Credit cards are proliferating, especially in Western countries. The major driving force for this phenomenon is the claim that plastic money is safest. Although this notion of safety has been punctured severally, incidences of fraud are not as high as they were five years ago. But this is not to dispel the danger of fraud which lurks around us.

To increase the safety of the cards, card companies began installing microchips on the cards. The logic is that chip transactions offer little data to fraudsters. Whoever intercepts transactions by chip-enabled cards will not get actionable data. As such, incidences of fraud in 2018 were worth $6.5 million compared to $8.1 million in 2017.

But what happens when you encounter a payment terminal which does not support chip transactions? These tips will be helpful.

Keep passwords complex and fresh

It is not uncommon for card holders to link their cards to online shopping accounts. Criminals find this phenomenon to be a goldmine whenever they hack such websites. As a matter of fact, there is a lucrative business where people buy passwords and names which are then used to access accounts on popular websites. To stay safe, always refresh your passwords regularly.

Keep your credit card private

Social media is a huge phenomenon today and the urges to share our life events is just insurmountable. When sharing your photos, remember never to share a photo of your new card online. But if you have to share a screenshot of your card online, make sure that you obfuscate key information like the security code.

Adhere to basic security measures to protect credit cards

Once you get your card in the mail, there are some security measures which the bank asks you to do. They include signing the card, and ensuring that the card is not stored at the same place as the PIN.