Looking for Safe online payment options

LASTBOOMER66 · Mar 29, 2026

For subscription services, the "burner" debit cards that you pay cash for are rejected. I see we can use different methods to protect your privacy when making online purchases. I seek information on different strategies people are using to do online purchases with a credit/debit card number without exposing your core financial information. One method is opening a bank account at a separate bank and linking that to one of the online payment places.

neemobeer · Mar 29, 2026

A physical credit card basically has your name on the magnetic stripe + card number, online there isn't anything really linked to the CC #. Chances are your account you're making purchases on already has far more information on it, so doing something strategic with your payment isn't going to help your privacy in any way. It's much better to you a credit card than a debit as it's a lot easier for banks to recover funds. Have low alert thresholds set up ($50) on your card so you can act quickly to notify your bank of fraudulent charges.

RD Mercer · Mar 29, 2026

neemobeer said:
It's much better to you a credit card than a debit as it's a lot easier for banks to recover funds. Have low alert thresholds set up ($50) on your card so you can act quickly to notify your bank of fraudulent charges.

I agree!

glasskuter · Mar 29, 2026

I never direct pay for anything online using my credit card. One site and one site only has record of my credit card and that's Paypal. I pay for everything online using Paypal with my credit card set as preferred payment method. As far as subscriptions, at any time I can see all my subscriptions in one place and can deny renewal payment of any subscription I choose,unlike with a credit card through the vendor where renewal payments are automatically charged.

RD Mercer · Mar 29, 2026

glasskuter said:
I never direct pay for anything online using my credit card. One site and one site only has record of my credit card and that's Paypal. I pay for everything online using Paypal with my credit card set as preferred payment method.

Paypal is the only site that has a record of my CC also. I do pay all my bills, using the sites app/apps from my iPhone, using 2 step verification. Never has any issues yet.

rezpower · Mar 29, 2026

I also used paypal for as long as i remember and their are other advantages, like if something goes wrong you can open a claim\Dispute and most sites don't mess with payments done with paypal. But when this option is not available my bank allows me to generate a single time use, visa credit card number for free and I use it to make the payment once and then the card will not work anymore.

XxXxX · Mar 29, 2026

for online payments i use PayPal and Google pay
that way my card details are not constantly being entered

for Amazon my card details are kept on Amazon
have just closed my Amazon account all their customer service is now AI

very rarely i have to enter any details for any payments.

edit for update on Amazon
best of luck Steve ..

HeavyHemi · Mar 29, 2026

Someone above mentioned something that I also use that I believe is important. My single bank account which is tied to Paypal and a single debit card is set to notify me anytime $1 or more is transferred.

Steve C · Mar 30, 2026

I've had had no problem paying with my credit card using bona fide firms. All payments go via a recognised third party paymenent service anyway and not direct to the online shop.

gunrunnerjohn · Mar 30, 2026

I use Paypal as well. I have a CC and a bank account tied to the PP account. However, I use a secondary bank account that is just for PP use, not my main household bank account.

SgtStanko · Mar 30, 2026

PayPal here too, I only keep a minimal amount in my PayPal account , when I go to purchase something I transfer just what I need from my checking to PayPal then make the purchase. If my PayPal ever gets hacked the most they will ever get is a few bucks.

RD Mercer · Mar 30, 2026

XxXxX said:
have just closed my Amazon account all their customer service is now AI

edit for update on Amazon
best of luck Steve ..

You closed your Amazon account, or Amazon Prime membership?

cheaterslick · Mar 30, 2026

neemobeer said:
It's much better to you a credit card than a debit as it's a lot easier for banks to recover funds.

This

neemobeer said:
Have low alert thresholds set up ($50) on your card so you can act quickly to notify your bank of fraudulent charges.

I can see where that would get annoying, especially with that low a threshold.

glasskuter said:
I pay for everything online using Paypal with my credit card set as preferred payment method. As far as subscriptions, at any time I can see all my subscriptions in one place and can deny renewal payment of any subscription I choose,unlike with a credit card through the vendor where renewal payments are automatically charged.

Sounds like I'm in the minority here, but oh well...

I never use PayPal due to their myriad of rules of which I broke a couple of them some years ago, especially after they decided to get into the 'political advocacy' game and holding certain monies hostage until certain criteria have been met. Lately they have been freezing accounts for no explanation and still get class-action sued. I want nothing to do with them.

I keep close watch on my credit card statement every month to monitor any subscription charges that may be taken and it's always a good idea to not agree to any terms for automatic renewal where you don't want it. If something like that looks suspicious, then I call the credit card company and dispute the charge. I have no problem doing that. That's what monthly credit card statements are made for.

Besides, under US law I'm not liable for fraudulent charges over $50, if it's that, already. And that's what credit card statements are made for.

"Burn me once, shame on you. Burn me twice, shame on me"

gunrunnerjohn · Apr 1, 2026

My credit cards send me a text and email alert whenever a charge is made without the physical card present. In the couple times I've been hacked, I know within minutes and can deal with it on the spot.

RD Mercer · Apr 1, 2026

gunrunnerjohn said:
My credit cards send me a text and email alert whenever a charge is made without the physical card present.

Mine does the same, Especially when I use my American Express at Sam's Club, the moment I swipe the scan & go app on my phone to pay, the alert pops up immediately.

cheaterslick · Apr 1, 2026

gunrunnerjohn said:
My credit cards send me a text and email alert whenever a charge is made without the physical card present. In the coupler times I've been hacked, I know within minutes and can deal with it on the spot.

I get those too (along with voice mails) directly from American Express or Visa. No need to have PayPay for that.

That hasn't happened in awhile, though...

andrew129260 · Apr 2, 2026

neemobeer said:
A physical credit card basically has your name on the magnetic stripe + card number, online there isn't anything really linked to the CC #. Chances are your account you're making purchases on already has far more information on it, so doing something strategic with your payment isn't going to help your privacy in any way. It's much better to you a credit card than a debit as it's a lot easier for banks to recover funds. Have low alert thresholds set up ($50) on your card so you can act quickly to notify your bank of fraudulent charges.

In addition to this, this is what virtual cards are for:

Virtual card numbers are unique numbers from your credit card issuer that are linked to your credit card account. They allow you to shop online without giving stores your actual card number, adding an extra layer of security to your purchases to help protect your credit card from potential fraud.

You can get them from most credit card companies.

It is sort of similar to the security of tap to pay. This is why paying with your phone is more secure than using a physical swipe card.

On the privacy front, not too much you can do there. Online sites will track you and fingerprint you across devices very easily. IMHO the effort to put into it is not worth it, especially when one slip up exposes everything. The credit card companies themselves track your purchases and sell your info

Looking for Safe online payment options

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