Credit Card Safety – How To Use Credit Card Properly?

As the number of customers using credit cards has increased, the number of customers becoming victims of credit card frauds has also increased.

There are a numerous ways in which credit card frauds happen. However, the most happening are the frauds that occur through cyber-shopping, where hackers find ways to steal credit cards numbers from the websites. Here, many customers are not willing to either make transactions nor dislose their credit card numbers to online cyber-merchants even though they recognize the convenience of e-shopping.

Another way of credit card fraud is identity theft, where stolen credit cards are used for making transactions at merchant outlets and also on the internet. Even credit card companies have been found to resort to unfair or fraudulent practices. In this context, it is important to have a secured transaction, vigilance and a tight security while using a credit card.

Listed below are some tips that can be used for a secure transaction when using a credit card.

1. All credit cards have a magnetic strip, where the customer is required to sign. It is mandatory to sign on this label, as this would be compared at the merchant outlet whenever the customer makes any transaction.

2. It is always a good practice to change the PIN (personal identification number) frequently. One should enter the PIN in such a way that no one can easily remember the keystrokes.

3. The PIN and the account number on the credit card are sufficient to make any transaction online. Here, one should make it a practice not to leave the transaction receipt or the credit card statement behind at the ATM or at any merchant outlet.

4. One should check the monthly statement carefully to make sure that all the transactions listed in the statement are genuine. It is good to have an online account for efficient tracking of the credit account. Any unauthorized transactions or errors in the statement should be promptly notified to the bank.

5. One should never provide the credit card number and the PIN to anyone over the telephone.

Source by Pauline Go