Archives - Online Shopping


Close credit accounts you no longer use

It’s not a good idea to have too many unused credit accounts. This introduces possible security risks, and in some cases, it may harm your credit score. You can check how many open credit accounts you have by visiting a credit bureau’s website, such as Experian, TransUnion or Equifax. You may discover you have more […]

Be careful of online stores that ask for personal info

Watch out for e-commerce sites asking for personally identifying information. E-commerce sites only really need two main data points from you: 1) your payment information, like a credit card number and 2) your shipping address. If they ask for anything else, consider finding an alternative. You don’t need to supply your Social Security number just […]

Don’t use public or shared connections for sensitive accounts

Securing your sensitive transactions online is of utmost importance. For any tasks that require your Social Security number such as managing an online bank account, buying something or performing some task, ensure that access of these activities is limited to devices you own, connected to secure networks such as your home Wi-Fi, cellular connection or […]

If you want to pay with debit online, use a third-party payment service

If you get scammed by a bad seller with your credit card information, you have ways of getting your money back. Most credit card companies have built-in protections from fraud or unauthorized transactions. However, this isn’t the case with debit cards: Losing money from a debit card purchase is far less likely to be retrieved. […]

Always pay with the most secure method possible

When shopping online, you’ll often have several choices for payment. There’s virtually always credit card options, but PayPal and Google Pay are also commonly available. These options tend to be more secure than entering credit card information because they don’t require you to share any card numbers with the seller. PayPal is especially notable: They’ll […]

Don’t enter your credit card information anywhere unless you plan to purchase something

Some sites or people online might say they need your credit card information for something like identity verification. Don’t respond to these requests. Be extremely careful whenever you give anyone or any website or app financial information that can be used to charge you.