Safer online shopping

[tidegirl]

I am getting ready to order some supplies. I've read some posts in the last month or so about credit card numbers being stolen and people using disposable cards for online shopping, so I wanted to get something like tha to order. I tried a google search, but all I seem to be able to find are reloadable cards that carry monthly fees, or not enough info about fees.

I couldn't find any info on my bank's website about any single use numbers or anything like that. I think they offer some sort of traveler's card, but I'm not sure what brand (visa, am ex, etc.) Besides, I want to get my orders placed tomorrow, and I will be sleeping during business hours Monday.

So, what are you using for online shopping? Has anyone used the Visa gift cards? Are there any fees associated with buying or using them?

 

[Horseman9]

I use PayPal as much as possible. All my info is kept there, they take care of any fraud & it comes out of my bank account. Think getting verified takes a couple of days tho. Been a while since I had to go thru that.

 

[tidegirl]

But I thought paypal wouldn't allow e cig purchases?

 

[Horseman9]

Well, just dont mention it in the comments - I use it all the time. Just ordered one of B-Rad's Grips & his SweetVapes VvF, sundry supplies, etc from other vendors. No issues.

 

[Gabe1291]

You can get a MasterCard Debit card through PayPal and it's not subject to the same rules the normal PP transactions are. You can use it like a CC and still get the same PP fraud protection on it. That is what I use online for that reason. Should be a link to it on the main PP front page.

*Edit: YEah down on the left at the bottom under "Other" you'll see it. No fees either, so it's pretty handy.

 

[Horseman9]

Nice, I might look into that myself. Gotta be protected anymore.

 

[Gabe1291]

It's handy, still comes out of the bank account on a 2 day delay, and I set my PP up to text me when any transactions hit it. I had an issue a few years back where my PP got hijacked, they straightened it out fairly fast, but since then I opted for SMS alerts on any activity. So if any unscrupulous thief gets the info it lets me know instantly so I can get it fixed before it hits the bank.

 

[Vampyre]

One thing I would suggest that I do is have a secondary checking account with its own debit card that is linked that that account. When I want to buy something online I just go to my online banking and transfer the funds from my main account prior to making the purchase. This way if my card does become compromised then all they are getting is a account with no balance.

 

[jmanning]

One thing I would suggest that I do is have a secondary checking account with its own debit card that is linked that that account. When I want to buy something online I just go to my online banking and transfer the funds from my main account prior to making the purchase. This way if my card does become compromised then all they are getting is a account with no balance.

That is exactly what I do. I have read of too many horror stories about PayPal. I also don't want to support a company that has the position they have about electronic cigarettes.

Sent from my Dell Streak 7 using Tapatalk

 

[Slim Batz]

Don't know if its the same in the States, but here in Canada I can go to the grocery store (Safeway) and on the big rack where they sell the gift cards you can get a Visa or Mastercard gift card in $25, $50, and $100 values. They scan it at the checkout and its activated. If you want to make online purchases you have to go thru the optional step of registering a name/address to the card online... but that easy and takes effect immediately. The registration allows the security check on the CC to succeed during an online transaction. Finding gift cards above $100 in value has proved difficult, your mileage may vary.

 

[Semiretired]

Yes, there are reloadable cards that use fees, but the better ones only have fees of $3 a month. Easy price to pay knowing no one can get past what I load on the card and I only load what I want to spend... So most of the time it has $10 sitting on it to cover the $3 charge...