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VIRTUAL CREDIT CARDS
For many people, virtual credit cards are the newest thing in protection when shopping online. What you may not know is that this option has been offered for about five years with major credit card companies. The virtual credit card is just now gaining popularity in light of the increase of identity theft and hackers compromising credit card data centers.
In review, the virtual credit card is basically disposable. There are some that you can use only one time and others will expire within a short time frame. The protection of this virtual credit card comes from the fact that your “real” account is not compromised in the event that a scammer gets a hold of this virtual credit card number. In fact, many times, the virtual credit card number is only good at one online merchant store and cannot be used elsewhere. There is no value to hackers with a stolen virtual credit card number.
Many credit card issuers hope that the virtual credit card number will put many consumers’ minds at ease when shopping online. The number one concern from potential online shoppers is that their privacy and financial information would be compromised. With a virtual credit card number, you would have nothing to worry about in regards to phishing ploys or scammers trying to steal your information.
If you use a virtual credit card number for an online purchase, you can expect your billing statement not to change drastically. In fact, most charges using a virtual credit card number show up as if it were a regular purchase. In some instances, your billing statement may list the virtual credit card number next to the corresponding charge.
While the virtual credit card has some winning qualities, there are a few instances where they are more of a hindrance than a help. For instance, a virtual credit card number could either be for single use or have a short expiration date. That means you may not be able to use it to reserve airline tickets or plane reservations. This is because when you pick up your tickets or confirm reservations in person, you have to present your credit card to prove your identity. And since the virtual card number will not match your “real” card number, you could lose those reservations.
Paying recurring bills online like your phone or electric bill can be a pain as well with a virtual card that expires within a short span of time. Places on the Internet like Amazon, which allow you to pre-order books and other items, can pose a problem if using a virtual credit card. The reason is that your virtual credit card may hold that item for you but when it comes time to ship the item, chances are that your virtual credit card number has expired and then you could lose that order your reserved.
For the most part however, the virtual credit card is a godsend to many people venturing into the realm of online shopping. And because a majority of people make single purchases on the Internet, the virtual card is a winning way to protect financial and other private information. It’s easy to do and often times, you can go right to your credit card’s website and obtain your virtual card number in minutes.
For those times when you must use a regular credit card number, just be sure to verify the security of the web site before entering any personal or financial information. Look for the trusted Better Business Bureau insignia or a security certificate from one of the major online privacy monitoring companies like Verisign or Trust-e. Read the website’s privacy policy to see what they do with the personal information you are inputting. Also verify return and guarantee policies as well as the SSL technology which encrypts any data you enter into the website. If the web site is missing any of these, you might want to search for a different online vendor for your wares.
