When is It Safe to Offer Your Credit Card Number?
Contributed by Deborah Zeitler
Offering your credit card number is serious business
Each time you offer your credit card as payment for a purchase, you should be aware of some simple things you can do to ensure that the information on it remains private. All it takes are some simple precautions, and a little common sense.
When you should never, ever offer your credit card number
Today, most people take for granted that their credit card information is safe when they use it to pay in person for purchases at a department or sporting goods store. You may even use yours when you phone your local utility to pay your heating bill, for instance. But there is one situation in which you should never, ever offer to give someone your credit card number.
If you receive a phone call from someone you don't know who is collecting for charity or offering to sell you something, and asks you to pay for it with your credit card number over the phone, you just might be dealing with a scam artist. A reputable company will never ask you to do this, and will instead offer to send you a bill for the product or service. This gives you time to find out more about that company or organization, so you can know for sure whether or not it's legitimate.
Be careful when filling out credit card offers
If you receive an offer for a new credit card in the mail, it might ask you whether or not you want to transfer your balance from an existing card onto the new card you're applying for. If you do, you'll need to provide the information about the existing card on your application, including the card number. Once you write it down, make sure that the application stays under your control at all times until you go to the post office to mail it.
Should you change your mind and decide not to mail the application, be sure to tear it up, or better yet use a mechanical shredder. Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous people who might take advantage of it if they come across your application as it makes its way to your local landfill.
