We live in convenient times, where getting everything you need happens quickly from the comfort of your own home, with just a few clicks. Nowadays you can buy almost anything you can think of online. Let's take a closer look at how to shop online safely and protect yourself from scammers.
Why does shopping safely online matter?
We might think it doesn't really matter where we enter our card details or other personal data, but we need to face the reality that the internet is a global space where, of course, not everyone is good and honest. The security of online purchases is something we all need to invest attention in as everyday computer and internet users. Scammers operate everywhere, and you need to be extremely careful when sharing your card details, or you risk losing all your money and even becoming a victim of identity theft. Safe online shopping is about awareness. Let's talk about how to make secure online purchases possible and ensure safety while shopping online.
Choose trustworthy sites and payment methods
When browsing a foreign e-shop or one of our own Estonian e-shops and picking out goods, always keep in mind whether it's actually a secure online store. If you have any doubt about whether a site is safe, always look up reviews of the store online, check whether anyone has raised doubts about the store's security or authenticity, or ask friends and acquaintances whether they have experience with the store and what it's like. Trustworthy reviews can be found on sites like Google or Trustpilot, but the most reliable source is, of course, the experience of people close to you. Trustworthy payment solutions also help build trust in a site. It's highly unlikely that large, reputable financial institutions would let their name be used on a fraudulent website, since reputation goes hand in hand with security, and scammers don't want that. If you see well-established financial companies among the payment options, you can feel fairly confident that your money is being kept safe.
What are safe payment methods?
An e-shop's payment methods play a big role in shopping safely online. How can you shop online with confidence, so your data and money are kept safe and your order actually arrives? By checking the e-shop's payment methods! Below you'll find a list of payment solutions that are internationally recognized and that you can trust:
Credit card companies โ VISA and MasterCard are widespread and trustworthy worldwide. Seeing their logos, you can be confident your data is in a secure place.
Well-known local and foreign banks โ if you spot logos of well-known banks, that's a sign you're dealing with a trustworthy site. Check the logo carefully, make sure it's genuine, and always keep an eye out that the bank's link leads to the correct website!
E-wallets โ e-wallets are extremely popular nowadays, with the best known being Skrill, Paysera and PayPal. These are also trustworthy e-wallets that take their customers' security seriously.
Pay Later payment solutions โ many companies offer the option to pay for their products later, for example ESTO. Choose the payment method that suits you, place your order in just a couple of clicks, and pay for your products safely and securely.
If you keep these tips in mind and always do a bit of background research whenever you have even the slightest doubt, you can be confident your money and data are being kept safe. As the Estonian saying goes: "Better safe than sorry." The internet is full of opportunities, but also risks, and in this flood of information, every piece of information deserves a critical eye.
The annual percentage rate of charge on ESTO AS hire purchase credit is 23.63% under the following sample conditions: credit amount 1490 EUR, price of goods/service 1490 EUR, down payment 0%, fixed interest rate 11.90%, contract fee 0 EUR, total amount of credit and repayments 1844.64 EUR, assuming the credit is repaid over 24 months in equal monthly instalments of 76.86 EUR. Review the terms before signing a contract and consult a specialist if needed. Hire purchase is offered and administered by ESTO AS.