The past couple of years have been a rough ride for anyone who relies on a credit card to make purchases. Data breaches have plagued retail stores in the U.S. and Canada. Credit card providers are set to roll out new, more secure credit cards to consumers this year, catching up to Europe and much of Asia in terms of credit card security. The U.S., in particular, has lagged behind in credit card security due in part to the cost of upgrading both the cards themselves and the pay terminals.
If you are concerned about your credit card information falling into the wrong hands, there are several steps you can take to protect yourself:
Only give your credit card information to secure and trusted web sites. Never enter any personal or financial information on a non-secure web page. If you don’t see “https” in the web address, move along.
Monitor all activity. Regularly check your credit card and bank statements. The simplest way to spot fraud is to monitor all your financial activity. Many credit card providers have custom alerts you can set to notify you if certain purchases are made.
Never save credit card information. Many online retailers and shops now ask if you would like to save your credit card information for future use. While it may seem convenient, skip it.
Delete your cookies and auto-fill data. When you enter information on a web page, that data is stored in your web browser. After you complete a transaction, go into your browser’s options, settings or history tab and delete the data.