A payment card is one of the most convenient ways of paying online. It is fast, intuitive, and despite impressions, safe. Nevertheless, this method is used by relatively few users who regularly buy online. How to pay by card on the Internet? Here is everything you need to know.
According to the "Digital Payments 2019" report prepared by the Chamber of Electronic Commerce, 21% of online buyers choose to pay by card when placing an order.
Internet users are far more likely to choose quick transfers and traditional transfers, which require them to rewrite their account numbers. Many people also opt for cash on delivery, payment by card at the courier, or cash on delivery.
Some of these methods are less convenient than paying by card. So why do the users choose them? One of the arguments may be the misleading conviction that paying by card is complicated and unintuitive.
Which card is the best for paying online? < Some people think that unique cards are needed to pay online, e.g., the myth is continuously repeated. Meanwhile, you can pay online with the same "plastics" you use in stationery shops.
A "regular" payment card, i.e., a popular debit card, can perfectly handle the payment for online shopping. Nothing stands in the way of using a credit card or a prepaid card. However, the latter must be topped up with the appropriate amount of money before making purchases.
The last category is virtual cards, which have been gaining popularity in recent times. This type of card does not have a physical form and appears only in a mobile application. It is dedicated to online payments. We have already covered the subject of virtual cards in a separate entry on our blog.
Is the card itself sufficient for online shop payment? In most cases, yes. However, sometimes the online payment functionality may be blocked by our bank as a default. In this scenario, you should contact customer service and ask them to enable online payments. Some banks allow you to activate this function directly in the mobile app or via online banking.
Payment by card via the Internet step by step
Paying by card online is not a complicated process and takes place similar to other online payment methods. At the stage of finalising the order in the internet shop, you need to indicate that you want to pay with the card.
In the next step, we will be asked to enter our payment card details. In particular, a 16-digit number, usually located on the front of the card. Another issue is the card expiry date, without which the payment cannot be processed. This should also be found on the front of the card.
To authorise the payment, we are required to enter the security code CVC2/CVV2. These are three digits, usually placed on the reverse of the payment card. The shop may also want us to enter the cardholder's first and last name.
After all details are verified and validated, your bank will receive a request to ensure that sufficient funds are in your account. The appropriate amount will be blocked for the payment. Technically, however, the price is not yet credited. This only happens once the bank has received the settlement of the amount. Nevertheless, the blocking of funds is a reasonable argument for the shop to start processing the order.
If you often purchase from the same online shop, you can conveniently save your payment card details if the platform provides such a function. As a result, we will not have to re-enter all our card details during the next payments. Instead, entering the security number is all you need.
Is it safe to pay online with a card?
Paying by card on the Internet is safe as long as you follow a few basic rules. First, before entering your card details, make sure that the website you are using is reliable.
To do so, it is crucial to verify whether data is transmitted via an encrypted protocol. How can you do this? In your browser, you will notice a closed padlock icon next to the website address. It means that the connection is secure.
It is advisable to check that we are definitely on the website you wanted to shop on. For this purpose, we verify the website's address and double-check that we have not made any typos.
Besides online payments, the card can be secured with the 3D Secure mechanism, which requires confirmation of the transaction using a code sent to your phone number. In this way, you protect yourself from losing cash even in case your card details fall into the wrong hands.
Benefits of paying by card online
We have already mentioned one of the most significant advantages of paying by card on the Internet many times. Obviously, it is convenient. After all, we do not have to type in bank account numbers and other data. All we need to do is to enter the card number, which can be saved in the shop's system for later payments with just a few simple clicks.
The benefits include very fast payment authorisation, which allows the seller to process the order almost immediately. In the case of, for example, payment by ordinary bank transfer, the seller would have to wait for the funds to be credited to the account.
Card payments are becoming more and more crucial for purchases in international online shops. By sending a standard bank transfer abroad, we could expose ourselves to additional costs and much longer accounting procedures. When we pay by card, the money is transferred to the seller notably quickly.
Using a multi-currency payment card, which is already available in the offer of Conotoxia, can help you save money. The payment in a foreign currency is executed at a much better rate than in the case of a card issued exclusively in one currency.
An additional advantage of paying by the card is also the possibility to use the chargeback procedure, which makes it possible to recover money in case of, for instance, goods not complying with the description or other problems with payment.
Payments made with the card and chargebacks
Paying with a card issued by Visa or Mastercard may also prove to be a wise way to protect yourself against dishonest sellers. If the goods do not match the description, the payment has been charged twice, or there is any other issue, you can use the chargeback procedure.
Shortly speaking, we can file a complaint about a selected payment with the card issuer with a chargeback. After the complaint is accepted, we receive a refund to our bank account. Please be aware of this solution, as banks are reluctant to inform customers about it. This procedure covers all payments made with credit, debit, and prepaid cards issued by Visa or Mastercard.
There are several reasons why chargebacks may be used, starting with something as mundane as double charging a payment and ending with fraudulent attempts. We can file a chargeback complaint if, for instance, we notice an unauthorised card payment on our account or a retailer has failed to send us the goods we ordered.
Chargeback covers not only card usage online but also in stationery shops and even ATM withdrawals. This solution is additional protection for the buyer, which makes paying safer.
Card payments online - limits and blocks
We have already mentioned the possibility of blocking online card payments. Another issue is the imposed daily and one-time limits. Online card payment can be rejected because the amount to be paid is higher than our limitations.