Safe Online Shopping Checklist: Shop Online Without Handing Over Your Card

Is That Store Even Real?

• You found the store through a social media ad and have never heard of it.
• The deal is priced far below everywhere else.
• The web address is one letter off from a brand you know.
• Checkout only accepts gift cards, wire transfers or crypto.
• There's no phone number, no address and no return policy.
• You paid, and the package never showed up.

Online shopping scams spike around every sale and holiday. Fake stores, copied checkout pages and shady sellers are built to grab your card details, and a padlock in the address bar doesn't prove a site is legitimate.

The Safe Online Shopping Checklist gives you quick checks to run before you buy, plus payment habits that protect your money even if a site turns out to be a scam.

What's inside:

✅ Check The Store: why the padlock isn't proof, how to search the store's reviews and scam reports, and how to spot look-alike web addresses.

✅ Red Flags: prices that are too good to be true, gift-card, wire or crypto-only payment, and no contact details or return policy.

✅ Pay Smart: use a credit card or virtual card number, pay with PayPal, Apple Pay or Google Pay so your card number stays hidden, and don't save cards on sites you rarely use.

✅ After You Buy: keep your confirmation, check the exact charge on your statement, and dispute fast if something goes wrong.

✅ Pro Tip: why a credit card beats a debit card for online shopping.

Who it's for:

• Holiday and Black Friday shoppers
• Deal hunters
• Shoppers who buy from social media ads
• Amazon, Etsy and other marketplace buyers
• Seniors who are new to shopping online
• Parents teaching teens to shop safely

Why it works: It's one page and takes seconds before checkout. It works with any store or marketplace.

📄 1-page printable PDF (US Letter) · Instant download · Unlimited personal printing

• A Making Sense Of Security guide: free guides and tools at MakingSenseOfSecurity.com

Save With A Bundle

This card is part of a $5 bundle — get the full set and save:

• Money & Fraud Defense Bundle — $5
• Student Safety Bundle — $5

Great Companion Guides

Pair this checklist with:

• Monthly Statement Review Tracker
• Payment App Safety Checklist
• Online Banking Safety Checklist
• Phishing Email Detection Cheat Sheet
• Wire Transfer Safety Card
• Travel Card Safety Card

All Sales Final. Please reference this page for details.