What Is The Safest Online Payment Method?

Online shopping has become very common these days. In fact, according to Statista, over $1 trillion worth of goods were bought online in 2017 alone.

This popularity opens up individuals to the potential of being scammed, as such you should always be careful when paying for items online.

There are several ways to pay for things online, such as credit cards, debit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Wallet, etc. Each of them has its pros and cons, so it’s important to choose the right one for you.

The best way to make sure that your payment is secure is by using a virtual card or e-wallet. They are safe because they don’t store any information about you on their servers.

Instead, they use an encryption algorithm to protect your data. You can also use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) which encrypts all of your traffic.

However, not everyone uses this method, as some people prefer to keep their personal information private. So what is the safest way to pay for things online?

In this article, we’ll be discussing this question along with some closely related questions.

So if you’re curious about which payment method is the safest when making a purchase online, read on!

The Different Payment Methods Discussed

Credit Cards

Credit cards have been around for decades now, and they remain popular today. They provide convenience, but they come with certain risks.

For example, if someone steals your credit card number, they could charge anything from your favorite restaurant to expensive electronics.

Another risk is identity theft, where thieves steal your name and other identifying details to create fake accounts in your name.

It is possible to prevent this, though, by creating strong passwords and monitoring your statements closely.

Another downside is that many retailers will charge extra fees for purchases made with plastic.

Debit Cards

A debit card works similarly to a credit card, except that you only spend money you already have in your bank account. As such, there’s no chance of fraud. However, you do need to watch out for fraudulent charges on your statement.

You may also want to consider using a prepaid debit card instead of a regular debit card. Prepaid cards are cheaper than traditional ones, and they allow you to avoid any monthly fees.

PayPal

This is another form of electronic payment. It allows users to transfer funds between each other through their PayPal accounts. It is similar to Venmo, but it doesn’t require you to share your banking information.

It is free to sign up, and you won’t incur any fees for transactions. However, you might get charged a small fee every time you withdraw money from your PayPal balance.

Apple Pay

This is Apple’s own mobile wallet service. It allows you to buy items directly from apps without having to enter your credit card details.

It is available on iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers. You can also download the app on Android phones and tablets.

Google Wallet

Google Wallet was originally designed to help consumers shop at stores that accepted NFC payments. Nowadays, it is used mostly to make purchases online.

Like Apple Pay, Google Wallet requires you to link your phone to your Google Account. This means that you must have access to your email address and password.

There are two main drawbacks to Google Wallet: firstly, it isn’t supported by many websites. Secondly, it has a limit of $25 per transaction.

What Is The Safest Online Payment Method? 

When it comes to making payments online, by far the safest way to protect your money when making purchases online is by using a credit card. 

There are a number of reasons why this is the case. 

Firstly, credit card companies are known to monitor customers spending habits.

This means that if any transaction appears on your statement that doesn’t look right, the transaction will be either declined or put on an authorization hold. 

They do this as part of their fraud protection and monitoring protocols. 

There’s also the fact that all credit card companies use some of the most extensive encryption tools available. 

The combination of these factors mean that credit card fraud is extremely rare. 

However, it does happen. If you’re worried about someone stealing your credit card details, then you should follow the tips below. 

How To Protect Your Credit Card Information When Shopping Online

1. Use A Secure Connection

If you’re going to be shopping online, you’ll need to ensure that your connection is secure. 

Make sure that you’re connecting to sites via HTTPS rather than HTTP. HTTPS stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure. 

HTTPS connections encrypt data so that it cannot be read by anyone else. This makes them much more secure than standard HTTP connections. 

2. Don’t Reuse Passwords

One of the easiest ways to steal credit card information is by reusing passwords. 

You probably already know that you shouldn’t reuse passwords across different sites. But did you know that you should never reuse passwords for financial institutions such as banks or credit card providers?

3. Keep An Eye On Your Statements

You should keep an eye out for suspicious activity on your statements. Any unusual charges could indicate that someone has stolen your credit card details. 

4. Check For Fraudulent Activity

Once you’ve noticed something strange on your statement, check with your bank to see whether they’ve received anything similar. 

5. Change Your Password Regularly

Changing your password regularly helps prevent identity theft. If someone gets into your account, they won’t be able to spend money without your permission. 

Wrapping Up

Online shopping can be convenient, but it’s important to remember that there are risks involved. 

It’s easy to assume that because you’re buying from a reputable site, that everything is safe. However, there are still plenty of people who try to scam unsuspecting shoppers. 

By far the safest online payment methods are credit cards. They have built-in fraud protection designed to spot and stop fraudulent transactions.

By following the steps above, you can help reduce the risk of fraudulent transactions happening in your name.

For more on other ways to safely take payments online, check out our credit card processing knowledge base.