While credit cards bring you swipe-and-pay convenience, even the most secured credit cards in India pose certain dangers. Your credit card contains all the confidential information - including the card number, CVV, and expiry date - hackers and skimmers need to make unauthorised transactions. With identity theft and card cloning on the rise, maintaining credit card security today is more important than ever. 

The good news is that a few diligent practices can go a long way in keeping your data safe and your financial well-being intact. 

10 Handy Tips to Keep Your Credit Card Info Safe

1. Refrain from sharing your CVV, OTP, card number, user ID, or password with anyone claiming to be a bank representative over a call, via email, or text.  
2. When shopping offline, insist that the store representative swipe the credit card in your presence to reduce the chances of it being swiped through credit card skimming machines. 
3. Avoid a physical paper trail of your billing statements where all your sensitive credit card information is listed. Shred statements before discarding them or opt for greener e-statements.
4. Ensure the authenticity of the website or app before making an online purchase. Check the website’s address to see if it starts with ‘https://’ and has a lock symbol. 
5. If you use an RFID credit card to make contactless payments, wrap it in aluminium foil or invest in an RFID-blocking wallet to prevent electronic pick-pocket devices from stealing your credentials.
6. Keep your banking credentials and sensitive data safe by shopping via secured wireless networks.
7. Use virtual credit cards that use temporary numbers to complete online transactions. 
8. Change your credit card PIN every six months. Also, ensure that your credit card security code is easy to remember but difficult to guess.
9. Carefully check emails and messages before clicking on links. 
10. Use the virtual keyboard for online transactions to minimise data leak risks.

With Fi, it’s tomorrow’s security, today

The Fi-Federal Credit Card ensures the safety of your transactions in the following ways:

• Online transactions: With a digital version of the card, you can securely make app-based transactions online.  

• Offline transactions: The Fi-Federal Credit Card is a chip-based card that can be used for contactless payments at NFC-enabled POS machines. Not needing to swipe the card to transact minimises the chances of skimming and card cloning.   

To top it off, Fi is PCI-DSS compliant. It follows the requirements of the global forum: Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS). Essentially, it’s the 'gold standard' compliance scheme to secure credit and debit card transactions. 

Summing It Up

By regularly monitoring your account, keeping your card safe, setting strong passwords, and using virtual cards, you can enhance your credit card’s security and avoid falling prey to phishing scams and skimming devices. 

Get a Credit Card that Works for You & Your Money!

If you're looking for a credit card that gives you the best bang for your buck, the Fi-Federal co-branded credit card is what you need. With this card, you're assured of a 2% valueback through rewards. But that's not all, as you'll also get 5x on your top 3 brands, 2x on all partner brands listed in the Fi Catalogue (including Amazon, Netflix, etc.) and 1x on everything else, including rent and fuel. What's unique is that you earn points through Fi-Coins. For travellers, the perks are even better, as you can convert your Fi-Coins to airline miles or cashback.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are 5 things you can do to protect your credit card?

To keep your credit card safe, you can set strong passwords, refrain from sharing CVV and other details, insist on swiping the card before you, use virtual credit card numbers, and shred your old billing statements. 

2. What is one way to protect credit cards and credit card information?

The best way to protect your credit card information is to keep it confidential, so you should avoid writing down PIN details or your card number or sharing card details with anyone else.

3. What are some security features on credit cards?

Some of the common safety features of a credit card include a data-coded magnetic strip, CVV, multi-factor authentication, EMV chips, transaction alerts, and liability coverage. 

4. What are 3 or 4 ways to avoid credit card trouble?

You can avoid credit card trouble by spending not more than 30% of your credit limit, paying off monthly dues promptly, maximising reward points, and reporting card theft/loss immediately.

5. What are the 10 hidden dangers of credit cards?

The 10 hidden dangers of credit cards are as follows:

• Credit card debt
• Heavy interest payments
• Identity theft
• Credit card fraud
• Overspending 
• Risk of credit score decline 
• Improper expense tracking with multiple cards
• Card skimming 
• Confusing fine print clauses
• Possibility of bankruptcy