Safer ways to pay
Freaked out about using your credit card online? These new services can cut your risk of theft and fraud.
| How it works | How it safeguards you | What if something goes wrong? | Where you can use it | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Checkout | Register at checkout.google.com. When you shop at a participating merchant, click on the Checkout icon and your card will automatically be billed. | Prevents you from having to enter your credit card number on lots of different sites and having it stored in lots of different databases. | Google can mediate between you and the vendor to propose a solution. Still not happy? Request a charge-back from your credit-card company. | Blue Nile, Shop MTV, Toys “R” Us, Linens ‘n Things, Petco, eBags, CD Universe, Sports Authority, Bluefly, Zales, and hundreds more. |
| BillMeLater | Click on the icon and it checks your creditworthiness after requesting the last four digits of your Social Security number, your address, and your birthdate. It then sends you a monthly bill, which you can pay by check. | Eliminates the need to type in a credit-card number. | The grievance system works much like that for a credit card. If you have a problem with a merchant that you can’t settle, BillMeLater will issue a credit so that you don’t have to pay. | Wal-Mart, Zappos, Overstock, Hotwire, eHarmony, Brookstone, Hotels.com, eBags, 1-800-Flowers, Nutrisystem, Bluefly, Toys “R” Us, Petco, and over 150 more. |
| Virtual Account Numbers (Citibank), Secure Online Numbers (Discover) | Download their software or go to their Web site. Click a button and a random 16-digit number that is linked to your account will appear onscreen. | Good only at the merchant site at which you originally used it. If a thief gets ahold of the number, it can’t be used anywhere else. | Same protections as for regular cards issued by Citibank and Discover: zero liability for unauthorized charges. | Anywhere Citibank MasterCard or Visa cards, or Discover cards, are accepted. |
| Verified by Visa and MasterCard SecureCode | Type in your credit-card number and then a password. | Prevents someone who has swiped your card number from using it at participating merchants. One loophole: At nonparticipating merchants, the card works without the password. | Same protections as for regular Visa and MasterCard: zero liability for unauthorized charges. If you’re not happy with a transaction, follow the card’s normal grievance procedure. | Hotwire, Travelocity, Linens ‘n Things, Blue Nile, Liz Claiborne, Petco, Wal-Mart, Sports Authority, Zales, and dozens more. |
| Click any of the links below for a selection of articles from the Spring 2007 issue of ShopSmart;) Editor's Letter Greetings from ShopSmart Editor-in-Chief Lisa Lee Freeman Five ways to shop smarter Online and off, these tips will help you get the best deals Great sites for gift givers Fun and funky presents to buy online for grads, dads, brides, and anyone else on your list How to order wine Order the right wine at any restaurant (even if you have no idea what you're doing) Vitamins Which multivitamins should you take, if any? |
