Digital trends like online shopping and gaming providers, such as Steam or even digital gambling websites, are becoming increasingly relevant. In order to be able to participate from this hype, secure payment methods are needed. Virtual wallets have therefore recently become very popular.
For example, many users pay with Skrill in online casinos so that they do not have to provide their personal credit card details. Below are the seven most important tips on how to shop and pay safely on the Internet.
The purchase on account is safe, but not always offered
The purchase on account is popular and considered safe. When this method is used while shopping online, customers receive their goods, can check them and then pay their invoice. For the retailer, however, purchase on account is a risk. He can check the creditworthiness of the customer in advance, but this is not a guarantee of payment.
Once a store or service provider with purchase on account has been found, it comes down to the reliability of the customer. If the invoice is issued, there is a payment term on it. If you do not pay on time, you run the risk of slipping into the dunning procedure. Should the invoice not be paid for several weeks or months, a collection agency may even be commissioned.
Tip: Always make payments on time and forward the money to the correct IBAN. When a payment is mistakenly transferred to the wrong account, it sometimes cannot be reversed.
Select reputable providers: Always check service providers and stores
Security can be drastically increased by checking the quality of the provider. Anyone who gambles at an online casino should take a close look at licences, imprint and objective ratings. An online store should be checked in the same way. If the merchant only accepts prepayment as a payment method and there are already negative reviews, distance should be taken.
It is also important to check the return conditions. A reputable store informs in its general terms and conditions about all the requirements for returning goods.
What is also essential: How does the store ship the goods? If a merchant only offers uninsured shipping, be careful. Without a tracking number, there is no proof and the store can claim that the package has long since arrived.
Pay attention to security during data transmission
Hackers are a major risk in online payments. Attackers try to spy on data and misuse it. A reputable store or service provider therefore relies on an encrypted website. This is easy to recognize from the browser bar. Instead of http://, you will see https://. The small s stands for Secure. Some browsers also simply display a lock symbol. In this case, the data transfer is encrypted and hackers cannot access it.
Choose trustfully payment methods
The electronic wallet is becoming increasingly popular. Whether PayPal, Skrill or Neteller, those who frequently store online usually use such a service. The advantage of this is that the customer does not have to enter his data directly at the store. The credit card or account data is stored in the respective wallet, or alternatively, the wallet has been loaded with credit beforehand.
Providers such as Amazon Pay or PayPal also offer so-called buyer protection. If the transaction goes wrong, the customer gets a refund. The virtual wallet data must be well protected because if fraudsters can access it, there is danger. Unauthorized payments can be made that are only noticed days later on the account.
Wallets can be secured with two-way authentication. The purchase must then be confirmed with a code sent by SMS or via an app.
No data transfer by phone, mail or chat
Reputable stores and service providers never ask for customer data via chat or telephone. Confidential information should never be passed on in this way. To verify your identity on a
telephone hotline, it is sufficient to state the last four digits of the IBAN or the last digits of the credit card number.
If a customer asks for complete customer data, including payment details, via e-mail, chat or telephone, the conversation should be terminated. To trigger a purchase, a reputable store is needed where the customer can check the payment again. Anyone who passes on their data can quickly get into hot water.
Fraudsters only require the credit card number and a three-digit CVV number to make unauthorized payments. As soon as strange transactions occur, immediate blocking is necessary. In case of doubt, it’s better to block once too often than once too less.
Update passwords regularly to ensure security
Whether it’s a service, payment provider or online store, passwords are needed everywhere. It is tempting and easy to use all websites with one universal password. But it’s also dangerous, if hackers crack one password, they can access all the other websites. It is therefore important that sensitive data such as payment data is always encrypted particularly well.
Today, banks and credit card providers make it possible to secure the log-in with biometric data. A transaction must then be triggered by the fingerprint on the smartphone. Alternatively, 2-way authentication is significant. It can be used not only with electronic wallets, but frequently also with the user’s own bank.
Only after the security code has been entered can the payment be made. In the event of numerous failed attempts, the bank or payment service provider blocks access, and it can only be reactivated via the customer.
Use prepayment only in exceptional cases
Many online stores offer prepayment as a payment method. The customer transfers the payment amount and receives his order after receipt of money. This is fine for reputable and well-known stores because it is often the only payment option for people with poor credit ratings. However, if a store only offers advance payment, distrust is called for. There are scammers who try to rip off customers in exactly this way.
In most cases, they proceed in the same way. The store of a renowned and well-known provider is copied and minimally modified. For example, the fashion store Zalando becomes Salando. The layout is deceptively similar to the original, and payment can only be made in advance. Fraudulent stores then entice customers with immense bargains to persuade them to make a purchase. If payment is made in advance, no goods are shipped.
Conclusion
On the one hand, providers of online services and stores are responsible for ensuring that money transactions are secure. On the other hand, however, it is also the customer’s responsibility to take care of relevant security measures. Naivety can cost money on the Internet, so it pays to look twice.
