Smart Safety: Six Secrets for Safe Shopping during Black Friday for Credit Card Users

This holiday season, online shoppers are more concerned than ever about protecting their personal and financial data. Often in a rush to secure that doorbuster deal, shoppers don’t always consider the most secure ways to use credit when making purchases.

Brittney Mayer, credit strategist at Cardrates.com, has provided a list of simple, yet very important steps to keep in mind when shopping for Black Friday deals with credit cards:

1. Use a credit card that provides fraud protection: “Most credit cards offer $0 Fraud Liability policies, but others may not. Check your cardholder agreement or benefits documentation to see if your card offers $0 fraud protection.”
2. Use online payment services (Paypal): “This allows you to avoid giving financial information to retailers, but be aware of whether the site is secure before you enter your account information.”
3. Use a virtual credit card number: “Several credit card issuers also offer virtual credit card numbers to help protect your account information.”
4. Choose a credit card that offers return protection: “Return protection gives holiday shoppers using credit cards an avenue to get their money back if the merchant refuses a legitimate return.”
5. Set up credit card alerts through your online banking or mobile app: “Alerts can be set to notify you regarding where and when purchases happen.”
6. Notify your card issuer immediately if you spot an unauthorized transaction: “This will prevent additional fraud and make the recovery process easier.”