Credit Card Security Measures

When you use a credit card, you are covered with several policies against fraud and theft. In fact, credit cards are easy to use and help you in any purchase you make, but if someone steals your card, this can be used to make unauthorized purchases. In any case you won't lose money for it, because as credit card owner you are covered from fraudulent uses of your card.

There are several things you can do in order to avoid troubles with your credit card:

• Never give your credit card to anyone, not even friends or relatives. • Do not give your PIN security code, and don't write it anywhere. • When you use your card it is better to make the merchant use it in front of you: for instance, don't give your card to the waiter at the restaurant. • Use your credit card with authorized dealers only: make sure you are making purchases from legit shops only. • If you want to use your credit card online, always rely on secured HTTP connections (HTTPs) and make sure the merchant has got security certificates to protect your credit card number from being stolen. • Always sign your card on the back when you receive it: this is the first thing you must do.

That is, a wise use of credit cards will avoid you the most common hassles.

However, in case you are subject of a credit card fraud, the best thing to do once you acknowledge the fact is to call your credit card issuer and report the fact: moreover, you should ask for the cancellation of the fraudulent charges. A report should be issued to local police as well. In this way, your former credit card will be cancelled and you will be given a new one.

New security measures are being taken from credit card issuers as well. Besides than the traditional magnetic stripe, credit cards are adopting electronic microchips on each card. These new devices will be adopted by each card in the future and will allow to have an improved security for ecommerce and electronic money in general.