Cardholder Identity Authentication Services
To enhance online shopping security, credit card companies are now establishing cardholder identity authentication services through the card issuers. Such services will let you use a personal password with your card, giving you added reassurance that only you can use your card to shop online. You will be assured of the security of the transaction and that the merchant you are dealing with is a genuine merchant.

One such service is Verified by Visa. You can read more about it and try out the Verified by Visa Enrollment demonstration. To view this, you require Macromedia Flash player.

Use a Secure Browser to Navigate the World Wide Web
Use a secure browser - look for an "s" after the "http" in the web page address or URL. With browsers such as Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Explorer, you can be sure the information you send over the Internet cannot be intercepted by third party when shopping at a secured site.

Keep Your Password Secret
Some online stores require you to register a user name and password before buying an item. Just as you keep your Automated Teller Machine (ATM) password secret, keep your Internet account password secret from outside parties. If you have an additional password issued by the bank for cardholder identity authentication, keep your personal password secret. Never share passwords with anyone and avoid using easy-to-guess passwords, such as your telephone number or your birth date. Use combinations of numbers and letters of at least six characters and change them periodically.

Use the Internet to Compare
Between Shops Before Buying Online
Compare products and prices before you buy - click around to find your item at the best price. Access to product reviews and other online information can enhance your knowledge and help you make a more informed decision.

Protect Your Card Details
Only give your card details when making purchases - do not provide them for any other reason. Never send payment information via email, information that travels over the Internet like email, is not fully protected from being read by outside parties. All reputable merchant sites use encryption technologies that will protect your private data from being read by others as you conduct an online transaction.

Never provide your credit card number as proof of your age. At times, certain merchants may request that you provide your credit card number as a proof of age. Never give a merchant this information, because a card number does not verify one's age.

Check Delivery and Return Policies
When calculating the final cost of a purchase, don't forget shipping and handling charges. If you are doing business with a merchant located in another country, taxes and international costs may apply. Before you buy, check the merchant site for a description of what charges will apply to your purchase.

Before completing an online transaction, read the delivery and return policies on the online store's home page. Find out if you can return items and who bears the cost.These policies usually can be found on the merchant's website. If a merchant doesn't post such information, it may be a good idea to shop elsewhere.

Keep a Record of Your Transactions
Keep a record of your transactions - just in case you need to return an item or have a question about your purchase. Back up your transactions by saving and/or printing the online confirmation of your order. These records are just like the receipt you'd get in a store

Be Familiar with the Online Company
The more you know about a particular merchant, the more confident you will feel when shopping from the merchant's Website. This is no different from how one assesses companies with physical storefronts and catalogues.

Make Sure the Online Merchants Use
Industry Security Standards
That 'lock and key' mark, for example, indicates that a merchant uses SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), which ensures that your communication is secured. Some merchants ask you to create a personal account that requires a password. This is a secure method as long as you devise passwords that are hard for others to guess (avoid numbers like your birth date, phone number or identity number), that are kept private, and that you change often.

Look for Privacy Statements
Be sure to understand a merchant's privacy policies and explanation of how your data is protected.

Read more: Protecting your privacy online. »

Make Sure Your Online Transactions are Legal
Get the Facts on Internet Gambling
Internet gambling may be illegal where you live. Payment cards may only be used for legal transactions, you should confirm whether your jurisdiction allows gambling before paying with your card. Display of a payment card logo by an online merchant DOES NOT mean that Internet gambling transactions are lawful in all jurisdictions in which cardholders are located. Remember, you should only use your card for legal purposes. If in doubt, check with your card-issuing bank.