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What do you think is the best way to pay off a credit card bill? I recently made a payment via check. It was by mistake that I had given a wrong check from an old closed checking account. Do you think the risk remains if we pay through check? What is the best way would you say?
Hi Laura...we always use online transactions that way if there's a problem it should be easily corrected, whereas if you pay by check through snail mail (i'm guessing) it takes a little longer to address any issues that may happen. I'm so paranoid, Laura. when i send a check in the mail anyone could open that mail and get my banking information. they can do that online as well but i usually get verifications and some correspondence online that i can print out. this is just us though...we always pay our credit cards off through the internet.
But I fear the online phishing sites as well. My dad always uses the internet for his payments but a few months back while doing the transactions online his card number got stolen from a phishing site. He dint realize until the next bill arrived.
Otherwise I would love to make payments online. Its fast but sometimes risky. Thanks for your view. I appreciate that. I would like more people to come up with how much they think internet payments are safe.
Using credit card and checking account information online
Last year around this time I used by checking account and credit card to buy stuff online and a couple months later money was coming out of my accounts and being charged on my credit cards. I found out someone used my account and personal information to take out a loan over the internet and I was paying it back for them out of my accounts. I had to take it to the police department and close out my accounts and get new credit cards after everything was processed and they found the culprits. It is sad that we can't trust anyone and there's always someone out there to screw someone over.
Usually there will be some type of security in place, I use the online bill pay through my bank. It has never failed me, knock on wood. I think it depends on the security of the site, I think that banks have a pretty good system in place, they really can't afford not to.
that's a good idea da! big time, also my husband is a computer nerd to the core and he installs safety systems on here, now what i dont know. i'm more of an artsy person, but we've never had a problem though I can completely understand your fear Laura. I think the biggest thing here, is to trust your gut. you are fearful of phishing on the internet so for you that's out...whatever way you feel is comfortable and safe is the option I would choose...
You are right there debt, I trust that my financial institution and other banks have a pretty good online security program in place, I have never had a problem and use it monthly to pay bills. I guess I just take it for granted because of who they are.
I am sure things will work out fine for you guys. I had been paying online for a long time but my Dad's situation scared me so much that I did not know what to do. Thats why I put up the question as I made that mistake with my check as well.
Apart from checking or an online payment is there any other way of doing it? This is just a question posed.
I always pay online. It is just so much easier. You can make payments to most cards every week if you want to. As far as it being safe. I don't know. My credit card info has been stolen before, but it was stolen from a commercial site that I had purchase from and not from the credit card site. The most important thing is to check your statement all the time. Which is another thing you can do online really easily
Hi All, been away for quite a while now. good to see that there's good conversations going on :) I just now started paying my bills online, well some of them anyway haven't had a problem yet though still cautious as much as I can be. I remember Laura that I sent my toyota check to the wrong address and not only did i get hit with late fees, i had to stop payment (paid $32 for that), and pay online after i made arrangements only to find out that toyota went ahead and processed my check right before a stop payment could be processed and my bank account was overdrawn! i think it can be very confusing to do both sometimes.
I'm not sure about the risk by check, Laura...are you able to put your account information on a money order? i've only had a money order once long ago and don't remember all we had to do and what information ic ould include.
Hi D15, good to see you back hope that youll be back more often! hope all was straightened out with toyota...did your bank work with you with the overdrafts?
hey thanks debt...i hope to be back more often too. during the week gets a little hectic I like to work out after work and then by the time i get home my evening is gone. Now things are straight with toyota but for a while there i was scared to death. I called customer service at the bank to stop the payment and not once did that rep tell me that i had to come in to fill out paperwork to stop payment. so here i get a $32 charge and my bank made me pay it! keep in mind i'm still very young and learning all about finances so that was not one of the more pleasant experiences i've had with my bank. In fact, i'm going to change banks when i get the chance i think because i've had grief with this one. however, toyota is straightened out thank goodness. i need a car bad
Great to hear that things have straightened out. Its true we need to have a car to speed up travel. That saves a lot of time.