Security Alert: Payment Services Versus Credit Cards

When shopping online, there are risks associated with payment services and using a credit card to make online purchases.

Credit Card:

• If you pay with a credit card, your number could be compromised.

Payment Services:

• If you use a payment service, you could be hacked.

But, depending on where you shop online, payment services could make sense.

“Using services like PayPal, if you’re using like Amazon, or eBay or any of these other types of sites, it is good because it does give that layer of protection because the seller never sees your credit card because the transaction is being done through PayPal,” said Carrie Kerskie, identity theft expert.

Kerskie warns to be careful about how much information your payment services have on file. Minimize risk by keeping it to one or two credit cards.