With the holiday season quickly approaching many people will be turning to the internet to make gift purchase. Naturally those purchases will be made with a credit card. How do you know your credit card information is not being "stored" on a computer or sent through email?
Sadly a number of smaller retail merchants are still processing credit cards manually. In other words: when you make a purchase online instead of the credit card processing immediately and securely your credit card information is stored on the server where it sits until the merchant retrieves the number and information manually.
Here's how it works. You make a purchase at an online store and at the check- out you enter your credit card information, complete with your address and phone.
When you hit the "complete the sale" or "submit" button your information is sent to the server where it is stored in full form until the merchant logs into the system and prints off your information.
Once the information is printed the merchant manually keys in your credit card number in the credit card terminal at their location.
There are several reasons to be concerned. First, of course, if the merchant or one of the business employees isn't very ethical they can easily take your credit card information and go on a shopping spree at your expense. Second, the server could be hacked just like you may have heard with major credit card companies, the VA etc. and your information could wind up in the hands of real criminals.
The right way, the only way, to handle credit card transactions is to have the sale processed through the bank at the time the submit button is pressed. The information you entered is carried in an encrypted format to the bank for instant approval and returns a receipt with an authorization. If you are unsure that your transaction will be handled securely, call the merchant and ask!
Want to know more? Subscribe to Teajai's internet marketing newsletter! Click here!
Sadly a number of smaller retail merchants are still processing credit cards manually. In other words: when you make a purchase online instead of the credit card processing immediately and securely your credit card information is stored on the server where it sits until the merchant retrieves the number and information manually.
Here's how it works. You make a purchase at an online store and at the check- out you enter your credit card information, complete with your address and phone.
When you hit the "complete the sale" or "submit" button your information is sent to the server where it is stored in full form until the merchant logs into the system and prints off your information.
Once the information is printed the merchant manually keys in your credit card number in the credit card terminal at their location.
There are several reasons to be concerned. First, of course, if the merchant or one of the business employees isn't very ethical they can easily take your credit card information and go on a shopping spree at your expense. Second, the server could be hacked just like you may have heard with major credit card companies, the VA etc. and your information could wind up in the hands of real criminals.
The right way, the only way, to handle credit card transactions is to have the sale processed through the bank at the time the submit button is pressed. The information you entered is carried in an encrypted format to the bank for instant approval and returns a receipt with an authorization. If you are unsure that your transaction will be handled securely, call the merchant and ask!
Want to know more? Subscribe to Teajai's internet marketing newsletter! Click here!
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