Debit Card Safety

Debit cards are convenient and can be safer than carrying hundreds of dollars in your wallet with you to the mall. But this method of payment carries some inherent risks as well. Following a few simple safety tips will keep your shopping safe and ensure that your hard-earned money stays in your proverbial pockets -- unless you choose to spend it.

Protect Your PIN

According to electronic payment service provider Interac, no one should know your personal identification number, or PIN, except for you, not even your spouse or your children. Memorize your PIN, don't say it out loud to others, don't save it in a text file on your computer and don't write it down. Always shield the terminal with your hand when entering your PIN to protect your digits from wandering eyes around you. If you happen to use a compromised ATM that uses a camera to capture PIN information, this simple move can help you avoid debit card fraud. Don't pick obvious numbers to use as your PIN, including your birthday, phone number digits or part of your Social Security number.

Communicate with Your Financial Institution

Check your bank statements and report any suspicious activity to your bank as soon as you notice it. Most debit cards have a toll-free telephone number on the back that you can call for help and customer service. Never give away your PIN over the phone or through email. Financial institutions will never ask you for this information.

Be Vigilant at the Checkout

When paying by debit, ensure that your card stays within sight. If your card disappears below the counter during a transaction, the retailer could be hiding a card skimmer. If you live in a country that has chip and pin (EMV) technology, always try inserting your chip first before swiping your card. Many pay terminals can handle both the chip and magnetic stripe. Paying by the microchip method is the more secure choice when it comes to protecting your PIN and banking information, so you want to use it if it's available.

EMV Technology in the United States

EMV technology uses a microchip to store financial information, making card data more difficult to skim and steal. For countries that use it, chip and PIN technology applies to both debit cards and credit cards. Debit card users insert their chip at a compatible terminal and enter their PINs. Credit card users use the chip and a PIN in for verification instead of a traditional signature. According to Claes Bell, writer for Bankrate.com, the United Kingdom saw a $196 million (U.S.) reduction in credit card fraud between 2004 and 2008 after widespread adoption of the technology. EMV has yet to be widely deployed in the U.S.

Be Selective About Where You Use Your Card

If you're using your debit card while shopping online, don't enter your information into an insecure website. Look for the telltale lock symbol in the lower right-hand corner of your browser (in Internet Explorer) and check for a URL starting with "https:" before typing in any banking data. Always make sure you log out and close the browser when you're finished. Similarly, trust your instincts with ATMs. If something doesn't look quite right about an ATM, don't use it.

References

• "Interac"; Press Release; March 2009
• "Security World News"; ATM & Debit Card Safety Awareness Month; Annie Blanco; June 2010
• "Reader's Digest"; 6 Debit Card Safety Tips; March 2010
• "Bankrate.com"; Are Chip and PIN Credit Cards Coming?; Claes Bell; 2010
• "Mercator Advisory Group"; EMV in the USA -- Waiting on Debit, a Mandate, or Just the Opportune Moment; January 2011