Into the store? That is no longer always necessary. It will no longer be news that online shopping via computer, tablet or smartphone plays an increasingly important role in making purchases. Safety comes first, of course. We have listed what you should pay attention to.
Pay online
There is a good chance that you have already bought something on the internet. You are probably already familiar with the different methods to pay for your online purchases. One of the most used methods to pay for your purchases is iDEAL. iDEAL is a payment platform of the well-known Dutch banks and allows you to pay via your own bank. In addition, the majority of web shops also accept payments with credit cards (such as MasterCard and VISA) and PayPal. It is always advisable to find out what is a pleasant and safe way for you to shop online. When using PayPal, for example, it is no longer necessary to have a Rabo Scanner or special codes at hand.
When you want to order something from a foreign webshop, because products are not for sale through Dutch webshops or because they are much cheaper from foreign suppliers, it is usually only possible to pay by credit card or PayPal.
- You can read more about online payment options in the article ‘Paying on the Internet’.
- You can read exactly what iDeal is and how you pay with it in the article ‘iDEAL’.
Safety
With effect from 1 January 2014, there are five preconditions that banks impose on their customers to limit their own liability:
- Keep your security codes secret.
- Make sure that your bank card is never used by someone else.
- Ensure proper security of the equipment you use for your banking.
- Check your bank account.
- Report incidents immediately to the bank and follow the bank’s instructions.
These conditions should prevent banks from increasingly having to pay the price of scammers who commit fraud with internet banking or internet payments. But there is some criticism of these conditions. They are on the vague side. For example, what is ‘good security’? Nevertheless, it is useful to adhere to these rules. So keep your PIN secret, make sure you have a good virus scanner and protect your devices with passwords.
Things are different with credit card companies and PayPal. Credit card companies insure their customers’ purchases so you can shop with confidence. But internet payment specialist PayPal also has an extra guarantee: purchase protection. This scheme offers consumers who pay with PayPal a guarantee on their purchases. Not only when there is evidence of fraud, but also in other cases when an ordered and paid product is not delivered, such as in the event of a seller’s bankruptcy, customers simply get their money back. In addition to protection against not receiving a paid product, PayPal even offers protection against receiving a wrong or damaged product.
Tips for secure payment
Banks, payment services and the government are already doing a lot to combat internet threats, such as phishing and fraud. But by following a number of guidelines, you reduce the risks yourself.
- If an offer seems too good to be true, it usually is. Can you find a brand new iPad for only 100 euros on Marktplaats? Forget it. So consider carefully how a provider can make such a particularly good offer. And a site like Marktplaats offers the possibility to pay via PayPal. This protects you in case of fraud.
- Be careful when sharing personal information on the Internet. Do not only think of the details of your bank account or credit card and your address, but also, for example, your holiday photos and date of birth on Facebook.
- Make sure your software and anti-virus programs are current. This means that when an update of, for example, Microsoft Windows or a virus scanner is available, you must also install it.