The holiday season is back again, people will be shopping a lot over the holiday season. Here is the catch though. Holiday shopping frenzies can make it very easy for you to forget your smart credit security precautions. As a consumer, overspending can leave you highly vulnerable to fraud and theft.

Apart from the retailers who make a kill during holiday shopping seasons, you should be careful about scammers. They are always hoping to take advantage of all the extra spending you plan to do. How then can you be safe? Here as some ways that you can use to protect yourself as you shop:


Christmas Shopping Holiday Gifts

Secure Your Account Details

Do you remember that quote which says a chain is only as strong as its weakest link?  I bet you do. The same applies to your credit security. Your account is only as strong as its password. Make sure you use different passwords for each of your accounts. This is for ensuring that in case one is interfered with then all the others will remain safe.

Some great news is that most online retailers are nowadays offering two-factor authorizations. This provides you with an additional layer of protection anytime you log into your account.

Shop only at secure websites

This is rather self-explanatory. You need to be very careful when choosing the website you visit. Deal only with trustworthy retailers. You need to make sure the site is encrypted before going further to use it. This can be done by checking if the website has a secure padlock icon. By using such a website that is encrypted, hackers will find it almost impossible to steal your information.

Monitor your accounts and Improve your Credit Score

Make it a habit to monitor charges on your accounts all year long. Take your time and carefully monitor your monthly statements to confirm there are no unauthorized charges.  Small fraudulent charges are likely to fly under the radar when we make many purchases within a short period of time.

You need to check those receipts to confirm that this is not happening. Don’t be in a hurry to dispose of those receipts in the dustbin or crumpling them at the bottom of your purse or pocket before confirming everything. By constantly monitoring your account, you will help in boosting your credit score without even noticing it.

By the time you will decide to seek the services of professionals like Boostcredit101, there will be less work to be done. This is because you have helped in boosting your credit score already by keeping track of every transaction in your account.

Only shop using a single account

Sincerely speaking, it is very difficult to track your spending when using several bank accounts or credit cards. Try to make sure you carry out your holiday shopping using just one account. This will make it easier for you to monitor and identify any unusual transactions or charges.

Never lend your credit card to anyone

You may trust people who are close to you and believe that there is nothing wrong if you lend them your credit card. This may be true to some extent but it is not always the case. If by bad luck the card gets stolen or lost, it is you who will lose total control over it. Consequently, it will be your credit that could be affected.

Have your credit account activity alerts on

This is an automated defense mechanism against fraud. Most card issuers are nowadays making this mechanism available to cardholders. You can use this system to ensure that you don’t make purchases exceeding a certain amount of money.

If you are concerned about your credit safety, being able to receive notifications whenever you make a purchase ensures that you track your card’s use. You will hence be able to stay on top of any fraudulent or questionable transactions.

Try using mobile wallets

Have you been thinking of jumping into the mobile payment train? This festive shopping season may be the right time for you to do so. It is convenient and safe to use mobile wallet apps to make payments during this holiday shopping season. This is because they are capable of adding more layers of online payment card security whenever you are shopping in stores.