Find out how to shop safely online using your MasterCard credit card, and avoid the hassle of your details being used fraudulently.

Many online transactions are made with credit cards these days, as this is quickest, most efficient, and safest way to perform such purchases, but to feel assured you are doing everything you can to ensure safe online shopping, here are some tips to help:

Use a credit card:

This is the best way to ensure you experience safe online shopping. MasterCard provides a zero-liability guarantee on fraudulent use of your credit card, so this is instant reassurance for you. In any case, by law, you are limited to $50. Despite this, you should notify your bank or financial institution immediately you become aware of an unauthorised transaction having been made, or if your card is lost or stolen. If you don’t receive the goods you ordered, or they are unacceptable in terms of quality, check with your card provider about what can be done. They may be able to cancel the transaction or undertake a chargeback, meaning the seller has the charged reversed back to them. Any such request should be made as soon as possible.

Check the buyer’s credentials:

Unless you are buying from a well-known and established company, you may well have no clue as to the seller’s credentials. Inputting the seller’s name in a search engine will bring up any relevant negative feedback. Forums are a very common means of conveying poor buying experiences, so if you see anything that gives you cause for concern, look elsewhere to make your MasterCard purchase. It is better to spend a few dollars more and be happy with your purchase than risk a bad transaction just to grab the cheapest price. Remember that anyone at all can set up a shop online. If you are buying via somewhere like Amazon, check the customer feedback. Also, check out the company’s refund and return policies before you place your order, although these may mean nothing if the seller is dodgy. Safe online shopping means you should do your homework first, although bear in mind that scams don’t just happen to stupid people.

Guard your privacy

Don’t let anyone know your personal information unless you are confident that the seller is genuine. Ask yourself why a company needs your information. Unless it is strictly necessary for the sale to take place, be wary. Some companies sell their customer information to third parties. Safe online shopping dictates that you should be allowed to choose whether or not your information is passed on to other parties by ticking or unticking a box. Read the website’s privacy policy, and if it doesn’t have one, be careful. Seals of privacy from organisations like TRUSTe or BBBOnLine should be visible on the site.

Details matter:

Don’t be so carried away with having discovered the cheapest price that that fail to note the important information. Check the expected delivery dates, shipping and handling fees, warranties, return policies, and any other important information. Make sure there are contact details, and perhaps make a call before buying to any phone number listed to make sure someone is there at the other end. A phone number that just rings out or that always goes to answerphone during normal business hours is not a good sign.

Use a secure browser:

The browser you use should be able to use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), because this scrambles or encrypts the purchase information you send over the Internet. Browsers supporting SSL include Internet Explorer, Netscape, AOL, Opera and Mozilla Firefox.

Keep passwords private:

Never share your passwords. Don’t use simple words, your date of birth, or anything else that could easily be guessed. Instead, use a combination of numbers and letters.

Keep records:

Make sure you keep emails and receipts from your online transactions. When your MasterCard statement arrives, you must be able to recognise exactly what has been charged and when, and by what company. You may have trouble achieving safe online shopping if you do not have the exact details to back up any claim you have to make.

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This article was written by Jeremy Cabral who is a regular writer and part of the team at Credit Card Finder, a 100% free Australian credit card comparison and application service. Visit the Credit Card Finder website for more information on the available MasterCard Credit Cards, or see the Balance Transfer Guide for more practical articles.

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