Credit cards online

If you have a business on the Internet, you have to be able to accept credit cards online. If you have a very small site, this can be a problem, because many people are leery of using credit cards on sites that are not secure. When you accept credit cards online, you have to make sure your site is secure, and that potential customers feel safe when considering a purchase through your site.

Verisign

 You may notice some sites you visit have Verisign - which indicates that they have a secure system to accept credit cards online. Whilst  there is no absolutely guarantee that anything is secure, you can feel pretty good about giving out your information. It is essential that customers get that good feeling when they decide to buy from you, or they may not buy from you at all.

Security

If you are shopping online, there is something you should remember.  Most sites accept credit cards online, but some are not as safe as others. You can look for the Verisign logo, but there is something else you should look for as well. All web addresses start with http://.  When you are on a secure site, it should instead be: https://.  The ‘s’ means that the site you are on is secure.

Phishing Sites

Be careful when looking for sites that accept credit cards online, because there are many decoy sites out there that are made just to swipe your credit card number. These are often referred to as phishing sites, they you may be surprised at the number of people who fall for this. It usually begins with an email telling you that your information must be updated, and then offers you a link. When you click on the link, it takes you to a site that looks like the one you are expecting to see, but it is, in fact, not the real thing. The moment you enter your information, criminals have access to your accounts.

To avoid problems with phishing sites, and sites that you are unsure of, make sure you type the Internet address in yourself. Open a new browser, and type the address in as you know it. Remember that almost no one will ask you to verify any information via email. If there is a problem, they will call you. If you really aren’t sure, look on the site for a phone number. Any site that is legitimate, and can accept credit cards online will understand your hesitation and will be happy to answer any questions you may have for them.