The Top Five Things to Watch Out For When Applying Online for a Credit Card


by Mario AL Churchill - Date: 2007-02-23 - Word Count: 571 Share This!

Carrying large amounts of cash on your person can be dangerous. You can be robbed, or you can leave your money somewhere. This can be of little or no consequence if you are carrying a few tens or twenties in your wallet. But if you are traveling with thousands of dollars to make a purchase for your company, or if you are carrying money to a faraway store where you need to make purchases of rare, expensive items, then carrying cash will seem downright ridiculous.

Credit cards are now replacing the thousands of dollars that you carry, and they offer the convenience of fast purchases without worries. With a single swipe, and with a minimal amount of identity confirmation, you can purchase that laptop your office needs, or that antique lamp you always wanted for your living room without worrying if you will be robbed or careless on the way to the merchant. If you lose your credit card, moreover, you can always call the bank, report the loss, and rest assured that your card will not be used by somebody else.

These advantages, however, are offset by the fact that credit card and identity theft now runs rampant. If you are interested in getting a credit card, you may want to examine your spending habits as well, since a credit card can often give the illusion that you are not spending any money on your purchases. If you know how to balance your spending with saving, however, a credit card will simply allow you to budget your money better.

Credit card companies are now making application for a credit card easier by taking their credit card applications online. Although this can be convenient if you do not want to leave the house, or if you cannot leave work to line up at the bank, you will still need to take note of the potential dangers that may come with applying online. Before you fill out the online application form, take note of the following tips.

1. Credit card companies will require you to sign up for a free account with them. By nature, you should keep your username and password in a safe place. However, you must also take note of the exact date and time that you created the account, as well as the exact information you provided the bank. You will need this crucial information later to protect you from identity theft.

2. When applying for a credit card online, check the traffic on your Internet server. Higher Internet traffic will not only keep the credit card company's page from loading properly, but it may signal the presence of hackers who are trying to get into your account.

3. Credit card companies will also ask for an email by which you can be contacted. If you can, create an email specifically for your credit card communications. If you use your company email, or personal email, chances are your email is already on online contact lists, and you may be unconsciously giving people access to your account. A specific email, moreover, will allow you to monitor your credit card activity better.

4. A credit card company will never ask you to give personal information through email. If you receive an email asking for your username and password, ignore it. You may be the victim of identity theft sooner or later.

5. Read the fine print. Know the credit card company well, because an online application, once submitted, can no longer be edited.


Related Tags: apply for credit card, apply credit card, apply credit card online

Mario Churchill is a freelance author and has written many articles on various subjects. If you looking to apply for credit card rewards offers or to just apply for a credit card online checkout his websites.

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