Websites may allow you to store your credit card details, making future purchases much simpler. While this can be useful, it also poses potential security threats.
Most browsers allow you to edit and delete stored cards easily. These options can usually be found by clicking ellipses (3 dots), or going into full browser settings and selecting Payment methods.
Check out as a guest
Shopping online requires creating an account and providing personal data such as your credit card number; however, some sites also allow checkout as a guest; this way you don’t need to create unnecessary accounts while also protecting your card from hackers.
Though using autofill features on websites can store your credit card details for future purchases, it is not advised due to hackers having access to this data even when stored securely. Furthermore, when working from public computers such as those found in libraries or coffee shops it may be possible that others could gain entry without your knowledge and gain access.
Simply click the ellipses icon next to a credit card and choose “Edit or remove.” This will delete it from your autofill settings and prevent other people from accessing it.
Log into your website and visit its account settings or payment information page to review all cards you’ve saved, then decide whether to keep or delete them from there. Be mindful that while they might no longer appear on the web site, they could still exist elsewhere such as mobile devices, cloud storage solutions or in any device from which purchases have been made by others.
Requiring shoppers to create an account before checking out can be off-putting, particularly if they feel uncertain sharing personal data with an unfamiliar site. Furthermore, many consumers worry about protecting their financial data online which leads to high rates of cart abandonment and may lead them to shy away from online businesses altogether.
Establishing a guest checkout can lower cart abandonment rates by making the checkout experience more user-friendly for consumers. Modern consumers tend to have short attention spans and low tolerance for lengthy checkout processes that demand too much personal data from them; providing this convenience also can give customers greater peace of mind regarding security of their credit card data, leading to higher conversions rates.
Complete your purchase
Websites may ask if you would like them to store your credit card details, which is helpful in future transactions but may raise privacy issues for some. Luckily, however, you have the ability to opt-out by changing your browser’s settings or checking if there’s any way you can delete stored information from their servers as well.
As soon as you’ve used your credit card information on any given website, the first step should be visiting that particular website and signing into your account there. From there, access your profile or payment options and find a way to delete this data; some websites allow this directly through their own site while others require that you log in and navigate directly to an individual tab or page in your profile settings.
If you’re having difficulty with deleting your credit card information from a website, try changing your browser’s autofill settings so it won’t save the card details automatically. To do this, click on the ellipsis at the top right corner and choose Settings before selecting Passwords and forms under Autofill Options. When this has been accomplished, any saved cards can be deleted by right-clicking them and choosing “Edit or Remove.”
Google Wallet offers another convenient online payment tool. Simply log into your Google Account, navigate to “Payment methods,” select “Remove card” and click on “Remove card”. Workspace administrators can manage this through the administrator console.
Opera browser users can remove their credit card details by clicking on the ellipsis icon located to the right of the address bar and selecting “Settings.” On Android users can do this in the app’s menu by tapping three dots located in the upper right corner. Furthermore, clearing cache and cookies helps further protect this sensitive data.
Opt out of storing your information
Good news – it is easy to stop web browsers from storing your information! Simply disable the autofill feature of your browser – this may still allow websites access your information, but should make it harder for them to store it.
Avoid shopping on unsecure websites as these are more prone to hacking and could leave your information vulnerable. Instead, opt for trusted vendors and only pay with secure connections (SSL) when purchasing goods or services.
Another alternative is to delete saved cards in the settings of your web browser – this can be accomplished by clearing out saved cards in the settings of the browser itself; however, this won’t prevent websites from accessing your credit card info.
When entering personal information onto websites, your browser may prompt you if you wish to save it for future use. While this can save time when filling out forms online, it can be an unnecessary security risk – to keep your information safe it is wise to regularly delete cookies and passwords to ensure its protection.
If your privacy is important to you, following these steps can help opt out of this service:
Launch Google Chrome, click the three-dot icon, click Settings, select Manage Auto-fill Settings and uncheck “Enable Auto-Fill to Fill Web Forms Instantaneously”; on this same page you can also edit or remove card data that was stored for autofill.
Also be sure to read the privacy policies of any websites you are visiting – this will let you know how your information is being used and protect your rights. Also try not using public computers or Wi-Fi when shopping online; if needed log off before leaving a computer alone.
File a complaint
If Juanita can’t reach an arrangement with the merchant and they refuse to allow her to check out as a guest or opt-out of having their card information stored, she could file a formal complaint online and explain why she is doing so in her statement of intent.
When writing to any business, it’s useful to include their name, website address and customer service/touch page details if applicable. In general, Customer service will likely be your first port of call, but if that fails contact management/CEO directly instead.
Rip Off Report provides people with a platform to post their complaints, with a high success rate in getting results for those who post them there. You could also go directly to your state attorney general website and submit an e-mail outlining your issue along with details about its occurrence; they will likely launch an investigation after reading such correspondence.
Filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission may also be effective, as many websites only get discovered when reported to them by consumers or reported directly by the FTC. Reporting these companies quickly alerts them to investigate them – an easy, free step that could have an enormously positive effect. You might even get your money back if the issue doesn’t resolve itself within 30 days! Using fake email addresses during registration makes registering harder for companies to track.