In this age of global communication, most of us look to our good old credit cards to pay our bills for us. No matter how many zeroes appear against the amount on the bill, we know that our piece of plastic will take care of it. Hand it over to the sales person, a swipe here, a sign there, and the payment is made. Easy, facile, and instant.
They are our shopping buddies any and every time. We can rely on them when the ATM machine is not working. Thanks to them, we don't have to carry around stacks and stacks of money. But do we know how to look after our own credit cards?
One of the first things to remember with regard to credit card safety is to not divulge your credit card number to all and sundry. Even while giving the number to somebody over the phone or while entering it on a web page, make sure that the person or website is legitimate.
Then, when your credit card statement arrives, sift through each entry to make sure that there are no incorrect entries. If a payment does not sound familiar, make sure that you check it out thoroughly. Store the bills, and check them against your monthly statement. This will really help you in making sure of the accuracy of the statement. Also, even while making payments check the receipts before you sign on any receipt. Don't sign any receipt which contains blank spaces.
Also, you don't have to carry a whole gamut of credit cards when you go anywhere. Carry only the ones that you know you will need. Store the others away in a safe and handy place. Also, keep a track of all the credit cards that you have. Make sure you are aware when any go missing. You are the one who will be landed with an enormous bill if you remain unaware of whether or not a credit card of yours has been purloined.
If your card really does get lost, give the details of the card to the credit card company and make a note of it. You might also have to make a report at a nearby police station. Make sure you have a list beforehand of the formalities that have to be taken care of.
You might have a reputation for never losing your cards. But note that you don't need to lose your credit card to be victim to a whole host of credit card related crimes. So stay alert at all times, and take care of those credit cards of yours.
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