Using your Credit Card on the Net
Everyone has an interest in the security of transactions on the Net. It is not only the consumers who have to worry, but also the merchants. Customers must have confidence in the transmission of personal and financial information to web merchants. Merchants must be certain that the payment information collected over the net is valid.
If you're a consumer, the chance of your credit card number being intercepted as it travels over the internet is microscopically small. But as a merchant, the chance of getting orders with stolen credit card numbers is significant.
If you want to place an order and by fax, send your credit card details in 2 fax messages. Put half the numbers in one message, and the other half in the second message.
When paying by credit card, never send your Credit Card number by email. Always choose the option of using a Secure Server. The more recent versions of all major browsers support the use of Secure Servers, whereas older browsers may not.
The Secure Server order form may not actually appear until you are on the last page of the purchase where you enter the details of your credit card. A window similar to the one below may appear when you go on to a secure connection.
Message box notifying you that you about
to enter a secure site
When you are on a secure site an icon will appear in your browser. In Microsoft Internet Explorer it is a gold padlock and in Netscape it is a key and the address in the address bar changes. The http becomes https to indicate a secure site.
You can always be sure your order will be private and confidential when you use a secure server order form. All the information you enter is encrypted using a technology called SSL (Secure Socket Layers) which is the industry standard method for protecting web communications. This security system ensures your data is encrypted, keeping it protected and secure.
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