Our smartphones have become our best friends. They’re always with us in our pockets and they can do anything for us. Call, search for info, take photos, and even make payments. We live in the age where our phones are slowly replacing our wallets. You can easily store all of your payment info inside an app on your phone. That includes your credit cards and credit card numbers that you need to make a payment, and information about your previous payments so you can easily track your expenses and incomes. Connecting your cards with the app on your phone and spending money has never been easier. To complete a payment, you simply have to hold your phone close to the terminal that is in charge of the transaction.
However, as this is a fairly new development, many are still unsure about its safety. So, today we’re going to talk about just how safe mobile payments are and what you can do to make them safer.
The truth is that mobile payments are safer than regular ones since your financial information isn’t being transferred during the transaction but only a coded version or your credit card details. The apps use a one-time authentication code in order to protect your payment information. Since using public WiFi can expose you to cyber-attacks, consumers are often advised to use VPN and SSL connections if they want to keep their information super secured. To find out more, check this.
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Turn off your Bluetooth and WiFi when you’re not using them
As both of these can be used by hackers to access your information, it’s best if you keep them turned off whenever you’re not using them.
Set a strong password
Touch ID and Face ID are both great options, but you can never be too safe. Put a strong password both for your phone unlock and on your apps. You can even decide whether in order to make a payment you’ll need to type a certain password. Many apps now offer fingerprint reading, facial recognition, and multi-digit number codes.
Only use safe and trusted payment platforms
Don’t download any shady apps as they can be extremely unsafe. Use the software that is already being used by millions and that, in all likelihood, came with your phone such as Apple Pay or Android Pay. With them, you can be sure that your credit card details are not being stored. There are some apps created by hackers and scammers so be very careful when choosing your platforms. This doesn’t apply just on payment platforms, but on every app that you download. Other apps on your phone may contain spyware that is designed to capture your payment info.
Monitor your credit account
Check your credit card transactions often enough in order to see if there has been any suspicious activity. In case someone is making payments without your knowledge, this is how you’ll find out. You should report any unauthorized charges and you may receive new account number.