Tips to Make Sure You Make Your Mobile Payments Safely

By  //  September 5, 2019

(Image: twitter.com/andrecataromero)

With the vast improvement in modern technology, we’re all being exposed to some frankly remarkable advancements these days. When it comes to mobile phones, the technological advancements – particularly in the last ten years or so – have been amazing.

Whether we’re using our mobile phones to search for local Chinese restaurants or catching Pikachu on the bus, the options are endless with our mobile phones. We really are spoilt these days, when you think about it.

One more common way we’re using our phones, especially in recent times, is through making payments, be it on say eBay or by paying off a few bills, for example.

It’s convenient and hassle-free as your credit or debit card information can be stored on an app on your phone then, at the simple touch of a button or two, you can make payments to merchants who have the capability to accept them.

As we’re seeing a growing trend in mobile payments, safety and security is vitally important. With this in mind, below are a few tips to help you on your way and to put your mind at ease when making mobile transactions.

Use safe and trusted platforms

When adding your payment information to your mobile phone, use Apple Pay or Android Pay – software that usually comes with your phone – or a payment provider you’ve heard of, like Chase Pay or Google Wallet.

The reason being is that the growth in fraudulent payment apps has been alarmingly high in recent times and are created by hackers purely as a means of attaining any credit card details or other information you might have supplied. Using a third-party mobile payment app is certainly a risk not worth taking.

(Image: twitter.com/9to5mac)

Only download trustworthy apps and use trustworthy sites

If you’re going to essentially share your personal information with an app, it makes perfect sense to make sure that it’s a trustworthy app which doesn’t contain malware or spyware which is essentially a tool hackers use to obtain any information provided and – spookily – without us knowing a lot of the time.

Of course, trusted apps are easy to find. For example, if you’re a keen gamer and enjoy casino-based games then you can find them on a trusted site like casino.com where you can sign up and play Starburst slot online, much like if you enjoy a bit of retail therapy than the eBay app – a highly reputable company – can also be trusted, as can Uber if you need a taxi after a night out.

Lock your phone remotely if lost or stolen

Sadly, we live in a world where mobile phone crime is a common occurrence and phones can be stolen or – in some cases – lost. Using your Android Device Manager or – for iPhone – by going to iCloud.com, you can lock or locate a lost or stolen cell phone.

Use strong password protection

It sounds obvious really, but a strong password is the best way to prevent someone from accessing and subsequently stealing your personal information. Features like facial recognition, iris scan, and fingerprint unlock are usually more secure than a password or PIN.

Use a credit card

On the whole, credit cards are much better in terms of fraud protection compared to debit cards. You can be liable if money is taken from your debit card account, whereas with credit cards they tend to have zero fraud liability policies which help lessen the risk of any fraudulent activities occurring on your account. 

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