Online Shopping Tips To Keep Your Cash And Credit Safe This Holiday Season

October 31, 2019

The holiday season is just around the corner. But before you get a headstart on your online shopping, it’s important to remember that the holidays aren’t just a time of joy. They’re also one of the most dangerous times of the year for your cash and credit.

Your packages are more likely to get snatched from your doorstep and your credit card information is more likely to get stolen. But the good news is that you can keep your cash and credit safe this holiday season by taking the necessary steps to stay secure.

Here are a few ways you can keep yourself financially safe this holiday season and keep criminals at bay while you online shop.

Use only one credit card when making holiday purchases

The average American has 3.7 credit cards. You might feel like it’s safer to use multiple credit cards while holiday shopping, but the process to stop charges on multiple cards is more difficult than stopping charges on only one card if your information is stolen.

It’s easier to track how your card is used during the holidays if you’re only using one credit card. You can better monitor what you’ve bought and what purchases look suspicious because all the information is in one place.

Have your packages delivered to a secure address

It’s recommended to have your packages delivered to your house when you’re home. Certain delivery services like Amazon enable you to choose the day on which you can have your packages delivered so you can avoid falling victim to porch pirates.

However, if you know that you’re not going to be home when your packages are delivered, consider sending your packages to a secure address like a friend or family member.

Limit what you share this season

Peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing is a convenient way to share games, music, and software with friends and family members. The practice first became popular in 1999 with the invention of Napster.

Unfortunately, P2P file-sharing can provide access to your private files to many people if it isn’t set up properly. To avoid identity theft, make sure that you know which folders are public on your software and that none of your folders contain private documents. Be careful what you download and limit what you share with friends and family.

Use Paypal when you buy online

It’s true that many online merchants and major retailers offer secure connections on their website for when you make online purchases. But there’s always a possibility that the commercial organization can be hacked and the information from your transactions could be stolen.

By using a more secure, separate connection like Paypal, you can increase your online security. What’s more, Paypal will fully reimburse any item that doesn’t arrive or match the seller’s description.

Between food and gifts, you’ll be doing a lot of shopping during the holiday season. And a lot of that shopping will be done online to avoid the crowds. By following the tips above, you can reduce your risk of having your identity and packages stolen during your holiday shopping excursions.