Even though shopping online is a fun and convenient way to purchase the things you need, it can be a daunting experience; especially in a day and age where we hear about identity theft and credit card fraud on a regular basis.  How do you know when it is safe? There are several things that you can look for on a website which will set your mind at ease. Many online stores are now equipped with high security measures to keep your information safe and your shopping experience free from worry.     

The most convenient way to pay for products online is through a credit or debit card. When paying by one of these methods, it is in your best interest to look at the website and determine how these payments are dealt with. Some things you want to look for are encryption and an authorized payment processing system. Encryption is a process which converts your credit card information into a transaction code. Encryption is spoken of in terms of bits, and the higher the number, the more secure your information is. A 128-bit encryption is an excellent level and is now quite common among quality merchants. An authorized payment processing system is an outside serivice that a merchant may use to process credit and debit cards. These systems are ultra secure and also use encryption so that your credit card number is not kept on file, and therefore cannot ever be accessed by hackers. Merchants can still refund your credit or debit card by using a secure transaction code, but if you want to add items onto an existing order, you may need to provide your credit card number again. While this may seem like a hassle, it  actually means that the company does not keep your credit card number on file. Some authorized payment gateways to look for are authorize.net, ibill.com, or worldpay.com.

Another common way to pay for online purchases is through Paypal. Paypal became popular through e-bay because it allows for monetary transactions from one bank account to another. This works well for e-bay since a majority of their transactions are between individuals who do not have a way to accept credit cards. Paypal is a great option if you want to pay cash and do not like using credit  or debit cards. Paypal is a well known secure site, and payments can be made directly from your bank account or through an e-check. If a website offers Paypal as a payment option, make sure their site displays the Paypal verified seal, which means that Paypal recognizes them as a legitimate website.

If you still do not feel safe with any of these options, some companies will also offer the option of paying by check. The only drawback with this method is that your order cannot be processed until the check has been received and cleared, which may take a week or more.

One more thing to check out on any website you wish to purchase from is their privacy policy. This statement will tell you whether or not they share your personal information with other websites. Please keep in mind, sharing your personal information does not mean that they share your credit card information. What it does mean is that they give out your name, address, email address, and shopping history. This information allows other websites to target their advertising to you based on your prior purchases. If you do not want your inbox to be full of advertisements, look for websites that have a privacy policy stating that they do not share your personal information.

The internet is a wonderful place to shop, and as long as you are informed about how to keep your information safe, it is also a very safe place to shop. Always make sure that your connection is secure before entering any of your personal information. On Internet Explorer, a secure connection will often be denoted by a lock icon on the bottom of your screen. In some browsers, a dialog box will pop up to let you know that you are entering a secure page. Also, you can look at the URL. It should begin with “https://” if you are on a secure shopping page. So remember, keep yourself protected, and happy shopping!