Holiday cheer is upon us, with everyone shopping early this year to avoid crowds and shipping delays. Whether you’ve found tried and trusted online sites during this year of browsing from home, or discovered that your favorite local shop now has a web presence, there are simple and familiar things you can do when shopping from the comfort of home to bring some calm to your holiday preparations.
Shop like a local, even online
Shop from retailers you know and trust. When you make an online purchase, only use the checkout directly from the retailer’s official website. It’s also a good idea to look for the padlock symbol by the URL, which is an indicator that security measures are in place to protect your card transaction.
Be a great guest
When possible, opt to check out as a guest. It’s kind of like locking up when you leave. Using the guest checkout can help you avoid saving your personal and account information to any website. While it may seem convenient to have your card stored for future purchases, it could leave you more vulnerable to fraud.
Another way of protecting your account information online is to use Apple Pay®, Google Pay™ or Samsung Pay™. This tokenized way to pay means your debit card details aren’t shared or stored with the merchant, but you can quickly pay from your checking account online (often with the ease and security of using your fingerprint or Face ID).
Leave time for travel
Does it feel like you’re getting daily deliveries of your online purchases? Some online marketplaces and retailers offer the option to bundle or combine your purchases and deliver them in fewer packages (particularly when items are available to ship at different times), which also means less deliveries. It’s a greener option, which would also give you more control over what’s arriving when. That way, you can be certain to be home to receive your delivery or consider having it sent to a different, secure location.
Keep tabs on all you’ve purchased
In the flurry of fabulous holiday finds, it can be easy to lose track of what you’ve crossed off the list and how much you’ve spent! That’s where digital banking, especially our mobile app, can be your best friend for keeping tabs on your shopping activity, while also making sure that no unauthorized purchases sneak in there. Learn more about how we monitor your account around the clock, and what you can do to help keep it secure, by visiting our security center.
We’re here for you 24/7, this holiday shopping season and beyond. Call us and talk to a real person about accessing your account or shopping securely online and in person.
Apple Pay is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Google Pay is a trademark of Google, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Samsung Pay is a trademark of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
