The use of debit cards for online shopping by UK consumers has overtaken credit cards for the first time, prompting warnings about avoiding fraud when shopping on the internet.
2012 saw a total of £35 billion worth of purchases using debit cards, compared with £34 billion on credit cards. Total online card spending increased by £5 billion to £68 billion – 15% of all personal card spending. The figures have been issued by the UK Cards Association – the trade body for the card payments industry in the this country.
Earlier this year, Get Safe Online reported that in the same period, losses on card-not-present transactions (those conducted online and over the telephone) rose by 11%, giving rise to the need for consumers to be vigilant when shopping online and taking precautions such as ensuring that websites are authentic, payment pages secure (https:// and the padlock symbol in the browser window) and passwords used properly.
Using a credit card when shopping affords more protection against fraud and other problems, than using a debit card.
