Shopping on the Internet is no less safe than shopping in your local store. Follow these tips to ensure your online shopping experience is a happy one.

Will My Credit Card Details be Stolen?

If you shop at sites that offer secure payment procedures, the possibility of anyone getting your credit card details is small.

The main way that card details are stolen is from discarded credit card slips - picked up from rubbish bins or supermarkets.

However, if someone does steal your credit card details, the distance selling regulations give you the right to a refund from your card issuer for all money lost through fraudulent use.

How Do You Know a Site that Offers Secure Payment

Look for the locked padlock sign at the bottom of your screen and an address starting with 'https'("s" for secure)instead of just "http" when you are asked to enter payment details.

This means you are in a secure part of the site and all information sent is scrambled by encryption software so that the details are impossible to find out by hackers. Do not give credit card details to a company that you have not checked.

Will Using my Credit Card Give Extra Protection?

If you spend between 100 and 30,000, a credit card such as Visa or Mastercard will give you extra protection under the Consumer Credit Act. The card issuer is jointly liable with the retailer for faulty goods bought in the UK and some issuers may accept liability for transactions involving foreign goods.

Debit cards such Visa Delta or Switch or Maestro usually do not give as much protection. So only use these cards for buying cheaper products.

Keep a Record of Your Purchases

Print out a copy of your order and confirmation number of your purchase for your own records. Reputable merchants will usually send an email confirmation of your order. However, a printed copy is useful to have in case your order is lost or deleted or not delivered.

(C) John Lynch