Do you often pay for purchases on the Internet by credit card? Do you often book hotels or flights online with your Visa, Mastercard or Amex card? Then you should take some crucial security measures. In addition, there are many other things you should know about paying on the Internet. In this guide text we show you how to pay safely and cheaply on the Internet.

What to consider online by credit card

Use only secure computers

Before you even think about making a purchase on the Internet with your credit card, you should check your computer before making an Internet payment. It is advisable to have your computer checked with the help of a virus scanner. In addition, you should make sure that you only pay with your credit card on private computers. On public computers, the security of your credit card data cannot always be guaranteed. This is simply due to the fact that several people have access to this computer.

A certain amount of caution should also be exercised when making payments by smartphone. Here, too, you should perform a security check before processing a payment with your credit card. This may all sound rather elaborate. But it is worth it. Investing a few minutes to ensure a high level of payment security is definitely worth the effort.

Only buy from trustworthy stores

Choosing a trustworthy store is at least as important. It is best never to order from stores that seem dubious to you. Even a strange-looking website should cause you concern. Also look out for spelling mistakes, for example. Sometimes online fraudsters from abroad are at work, who have their websites translated in a less than professional manner. When choosing a provider, it is best to look at various seals of approval and customer reviews. If you are not familiar with a store, a quick Google search is worthwhile. You can also find out whether the respective store is reputable or not by taking a look at the imprint or the general terms and conditions (GTCs).

Also make sure that your chosen store is the real website. Even large and well-known stores have already had to deal with attacks on their own identity. In this case, scammers simply copy the provider's website and make you look basically identical. The only difference: instead of selling something, they just want to collect payment data.

To make sure that you can store safely with your credit card on the Internet, you should therefore first check the store's web address. Pay particular attention to typing errors. If you are unsure, it is also advisable to do another Google search. Basically, you should always invest too much rather than too little time to check the seriousness of a website.

Pay attention to SSL encryption when shopping.

You have never heard of the term "Secure Socket Layer"? No problem, it's the same for most consumers. But much more important is the abbreviation SSL. The so-called SSL encryption guarantees you the highest level of security when shopping on the Internet. If such an encryption is present, no one can access the data flow from your PC to the store. If, on the other hand, there is no SSL encryption, third parties can theoretically access the data. But how do you actually find out whether such encryption is present? It's quite easy to tell from the browser bar. There you should pay attention to two different aspects.

On the one hand, the web address itself is relevant. You can recognize SSL encryption by the fact that it begins with "https://" (marked yellow in the graphic). The most important thing here is the distinction. For many websites, the beginning of the address is still "http://". The small "s" at the end is decisive here. This guarantees you security when paying with your credit card on the Internet. In addition, if SSL encryption is active, you will see a lock to the left of the web address (marked red in the graphic). Make sure that this lock is closed. In many cases, the lock is also displayed open when you are on a page with simple "http://" encryption.

What mistakes can I make when making a payment on the Internet?

Anyone shopping on the Internet for the first time should not only check the reliability of the store and website. When paying by credit card on the Internet, it is also important to make sure that you do not fall for tricks from fraudsters. The most important tip is never to give out your credit card details by e-mail or via a short message service. Of course, this applies first and foremost to so-called phishing e-mails: in these, you are asked to submit your credit card data for a payment. It is best to delete e-mails of this type immediately and mark them as spam. Remember that an online store would never ask you for credit card data by e-mail.

However, you should also be careful if you want to pass on your credit cards to friends or family members. While this is generally not recommended for security reasons, data should never be transmitted exclusively via the Internet. It is best to split the transmission of data over several channels. Ideally, you should transmit the data in person. However, a certain risk always remains when you give out your own credit card data.

Another common mistake when paying with credit cards on the Internet is entering the PIN. In general, make sure that such data is not required for payments on the Internet. If you are asked for your PIN when making an Internet payment, you should immediately set off alarm bells. It is therefore imperative that you never enter your PIN when making a payment on the Internet. The PIN is only required for verification purposes for payments in retail stores and at ATMs. On the Internet, your payment is verified by other means. Therefore, never give your PIN to third parties.

Is the credit card a good payment option on the Internet?

What payment options do I have to choose from?

In order to be able to shop safely with your credit card on the Internet, you should first of all memorize the usual procedure of a payment on the Internet. Once you have selected your products at an online store, you usually enter your personal data. You will then be redirected to an overview of payment methods. Here, you usually have at least three of the following payment options at your disposal:

• Prepayment
• Invoice
• Direct debit
• Credit card
• PayPal
• Paydirekt
• Bitcoin

The credit card offers itself as a payment option. This is because it combines a fast transaction with high security. If you pay with your credit card, the goods are usually shipped the following day at the latest. This is because the merchant immediately has a guarantee for the payment. If, on the other hand, you decide to pay in advance or by direct debit, the entire process usually takes longer.

How can I pay for travel bookings?

When you book a trip, on the other hand, there are usually significantly fewer payment options available to you. With some providers, you can even pay only by credit card. Otherwise, payment by direct debit or PayPal is often available.

If you often book trips on the Internet, a credit card is particularly useful. However, you should also make sure that you only pay with your credit card at reputable travel agencies. This is especially true if the website is registered abroad.

Why is the credit card a secure payment option?

You may wonder why you should actually pay with your credit card on the Internet? It's because of the high level of security for you as a consumer. Generally, with a credit card, you have buyer protection in most cases. Specifically, this means that you can get your money back if the service you paid for was not provided.

This applies, for example, if a merchant has not delivered the ordered goods or the travel service is not provided. In such a case, you can benefit from the so-called "chargeback" of your credit card. To do this, you must contact your bank and describe the case in detail. If you can properly prove the fraud, your money will be refunded. By the way, the "chargeback" works easiest with American Express, as the credit card bank is considered to be particularly consumer-friendly and supports its customers in most cases.

How does a credit card payment on the Internet work?

How do I get to the payment in the first place?

Once you have entered your personal data on a website, you can usually choose the payment method. If you decide to pay by credit card, there are usually two possible scenarios. Either you stay on the merchant's website and enter the credit card data directly there (pay attention to https://-Verschlüsselung and the other tips mentioned above).

Alternatively, you will be redirected to another web page where you will have to enter your information. This is often the case when merchants do not have the necessary security structure to handle credit card data. They then redirect customers to a third-party vendor for payment. This is not relevant to you per se. However, you should again pay attention to the seriousness and encryption of the website when forwarding. Only when you are sure that everything is in order should you enter your data.

What data do I have to enter for the payment?

• But what exactly do you actually have to enter when you want to pay on the Internet? Basically, the following data can be requested:
• Credit card number (for every payment on the Internet)
• Expiration date (for every payment on the Internet)
• CVC or CVV number (for most payments on the Internet)
• Name of the credit card holder (for some payments on the Internet)
• Billing address of the credit card holder (for some payments on the Internet)

The credit card number and expiration date of your credit card can always be found on the front. In most cases, the credit card number has either 15 (American Express) or 16 (Visa and MasterCard) digits. The expiration date is usually printed in MM/YY format. Be careful with the date that you don't accidentally enter the date of issue, which can also be found on some credit cards.

You have probably never heard of the terms CVC and CVV. It is a security number that has been around on credit cards for a few years to make payments on the internet more secure. Basically, it is a number on your card. Please do not confuse this number with your PIN. You never have to enter it when making payments on the Internet. The CVC or CVV number is either three or four digits, depending on the provider.

You may also have to enter the name of the credit card holder and the billing address when making payments with US merchants. This is usually necessary if you are shopping abroad.

Is further verification necessary for my payment?

Once you have entered all the data, you can complete the payment. In some cases, however, you will then have to undergo a second security procedure: verification via the so-called 3D Secure procedure. Your bank decides whether or not the procedure is used for the payment in question. The 3DSecure procedure is a further security level for payments on the Internet. In this case, you will usually be redirected to the website of Visa or Mastercard.

When you are confronted with the procedure for the first time, you are usually asked to set a password and a welcome text in a secure environment. Ideally, the welcome text should not give any hint about the password. Once you have set a password, you must enter it each time the 3D Secure procedure is used. This is a "PIN for the Internet". With many credit card banks, verification now works via an SMS PIN. You will receive an SMS with a PIN if the 3DSecure procedure is used. You then have to enter this PIN in the field provided to confirm the payment. This system is to be used for all credit cards in the medium term.

The 3DSecure procedure prevents other people from making purchases or bookings with your credit card in the event of theft. When the 3DSecure procedure will be used is not publicly communicated. Rather, it is a randomized system. In general, however, the 3DSecure procedure is almost always used for larger sums when making credit card payments on the Internet. So you can count on even more security when paying with your credit card on the Internet.

Actually, the two-factor authentication (2FA) should already be introduced nationwide since September 2019. However, the start has been delayed.

Is online payment by credit card recommendable?

The credit card stands out from other means of payment due to its flexibility. With no other means of payment can you pay so securely and easily on the Internet and in retail stores. In addition, the credit card offers a high level of security on the Internet.

Once you have memorized the important security precautions, you should have no problems with credit card payments on the Internet. Instead, you can look forward to safe and uncomplicated shopping on the Internet.