Instant Approval Credit Cards Online -- Are They Safe and Secure?
Instant approval credit cards online offer a fast and easy way to apply for a new credit card. These credit cards can be a great option for anyone that needs to get their credit card to them quickly. With the ease of application provided by these cards, it also helps streamline the process for those that too busy to fill out a traditional credit card application form. Nonetheless, many people worry about whether or not instant approval credit cards are truly safe and secure.
Why Worry About Safety
When you apply for an instant approval credit card, you do need to be concerned about your safety. After all, you are transmitting a great deal of personal information from you to the credit card company through the Internet. If this information were to get into the wrong hands, your identity could be stolen. With this stolen identity, thieves can apply for credit cards in your name and run up thousands of dollars in debt. They could also commit crimes under your identity. Therefore, you have every right to be concerned about your safety when applying for an instant approval credit card online.
How to Protect Yourself
Of course, there are also risks associated with writing your personal information on a paper application and mailing it through the US mail. After all, all a thief needs to do is pluck that envelope out of your mailbox and he or she will have all of the information needed to walk away with your identity. In reality, instant approval credit card online applications are often safer and more secure than paper applications. This is because a number of measures are put into place to ensure your information is safe.
The first step you need to take to protect yourself when applying for an instant approval credit card online is to be sure the website is secure. You will be able to determine if the site is secure by looking for a picture of a closed padlock. This picture is generally located in the bottom right or left corner of your computer screen, depending on the web browser you use. If you see this symbol, you can rest assured the site is safe. You can also determine if a website is secure by looking at its address. If it starts with https:// rather than http:// (without the s), then it is secure.
A website that is secure has taken special measures to ensure the information placed on the site cannot be hacked into by a thief. It accomplishes this in part by scrambling the information as it is transmitted through the Internet.
To provide yourself with added security, you should also maintain a firewall on your computer. A firewall monitors information that comes in and goes out of your computer. Be sure to set up your firewall to block out information, such as your social security number and credit card numbers, in order to prevent it from being transmitted without your permission. Firewalls are important because cookies on your computer save information that you input into online forms. If this information is saved to your computer, it can be hacked into at any time you are on the Internet. If you set up blockers with your firewall, however, you will know any time that information is trying to be accessed and you can approve or deny its transmission.
Deciding When to Worry
Applying for instant approval credit cards online is safe and secure if you are dealing with a reputable credit card company. If you are unfamiliar with the credit card company, do some research to ensure it is legitimate. Even if you are familiar with the credit card company, never apply for an instant approval credit card online if the closed padlock symbol does not appear on your browser. Otherwise, you can feel perfectly safe and secure knowing that your information will be safely transmitted to only the credit card company.
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