The best rule for using a credit card is to pay bills on time. However, the story doesn’t end there. You need to protect yourself from credit card fraud and find personally gratifying ways to use any rewards offered by card issuers.

In addition it’s imperative that you protect your personal information from cheats and scammers. Fortunately there are things you can do to secure your credit.

Switch from magnetic strip cards to embedded chip cards – they’re safer

Most retail merchants have acquired the technology to process chip-based cards. Chip-based cards help in fraud prevention. They prevent third parties from stealing and misusing your info by perpetrating fraudulent transactions in your name.

Check your financial institution statements

Stay vigilant! That’s the best way to protect yourself against fraud. Check every transaction on your statement and review credit reports. If there were any illicit purchases, you’ll have to contact your credit card issuer and lodge a complaint.

The value of reviewing credit reports are they reveal if an attacker used your info and opened an account using your identity.If you discover any type of financial transaction you did not initiate contact the business where the fraud occurred and initiate a fraud complaint with the card issuer.

Mobile alerts

If you don’t want to check your accounts regularly then set up mobile automatic fraud detectors via mobile notifications. Set alerts for the following situations:

Credit card limit reached

Suspicious activity such as a big purchase, or one from an unfamiliar locale

Freeze the Account

The fraud won’t stop until you close/freeze the account. Doing so prevents the thief from using your info and opening new accounts.

You prevent further damage to your good name by freezing your account. When you forward a security freeze, you notify the authorities someone is fraudulently using your info.

High Interest

Don’t get sucked into cards with high interest rates, especially if you plan to carry a balance. You will simply go deeper into debt each month if you’re unable to pay more than the minimum balance.

Get the right card for you and take advantage of any offers that come with the card

Rewards can make a difference when used properly. Do some research so you can find a card that works for you. The truth is most card holders leave their rewards and miles unused. Yet, when card offers are properly evaluated they can help you save a lot of money. Offers.creditcard has a great guide for rewards, and how best to use them. Check them out.

Shift Frequency © 2017 – Tips to Improve Your Credit Score