Online Credit Card Application - Tips For a Safe Transaction

Online Credit Card Application - Tips For a Safe Transaction

by David Parton

They are few things on the Internet that are marketed more aggressively than financial products. Credit card companies and their partner web sites are making it impossible to ignore the ease of making an online credit card application.

The speed of online approval combined with the convenience of shopping at home has made online credit application a very popular choice.

However, it is prudent to protect your online data and personal information from hackers and identity thieves. Here a few tips to ensure that your online credit card application is secure.

Update your web browser

The current generation of web browsers such as Internet Explorer and Firefox has built in security features. They will warn you if you have arrived at a site that does not have a valid security certificate. This is no guarantee that the site is illegitimate, but it allows you to decide if you think it is safe to proceed.

Phishing

Spoofed web sites made to look like legitimate sites are called "phishing" sites. Their sole purpose is to fool you into giving up your valuable personal information. Some web browsers will warn you of possible phishing sites. It's best to steer clear of any site that is flagged in this manner. Why take unnecessary chances when you have so many secure alternatives?

Spyware, Malware and Down-right-spooky-ware

Most of the best-paid software for anti-virus protection has spyware and adware protection as well. There are some free choices available that can help you limit your vulnerability during online transactions.

Free Security Software

AVG is probably the best free antivirus software available.

AdAware and SpyBot are the top 2 free anti-spyware applications.

ZoneAlarm provides very good firewall software you can download for free.

It's quite surprising how much free software is available if you just spend the time searching. I use all of these on my old PC and they still work fine. However, I opted for a paid all-in-one solution, System Mechanic, because it has greater versatility.

Online credit card application is a very easy and no-nonsense procedure. It is quite safe, too if you are connected to the card issuer's website via a secure server. To get a credit card online all you have to do is:

Open a new browser window,

Follow the instructions you see on the screen and you can have a decision within minutes or the day after.

The most important thing is to make sure that you have taken all the necessary precautions to keep your personal data safe and you can ensure a secure online credit card application.