Credit card security tips and features

It’s always a good idea to keep your credit card information secure—both physically and digitally. After all, credit card fraud is one of the top types of identity theft. 

Fortunately, there are credit card safety tips you can follow and security features designed to help protect you from fraud.

What you’ll learn:

• You can help protect yourself against credit card fraud by following security steps such as avoiding information sharing, practicing online safety, monitoring your account and credit, being vigilant of scams and using contactless cards or digital wallets. 

• It’s a good idea to review your credit card’s security features and benefits to learn how your credit card issuer works to protect your information.

• Capital One provides security features and tools like virtual cards, $0 liability for unauthorized charges, card lock and fraud alerts.

There are steps you can take to defend against credit card fraud and identity theft. Here are a few credit card safety tips from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and other federal government agencies you can use to help protect your financial information.

There are many ways that account information could be unintentionally shared, so it’s important to be aware of actions you can take to protect yourself. Here are some considerations for keeping your account information secure:

• Don’t share your account numbers or passwords. 

• Don’t give out your account information via phone or email unless you initiated the conversation.

• Don’t lend your card to anyone.

• Shred your old statements and receipts when you’re ready to get rid of them. The same goes for your expired cards.

Here are some tips to protect yourself when using your credit card online or in mobile apps: 

• Use multifactor authentication if it’s available. 

• Create unique, strong passwords for each online account.

• Avoid unsecured websites by using trusted URLs and retailers. 

• Be cautious when using public Wi-Fi, and consider using a virtual private network or personal hotspot.

• Don’t store your credit card number on retailer websites. 

There are several types of scams and phishing attempts that fraudsters might use to try and access your personal information. 

Phishing occurs when scammers use emails, text messages or phone calls to try and steal your personal and financial information. Be on the lookout for phishing scams that ask you to click links, open attachments, send money or share personal information.

Credit card skimmers may be placed on card readers at ATMs, fuel pumps and other point-of-sale (POV) devices. To help avoid being a victim of credit card skimming, carefully inspect card readers before inserting your card.

Reviewing your bank statements regularly may help you spot suspicious charges. Fraudulent use may sometimes start with small, one-off purchases before later progressing to larger or more frequent transactions. If you see withdrawals or transactions you don’t recognize on your statement, report them to your bank immediately.

Monitoring your credit reports and credit scores is another way you can help protect yourself from credit card fraud. It could help you catch signs of fraud like:

• Unauthorized changes to your credit reports, like new accounts or addresses that aren’t yours

• Big, unexplained drops in your credit scores

One way to monitor your credit is with CreditWise from Capital One. CreditWise gives you access to your TransUnion® credit report and FICO® Score 8. CreditWise is free and available to everyone—even if you’re not a Capital One cardholder. And using it won’t affect your credit scores.

You can also get free copies of your credit reports from Equifax®, Experian® and TransUnion—the three major credit bureaus. Call 877-322-8228 or visit AnnualCreditReport.com to learn more.

If you have a contactless credit card, consider tapping it to pay, rather than swiping or inserting it in the card reader. This process may be more secure, as it prevents card skimming.

If you have a smartphone, you may want to consider using a digital wallet. Digital wallets take contactless payment a step further by allowing you to tap your phone to pay, in addition to just tapping your physical credit card. 

If you choose not to carry your physical cards, then they won’t be at risk of theft or being lost. And even if you choose to still carry your physical wallet and cards, using your digital wallet to make your payments provides an extra layer of security because it uses tokenization to encrypt your personal information. To add your Capital One card to your digital wallet, select your wallet and follow the steps here.

Many credit card issuers have security features and benefits in place to help protect you against credit card fraud. And those safeguards go beyond basics like EMV chips and card verification value (CVV) numbers. 

One of the best things you can do is to familiarize yourself with all the security features your banking app provides and make use of them.

Here are a few security features and tools from Capital One:

Virtual card numbers help keep your credit card account more secure when you’re shopping online. 

You can use a virtual card to shop online just like you use your physical credit card—just start the checkout process and use a virtual card to complete your purchase. Charges will show up in your monthly account statements just like they usually do for purchases made using your physical credit card. 

Capital One cardholders can access virtual cards with the Capital One Mobile app and website and through your Google Account when shopping on Chrome or Android apps.

Under federal law, a card issuer could hold you responsible for up to $50 in fraudulent purchases before you report your card lost or stolen. But Capital One and other issuers provide $0 liability for unauthorized charges. That means if your card is lost or stolen, you won’t be responsible for charges you didn’t authorize.

Card lock lets you lock your credit card if you suspect it’s been lost or stolen. Capital One’s card lock feature is simple to use and takes just a few taps on the Capital One Mobile app. And if you find your card, you can unlock it just as easily to start using it again.

If you’re a Capital One customer, you can add your mobile phone number and email address to your account to automatically get fraud alerts. So if Capital One notices suspicious activity on your account, you’ll receive an alert from the same number or email address every time. That way you’ll know the text or email isn’t coming from a fraudster.

Credit card fraud could happen to anyone. But credit card issuers have systems and tools in place to protect your account. And you can take additional steps to secure your account by following credit card safety best practices.

Explore the security features and other benefits that are right at your fingertips through the Capital One Mobile app. And remember that Capital One cardholders are never liable for unauthorized charges.