Shopping online has many advantages over high street shopping. It's easy, convenient and you can often find items much cheaper online as online shops have less overheads than high street shops and so can pass the savings on to their customers.
Are there any hidden charges?
Most shopping sites use a shopping cart system where you browse the site placing items you want to buy in your virtual shopping trolley. When you are done you continue to the Checkout page (which must be on a secure server) and pay for your items.
How to tell if you are on a secure server
You can tell if you are on a secure site by looking at the web address in the address bar of your browser. It should start with https:// and not the usual http:// . The extra 's' denotes the secure server. Never enter your credit card details if the page you are on does not have this as your transaction will not be secure. Also, at the bottom of your web browser, the key or lock will appear locked or highlighted
Secure Symbols
- Internet Explorer symbol
- Netscape symbol
- Firefox symbol
Some browsers allow you to alter their appearance (known as theming). This may make the address bar change colour or the padlock may look slightly different or appear in a different place, but you should be able to notice something to indicate you are on a secure site.
If you cannot see any indication of a secure server DO NOT enter any credit card details. You may wish to email the vendor about this.
Note about Actinic Sites
Some shopping sites use a different security method than mentioned above. They use something called Actinic software which is a 128-bit Java applet which safely encrypts credit card information. Actinic software is approved by the Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclays and HSBC for their merchants to use. Email the vendor if you are in any doubt.
Other safety precautions
Just like when you use your credit card in shops and petrol stations, so long as you take some basic safety precautions your online shopping will be perfectly safe. You should: