Secure online payment methods are also the most commonly used by users for online shopping. The security of Internet purchases depends not only on the chosen payment methods but also on other key factors, such as the security of the pages where the purchase is made, the protection of the devices themselves, etc.
Credit cards are generally considered the main form of secure online payment. That is not necessarily accurate. Some payment tools also provide advantages to be taken into account.
We will analyze the different secure online payment methods, including credit cards, but add other options.
Cards for secure online payment
Card payments for Internet purchases are one of the most popular payment methods nowadays. They can be used from debit cards to credit cards, although prepaid virtual cards, which can only be used for this type of payment and are loaded and unloaded at the user’s will, are increasingly used. This protects the rest of the accounts and products.
Online payment platforms
There are different payment platforms through which to make online purchases. The best-known are PayPal, SeQura, and Redsys. They work in different ways but with the same objective: to guarantee secure payments. They are generally linked to cards or pre-loaded balances.
Bank transfer
That is a method increasingly out of use for Internet purchases. It is considered one of the safest methods but also one of the slowest. This method, like the others, depends on the security of the site where the purchase is made.
Cash on delivery
It is a method in which the purchase is paid only when it is received at home. It is considered a safe method but is slow and unavailable in all online stores.
Are there more secure payment methods on the internet, such as cards?
Yes, both cards and payment platforms, bank references, and cash-on-delivery payments are secure forms of payment. However, just as important as using secure payment methods is to take into account the following elements:
- Monitor the security of our devices and protect them against viruses.
- Buy only from secure sites
What are secure Internet shopping sites?
They are considered secure pages to buy on the Internet, carrying SSL data encryption. Safe browsing can be checked in the navigation bar itself by clicking on the padlock to the left of the URL.
No single payment method can be considered more secure than the others. That depends on each person’s use of the security of their devices, the choice of protected pages, etc. Generally, a payment method will be considered more secure the less data it exposes in its transactions.
What can happen with a fraudulent payment on the Internet?
Internet payments can pose a serious risk to the user’s finances. But, beyond that, it can also pose a danger at other levels, such as the criminal one. In addition to a fraudulent payment that makes you lose money, the big risk lies in data theft. Data theft can lead to situations as complex as identity theft.
Nowadays, for many Internet criminals, obtaining user data is almost as important as the possibility of stealing a certain amount of money. In fact, for many criminals, the former is more interesting.
The fundamental reason is that, through the possession of third-party data, much more profit can be illicitly achieved than in a simple fraudulent collection of a low amount. For example, data sale is a widespread business within illicit activities. Moreover, this data sale does not have a long shelf life: the offender can continue to sell a user’s data for a long time.
In more extreme cases, using stolen data via cards or payment methods can lead to impersonation. Impersonation is a very serious problem in terms of theft from the impersonated person and the commission of crimes using false data.
Unfortunately, in recent years, these events in which an innocent person has been accused of crimes committed by criminals who stole their digital identity have become alarmingly common.
Choosing the right payment method
The choice of the method of payment on the internet is vital. In general, using virtual cards or payment gateways powered by prepaid cards is one of the most recommended methods. The less we expose our payment methods, the better.
That should also apply to credit or debit cards. We should not think that a debit card is free of this type of risk. In fact, it is not. Nowadays, although card attacks are more frequent on credit cards, we also find some episodes focused on debit cards.
Choose a good payment method, pay in secure environments, and, above all, only provide payment data in trusted environments. These are the most recommended methods of protection.