Be a Wise Consumer and Protect Your Credit Card Number
Contributed by Annie Bauers
I bought something on the phone and all I had to do was give my credit card number. Does that mean anyone who has it can buy things?
It is possible to make purchases using your credit card number only. this is a good reason you should protect your credit card number because of this. If someone gets this number they can make purchases with it simply by giving it out. They don't need to have the actual card or a signature that matches yours so always take great measures to protect your credit card number and only give it out to merchants and businesses you know are safe or have done business with before.
Your credit is very important and if someone got hold of your number they could charge things on your credit and if you can have it removed from your credit which will take a while. this is not to say you shouldn't buy things way. It is to say you should just be cautious and be careful when it comes to your money and your credit.
What is a credit card number validator?
When your credit card is used or the number is given out to a merchant for a sale they will use a validator to make sure that the card is good and active. This is for your safety of the consumer as well as the merchant. If you are a consumer and report your card as lost or stolen the transaction will be denied. This is important for you to do to protect your credit. Even though most merchants use credit card validators this does not mean you are one hundred percent safe.
