Shopping Safely Online At Christmas Time - We want you to know about these payment technologies and how to make your transactions as safe and secure as possible. Keep these tips in mind as other forms of electronic commerce become more available.

SNEAK PEAK:

Table Of Contents
Introduction ........................................................................................ 3
AND HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO PAY? .................................................... 3
“PAYING” IT SAFE ................................................................................ 5
REPORT PROBLEMS IMMEDIATELY ......................................................... 7
For credit cards ................................................................................... 8
Lost or stolen credit cards..................................................................... 8
Billing errors ....................................................................................... 8
For debit cards .................................................................................... 9
Lost or stolen debit cards.....................................................................10
EFT errors..........................................................................................10
For stored-value cards.........................................................................11
Some Helpful Tips For Safe Online Shopping From The F.T.C....................12
Know who you’re dealing with. .............................................................12
Read between the lines. ......................................................................12
Calculate the costs..............................................................................13
Pay by credit or charge card.................................................................13
Check out the terms of the deal,...........................................................13
Keep a paper trail. ..............................................................................14
Don’t email your financial information. ..................................................14
Use anti-virus software and a firewall and update them regularly..............14
Check a company’s privacy policy before doing business..........................15
Wrapping It All Up ..............................................................................15

Introduction
Christmas shopping season is in full swing and there are really only two ways to get those presents you’re searching for:
• Wading through the crowds in all of the retail stores,
• Shopping on the Internet.
There are plenty of books on how to deal with scams in the retail stores, and, truthfully, most of these scams are pretty straightforward and easily detected by consumers.

The Internet has taken its place beside the telephone and television as an important part of people’s lives. Consumers use the Internet to shop, bank and invest online. Most consumers use credit or debit cards to pay for online purchases, but other payment methods, like “e-wallets,” are becoming more common.

We want you to know about these payment technologies and how to make your transactions as safe and secure as possible. Keep these tips in mind as other forms of electronic commerce, like mobile and wireless transactions, become more available.

AND HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO PAY?
Most online shoppers use credit cards to pay for their online purchases. But debit cards — which authorize merchants to debit your bank account electronically — are increasing in use. Your debit card may be an automated teller machine (ATM) card that can be used for retail purchases.

To complete a debit card transaction, you may have to use a personal identification number (PIN), some form of a signature or other identification, or a combination of these identifiers. Some cards have both credit and debit features: You select the payment option at the point-of-sale.

But remember, although a debit card may look like a credit card, the money for debit purchases is transferred almost immediately from your bank account to the merchant’s account. In addition, your liability limits for a lost or stolen debit card and unauthorized use are different from your liability if your credit card is lost, stolen or used without your authorization.

Other electronic payment systems — sometimes referred to as “electronic money” or “e-money” — also are now common. Their goal is to make purchasing simpler. For example, “stored-value” cards let you transfer cash value to a card. They’re commonly used on public transportation, at colleges and universities, at gas stations, and for prepaid telephone use. Many retailers also sell stored-value cards in place of gift certificates. Some stored-value cards work offline, say, to buy a candy bar at a vending machine.

TO BE CONTINUED... Buy now and enjoy the contents in full!