Jeremy Zongker asked:




Nowadays, shopping online is a very common thing. Making your purchases without leaving your house is an attractive option for many of us. Purchasing items over the internet using your credit card can be quite an unpleasant experience if you don’t make sure your payments are safe. Although many people consider that using a credit card for online transactions is not safe, they continue using this method but with increased caution measures. The greatest risk we expose ourselves to when shopping online is identity theft. But this is not the only risk, and various studies reveal that people have also other concerns like: personal information will be sold to third parties, unauthorized recurring transactions, not receiving the ordered products or even higher prices than advertised prices.

Many people think that shopping online is risky, but the risk is not greater than others. Taking few precaution measures is the best thing to do unless you want to quite shopping online. First of all, we should not shop from unknown websites. Always look for the companies you know or ask someone to recommend you a site or a company that he/she uses. Still, if you’re not sure of the vendor’s identity try to find his address and phone number and check them. Also check the refund and return policies of the company in case they don’t ship you the right products or you’re not satisfied with their quality. Another thing to be careful about is the browser that you’re using, it has to be a secured browser. A secured browser should include Secure Sockets Layer that scramble the information you are sending over the internet, making the transaction more secure. You can easily recognize a secured web site, because when you’re filling in online orders or applications a closed padlock sign should appear at the bottom of the screen. Another way to make sure that the web site is secure is to check the URL; if it begins with “https” it means the transaction is secure because the “s” stands for secure.

Another important thing to be careful about is your privacy. The information you’re submitting when you use your credit card online should be kept private by the company that receives it, meaning it should not be passed on or sold to third parties unless you agree. Most web sites ask for your permission to use personal details for direct marketing, and if you feel uncomfortable giving them permission you must know you have the right to object. Anyway, before submitting any personal details you should check the privacy policy of an website; if there are things not clear to you give them a call and see if your understanding is correct or not. Do not submit any information, unless you’re absolutely sure that your credit card details are safe.

Being able to safely use credit cards for online purchases is not only the buyer’s responsibility. The vendor has also his part of responsibility in ensuring safe purchases for his clients. Vendors also suffer from credit card frauds. They have to take some security measures in order for them and their customers to be protected against online credit card frauds. Security and privacy are two important aspects a vendor should take into consideration. He must ensure the client that the personal information submitted are kept private and at the same time he must check the details received to make sure that he’s dealing with the real cardholder.

It is a well known fact that online credit card transactions are risky, because your personal information are exposed and can be stolen by others with the intention of using them to commit frauds. Yet, if the buyers are careful to whom they relies these information and the vendors are cautious from whom they receive credit card information, the risks of online credit card frauds decreases significantly. When disclosing personal information, common sense should exist.

Dale

watchingicemelt asked:


The answers to ID theft are simple.

I feel that credit card companies need to ID people they give credit to, stores need to ID people using credit cards, online stores need to call back the person using the card to verify user.

Why should the credit card holder foot the bill when it is bad people out there using their numbers and rich minded credit card companies and stores willing to help steal from many?

Stupid Americans we are to let this happen. Call your lazy Rep in congress for change. Or just go along with the crimes….

Lawrence

Josh L Mckinley asked:




Internet companies such as the common internet pharmacies have become beneficial investments. Online pharmaceuticals are solutions to Americans who cannot afford the expensive prices of nearby drug stores. Transactions online are cheaper as they come from an foreign business. These offshore companies take advantage of the individual’s incapability to buy the more expensive charge in their own area. Foreign businesses are commonly based in Canada or India.

The high prices of medicines come from the strict policies of the US and UK authorities for pharmaceutical businesses. These increased prices are an opportunity for pharmaceuticals found in other countries. They can have more sales and still pay smaller production costs. These smaller production expenses set the inexpensive charges of web pharmaceuticals. Profits increase as more customers see the convenience of cheap medicines.

Sadly, these online pharmacies can still pose monetary risks. Most online customers buy from the web without really knowing if the drug store is trusted or not. They end up spending their cash without receiving the medicines they actually need. You may also acquire drugs in the mail but you are not certain if they were properly manufactured. A good number of web pharmaceutical buys are purchased with a credit card. Such credit card charges count as high risk merchant accounts. Banks see these accounts as trouble since the purchaser’s identity isn’t readily verified. There’s a greater chance for charge backs and fraudulent transactions. These dangers make it difficult for online pharmacies to have a proper credit card processor. Though using credit cards online is a popular application, the dangers it can cause make it a high risk transaction. Its state as a high risk business involves higher transaction fees.

Internet drug stores have a better time acquiring a credit card processing account if they establish themselves as a legitimate business. Faster approval happens if an API is found in the site’s shopping cart. The API assures security to your customers as they give away their credit card information. This lessens the probability of chargeback. Companies that deal with their sales via the phone will have a more difficult time. More papers are required for telemarketing transactions. However, the right company plan and an organized set up will guarantee faster approval for a merchant account.

If you intend on purchasing from a web drug store, make sure that they deal with payments using credit card. Noting the difficulty of attaining a credit card processing account, credit card purchase is a guaranteed indicator of the business’ legitimacy. You can also check out online pharmacy reviews and read if customers did not undergo any money problems. Don’t buy from pharmacies that require you to send payment. Pharmaceuticals that get pay without any traceable record are just out to get your money. To take added caution, you can ask the company which bank handles their credit card processing. You may double check with the bank to really ensure your cash goes to the proper place. In such a way, you can have your cash returned instantly with the bank’s cooperation.

Ray

Ernest Paul asked:


Most merchant transactions these days are performed using credit cards. But besides business transactions, personal ones can be carried out, too. The convenience of using a credit card allows for managing your money and your time better and eliminates the necessity of carrying unmanageable amounts of money around.

What are the three key essentials of credit card processing for a merchant?

1. First of all you need to have an Internet merchant account-affiliation between your retailing company and any merchant bank which authorizes the collection of funds from a customer’s credit card account.

2. Your customer, of course, needs to have a bank account from which withdrawals can be made.

3. And then you need the payment gateway which is a combination of hardware and software and which sends information about the payment from the buyer to the merchant, performs the credit card processing

, and doe s the billing, and reporting.

Take care to see that your method of handling credit card information is confidential and secure.

One of the easiest and safest ways of processing credit cards online is by engaging a third-party service. This would be a merchant account as well as a payment gateway. There is a large amount of software and third-party service for the asking today which is suitable for any types of business. Beside the payment gateway and the merchant account most of these services also include a shopping cart application in the deal. Although it seems more expensive it is financially feasible in the long run as you will not have to pay for a shopping cart application separately or for any other contracts.

Before you decide on a third-party service for your credit card transactions, think about what the quantity and the incidence of your sales is going to be. There are a number of other third-party credit card processing services you can avail of and their pricing schemes are almost similar. Choosing the right one for you will be dependant upon how much business you expect and how large your transactions are going to be.



TERRY

Mike V asked:


My mom and I have been wanting to order products over the internet for some time. However my dad is against the idea of using credit cards over the internet. (or for anything for that matter). How can I order things online without using a card. Please don’t give suggestions on persuasion it’s not gonna happen.

ROB