Safe Online ShoppingSharing your credit card number online can be a huge risk these days. Luckily, credit card companies know this and are working on solutions to help make online shopping a little safer.
One such solution most credit card companies offer is the ability to generate temporary random credit card numbers for each purchase you make. You can specify the amount or limit of the temporary card number, along with the expiration date. Then the credit card company will issue you a random virtual credit card number that is only good for that purchase. If it gets lost or stolen, your real credit card account is protected since you never have to reveal that card number.
MBNA (Bank of America) offers a tool called ShopSafe that does just this. You can download a program to your home computer or laptop, or simply log on to their website. From there, you can create a new, temporary credit card number whenever you need one. You can also use their online tools to manager all your virtual card numbers.
Many other credit card companies offer similar services as well. It's a great way to have peace of mind when pulling out the credit card online. Give your credit card company a call and see if they offer something similar. If they don't, it might be time to find a new credit card company that does.
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What if you have track down
What if you have track down purchases over a long of time and with many online accounts. I am finishing up an Estate and while the purchases show up on the statement, sometimes the company uses a number code. Receipts upon delivery is very important as the trail can get dusky from just your CC statement or if your going back to the supplier and looking for a years worth of delivered goods in multiple loads. Very often it's the credit card that helps them find your whole history.
I use one account only for online purchases separated from 2 other accounts which supply this account so if I am hit. The damages are minimal. Plus the bank guarantees each online purchase. Any way you look at it can be a nightmare of tracking if you buy a large quanity from many vendors while helping a aged parent.