thieves can look at your information and make some good guesses about what your passwords might be on sites that store your credit card information. The lesson is that less is more on social media.

Add Extra Security To Your Credit Card Purchases

Some cards come with extra security that makes it more difficult for thieves to purchase items with your information. If you have a MasterCard or Visa, look into SecureCode and Verified by Visa to add an extra layer of protection to your purchases.

Don’t depend on retailers to keep your information safe! Take the safety of your credit card information into your own hands with these tips and you can worry less about a thief stealing your credit card number.

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