Online payment by credit card is safe – read four reasons why

Using a credit card is a secure and smart payment option, even when paying online. Read four reasons why credit cards are a safer option when paying online.

1. Your money is safe when you pay by credit card

When you pay by credit card, the credit card company acts as a kind of buffer between your money and the online store: the sum is charged from the credit account linked to the card, not directly from your bank account as in debit card payments.

On average, a credit card provides you with a 35-day interest-free repayment period. If you pay the whole outstanding balance in one instalment before the first due date, you will avoid having to pay interest or credit charges for it. You can choose to settle your credit invoice with a single payment but must at least pay the minimum monthly instalment.

2. If there is a problem with your purchase, you can seek a refund from the credit card company

A product you have ordered from an online store may turn out to be faulty or be lost during transport. If the seller is in breach of contract, you can apply for a refund from the credit card company. Breach of contract occurs if, for example, you do not receive the product you paid for, or it does not fulfil the contract.

This also applies to travel. If you use a credit card to pay for travel, you will even be protected if the airline or tour operator goes bankrupt. In addition, you can request a refund from the credit card company if an airline or tour operator cancels a journey but does not compensate you for it.

3. Online payments are safe, thanks to strong identification

You can safely enter your card details when using an online store. As a rule, the Payment Service Directive, or PSD2, requires strong identification from the customer whenever account information or payment services are used.

In practice, this means that after entering your card details for the online store, you will be automatically forwarded to OP’s identification service, for identification using Mobile key or an online bank user ID. After identification, you can accept the payment and await delivery with peace of mind.

4. View your card transactions easily anytime, online or on a mobile device

Credit transactions are separate from other daily expenditure, which makes it easy to use credit account transactions or invoices to monitor and check card payments. So it is worth using your credit facility to make repeat payments for services such as Spotify and Netflix.

If you notice credit card transactions that you do not recognise, deactivate your card immediately by calling OP’s Deactivation Service on 0100 0555 (24/7). You can then submit a request for information or a complaint about the card transactions.

Issue a complaint

+ Spending/withdrawal limits protect against misuse

Cards can sometimes be lost or stolen, even if the user is careful with them. Spending and withdrawal limits will protect the card in such cases.

It is worth setting spending and withdrawal limits that correspond to your daily use of your card. You can set day-specific spending and withdrawal limits for cash withdrawals, swiped payments, and online and in-app payments.

Spending/withdrawal limits for online and remote purchases should be kept small, particularly if you rarely make online purchases. Changing the limits is easy, whenever you wish, on OP-mobile or op.fi; the new limits will take effect immediately.

Check the spending/withdrawal limits of your card